CENTER, CO — Following a Thanksgiving season that was "as good as we've had in a long time," Cañon Potato Co. President David Tonso described the first four months of sales for the 2010 potato crop as “vigorous.”

Mr. Tonso said, “We’ve seen a steady rise in price, but we’re working hard to keep it at a slower approach.”

As the result of short supplies nationwide and potatoes from the Northwest being shipped into Canada, Colorado’s position in the domestic market has been strengthened.

Late in January, the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association again will be taking a group of North American retailers on an educational tour of Chile's fresh produce industry.

"We have found that the more retailers know about the care, handling, traceability, the GAP programs, the USDA inspections and the modern port -- all of the factors that go into production, harvesting and distribution of fruit - - the better off we are," said Tom Tjerandsen, managing director of North America for the Sonoma, CA-based Chilean fruit promotion group.

Data gathered for the state of Washington, the nation's leading apple producer, show an unmistakable increase in organic production in recent years. According to the Charles Pomianek, director of the Wenatchee Traffic Association, organic growth has been steady since 2007.

WINTER HAVEN, FL -- SunnyRidge Farm continues to expand its operations with plans for a new distribution center in Hawthorne, FL, located 15 miles east of Gainesville, FL.

Columbia Marketing International, one of Washington state's larger shippers of premium conventional and organic apples, pears and cherries, has hired Mike Nicholson to its domestic sales team.

Mr. Nicholson has accumulated a wide range of sales experience representing Washington shippers of fresh apples, pears, cherries and apricots. He has been involved with sales in both export and domestic markets, concentrating for the past several years on the domestic retail and wholesale trade.

Close cooperation, starting with clear communication, between an ocean carrier and produce importers is critical, according to Michael Hopkins, vice president of operations for Crowley Holdings Inc. Mr. Hopkins works from the Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, FL, facility of Crowley, which is headquartered in Jacksonville, FL.         Crowley's ships offer extensive refrigerated container cargo service to Port Everglades and Gulfport, MS, from Central America and other Caribbean ports. Reefer service, Mr.