WASHINGTON -- With produce suppliers being the constant target of costly and sometimes duplicative audits each year, the United Fresh Produce Association is hoping a two-day meeting next month will start the dialogue toward harmonizing audits with buyers.

At a recent meeting, the United Fresh Produce Association's Retail- Foodservice Board endorsed efforts to harmonize produce food-safety audits and urged produce industry members throughout the supply chain to participate in the April 24-25 Global Conference on Produce Food Safety Standards.

VIDALIA, GA -- Wendy Brannen, executive director of the Vidalia Onion Committee, here, has several new promotional programs planned to improve the consumer awareness of and dedication to the famous sweet Vidalia onion.

The committee has traditionally focused on national promotions, but "we are actually taking a different direction with our promotional programs" this year, Ms. Brannen said.

A transportation concept that has been used off and on for many years is once again helping a segment of the produce industry get its product to market in a timely and economical fashion.

The concept is trailers-on-flat-cars, also known as TOFC, intermodal or "pigs." On a weekly basis, 25-30 loads of potatoes from Idaho are being hauled south to the Ogden, UT, loading ramp of Union Pacific Railroad. There, trailer is removed from the tractor and loaded on a flat car for the cross- country journey.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced recently that California farmers and ranchers would most likely not receive a water allocation this spring, which could mean income losses of upwards of $2 billion for Central Valley growers.

Additionally, a variety of newspapers ranging from the San Jose Mercury News to The Wall Street Journal have reported that California's drought is affecting lettuce plantings in the Central Valley. Our office has fielded numerous calls from people wondering what this means to Monterey County agriculture and our lettuce harvest.

SALINAS, CA -- Bruce Knobeloch and Robert V. Jenkins have announced the formation of a new company, Knobeloch Jenkins Associates LLC.

This new business is focused on "providing business solutions to the fresh produce and perishables industries," according to a company press release, targeted toward supporting business owners, investors, creditors, boards of directors, executive management and project management teams.

Whether it's baseball or produce, Rob Palmeri has his head in the game.

Mr. Palmeri, 41, a self-described baseball fanatic, is the produce and floral market manager for Giant Foods LLC, the Carlisle, PA-based supermarket chain. He has been working full time in retail produce since he was 20 years old.