Tanya Fell appointed COA executive director
Tanya Fell was appointed executive director of the Colorado Onion Association on Nov. 1. Her appointment follows the resignation of Vickie Root, who stepped down from the position to pursue a career in real estate.
"I am very honored to work for the COA," Ms. Fell stated. "I have missed the onion industry and am very excited to be involved again."
Mission buys Lee Pacific Asparagus
Mission Produce Inc. in Oxnard, CA, announced its entry into the fresh asparagus industry with its agreement to purchase the assets of Lee Pacific Asparagus in Salinas, CA.
The purchase includes a California and Mexican program which will strengthen Mission's strategic relationship with a Peruvian company to enable a year-round, fresh asparagus program.
Tilapia and basil prove a winning combination
WEST CHESTER, PA -- Science, education, free enterprise, creativity and opportunity mesh here at Cheyney University.
Michael Derro, a 30-year veteran of the produce industry, created Herban Farms LLC, a privately owned company built on university property. The project, which went into operation in June, is a greenhouse for simultaneously growing fresh basil and raising thousands of tilapia fish.
Mr. Derro told The Produce News that "Herban" is a play on words, explaining that his farm can be used to grow "herbs" in an "urban" environment.
USDA proposes another inspection fee hike
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing another rate hike to certify fresh fruits and vegetables at terminal markets and is promising more increases to follow.
The proposed 15 percent increase, which amounts to an additional $2.4 million, is needed to help cover program costs, maintain adequate reserves and update technology, according to USDA. Agriculture officials inspect, grade and certify fresh fruits and vegetables and other products on a voluntary, user-fee basis.
Coachella Valley row crops suffer freeze damage
Bell peppers and other row crops in California's Coachella Valley suffered damage as a result of a cold snap that began in the area around Nov. 29.
The extent of the damage in part depends on where crops lie in the Coachella Valley and how long the cold lasts. Temperatures dipped to below freezing the morning of Dec. 5, and similar conditions were also being experienced in California's Imperial Valley.
Green onions test negative for E. coli
During a conference call Monday evening, Dec. 11 with produce associations, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration stated that it was unable to confirm the preliminary presumptive positive test results for E. coli O157:H7 that were taken from samples obtained from Taco Bell.
According to an announcement by the Produce Marketing Association, all samples tested by FDA, including those tested by Taco Bell's independent laboratory, were negative for the presence of the pathogen.
Follow-up tests clear green onions in Taco Bell outbreak
WASHINGTON -- Taco Bell's rapid test that fingered green onions as the likely cause of the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak came up negative after more thorough testing, leaving health officials to continue probing for other likely sources, the Food & Drug Administration said in a Dec. 11 press conference.
"There's nothing to implicate green onions right now," said David Acheson, chief medical officer for FDA's Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition.
Exciting promotions on the horizon for NOA
Kim Reddin, director of public and industry relations for the National Onion Association of Greeley, CO, said that 2007 is going to be a year filled with exciting activities and promotions.
Research activities on a new retail guide are coming to a conclusion, and Ms. Reddin said that the publication should be available soon. Photography is expected to be completed in the spring.
Don Talley dies at 66
Don Talley, owner of Talley Farms and Talley Vineyards in Arroyo Grande, CA, died Dec. 2 at Stanford Medical Center from complications of a heart transplant that he had received Oct. 17. He was 66.
Proposed bill to help ailing spinach industry
WASHINGTON -- The spinach industry has high hopes for a bill introduced by Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) that would authorize new money for food-safety research and help bail out producers that suffered steep losses in this fall's spinach outbreak.
"Significant research has been done on protecting our meat supply from E. coli outbreaks, but very little has been done on protecting our vegetables," Rep. Farr said when he introduced H.R. 6379, the Spinach Research & Recovery Act of 2006.