The 2006 Washington State Potato Conference will be trotting out another first: a chance to taste and evaluate a new potato variety developed by the Northwest (Tri-State) Variety Development Program. The unnamed variety will be offered at the potato bar lunch during the Feb. 7-9 conference.

Enrique Lobo, who was previously minister of agriculture in the Embassy of Mexico in Washington, DC, has been reassigned to the agricultural office of the Embassy of Mexico in Ottawa, ON, where he will be minister of agricultural affairs.

Clifford J. Moquist, a well-known name in the Red River Valley potato industry, died Dec. 19 at age 90 in Melbourne, FL. Mr. Moquist, of Crystal, ND, was a founding partner of O.C. Shulz & Sons Inc., a farming and potato wash plant operation in Crystal.

He was born in Minneapolis to Swedish immigrant parents, and grew up in Minnesota, New York City, East Meredith, NY, and Farmingdale, NY.

Dennis Donohue, president of Salinas-based European Vegetable Specialties Farms Inc., has announced his candidacy for mayor of Salinas.

Mr. Donohue is a member of the board of directors of the Salinas-based Grower-Shipper Association of Central California. He also is the newly installed chairman of the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce and a former member of the Produce Marketing Association's foodservice board.

The Produce Marketing Association's Retail Produce Solutions Conference will be held March 9-11 in Houston. The three-day conference is designed to give executives representing every segment of the supply chain the opportunity to focus on the unique challenges and solutions of the fresh produce industry. A particular focus will be marketing to the "new consumer" segments, namely Hispanics, Asians, GenXers and children.

In a move that solidifies Los Angeles-based Herb Thyme Farms Inc.'s position as a leading U.S. grower, shipper and marketer of fresh culinary herbs and edible flowers, the company has acquired the business operations of McCormick Fresh Herbs LLC.