Dennis Jackson, who worked for the Pear Bureau Northwest in the New England region as a category manager, is joining the staff of FirstFruits of Washington. Mr. Jackson was hired as a category manager and will also serve regional marketer. He will be based in New Hampshire.

FirstFruits officially opened its doors in August. It is a grower cooperative based in Yakima, WA, which currently represents Broetje Orchards, headquartered in Prescott, WA, and Columbia Valley Fruit, located in Union Gap, WA.

This holiday season, consumers can toast to suppertime savings with a multi- partner retail promotion offering coupons on "all the fixings," including Idaho potatoes.

Through the end of the year, Frontera Wine will feature bottleneck coupons offering $1 off Idaho potatoes, Kitchen Basics cooking stock, Bruce's Yams and Reynold's Wrap -- some of the essentials for holiday entertaining.

Two recent voluntary recall episodes involve the same customer of two separate produce companies, according to Rex Lawrence, director of sales and marketing for Davis, CA-based Timco Worldwide Inc.

Mr. Lawrence also said that findings of possible Salmonella contamination of Timco watermelons and cantaloupes from Brawley, CA-based Five Crowns Marketing were determined at the same testing lab used by the customer linked to the two produce companies.

BOUCHERVILLE, QC -- The Quebec Produce Growers Association held its 64th annual banquet Nov. 20 here at the Hotel Mortange, located just across the St. Lawrence River from Montreal.

The event, which celebrates the end of the local Quebec deal, drew approximately 525 members of the produce trade.

The association honored Sherrington, QC-based Les Fermes V. Forino Inc., a family-owned-and-operated grower-packer-shipper, with its Le Moisson d'Or, or Golden Harvest, award for the firm's contributions to growing produce in the province.

The U.S. Apple Association in Vienna, VA, applauded the Obama administration for its plan to purchase $18.6 million worth of apples in the near future. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the announcement Nov. 11 at the National Association of Farm Broadcasters' annual convention in Kansas City, MO.