Christmas could come a little early for U.S. Christmas tree growers. Early this month, a penalty tariff imposed by the Mexican government on shipments of many U. S. goods into that country, including Christmas trees, is expected to be lifted.

California Giant Berry Farms teamed up with KNBR and the San Francisco Giants July 7 to cap off a six-week marketing campaign promoting berries and baseball.

The company set up a large tent in Willy Mays Plaza at entrance to AT&T Park in San Francisco with 2,500 containers of fresh strawberries to share with fans as they arrived for the game.

CHICAGO — The 420,000-square-foot warehouse operated here by Anthony Marano Co. works on some of the principles of a produce market. The temperature-controlled facility has refrigerated space that is competitive with any terminal market.

Anton J. Marano and Damon Marano, brothers who represent the next generation of management in the family-owned firm, discussed their company with The Produce News May 10. They work with their father, Anton Marano, within a firm established in 1946.

ROSEMONT, IL — Fesh produce is a featured category for the U.S. Foodservice marketing program in 2011, according to Frank Swanson, category manager for produce for the Monarch Food Group, a division of U.S. Foodservice. The Produce News interviewed Mr. Swanson at the U.S. Foodservice headquarters, here, in offices that are almost literally at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

CHICAGO — A history of supplying good product combined with reliable customer service can serve well even in difficult times. For anyone in the mushroom business, these are difficult times.

Adding to the challenges here, Chicago’s gasoline prices are amoong the highest in the country, Tom Werer said May 10, when The Produce News called. Some Chicago gas station prices were approaching $4.90 per gallon for regular.

Original Chicago Produce Co. is creative in working within niches on the Chicago International Produce Market, according to Tony Ragusa, a partner in the firm with Mark Damore.

“We specialize in vine-ripe tomatoes and the rest of the tomato category. I found out that most people buy with their eyes so we try to have good stuff. We bring in best product. It’s easier to sell. In Chicago a lot of sales are done with customers looking at product. They are kind of picky, which is good. It keeps everybody on their toes.”