SALINAS, CA -- Following Rep. Sam Farr's (D-CA) lead on the federal level, area industry officials are seeking more localized money to compensate area growers and shippers who suffered losses from the recent E. coli 0157:H7 episode regarding spinach.

NewStar Fresh Foods, a Salinas, CA-based grower, shipper and processor of fresh produce, announced the launch of a fresh spinach packaged in new eco-friendly, socially responsible EarthFirst PLA packaging film. Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, began selling 10-ounce bags of NewStar's spinach packaged in PLA film in September.

Heeren Bros. and J.A. Besteman Co. announced Oct. 9 that they plan to merge, creating one of the larger family-owned produce wholesalers in Michigan.

The asset purchase will create a company with approximately 175 employees, three warehouses, a fleet of 40 trucks and the ability to serve customers throughout Michigan and into northern Ohio and Indiana. The new company will continue to do business under both family names, which enjoy strong brand recognition among their customers.

In Salinas native John Steinbeck's famous novel "The Grapes of Wrath," there's a scene where a turtle encounters great obstacles trying to cross a highway. After much hardship for the turtle, a trucker swerves to hit the turtle, clipping its shell and sending it flying off the road. The turtle lands on its back but manages to right itself and move on. The scene encapsulated the theme of perseverance that wove through the entire novel.

With celebrated author Steven Pratt on hand to tout the "superfood" qualities of green and gold kiwifruit, the Zespri booth became an energy-boosting destination at the recent American Dietetics Association Food & Nutrition conference and exposition in Honolulu.

Known as Oprah's "Food Dude," the author of SuperFoods Healthstyle signed copies of his book and shared tips on the benefits of eating kiwifruit with over 5,000 members of the association during its annual food and nutrition conference in mid-September.

The health department of the government of Mexico, in an official memorandum dated Oct. 9, announced an immediate halt on the importation of all fresh lettuce from the United States including bulk lettuce and fresh salads containing lettuce, an action that baffled many in the U.S. produce industry.