Dan Newhouse, who has represented Washington's 15th legislative district at the state capitol since 2002, was appointed Feb. 13 by Gov. Christine Gregoire to become the new director of the Washington Department of Agriculture.

Mr. Newhouse is expected to be confirmed by the state Senate and to assume his official responsibilities Wednesday, Feb. 18. He replaces Valoria Loveland, who retired from the position last year.

CHERRY HILL, NJ -- New Jersey Assemblyman Douglas H. Fisher has been appointed secretary of agriculture for the state of New Jersey.

Mr. Fisher, who was first elected to the state Assembly in 2001 and who most recently served as chairman of the Assembly's Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, was introduced as the state's new ag chief during the New Jersey State Agricultural Convention, held here Feb. 10-11.

He replaces Charles H. Kuperus, who resigned Dec. 31 after serving for about seven years as secretary of agriculture.

Propelled in part by the success of a flourishing salad garden in front of a campus building, University of California-Davis graduate student Margaret Lloyd may be taking her mission of fresh food for all to the White House.

Ms. Lloyd and three other U.S. farmers are the nominees for "White House farmer," according to results from a recently conducted nationwide on-line poll.

Larry McIntosh is looking forward to a special present for his 49th birthday later this month.

The president and chief executive officer of Winnipeg, MB-based Peak Of The Market said in a press release that the firm's growers will donate 50 pounds of fresh vegetables to the Winnipeg Harvest Food Bank for every person that signs up to receive its free e-mail recipes between now and his birthday, Feb. 27.

Announcing Feb. 12 its new business practice of working directly with "selected strategic dealers and key customers," Nunhems USA will begin a different approach to product distribution in the United States, Mexico and Canada beginning April 1.

Nunhems' dealer network is being consolidated to what a company release described as "a few strategic dealers." The company's "key customers" that include grower-shippers and other supply chain contacts will receive more personalized, local service.

The National Watermelon Association's 95th annual convention returns to historic Charleston, SC, for the first time in 35 years. The convention will take place Feb. 18-22 at the Francis Marion Hotel in downtown Charleston, SC, one of the more historic cities in the entire country and the site of Fort Sumter, where the Civil War started.

"It is absolutely gorgeous and historic city," Bob Morrissey, the association's executive director, told The Produce News.