WASHINGTON -- Specialty crop producers hailed the Bush administration's new farm bill proposal, saying it would significantly expand nutrition and key market promotion programs and call for new spending of $5 billion over 10 years to help growers.

RonProCon, a produce industry consulting firm founded by Ron Pelger, has enlisted the services of three industry professionals to better serve its clients.

Founded in 1998 by Mr. Pelger, who has more than 30 years of experience as a retail produce executive, the firm specializes in helping companies maximize sales and efficiency by keeping abreast of the latest trends in the industry.

The produce industry lost "a kind, Southern gentleman" in Warren S. Wheeler, chief executive officer of the company that bore his name and that he founded in 1962 on the Tampa Wholesale Produce Market, who recently died from congestive heart failure. He was 88 years old.

HANFORD, CA -- Warmerdam Packing LLC, here, has developed an innovative way to heat its stone fruit ripening rooms and reduce the cost of operating the rooms in the process. It uses waste heat generated by the existing refrigeration systems used for cooling in the company's cold-storage facility.

"Our whole industry here in the Central [San Joaquin] Valley has been doing different forms of preconditioning or ripening of stone fruit," said Mr. Hovsepian.

Salinas, CA-based NewStar Fresh Foods has announced the launch of an iceless 2.25-pound sleeved asparagus pack set to hit the national market in late February.

Capitalizing on the increasing popularity of its one-pound sleeved asparagus, NewStar will introduce the new 2.25-pound sleeved asparagus to select club stores.

John Killeen, vice president of sales and marketing for NewStar, said that customers of the iceless 2.25-pound sleeved asparagus pack would include club stores or any box store looking for large quantities.

After a year of research and development, Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. is preparing to reap the fruits of its labor when it launches its new "Grower's Reserve" line in early March.