A shortage of federal inspectors in Nogales, AZ, compounded by several other issues related to inspections, is creating a bottleneck for arrivals of Mexican table grapes cleared for shipment, just as the harvest is coming into its peak period.

To hear him tell it, Peter Grannis started in produce "before I could walk." The produce specialist with Maines Produce Express in Conklin, NY, credited his father, Gary Grannis, with instilling in him a passion for the trade through years of working together at their family-owned seasonal roadside stand in Endicott, NY.

Does your company have a mission statement? If so, what is it? What does it mean? More important, who knows about it? Normally, a company mission statement is supposed to describe what an organization does. It is accompanied by company goals, purpose and values. It is usually a very short sentence or paragraph.

I browsed a good number of company web sites to see if they had a mission statement posted and what they included in it. Some had statements, some had visions and some had very little related to their company's purpose.

San Juan Bautista, CA-based Earthbound Farm, a leading U.S. grower and shipper of organic produce and specialty salads, is expanding its specialty greens line with fresh-cut salad choices and sizes.

Baby spinach blend is a mix of baby spinach, baby arugula and red radicchio. Baby arugula blend features mild baby arugula, savory fris?e and spicy radicchio. M?che blend combines nutty m?che with fris?e and radicchio.

The Produce Marketing Association has established an Australia-New Zealand Country Council with member representatives from both countries.

Speaking at the first council meeting May 21 in Sydney, Australia, Alicia Calhoun, director of industry technology and standards for PMA, said that the association aimed to ensure its products, services and events are relevant to current and potential members in both countries.

SALINAS, CA -- A committee of his peers has selected Joe Pezzini, vice president of operations of Castroville, CA-based Ocean Mist Farms, as the Salinas Valley Chamber's 2007 Agricultural Leadership Award winner.

The Agricultural Leadership Award is part of the tradition established in 1990 by the Salinas Valley Chamber to acknowledge the individual, company, group, association or agency that has made the most significant contribution to the agricultural community in the Salinas area. The award winners are chosen by a committee made up exclusively of past award recipients.