WASHINGTON " Farm groups wasted no time protesting the Bush administration?s proposal to cut farm and commodity subsidies in the 2006 budget.

A coalition of 100 farm groups fired off a letter to newly confirmed U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, warning that reductions would "seriously undermine many nutrition, conservation, crop insurance and farm programs that are important to all Americans."

PACIFIC GROVE, CA " A survey conducted by the University of California-Santa Cruz reveals that consumers want to know about the source of the food they eat.

Phil Howard of UC-Santa Cruz?s Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems shared findings of the study at the 25th annual Ecological Farming Conference held here at Asilomar Conference Center in late January. Mr. Howard?s written evaluation and summation of the study were provided to attendees of a seminar he hosted.

PHILADELPHIA " As the board of directors of the Philadelphia Regional Produce Market emerged from a planning meeting on the afternoon of Feb. 8, board President Jimmy Storey of Quaker City Produce said that the final design for a new Philadelphia produce market had been finally " and officially " accepted.

?It is still a mall-type of effect," as was initially planned. A tired-sounding Mr. Storey added, "We?re a little concerned about parking, and we?re a little concerned about the cost. But we?ll work everything out."

Although unusually heavy rain in January caused some delays in the Southern California strawberry harvest, growers say that plants are healthy, new fruit is coming on strong, and there should be good volume for the Easter pull.

California strawberry acreage increased by anywhere from 1,700 acres to 3,400 acres each year from 2001 to 2004. This year, the increase is only 998 acres, an increase of about 3.2 percent, according to the California Strawberry Commission?s 2005 acreage survey.

Total planted acreage for 2005 is estimated at 32,636 acres.

Caliman International is expanding its line of products beyond Brazilian papayas and has introduced goldenberries to its lineup. The exotic fruit is also known as cape gooseberry, physalis, ground cherry or poha.

Goldenberries are a popular fruit in Latin American countries as well as in Europe, where Caliman International?s German-based operations have been distributing them for several years.

Unifrutti S.A. in Santiago, Chile, has been appointed as a licensed marketer of new seedless grapes developed by Sun World International Inc. in Bakersfield, CA.

The Chilean firm?s nomination enables it to export fruit from the new varieties produced by licensed Sun World producers throughout Chile, according to Sun World Senior Vice President David Marguleas.