In late February, the Bureau of Reclamation announced that because of above-normal precipitation year-to-date, the Central Valley Project, which provides water to farmers served by the Westlands Water District on the once-bountiful West Side of California's San Joaquin Valley, would get a 5 percent water allocation for 2010 and that if the rainfall continued, the allocation might be increased to 30-40 percent.

Castroville, CA-based Ocean Mist Farms is collaborating with the California Milk Board on a cross promotion in April.

The offer entails an instant-redeemable coupon for 55-cents off any purchase of California butter with the purchase of an Ocean Mist Farm artichoke.

More than 500,000 coupons will be affixed to artichokes sold in western California retail stores during April.

Six individuals representing a cross section of the potato industry in the western United States were elected to serve with the U.S. Potato Board and were named to positions of leadership last month during its 38th annual meeting in Denver.

In its first year of marketing to India, New York apple growers are expecting to ship 50,000 cartons of apples to that nation this year. And more markets are expected to open to Empire State growers, providing opportunities for future growth.

Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association in Fishers, NY, told The Produce News, "We have also opened export programs to Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Africa, Thailand and Hong Kong this year. Movement into some of these countries is minimal, but it has opened doors and given us opportunities for future growth."

The New York Apple Association announced April 13 the winners of its annual display contest for apples and Marzetti products in military commissaries. They are Vicky Parsons of Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery, AL; Jeannett Winkley of Dyess AFB in Texas; Patricia Vass of Portsmouth Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, VA; Mark Hare of Ft. Drum in Watertown, NY; Angela Harmon of Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM; and Jesse Arreola of Ft. Bliss in Texas.

Giumarra VBM International Berry announced April 12 that 5K Farms in Ellisville, MS, has agreed to market its blueberries under the "Nature's Partner VitalBerry" brand.

5K Farms, which is owned by the Kittrell family, grows 65 acres of blueberries, harvesting from mid-May through mid-July. The family grows the Highbush and Rabbiteye blueberry varieties.