U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Edward Schafer has designated 10 New Jersey counties as natural disaster areas following hail storms, drought, heat and other severe weather conditions that led to crop losses during the 2008 growing season.

On Aug. 13, three days after hailstorms damaged crops in Salem, Gloucester, Cumberland, Atlantic and Camden counties, Gov. Jon S. Corzine requested the disaster designation, saying that New Jersey farmers had experienced substantial agricultural production losses to important crops.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods, which owns one of the world's larger celery breeding programs, has been granted two additional patents for new commercial celery varieties.

The new varieties, ADS-11 and ADS-2, come from more than 1,200 lines developed for company trials each year to create celery varieties for Duda Farm Fresh Foods' retail and foodservice customers.

To protect its proprietary celery varieties, the company has adopted DNA "fingerprinting" technology.

SALINAS, CA -- Since 1990, the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce has presented an agricultural leadership award to the individual, company, group, association or agency that has made the most significant contribution to the Salinas area agricultural community.

The Liberty Fruit Co. Inc. in Kansas City held its ninth annual golf tournament Sept. 22.

The tournament is a way for Liberty Fruit Co. to give back to its community. In the eight previous years, all money raised during the tournament was donated to Children's Mercy Hospital for research, diagnosing and treating intestinal problems in children.

But this year, Liberty Fruit Co. added two additional charities to its donation plan.

It seems fitting that Jeff and Kristine Boullioun named their Oroville, WA, orchard Busy Bee because when it comes time to harvest their mix of organic Asian pear varieties, that is exactly what they emulate.

From implementing organic growing practices in all of their 58 acres to hand- picking and hand-packing each piece of fruit, the Boulliouns work tirelessly to ensure consumers get to experience only the best-tasting Asian pears. The Boulliouns grow fruit exclusively for Stemilt Growers, a leading tree fruit company based in Wenatchee, WA.

Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner announced an 11-year, multi-million dollar land lease between Chiquita Fresh North America and the Diamond State Port Corp. This new 27.6-acre lease will keep Chiquita at the port of Wilmington and in the state of Delaware until July 2019.

Chiquita is a leading international marketer and distributor of high-quality fresh and value-added food products from energy-rich bananas to nutritious blends of convenient green salads. Globally, Chiquita employs over 23,000 people in more than 70 countries.