WASHINGTON -- Fruit and vegetable businesses will likely keep a close eye on a USDA spending bill as it moves to the House floor in early June since it contains funds for the popular specialty crops program and delays country-of-origin labeling for meat products.

In the daily grind of commerce, it's easy to lose sight of the larger picture of how public policy can affect the ebb and flow of the produce business.

Long days of harvesting, packing and shipping, or working out the logistics of deliveries, don't often leave time for contemplating how larger issues affect the business.

Those of us involved in public policy must be mindful that the way in which we approach nutrition policy has a direct effect on the health of not only our residents but on our produce business as well.

With the beginning of summer just weeks away, mushroom marketers are primed for the spike in sales that results with the start of the grilling season.

Joe Caldwell, vice president at Watsonville, CA-based Monterey Mushrooms, said that the summer month s used to be slow for Monterey Mushrooms, but about 10 years ago, the company started promotions in the summer. The promotions were buoyed by the lack of competition that mushrooms enjoy. "People eat mushrooms with other things, but they don't buy s omething instead of mushrooms," he said.

In a press release dated May 26, the Washington State Potato Commission announced that its longtime executive director, Pat Boss, tendered his resignation from the organization on May 25, effective immediately.

Mr. Boss, who joined the commission as government affairs director in September 1996, became executive director in December 1998.

During his nine-year tenure, the commission saw several advances, including open trade with South Korea, key federal funding for projects specific to the potato industry and inroads for protection of farmers rights.

The New York Apple Association in Fishers, NY, announced that the 2005 apple growing season is underway as bloom began across the state, with some varieties already in full bloom in the Hudson Valley.

Western New York farms and orchards along Lake Champlain are expected to bloom in the coming days.

"This is an exciting time of year for our growers, and an overall high point for our industry as consumer demand for our apples continues to grow," said NYAA President Jim Allen. "With a new bloom comes new optimism for a good fall harvest.

Ole Tyme Produce in St. Louis announced the launch of a new line of trucks with unique decals that feature close-up photographs of various fruits and vegetables.

The decals will raise awareness for the fresh produce company as well as showcase the quality of the product for which the company is known.

"We wanted something unique on our fleet of trucks that coincides with our message of fresh and natural," said Ole Tyme President Joan Daleo. "We hope everyone will take notice of our traveling fleet because of the unique design.