NOGALES, AZ — The amount of acreage devoted to growing tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, cucumbers and other vegetables in the state of Sinaloa and elsewhere in Mexico has increased steadily over the last several years, and this year is no exception.

In fact, following what were generally good returns for growers last year, sources say that there has been a significant amount of additional infrastructure built in Mexico for the 2010-11 season, much of it in the form of shadehouses and other structures for protected agriculture.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., based in Montvale, NJ, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Dec. 12.

The filing was widely expected and occurred after the company struggled for years to manage its enormous debt and increased competition from discount chains. In the filing, the company lists assets of about $2.5 billion and debt of more than $3.2 billion. The company reported revenue of $9.5 billion in 2008, but that dropped to $8.8 billion in 2009 amid declining sales.

Pelion, SC-based Walter P. Rawl & Sons Inc. is wrapping up the year, pleased to have provided over 3 million servings of "LazyTown" SportsCandy fresh fruits and vegetables to schoolchildren throughout the Southeast.

In 2009, W.P. Rawl partnered with LazyTown Entertainment to pack single- serve fruits and vegetables under the “LazyTown” brand. That partnership, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Fresh Fruit & Vegetable program, has helped W.P. Rawl provide a variety of fruit and vegetable snacks to over 500 schools in eight states.

TAMPA, FL -- With hard freeze warnings issued for Florida all the way south to Homestead, Dec. 13 will be a long, tense night for Florida growers. Misters will spray, Rain Bird sprinklers will chatter, helicopters will fly and countless gallons of water will flow through fields until dawn as farmers pull out all the stops to try to hold back an unprecedented early-season onslaught from Mother Nature.

The Dec. 12 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. should not have much of an impact on the chain's produce creditors due to the protection afforded by PACA Trust provisions, which puts produce debt in a priority position over other creditors.

Clifford Produce, a Ruthven, ON-based greenhouse grower, named Chris Jacobs company president Dec. 2. He is the first president at Clifford Produce, which previously operated under the direction of its board of directors and management team.

"We are very excited to welcome Chris to Clifford Produce," Gerry Mastronardi, board president, said in a Dec. 2 press release. “His expertise and leadership will be valuable in taking this company to the next level.”