EPHRATA, PA -- The Central Penn Business Journal named Four Seasons Produce Inc. its Corporate Citizen of the Year at its seventh annual Business of the Year Awards event, held Monday, Nov. 1. Selected from among five finalists, Four Seasons Produce received the award for its ability to demonstrate a sustained commitment to its employees and community.

If you're prone to often reflect back to the good old days, a June 22, 1936, article published in Time magazine may shake you back to the good old present day. The article, headlined "Business: Potato Flurry," reported that potato prices had been skyrocketing for weeks in the United States and in Canada as a result of the greatest potato shortage since 1919. It also noted a scarcity of yellow turnips, a common substitute when potatoes were short.

Republican control of the House of Representatives is likely to have a major impact on agriculture policy as 15 out of 28 Democrats lost their seats on the House Agriculture Committee on election night, according to Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy for the United Fresh Produce Association.

FRESNO, CA — The Raisin Administrative Committee, here, at its annual meeting held Oct. 5, voted to discontinue the two-price system for export markets that "has been in place for many years for the purpose of stimulating world sales of California raisins and has always been 100 percent funded by California raisin growers," according to an Oct. 7 committee press release.

In recent years, the Hass Avocado Board in Irvine, CA, has engaged in generic joint promotions with groups representing Mexico, Chile and California- grown avocados in an effort to build demand for the avocado category.

ORLANDO, FL — Is the movement toward consuming more fruits and vegetables from local sources affecting the fresh produce industry, or is it more a matter of perception than reality?

Although that question wasn't actually the topic of a Produce Marketing Association workshop devoted to the concept during that group’s annual convention, held here Oct. 15-18, it was one of the more intriguing theories put forth by the panelists.