SAN MARTIN, CA -- Though the Christopher family has been farming in California since the 1880s, today's Christopher Ranch has grown to a position of prominence through the expertise of third-generation family member Don Christopher.

The company is celebrating 50 years in business, and at its annual dinner July 28 at the CordeValle resort, here, it marked the milestone.

WASHINGTON -- Without an agriculture trade deal in hand, some policy leaders are beginning to talk on Capitol Hill about simply extending the current farm bill for a few years rather than writing a new one.

Ocean Mist Farms has partnered with Agricola Quintana Inc. in Mexico's Mexicali Valley to create Baja Mist and together the two will grow Mexican product under the "Ocean Mist" brand name.

Until recently, Ocean Mist Farms, headquartered in Castroville, CA, contracted with growers to supply Mexican-grown items that typically fill in gaps in U.S. vegetable production.

Salinas, CA-based Classic Salads voluntarily launched a recall Jully 27 of up to 30,000 packages of baby spinach and spring mix products due to possible salmonella contamination.

Third-party test results returned Monday, July 31, determined that one sample tested positive for Salmonella contamination. As of Aug. 3, there had been no reports of illnesses related to consumption of the produce, which was distributed to foodservice accounts in the United States and Canada. All baby spinach and spring mix in question was harvested from various locations in the Salinas Valley.

Stephen Cerniglia joined his father, Kirk Cerniglia, and his grandfather, Steve Volpe, on the sales desk at Royal Madera Vineyards in Madera, CA, about a year ago, after graduating from Cal State University at Fresno with a degree in agribusiness.

"I knew I wanted to come into this business," the 25-year-old third- generation grape marketer told The Produce News. "I was intrigued by it," adding that it was the reason he chose to major in agribusiness at Fresno State.

PHILADELPHIA -- In January 2006, Maersk Line in Charlotte, NC, began a direct service from Chile to Philadelphia with containerized fruit. Huge Maersk ships brought the fruit to Philadelphia's Packer Avenue Marine Terminal.

While the volume in these containers for the first year was not considered overly significant by the trade, the way of doing business was a change, and it is raising eyebrows here as the port industry looks forward.