With the Texas Produce Association's annual convention set to kick off Aug. 11 on South Padre Island, the state’s produce growers, shippers and importers are faced with some challenges unique to — and opportunities as large as — the Lone Star State itself.

"There are always problems, but there are also some trends that are very favorable," John McClung, president and chief executive officer of the association, told The Produce News in an Aug. 2 interview.

GILROY, CA -- On the eve of the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, Meg Whitman, a California gubernatorial candidate, toured Christopher Ranch. Don and Bill Christopher were her tour hosts and showed her around the 50-plus year-old home ranch here.

WILLIMANTIC, CT — "Business is very, very good, and we owe it all to our perishables departments," stated Robert A. Buonomano. He was referring to all of the store's perishable areas, such as bakery, deli and cheese, but primarily to produce — which accounts for about 12-15 percent of the retailer’s sales, depending on the season — and to meat, which generally accounts for about 40 percent of the weekly volume.

“I’m really happy with the produce department,” he said, noting that customers give him favorable comments about produce on a regular basis.

The Quebec Produce Marketing Association will spotlight the various links involved in the produce distribution chain Aug. 19-21 at its 63rd annual convention at the Fairmount Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.

Sophie Perreault, executive director of the association, told The Produce News that the convention's theme, "From the Earth to the Table," came about in part because its outgoing president, Stephan Dolbec, is a grower, and its convention chairman, Pascal Primiano, works for Quebec retailer Metro Inc.

MONTEREY, CA — At the Produce Marketing Association's 2009 Foodservice Conference & Exposition, PMA President Bryan Silbermann announced a new collaborative initiative among three industry associations with the objective of doubling produce consumption in foodservice over the next decade.

The Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota is famous for its red potatoes, but this past year, the area was seeing pink.

Red River Valley fresh potato growers and shippers raised over $80,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation this past season. Every bag of potatoes that was sold with a special pink ribbon Kwik Lok tag raised money for the organization.