The Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee, the Idaho Potato Commission and Clear Springs Trout teamed up to host the 2012 Best of Idaho chefs and food writers tour Oct. 3-5, which gave chefs, culinary instructors and food editors the opportunity to visit farms and packinghouses across the state of Idaho and learn how onions, potatoes and trout are raised, harvested and packed.

Within days, the new crop of California oranges will hit the market and California growers are promising that they will deliver a tastier product because of the all-new California Standard.

In 1894, Henry C. Precythe founded what would over the following century evolve into Southern Produce Distributors Inc., now headquartered in Faison, NC. It was operated under his name until his death in 1933.

When President Barack Obama ran for president four years ago, an informal and unscientific poll of the industry seemed to show that he had significant support in the fresh produce industry. Four years later, the same can be said.

FRANK MUELLER joined Hackensack, NJ-based Krass-Joseph Inc. on Sept. 10.

In his new position at Krass-Joseph, Mr. Mueller will be handling a full line of vegetables. The company specializes in vegetables from Canada, Mexico, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Ohio. Mr. Mueller has been in the produce industry for a total of 25 years, most recently working for S. Katzman Produce, located at the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx, NY.

Attendees at this year’s Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit will have an opportunity to find out more about the all-American capabilities of Sev-Rend Corp. “The big theme we’ve carried this year is that all of our products — outside of wire — are made in the USA,” Vice President of Sales and Marketing Harrison Chien told The Produce News.