Feinstein says AgJOBS is less about immigration and more about helping economy
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) reintroduced her AgJOBS bill May 14 to fix the broken H-2A seasonal worker program and help struggling agricultural employers retain a stable, legal workforce to produce the nation's food supply.
"The central issue here is not immigration. It is about protecting and preserving the American economy," Sen. Feinstein said in a May 14 press statement.
Houweling's greenhouse expansion billed as future of sustainable agriculture
CAMARILLO, CA -- A new state-of-the-art, technologically advanced greenhouse facility, which is being touted as the future of sustainable agriculture, was unveiled May 14 by Houweling Nurseries, here.
Greenhouse growers band together for marketing efforts
A group of 20 small- and medium-sized greenhouse owners in the Leamington, ON, area has banded together to collectively market its products.
Fresh fig crop may be down a little from last year's record shipments
FRESNO, CA -- The harvest of the 2009 California fresh fig crop was already underway when The Produce News talked to Karla Stockli, chief executive officer of the California Fig Advisory Board and the California Fresh fig Growers Association, here, on Friday, May 15.
The association expects fresh fig shipments for the state to total between 9.5 million and 10.5 million pounds for 2009, similar to or perhaps slightly below last year's shipments of 10.4 million pounds.
Chilean Navels fill the gap for short and light season in California
OVIEDO, FL -- As the California Navel orange season draws to a close early this year with lighter-than-expected volumes, Duda Farm Fresh Foods will offer Chilean Navel oranges to customers from coast to coast beginning June 15.
Brooks Tropicals kicks off Florida 'SlimCado' season
Brooks Tropicals, the largest producer of Florida avocados, has begun picking fruit and said that there will be ample promotional opportunities once the peak shipping season begins later this summer.
Salinas Valley produce a favorite for area retailers
SALINAS, CA -- Buying locally grown produce is a long-standing practice at Star Market in Salinas, CA.
Star Market is a mid-sized, independent, family-owned grocery store. The single-entity store is uniquely positioned in the heart of the "Salad Bowl of the World" and has long been a favorite outlet for products from growers in California in the tri-county area of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz.
RETAIL VIEW: Target to expand produce offerings
Minneapolis-based Target Corp. has announced that it will expand its fresh foods offerings, including produce, in about 100 of its 1,700 stores by the end of this calendar year. Target spokesperson Jill Hornbacher said that in 2008, the giant retailer test- marketed the expanded grocery concept in two stores near its Minnesota headquarters. The test proved successful enough to expand it to include eight other stores in various geographic locations.
Childhood in the fields leads to a future in produce -- and politics?
IMMOKALEE, FL -- One grandfather was a rancher. Another, as well as two uncles, owned citrus groves. His mother worked for Lykes Bros. There was little doubt that Doug Miller would wind up in the family business. "I was always on a tractor with my granddaddies, and I enjoyed it. Those were some of the happiest times of my life. It wasn't that I had to do it -- I liked it," Doug Miller recalled from his office at the Six L's Packing Co.'s potato- shipping facility, here.
Georgia pecans spared heavy damage from April rains
"When you get up to 15 inches of rain in a one-week period, you will have water standing in lower places of the pecan groves," said Charles M. (Buddy) Leger, chairman of the Georgia Pecan Commission in Atlanta. "This is a particularly bad scenario when it happens before the trees are budded out, which was the case when the heavy rains hit Georgia in April."