NAPLES, FL - How bad was this Florida tomato season? Bad enough that Reggie Brown, manager of the Florida Tomato Committee and executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, began his annual state-of-the- industry address at the Florida Tomato Conference, held Sept. 7-12 at the Naples Ritz-Carlton, here, by leading attendees in a chant of "It's over."

"What do you say after a year like last year?" Mr. Brown asked the estimated 300 tomato industry members at the opening of the Sept. 8 session.

"It's over," the attendees mumbled back.

JESSUP, MD — Fruit and vegetable sales are good for distributors on and near the Maryland Wholesale Produce Center, here, according to several operators.

MONTE VISTA, CO — Potato growers in Colorado's San Luis Valley have cut back slightly in their planted acreage again this season, working to bring balance to the supply-and-demand and the production-returns equations.

According to Jim Ehrlich, executive director of the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, 55,800 acres of potatoes were planted for the 2010-11 shipping season. That compares to 2009’s 57,000 acres and to just under 72,000 acres as recently as 2002.

WASHINGTON — The timing could not be better for the United Fresh Produce Association's Washington Public Policy Conference. Congress will be making decisions on childhood nutrition and food safety bills when United Fresh holds its conference, here, Sept. 14-16.

Through this year, Chicago-based Strube Celery & Vegetable Co. has increased Hispanic produce sales.

Lisa Strube, the firm's director of finance and administration, told The Produce News Aug. 12 that her company had a slow start in boosting Hispanic produce sales in February 2010. In June, Strube Celery added a full-time, Spanish-speaking salesperson, Gustavo Rosales, who understands the Hispanic culture. This understanding, Ms. Strube said, is important for educating mainstream retail customers and for relating to Hispanic supermarket operators.

Wolcott, NY-based Fowler Farms, a grower-shipper of fresh apples, has appointed Mark Sharp as its new director of business development.

Mr. Sharp has brought to the company his 30 years of experience in both retail and foodservice including stints with Dole Fresh Fruit and ConAgra. He also previously has served on the Produce Marketing Association's foodservice advisory board.