Rainier Fruit Co., headquartered in Yakima, WA, has undertaken two biological protection strategies designed to minimize blueberry crop losses attributed to wildlife.

“Organic and conventional producers alike deal with local birds and other wildlife feeding on their fruit when it matures,” Director of Marketing Suzanne Wolter told The Produce News.

“Many can lose a substantial amount of their crop to hungry birds,” she continued. “First, we completely enclosed our ranches in netting.”

PMA Foodservice Conference attendees will get a fresh look at leading crops on an exclusive visit to some of Salinas Valley’s fields and facilities on the Behind the Scenes: Field & Plant Tour. In addition to facility tours, registrants will get a field-to-fork perspective of these crops as they learn growing, picking, packing and culinary preparation tips.

The six-year contract that West Coast dock workers have been operating under expired today, July 1, without a new contract, and although negotiations are continuing the possibility of a strike looms large.

WASHINGTON — With the House unlikely to vote on immigration reform, President Obama announced Monday he’s exploring executive actions to fixing immigration problems.

In the White House Rose Garden, Obama said yesterday that Republicans in the House have refused an up-or-down vote on immigration reform, and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) informed him last week there would be no vote on the issue this year.

Farm Star Living, a lifestyle brand that celebrates American farming, farmers and food, recently partnered with To-Jo Mushrooms, a fourth-generation family-owned-and-operated mushroom farm that grows and distributes a full line of fresh and prepared mushroom products.

CHICAGO — Among the many new items being promoted at the recent United Fresh 2014 convention, here, were Cherriots, a new snacking tomato marketed by San Antonio-based NatureSweet Tomatoes.