Will Brown has been appointed undersecretary of the California Department of Food & Agriculture by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Mr. Brown, 58, of San Mateo, has a broad background in both business and government, and a long history of working with agricultural and consumer food distribution and retail interests, as well as on a wide range of federal and state public-policy issues.

For retailers and one lucky consumer, victory never tasted so sweet.

This summer, the Vidalia Onion Committee's Original Sweet Onion Trivia Contest playfully educated more than 6,500 consumers about the pioneer of all sweet onions and, in the process, pushed retail sales. The contest's grand prize winner, Jo Anne Johnson of Boise, ID, will be rewarded with an all- expense-paid trip for four to historic Savannah, GA.

The North American Strawberry Growers Association will hold its annual meeting and conference Jan. 19-21 in New Orleans at the historic Hotel Monteleone. The meeting will feature two days of speaker presentations, panels and round-table discussions, followed by a one-day tour of local berry farms in the Ponchatoula district.

The association will be bringing in strawberry experts from growing regions at home and abroad. Featured speakers include Philip Lieten, a well-known agronomist who works with Fresh Forward in the Netherlands.

Delano, CA-based Jakov Dulcich & Sons grows more than a dozen red, green and blue-black table grape varieties on more than 2,500 acres of vineyards in California's Central Valley.

Dulcich produces 3 million boxes per year and ships worldwide through its own Sunlight International Sales Inc. It ships grapes by air, ocean and truck, and it offers a wide variety of pack styles. Dulcich harvests table grapes from July into December.

"We have storage grapes through Christmas," said Nick Dulcich, owner and director of sales for the long-time family farm.

Chefs Nobu Matsuhisa, Paul Prudhomme and David Burke are among 11 chefs sharing their favorite recipes using Idaho potatoes in the Idaho Potato Commission's Recipes for Relief on-line program running through the end of this year.

Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner has been selected to receive the 11th annual Friend of Chile Award presented by the Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, an affiliate of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber will honor Gov. Minner Nov. 20, 2008, during a luncheon at the Union League of Philadelphia.