PACIFIC GROVE, CA -- Food safety and what is viewed as a set of good agricultural practices that was imposed on the industry by the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement carried the discussions Tuesday, Jan. 22 at the California Certified Organic Farmers conference held here at the Asilomar Conference Center.

Philadelphia produce distributor Mark Stout died Jan. 15 while skiing in Steamboat Springs, CO. He was 45 and was the owner of Eckert's Produce Co. on the Philadelphia Regional Produce Market.

This winter, Mann's "Broccoli Wokly" is getting a new partner: Kraft grated parmesan cheese.

Watsonville, CA-based California Giant Inc. has officially changed its name to California Giant Berry Farms.

The name shift provides a much broader umbrella and descriptive image of the company. "California Giant Berry Farms" has served as a marketing tag line for the last two seasons, but until now was not incorporated into the company's complete business. The new logo and name will be integrated into all company media during 2008, including product packaging, the company web site, brochures and letterhead.

An association of avocado growers in Mexico best known by its acronym APEAM has filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Food & Agriculture, claiming that the department impeded the marketing of Mexican avocados in California. The suit was filed Jan. 11 in Sacramento County Superior Court.

Demand for Hass avocados in the United States has more than doubled over the last seven years and now stands at around 1 billion pounds annually. Most of that volume comes from three sources: California, Mexico and Chile.

A year ago, California avocados were hit hard by a freeze, which reduced an already smaller crop than the previous year's bumper harvest. As a result, the 2007 California shipping season ended early.