GREELEY, CO -- Agricultural commodity producers in Colorado learned more about market trends that can have a positive bottom-line impact during this year's Colorado Agriculture "Big & Small" Conference & Trade Show.

Tom Lipetzky, director of the Division of Markets of the Colorado Department of Agriculture, was the keynote speaker at the event, talking on the topic, "Today's Driving Trends and How You Can Position Your Operation to Benefit from Today's Trends."

WATSONVILLE, CA -- California Giant Berry Farms, here, expects to triple its volume from last year in blueberries from Florida to more than 1 million pounds during the seven-week blueberry harvest there this year.

The jump in volume comes as a result of a long-term blueberry venture that Cal Giant has entered into by partnering with Bartow, FL-based land management company Clear Springs. Expansion in blueberry acreage is planned for future years in the district.

Eric Schwartz, president of Salinas, CA-based Dole Fresh Vegetables, resigned from the company on Monday, March 3.

Dole Fresh Vegetables is a division of Dole Food Co. Inc., which is headquartered in Westlake Village, CA.

Mr. Schwartz said that the decision to leave was his and that it had been in the works for a couple of months. "This is a good move for me," he said. "There's nothing wrong with Dole. It's just that now's the time."

Mr. Schwartz said that he was treated "very well" by Dole, including in the transition period leading up to his departure.

NEWARK, DE -- The Produce Marketing Association's current and past leaders joined together to note the passing of Robert L. Bull, an influential force during the association's early years. Mr. Bull died Feb. 26 in Temple, ME.

A professor of marketing at the University of Delaware, Mr. Bull was the land grant university system's representative to the board of directors of the Produce Prepackaging Association, a predecessor to PMA, in the late 1950s.

Jim Nolan, who was the "fresh" face for Ocean Spray Cranberries for more than 20 years, died Sunday, March 2, after suffering a heart attack. He was 61.

At the time of his death, Mr. Nolan was vice president of The Nolan Network, a sales agency and marketing firm founded by his wife, Theresa Nolan.

Even though the chill of winter is still in our midst, it shouldn't prevent us from looking ahead to the spring and summer selling opportunities. Let's break away from the doom and gloom of a teetering economy and take a positive approach to devise ways to generate some massive produce sales in the coming months.