On Sept. 1, in advance of Hurricane Jimena, unstable weather conditions produced a tornado effect that tore through an Andrew & Williamson Sales Co. Inc. cucumber farm in Baja California, ripping out a 12.5-acre shade house. Farm managers prepared for the worst as the storm headed directly up the center of Baja, with expectations that it would go right over the major tomato-producing area a day-and-a-half later.

Quick industry action in late August resulted in the recall of potentially tainted cantaloupes and green onions with no reports of illnesses by Sept. 1.

In separate incidents, some cantaloupes from a Florida farm and some green onions from a Mexican farm tested positive for Salmonella, which resulted in the removal of the products from supermarket shelves and distribution centers. The shippers and retailers involved acted quickly, which appeared to limit exposure to consumers and isolate the problem lots.

The Beebe Bridge along Highway 97 near Chelan Falls, WA, remained closed on Sept. 1 following a fatal accident that claimed the life of truck driver Kathleen Walker, a 48-year-old resident of Olympia, WA.

Investigators were engaged in an ongoing search to find the body of her co- driver, also from Olympia, who remained unnamed pending notification of his or her next of kin.

VERO BEACH, FL -- Cassie William (Bill) Emanuel Jr., founder of the C.W. Emanuel Co. Inc., died Aug. 26 after a battle with cancer.

Mr. Emanuel, known to friends and family as C-Dub, founded C.W. Emanuel Co. in 1974 as a fresh produce grower and wholesaler.

WASHINGTON -- A record number of produce industry leaders will be arriving here to hear top policy makers and fill congressional offices during the United Fresh Produce Association's annual Washington Public Policy Conference, set for Sept. 9-11.

"When I was very young, I would ride through the onion fields with my grandfather Raymond Bland," said Troy D. Bland, manager of Bland Farms New York LLC. in Sterling, NY. "We called him Gran-Gran. I remember eating raw Vidalia onions right out of the field, and I used to enjoy playing with the seed stems."

Raymond Bland died Feb. 19, 2009, following an extended illness. Troy Bland and his grandfather were extremely close, and the memories of the many days they shared made an indelible mark on his heart.