Mission Ranches Co. LLC and Sam McKinsey Farms LLC, two long-standing farming companies on California's Central Coast, are combining operations in order to meet growing consumer demand and pursue new market opportunities.

The merger will allow both companies to improve efficiency and quality across a broader production base and to streamline parallel administrative and management functions. The combined company will be known as Mission Ranches Co. LLC and will be based in King City, CA.

MONTEREY, CA -- A voluntary marketing agreement for handlers of green leafy vegetables in California appears to be on its way to becoming a reality following a state hearing held Friday, Jan. 12 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, here.

The Colorado Onion Association will hold its annual meeting Jan. 25 in Greeley, CO, and like many other segments of the produce industry, immigration is a key issue for those involved in the Colorado onion deal. "Immigration is something in the back of everyone's minds," said Tanya Fell, executive director of the association.

Carol A. Hildebrand, an attorney who practices immigration and nationality law in the business and real estate department of Sherman & Howard LLC in Denver, will be the keynote speaker at the meeting.

WASHINGTON -- Another California grower appears to be the focus of the Taco John's E. coli outbreak as samples from two adjacent dairy farms matched the bacteria that sickened more than 80 people last year.

If approved by U.S. authorities, irradiated fruits from Brazil would be economical to ship, since the irradiation benefit of longer shelf life means that shippers could use sea freight rather than more costly air transportation.

George Karski, president of Securefoods Inc., a food irradiation company, is setting up food irradiators in Brazil to treat papayas and mangos for the U.S. market. Despite being a top producer of fruits and vegetables, Brazil's post- harvest losses are significant because of insect infestation and rot, he said.

It is important to understand that there is no kill step (no boiling, freezing or radiation) in the processing of raw, fresh vegetables, whether it's done in a home kitchen, in a restaurant, in a cafeteria or in a salad-in-a-bag factory.

Fresh means fresh. The freezer pouch and the can or jar are the only zero- tolerance food-safety solutions when it comes to vegetables.

Fresh-cut, salad-in-a-bag vegetables are safer than fresh, off-the-shelf vegetables.