Papayas are not one of those items that are often promoted at retail. After all, there is no generic promotion board, the crop is not seasonal, the United States has limited production with most of the U.S. output consumed in Hawaii where it is produced, and the volume is in just enough hands that there is no one dominant player in the marketplace.

The United Fresh Produce Association has firmly reiterated its opposition to passage of the Employee Free Choice Act and looks to bolster member involvement in the fight against this volatile bill in the weeks and months to come.

As part of a coordinated effort against the legislation, United is mobilizing its Card Check Grassroots network as well as encouraging industry members to attend September's Washington Public Policy Conference.

The Vidalia Onion Committee in Vidalia, GA, is targeting certain regions of the United States this year with the specific goals of increasing brand awareness and increasing rings at the retail cash registers.

Wendy Brannen, executive director of the committee, visited Louisiana in early June as part of a partnership featuring a series of cooking demonstrations at Rouses Markets in the state. On Saturday, June 13, Ms. Brannen was at the Rouses Market store at 400 N. Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans, where she met consumers and educated them about Vidalia sweet onions.

The headline of this article is the tagline on the New Jersey Department of Agriculture's Jersey Fresh peach poster, and it's never been truer than this year. Thanks to favorable peach growing conditions, New Jersey is expecting an excellent crop.

With the United States in the middle of a recession, the Fresh Produce & Floral Council Expo Committee expected booth sales for its Southern California Expo in mid-July to reflect that and had projected a slight decrease from last year's record numbers.

However, "We have sold 168 booths, which is exactly the same number as last year," said FPFC President Carissa Mace. "We lost a few but we also gained a few; it is a very pleasant surprise."

You wouldn't think a guy sporting a colorful arm cast would have such a serious outlook on life -- especially since he broke his arm and shoulder while riding a dirt bike. But 19-year-old Brenton Hines throws himself into whatever he is doing -- work or play.

"I wouldn't consider myself a daredevil," he told The Produce News. "But maybe other people would. It's an adrenaline rush. I like anything that goes fast."