Using fresh U.S. pears as their inspiration, and competition to be the best among their peers as motivation, three U.S. culinary students were chosen as finalists in the Pear Bureau Northwest's first U.S. student culinary competition. All three students prepared their creations for a panel of judges in an American Idol-style presentation at the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, OR.

The Pear Bureau Northwest, headquartered in Milwaukie, OR, has teamed with breakout artists Honor Society to promoted U.S. pears during the band's 2009 tour.

Produce Marketing Association's 2009 Foodservice Conference & Exposition, the only conference dedicated to produce and foodservice, heats up July 24- 27 with a new daylong food-safety session and the release of a new study that will help the produce industry, foodservice distributors and restaurants break down barriers to offering more produce on menus.

The popular annual conference in California is expected to attract some 1,500 attendees this year and is currently sold out for exhibitors.

Mastronardi Produce/Sunset Ltd., located in Kingsville, ON, introduced its "Sunset Kidz" program at the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit last October in Orlando, FL. The project is scheduled for launch in fall 2009, just in time for the beginning of the new school year.

The New York Apple Association this fall will once again be offering a full- service promotion support program for retailers promoting new-crop apples, tying in with the huge buy-local produce trend.

"We're going all out to push fresh, local fruit," Jim Allen, president of the Fishers-based New York Apple Association, which represents the state's 695 growers, said in a press release. "Our apples this fall will be coming straight from the orchard - not fruit from storage."

An agreement recently reached between Japan and Washington state eliminates delays associated with fumigating fresh cherries and should boost exports of the fruit to that Pacific Rim nation.