WASHINGTON -- Farm bill negotiators said they are close to striking a deal on the $300 billion bill and satisfying White House requirements, but the details of a final bill have yet to be released.

Lawmakers have battled with the Bush administration on subsidy limits for wealthy farmers, and President Bush criticized Congress at an April 29 press conference for considering a "massive, bloated farm bill" that would "fail to eliminate subsidy payments to multi-millionaire farmers."

Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay kicked off the Organic Trade Association's All Things Organic conference and trade show April 26-29 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Addressing current trends in foodservice, he spoke about how operators can best respond to customer needs and what lies ahead in foodservice.

Following his presentation, Chef Flay held a culinary demonstration and book signing. His presentation was deemed timely by the organic industry because the category continues to lag behind retail in organic product demand.

Watermelon demand in April was surprisingly strong, as Florida production was up over a year ago and Mexican production was also meeting demand. Growers expect domestic volume to be down this summer.

"The watermelon deal now could be better than last year," said Michael DeBerry, the sales comptroller for Borders Melon Co. Inc., which is based in Edinburg, TX. Borders' melons are grown in Mexico and Texas. "The fruit has been tremendous and the market has been 22-24 cents. Everything is good. The market, I anticipate, should hold at least through Memorial Day."

Fresh King, based in Homestead, FL, announced its new "Drippy Elbow Mango" program aimed at providing consumers with a superior-eating mango and retailers with sales not yet experienced in this category.

California Giant Berry Farms and the Tennis Channel have developed a national co-branding effort that will coincide with the television network's first-time coverage of Wimbledon, one of the sport's more prestigious tournaments.

The partnership, named The Sweetest Match includes a national retail campaign, multimedia outreach and sweepstakes offering a chance to win a trip to Wimbledon 2009.

The promotion opens May 9 and runs through the conclusion of this year's competition, set for June 23-July 6.

Nearly two months after New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine proposed eliminating the state department of agriculture to help reduce the state's huge budget deficit, the fate of the department now appears a bit brighter.

While nothing is official until the state budget is completed by July 1, the Assembly speaker, Joseph J. Roberts Jr., said that legislative leaders and Mr. Corzine had reached a general consensus to ease some of the proposed cuts in the $33 billion budget, The New York Times reported April 17.