SANTA PAULA, CA -- Calavo Growers Inc. and the California Milk Advisory Board announced June 7 that they have partnered to cross promote two of California's more identifiable agricultural products: fresh California avocados and California cheese.

There was a time when shoppers knew exactly what to expect in the produce department of the grocery store. Citrus was a fall-through-spring treat. Berries had seasons.

These days, with global sourcing, most commodities are available year round through a non-stop rotation of local and imported products.

For more than six months, the onion market has been very solid — reaching record heights along the way — and the good run is expected to continue for at least several more months.

"It's been a good market since December," said Don Ed Holmes of The Onion House, based in Weslaco, TX. “And I think it will last until at least mid- August when the folks in Idaho, Oregon and Washington start shipping.”

Cool weather in California and in Sonora, Mexico, has pushed back the harvest of most grape varieties by one to two weeks in all growing areas.

As of June 1, when desert grapes in Coachella, CA, would normally be in strong production, the harvest was just beginning. Similarly, the Mexican grape deal in the state of Sonora, which would normally be in full swing by the first of June, was just starting to build in volume.

PARMA, ID -- High-tech's cutting edge was made even sharper for the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee recently when the organization began utilizing two-dimensional, or 2-D, codes.

Joe Namath, former star quarterback of the New York Jets, once said, "When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things."

There's a Western-themed restaurant in my town that offers in great food, friendly service and a good atmosphere. The waiters and waitresses enjoy working there, and they occasionally entertain customers with a country- western dance that really excites the crowd. The employees have a lot of fun at this restaurant, and the customers keep coming back again and again.