WASHINGTON -- Some small- and medium-sized farm operations are protesting the government's recent move to consider adopting California's leafy greens marketing agreement nationwide in the shape of a federal marketing program.

In comments sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, groups such as the Community Alliance with Family Farmers and the Cornucopia Institute said that the metrics applied under California's marketing agreement suit large- scale farms that cater to fresh-cut processors rather than smaller growers of whole-leaf vegetables.

SALINAS, CA -- Church Bros. LLC and Premium Fresh, both based here, are working on an agreement that would have Church Bros. handling the sales and marketing of Premium Fresh products, both companies confirmed with The Produce News Nov. 27.

Both Tom Church of Church Bros. and Emmitt Pfost of Premium Fresh said that they hoped a deal would be completed by the end of the Dec. 3 week. Premium Fresh would remain a separate company, responsible for its own profits or losses, and still would have its hand in the selling of its own products.

To strengthen the delivery of its "Expect the world from us" customer experience, Vancouver, BC-based The Oppenheimer Group has acquired a pair of new sales representatives and repositioned two other key members of its sales team.

A decision by Colorado District 1 Water Court Judge Roger Klein to accept a water augmentation plan submitted by the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District has given agricultural producers in northeast Colorado some cause for hope. But the million-dollar question remains: Will the Oct. 19 decision give producers in the drought-stricken state the necessary water resources to bring in crops in 2008?

Many cities are thinking outside the box and building state-of-the-art wholesale produce markets.

Matthew D'Arrigo, who has in the recent past held the office of president or co-president of the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Cooperative Association Inc. in the Bronx, NY, does not see a new produce market in New York in the foreseeable future. But he does believe it's time to think outside the box.

"Highly speculative" discussions have taken place at Hunts Point board meetings about building a satellite market in northern New Jersey.

The trial of David Charles Lenihan, a 54-year-old former controller for two Washington fruit warehouses, is scheduled to begin Dec. 31. Mr. Lenihan has been formally charged with one count of theft in Yakima County Superior Court.