Six L's expands Vintage Ripe program
Almost one year after the debut of Six L's Vintage Ripe tomatoes, the heirloom variety has found its stride with year-round production and nearly 25 percent more acreage.
The new Vintage Ripe tomato season kicked off June 1 with production coming from South Carolina. The deal then transitions to Virginia for the months of July through October before rounding out the season with Florida production November through May.
T&A finds success with 'Living Lettuce'
For most consumers, lettuce and tomatoes go hand in hand. But in the produce department, the tomato category has definitely outdistanced its salad and burger complement in recent years.
While the lettuce category had a great run with the addition of value-added items in the 1990s, unlike the tomato category it has not seen a lot of innovation in the past decade. But that might be changing.
Draft food bill could derail traceability initiative
WASHINGTON -- United Fresh Produce Association President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Stenzel testified in Congress June 3 that he is concerned that a draft food-safety bill ready for markup this month could derail the produce industry's traceability initiative.
At a four-hour hearing before the House Energy & Commerce Health subcommittee, Mr. Stenzel said that Congress should allow only commodity- specific standards for fresh produce that apply equally to domestic- and foreign-grown products.
U.S. exporters seeing increased opportunities in China
With Mexico slapping a 45 percent tariff on U.S. grapes this year, China could become a very important market for the California grape industry.
Veronica Rodriguez dreams up new business for Caribe Food Corp.
Veronica Rodriguez dreams big -- and is working diligently to make those dreams a reality. The 28-year-old vice president of sales and marketing for Caribe Food Corp. in Miami is a third-generation member of the family-owned importer- exporter-distributor. "My grandfather Guillermo Rodriguez started this business in 1970 sending Latin crops north to his brother in New Jersey," she said. The company, which is preparing for its 40th anniversary, today features a product line of more than 200 items.
D'Arrigo Bros. to sell and market 'American Classic colored cauliflower
In an unusual arrangement, D'Arrigo Bros. Co. of California, based in Salinas, CA, has stepped in and is now selling and marketing "American Classic" brand green, orange and purple cauliflower.
The cauliflower and the packaging belong to Salinas-based grower-shipper Salyer American Fresh Foods, which is currently in receivership and is awaiting a court ruling about its future.
Salyer American attempting to remove court-appointed receiver
Lawyers for Salyer American Fresh Foods in Salinas, CA, were expected to be in court June 5 to ask the judge to remove the court-appointed receiver that has been running the firm for the past month.
In early May, Steve Franson, the receiver, took control of the grower-shipper operation, which owed lenders more than $34 million and had informed its growers to quit planting crops for future harvest. At the time, Salyer American reportedly agreed to the appointment, but it has since had a change of heart.
Food from Quebec takes center stage at Food Emporium in Manhattan
NEW YORK -- Food, including produce, from the province of Quebec took center stage at a private event held May 28, here, at Food Emporium's BridgeMarket on Manhattan's East Side, which kicked off the retailer's "Taste of Quebec" promotion.
While Quebec is known for its French and European heritage, research by the provincial government's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food discovered that shoppers in the United States had little knowledge of the quality and variety of food products that are available from the province.
H-2A rules change again for agricultural employers
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration's changes to the H-2A program that went into effect in January and may have made it easier to hire agricultural workers have been suspended, according to the Labor Department. Instead, employers are left with a mid-season rule change that is likely to make an already complex program even tougher to navigate this year.
Mexican truckers sue U.S. government over trucking dispute
WASHINGTON -- A Mexican trucking association is suing the U.S. government for more than $6 billion in the latest saga over Washington's decision to not allow Mexican truckers on U.S. roads, according to a Reuters report.
Mexico's National Cargo Transportation Association said that the U.S. government violated the North American Free Trade Agreement by not letting Mexican trucks use U.S. highways. Mexican truckers are tapping an arbitration clause in the trade agreement that allows parties to sue for trade agreement violations.