Among all the competition, Mastronardi Produce Ltd. won the Best Hothouse Specialty Tomato in the Tomato Capital of Canada Award for its Sunset Splendido grape tomato in Leamington, ON, at this year's Leamington Tomato Festival.

Interfresh Inc., a national supplier of fruits and vegetables, has introduced a newly branded line of tomatoes. Packed in the "Interfresh" label, this expansion of its product portfolio launched in early July and has seen tremendous success, according to the company.

KING CITY, CA -- Elephant Garlic Kings began shipping certified-organic elephant garlic the week of Aug. 20.

The company, based here, received its organic certification May 1 by Agricultural Services Certified Organic. According to Elephant Garlic Kings partners Chris Pope and Pier Azcona, the company is the first to grow organic elephant garlic in any real volume. Mr. Pope anticipates that the company will have 50,000 pounds for sale this first year, mostly to existing customers.

Imagination Farms, based in Indianapolis, continues to expand distribution of the "Disney Garden" brand with the addition of a comprehensive potato category, supplied by Rigby Produce of Rigby, ID, and Russet Potato Exchange of Bancroft, WI.

Glen Reynolds, East Coast sales manager for Imagination Farms, said in a press release, "Potatoes are an important category in every produce department. The use of the 'Disney Garden' brand creates unique opportunities for us to introduce kids to the health attributes of potatoes."

The California Tomato Commission, which has not been in full operation since early spring, will suspend all operations early next year because an overwhelming majority of producers approved suspension in a recent referendum vote.

The California Department of Food & Agriculture announced Aug. 16 that assessments would continue to be collected through the remainder of the 2007-08 season but that the commission will close its doors by the Feb. 29, 2008, statutory deadline.

SALINAS, CA -- Jim Bogart of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California and two attorneys closely connected with agriculture held a forum Aug. 20 for area grower-shippers on the Social Security mismatch rule.

About 100 people attended the forum, which was held at the Richard Nutter Ag Conference Center.