ANAHEIM, CA " With an earlier-than-usual date for its annual event and the excitement generated by the fact it will be the focus of a future PBS television special, the Fresh Produce & Floral Council Expo, held March 8 at the Disneyland Hotel, here, attracted approximately 1,000 industry professionals.

Monterey, CA-based Colorful Harvest LLC is rolling out several new carrot products, and the Fresh Produce & Floral Council Expo & Seminars in Anaheim, CA, March 8 provided an opportunity for retailers to get a first look at all the new items.

The products drew excellent response from retailers, said Doug Ranno, partner and chief operating officer for Colorful Harvest. Huell Howser, host of the PBS television show "California?s Gold," took an interest as well, Mr. Ranno said. "California?s Gold? airs on all PBS affiliates in California.

Cary Crum, director of sales and marketing at Green Tree International Inc. in Visalia, CA, has announced that Mike Prather, formerly senior category manager of produce for southeastern retailer Bruno?s Inc., has joined Green Tree as director of business development, a newly created position.

Mr. Prather will be based in Helena, AL, where Green Tree will open an office in late March.

The fresh-cut produce industry wasted no time in praising California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for remarks he made at a recent press event calling for a ban on junk foods in school vending machines and stressing the need to replace them with nutritious fruits and vegetables.

NEWARK, DE " The Produce Marketing Association, here, will submit an application to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for funding that would ultimately develop the Mexican market for U.S. fresh produce exports.

Nancy Tucker, PMA?s vice president for global business development, told The Produce News March 7 that the PMA proposal is to USDA?s Emerging Markets Program, which is a subset of USDA?s Marketing Assistance Project.

For Duncan Marriott, a rising star at Family Tree Farms in Reedley, CA, the decision to make the produce industry his career was an easy one.

?I was born into it " I didn?t have a choice," the 28-year-old commodity broker said with a laugh. "And don?t get me wrong " I love it."

Mr. Marriott can trace his produce roots back well over 100 years, and his personal family tree branches into many areas of the business.