Imagination Farms, based in Indianapolis, continues to expand distribution of the "Disney Garden" brand with the addition of a comprehensive potato category, supplied by Rigby Produce of Rigby, ID, and Russet Potato Exchange of Bancroft, WI.

Glen Reynolds, East Coast sales manager for Imagination Farms, said in a press release, "Potatoes are an important category in every produce department. The use of the 'Disney Garden' brand creates unique opportunities for us to introduce kids to the health attributes of potatoes."

The California Tomato Commission, which has not been in full operation since early spring, will suspend all operations early next year because an overwhelming majority of producers approved suspension in a recent referendum vote.

The California Department of Food & Agriculture announced Aug. 16 that assessments would continue to be collected through the remainder of the 2007-08 season but that the commission will close its doors by the Feb. 29, 2008, statutory deadline.

SALINAS, CA -- Jim Bogart of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California and two attorneys closely connected with agriculture held a forum Aug. 20 for area grower-shippers on the Social Security mismatch rule.

About 100 people attended the forum, which was held at the Richard Nutter Ag Conference Center.

PHILADELPHIA -- Like wandering nomads seeking a new home, Philadelphia's produce wholesalers have endeavored to find a new market location for the last five years. Potential sites have come and gone in a series of mostly political events. The effort to move this spring was even disrupted by a bald eagle's nest on a proposed site that was reclaimed by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell.

San Leandro, CA-based Bay Cities Produce Co. Inc. recently received organic certification from Agriculture Service Certified Organic.

Bay Cities is the largest exclusive restaurant purveyor in the San Francisco Bay area. The company also services institutions such as clubs, hospitals and cruise ships with a full line of fresh, frozen and prepared fruits and vegetables. Its coverage extends west to the coast, south to San Jose, north to Richmond and east to Livermore.

Sun World lnternational LLC in Bakersfield, CA, had recently begun a new program of marketing imported Minneola tangelos from Peru when the devastating earthquake on Peru's south coast struck, with an epicenter near the agricultural community of Pisco.

The company is responding to the disaster by donating a portion of the proceeds from Peruvian Minneolas to an earthquake fund to help the victims.