TexaSweet names new executive director
TexaSweet Citrus Marketing Inc., based in Mission, TX, announced the promotion of Eleisha Ensign to executive director. Ms. Ensign has been with the organization for two years as the marketing coordinator and replaces Lucy Garcia, who resigned to take a position with Imagination Farms LLC in Indianapolis.
Mann Packing names vice president of retail sales
Mann Packing Co. in Salinas, CA, has announced the promotion of Mark Plantan to the position of vice president of retail sales. Mr. Plantan was previously Mann's director of value added/retail sales for the eastern United States. He replaces Craig Enos, who left the company April 7.
MexBest pavilion the largest in CPMA history
VANCOUVER, BC -- Displaying a plethora of the fresh fruits and vegetables available from Mexican growers and exporters, the MexBest pavilion at the Canadian Produce Marketing Association's convention, here, was the largest in the show's 81-year history.
"They have progressively gotten bigger and bigger," said Ron Lemaire, executive vice president of the association. "They moved to the larger pavilion format three years ago with great success."
INDUSTRY VIEWPOINT: The distant sound of drumming
Growers, packers, processors and shippers of fresh and fresh-cut produce should be hearing the distant sound of drumming from the mighty jungle that is our nation's capital.
Unit rails and high-tech proposed for port of Quincy
Stakeholders on the federal, state and local levels are anticipating major economic changes to the port of Quincy, WA, in 2006 with the possibility the port will be selected as a demonstration site for a new refrigerated railcar hub. In addition, technology giants Microsoft and Yahoo have each expressed interest in locating "server farms," or massive Internet server storage facilities, in Quincy.
Canadians not eating enough fruits and vegetables
While 87 percent of Canadians are aware that eating vegetables and fruit can help prevent certain diseases, only 25 percent are eating the recommended five to 10 servings of vegetables and fruit each day, according to a recent survey conducted as part of the 5 to 10 a day healthy eating campaign.
"These results support our understanding that adopting healthy eating behavior is a very complex issue," said Carol Dombrow, registered dietitian with the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Tanimura & Antle's Bob Nielsen moves on
Bob Nielsen, senior vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel of Salinas, CA-based Tanimura & Antle, left the company April 15 after 14 years.
He has taken a position as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary with Monterey, CA-based Century Aluminum, a publicly owned, major aluminum producer.
Agriculture industry steps up pressure for Senate-passed immigration reform
WASHINGTON -- The agriculture industry will have to wait until the Senate returns to work April 24 to find out if lawmakers can pass comprehensive immigration reform and bring a viable and legal workforce.
But a wide variety of groups who rely on agricultural workers are not waiting for the vote. They are telling their members to call, write and visit members of Congress in their district offices during the two-week recess to send a clear message that reform must help agriculture -- an industry heavily dependent on an immigrant labor pool.
Though lighter than last year, Sonora spring grape crop may be third largest on record
Volume is expected to be down sharply this year, compared to last year, on early-season Perlettes and to some extent on early Flame seedless and Sugraone grapes out of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Some attribute the expected decline to a lack of chill hours. But while early yields will be well below their potential and considerably below earlier expectations, that does not begin to tell the story for the Sonora grape deal as a whole.
California Grown loses top executive
Scott Horsfall has left his post as chief executive officer of the California Grown promotion campaign and joined the staff of Mering & Associates, a Sacramento-based advertising and communications firm.
Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission, who also serves on the executive committee of the California Grown campaign as well as its board of directors, said that a search is underway for a new president and CEO to replace Mr. Horsfall.