WASHINGTON -- After a 25-minute interview, when then President-elect Barack Obama decided that Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack was his top choice as secretary of agriculture, the newly elected president made it clear that the U.S. Department of Agriculture would be expanding its mission to promote fruits and vegetables.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), a longtime champion of the school snack program, is stepping down as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee to lead a Senate health committee that is expected to take up food-safety legislation this fall.

NAPLES, FL -- Despite the lack of a single tomato-related food-safety incident in the past year, that topic was at the forefront during the first two days of meetings at the 34th annual Florida Joint Tomato Conference held Sept. 8-14 at the Ritz-Carlton, here. The conference was hosted by the Florida Tomato Committee and the Florida Tomato Exchange.

FirstFruits Marketing of Washington, based in Yakima, has added a new apple packer to its supply mix. Columbia Valley Fruit, a premier Yakima Valley packer of conventional and organic apples, will begin marketing its fruit through FirstFruits Marketing this season.

"We are responding to the marketplace," Orlin Knutson, co-owner of Columbia Valley Fruit, said in a Sept. 8 press release. Customers are telling us that they prefer to have direct access to the producer. This new marketing company creates that direct link between our customers and the grower.

Tanimura & Antle hosted its fifth annual 20-year Employee Club celebration Aug. 23 at the private home of Mike and Cass Antle in Corral de Tierra, CA. This annual event honors employees who have served 20 and 25 years. Ten new members were inducted into the 20-Year Club and 12 employees were honored for their 25 years of service.