The California division of the Natural Resources Conservation Service has recognized Jesus Castillo for his outstanding contributions to environmentally responsible farming.

He was a small farmer in his native Jalisco, Mexico, and since he arrived in the Santa Maria, CA, area, he has used his years of experience to make a living growing strawberries and tomatillos.

Attendees at this year's annual meeting of the Washington State Horticultural Association are in for a rare treat on Dec. 3. They are scheduled to get a private screening of the new documentary, Gee Whiz: the Story of Grady Auvil.

Filmmaker Jamie Howell and co-producer Jeff Ostenson have captured an intense snapshot of the larger-than-life figure who introduced the Granny Smith apple to Washington's Wenatchee Valley. Intense work on the project also revealed a man who was obsessed with efficiency and had a few quirky takes on just about everything.

Nick Zaninovich, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, died Nov. 7 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

Born Oct. 24, 1920, in Cutler, CA, he was the youngest son of Antone and Domina Zaninovich, who emigrated from Croatia in the early 1900s. Mr. Zaninovich attended grammar school in Sultana, CA, and Dinuba High School. His college education was interrupted by the death of his father and the need for him to return home to help run the family farm.

The New York Apple Association in Fishers, NY, has launched a new variety guide and merchandising display that makes it easy for retailers to promote the excellent eating qualities of "Apple Country" apples.

"These are the most beautiful p-o-s materials we've ever created," Jim Allen, president of the association, said in a press release. "We're already getting hundreds of requests from retailers to put these up in their produce aisles."

Agricultural officials have detected a Mexican fruit fly infestation, a threat to the fresh produce industry, in Escondido in northern San Diego County.

The California Department of Food & Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have expanded insect trapping in the area to detect any additional flies. A quarantine will be imposed to prevent the spread of the infestation once the boundaries of the infested area have been determined.

Salinas, CA-based Church Bros. LLC and True Leaf Farms -- Church's processing arm -- continue to roll out products in the "Disney Garden" line, which presents a variety of commodity vegetables and value-added items designed to reach younger consumers.

The "Disney Garden" line features Disney characters. But as sales manager-partner Steve Church and Ernst van Eeghen, director of product development and marketing for Church Bros./True Leaf Farms pointed out, the line involves much more than simply using Disney's name and characters.