The 2009 grape harvest in California's San Joaquin Valley, home to the preponderance of fresh-market grape vineyards in the United States, got off to a faster-than-expected start, with many shippers saying that their first Flames were ready to harvest with full color, full sugar and good berry size a week or more sooner than anticipated.

The phenomenon occurred not just in the traditionally early districts at the southern end of the valley but north through Delano and up into the Reedley and Fresno areas.

MONTEREY, CA -- Is it possible to double the consumption of fresh produce in foodservice venues over the next 10 years?

The opening session of the Produce Marketing Association's Foodservice Conference & Exposition, here, Saturday, July 25, dealt with a collaborative initiative among three industry associations with exactly that objective.

WASHINGTON -- The California Leafy Greens Handler Marketing Agreement got an airing on Capitol Hill July 29, and the publicity was not all good.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), chairman of the House Oversight & Government Reform Subcommittee, held an afternoon hearing to air his concerns with the 2007 marketing agreement as the U.S Department of Agriculture considers whether to implement it nationwide.

MONTEREY, CA -- Should a national fruit and vegetable board be formed, funded by mandatory assessments on producers, to encourage Americans to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables?

If so, who should pay the assessments? How much should the assessments be? How much funding would it really take to move the needle? What are the prospects of obtaining matching funds from government grants? Should the primary objective of such a board be to improve public health or to improve the profitability of the industry?

MONTEREY, CA -- Foodservice sales may be down overall, but some restaurant concepts continue to do well and there are some bright spots, according to Kim Rothstein, a principal in The Hale Group, a strategic consulting firm serving the food and agribusiness industries.

MONTEREY, CA -- It is a given these days that foodservice operators and distributors expect their suppliers to have third-party audited food-safety programs in place, according to several of the participants in a food-safety panel Saturday, July 25, at the Produce Marketing Association's Foodservice Conference & Exposition, here.