ATLANTIC CITY, NJ -- The decision by the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey and the State Board of Agriculture to co-locate their conventions has apparently paid off handsomely as the two groups drew enthusiastic crowds to the 2012 New Jersey Agriculture Conventions, held Jan. 17-19 here at the Trump Taj Mahal.

After a 42-year career in agriculture marketing order management, Jerry Munson was surprised with a Jan. 6 retirement dinner attended by his former clients, colleagues, family and friends. Mr. Munson has been a principle in Dinuba, CA-based Monfort Management Services Inc. since 1969, when he founded the business with partner Gordon Monfort.

Produce consultancy FreshXperts announced Jan. 18 that George Seifert, founder and president of Produce QA Consultants LLC, is the new quality assurance expert for the group.

For years the Texas citrus industry has managed to keep citrus greening at bay. But the Texas Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed Jan. 18 the first detection of the disease in the Lone Star State, discovered in a single tree in a commercial orange grove near San Juan, TX, in the Rio Grande Valley.

Tom Lange Co. International Inc. announced the renaming of its Bonita Springs, FL, sales office from Global Fresh Import & Export Inc. to Seven Seas.

Del Monte Fresh Produce and the Miami Heat announced Jan. 17 that they have entered into a sponsorship agreement and Del Monte will be the official fresh fruit of the Miami Heat for the next three years.