SALINAS, CA -- For the first time in California's trade promotion history, four trade promotion and three economic development organizations are collaborating to deliver their services through a single point of access. Area companies -- including agriculture companies -- will access the most comprehensive set of services to assist, guide and help them enter international markets.

Congregants at this year's 30th annual conference of American Agri-Women, held the weekend of Nov. 12 in Monterey, CA, heard much about changing trends in food at retail and in foodservice.

Roberta Cook, marketing economist with the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics with the University of California at Davis, touched on numerous trends in a power- point presentation, which relied heavily on data from Food Marketing Institute as well as other sources.

The following are highlights from her talk:

For the second time in six weeks, Taiwan's Bureau of Animal & Plant Health Inspection & Quarantine has detected a codling moth larva in apples shipped from Washington state.

While all U.S. growers and shippers other than those involved with the detection remain eligible for export to Taiwan, the so-called "second strike" moves the industry closer to a possible closure of the Asian market, which could occur should a third detection be made.

The Ontario Produce Marketing Association held its annual gala dinner and awards ceremony Nov. 12 at the DoubleTree International Plaza Hotel in Toronto.

Almost 400 people attended the event and were treated to an evening of fun, food and excitement, as well as industry tributes during the group's 10th annual awards ceremony.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement award to Gerard (Whitey) Van Alebeek of Bradford & District Produce Ltd. Steve Stewart, a long time associate of Mr. Van Alebeek, presented the award.

Guadalupe, CA-based grower-shipper Beachside Produce LLC and Santa Maria, CA-based Main Street Produce Inc. have struck an agreement whereby Beachside began marketing Main Street's vegetable products Nov. 9.

Main Street Produce, a longtime grower-shipper of broccoli, bell peppers and strawberries in the Santa Maria Valley, will continue to market its own strawberry crops.

Florida Citrus Mutual, headquartered in Lakeland, FL, organized and hosted the second International Citrus Canker & Greening Research Workshop Nov. 7-11 in Orlando, FL. The meeting assembled international researchers who have specific expertise on canker and greening to discuss the current status of knowledge and to extract information relative to the ongoing situation in Florida.