Watsonville, CA-based Monterey Mushrooms Inc. signed a five-year contract with the United Farm Workers May 14 that involves the company's 650 full- time, year-round employees at its Royal Oaks, CA, facility.

The Royal Oaks facility -- which sits between Watsonville and Prunedale -- produces in excess of 750,000 pounds of fresh mushrooms per week, 52 weeks a year. Industry leader Monterey Mushrooms grows all its mushrooms on-site.

NEWARK, DE -- The Produce Marketing Association announced that General Colin L. Powell (Ret.) will be the general session speaker Friday, Oct. 12 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. during the 2007 Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition. The convention will be held Oct. 12-15 in Houston.

"We are both honored and excited that the Honorable Colin L. Powell has accepted our invitation. We are eagerly anticipating learning his view of leadership and how we can apply his insights to our own lives and businesses," PMA President Bryan Silbermann said in a May 22 statement.

MONTREAL -- Trade between Mexico and Canada increased 21 percent in 2006, thanks in large part to the agricultural products that Mexico sends to its northern neighbor.

Tanimura & Antle is hoping consumers step up to the plate with a fork instead of a baseball bat, but with baseball and fathers -- and the company's Iceberg lettuce -- in mind.

The Salinas-based lettuce giant is introducing its "Hit A Home Run This Father's Day" retail promotion with Iceberg lettuce wrapped in a baseball theme. The idea is for T&A to stake a marketing claim to Father's Day as its own. It may be an easy fit for a company looking for a holiday and a holiday in need of a commodity.

The California Tree Fruit Agreement announced that Sheri Mierau, president, would accompany California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on his trade mission to Canada on May 29-31.

While in Canada, Ms. Mierau will join other agricultural representatives in promoting California agriculture in Canada, which has been the top trading partner for the California peach, plum and nectarine industry for more than 20 years.

Canada accounts for over half of the total peach, plum and nectarine exports and approximately 10 percent of total annual packout.

WASHINGTON -- With the future of immigration reform hanging by a thread, 160 growers and producers descended on Congress May 16 to warn of the dire circumstances to an industry unable to find a legal workforce.

"There are consequences to you, the country, if Congress does nothing," warned Monte Lake, a legal advisor to the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform and an attorney with McGuiness & Williams.

Mr. Lake said that agricultural lobbyists should make Congress understand the impact of job losses if businesses fail due to labor problems.