On Sept. 15, at the first-of-its-kind Gov.'s Summit on Health, Nutrition & Obesity in Sacramento, CA, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed several bills that will help combat the states obesity crisis and improve the health of Californians, particularly school-age children.

Gaspari Farms in Temple, PA, a grower of high-quality fresh mushrooms, surpassed all other growers with 13 ribbons at the 20th annual Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square, PA.

The company received three blue ribbons for first-place recognitions, five red ribbons for second-place honors and five yellow ribbons for third place.

The New York Apple Association in Fishers, NY, will be offering a full-service promotion support program this fall in an effort to help retailers throughout the United States sell more apples during the 2005-06 apple season.

"Our number one goal is to help retailers drive sales," Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association, which represents the state's 695 apple orchards, said in a statement.

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WASHINGTON  The next farm bill will need to reflect the reality that it is not about Florida growers competing with California growers anymore, said Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA). It is about a global economy and major changes that will need to be made to make U.S. producers competitive in the marketplace.

"Freeport has been closed due to a U.S. Coast Guard order, so we are diverting scheduled shipments there to Port Everglades, Florida," Mike Mitchell, spokesman for Chiquita Brands International in Cincinnati, said on the afternoon of Sept. 21.

Mr. Mitchell referred to the port of Freeport, TX, which became an alternative banana receiving port for Chiquita after Hurricane Katrina destroyed Chiquita  and Dole's  port facilities in Gulfport, MS, on Aug. 29.