SALINAS, CA -- Tom Koster, who in January 2006 stepped into the newly created position of vice president of sales and shipping for Salinas, CA-based Mann Packing Co., has left the company to run Koster Communications, a firm he founded with his wife, Lorri Koster, who is currently co-chairman of Mann Packing Co.

No replacement for Mr. Koster has been named and a search has yet to be launched.

WASHINGTON -- The stalled immigration reform effort may get a jump-start early in the new Congress as Senate backers of comprehensive reform are drafting a new bill, sources said.

This news cannot be more welcomed by fruit and vegetable growers facing a worsening labor shortage.

The Produce Alliance announced the addition of two Florida-based foodservice produce distributors.

Downtown Produce in Melbourne, FL, and Produce Distribution Center in Jacksonville, FL, have recently joined Produce Alliance in order to position themselves to service a very large region of the state that will allow the alliance to service the entire east coast of Florida.

From Jan. 1 until Feb. 28, national retailers will be participating in an apple promotion sponsored by the DeWitt, MI-based Michigan Apple Committee. In this "Warm Up to Michigan Apples" campaign, retailers must run three ads in that January-February 2007 time frame promoting bags of Michigan Red Delicious, Rome or Jonathan apples to enter.

Haun Potato Co. in Kansas City, KS, has continued its tradition of giving with a recent donation of potatoes to the Kansas City Salvation Army.

The donation -- 44,000 pounds of fresh-packed potatoes from the Red River Valley -- took place Dec. 8 and was part of the Salvation Army's "Christmas Food Basket" to help feed the area's homeless and needy families during the holiday season.

The first co-marketing program between the Hass Avocado Board and Melissa's/World Variety Produce in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month left no question that avocados have gone way beyond guacamole.