BONITA SPRINGS, FL -- A decade of hurricanes, freezes, disease, pestilence and groves lost to encroaching real estate development has hammered the Florida citrus industry mercilessly, but growers and shippers attending the fifth Florida Citrus Industry annual conference June 24-26 at the Coconut Point Hyatt were not singing the blues.

Summer is a great time to pick up healthy habits, but so many people fall off the bandwagon come autumn. The Idaho Potato Commission wants to help potato fans stay on track with tips for exercising healthy lifestyle habits all year long.

Just as the season's first tangy-sweet Enza Jazz apples from New Zealand arrived in stores across North America, a member of its namesake cycling team was crowned Queen of the Mountains on the streets of Philadelphia.

H.E. Butt Grocery Co. stores teamed up with Idaho potatoes and Paul Prudhomme's Magic Seasoning Blends to spice up its produce sales in March. The San Antonio, TX-based grocery chain pumped up produce purchases at its Texas locations with a New Orleans Cooking Adventure sweepstakes.

The monthlong promotion enticed H-E-B customers to add flavor to their fare, specifically Idaho potatoes, with product discounts and a chance to win a New Orleans Cooking Adventure, which included a trip to New Orleans and a private cooking lesson from famed Chef Paul Prudhomme.

WASHINGTON -- A federal court sided with grower groups June 29 and put on hold the Obama administration's move to abandon December 2008 H-2A rules.

At issue are final H-2A rules, which took effect Jan. 17, 2009, that were designed to fix problems with the 1987 temporary visa rules after a nearly two-year regulatory process. In March, just hours after Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis took office, the new rules were suspended, replaced with the original 1987 rules, and accompanied by a 10-day comment period.

Market Fresh Produce LLC has hired Don Sieling as its new national director of business development. Mr. Sieling will be responsible for ongoing development and implementation of the Market Fresh strategic marketing plan across North America.

Now in its 11th year, Market Fresh has experienced explosive growth since 2006. The company offers one of the industry's premium produce brands, "Market Fresh," for the full potato category, the full tomato category, sweet onions, storage onions and sweet potatoes.