Favorable spring weather and a close proximity to its customer base has put Fresh from the Start LLC in a strong position for the start of its 2012 Maine broccoli deal.

“We’re right on target to start shipping in about a week or a week-and-a-half,” Lauren Keenan, who is in sales at the Riverhead, NY-based company, told The Produce News July 5. “And with the high freight rates out of California this summer, we offer a huge advantage for our customer base on the East Coast.”

On July 13, the U.S. Apple Association, headquartered in Vienna, VA, issued a press release stating that it does not support the regulatory proposal pending before the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fully deregulate genetically engineered "Arctic" branded apples.

Buyers who do business with California Tomato Farmers members now have additional reassurance that the tomatoes they purchase are grown in full compliance with stringent food-safety regulations through a comprehensive database available on the CTF website.

The database, which allows tomato buyers to view for themselves the food-safety compliance and audit results of CTF members, will be on display Friday, July 20 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. during the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Market Fair.

FreshXperts, a leading consortium of fresh industry experts, announced that Dean Fahselt has joined the consultancy as value-added specialist. He will assist FreshXperts' clients as they seek to identify and implement value-added opportunities for their produce lines.

ANAHEIM, CA — Epitomizing what a motivational speech is supposed to be, Iraq war veteran J.R. Martinez, a "Dancing with the Stars" winner and an actor, had an audience of hundreds of produce professional captivated as he told his life story during the opening breakfast session of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council Southern California Expo, held July 17 at the Disneyland Hotel Convention Center, here.

Publications issued by the states of Washington and Oregon detail the importance of onion production in the Pacific Northwest.