The California Centers for International Trade Development, in cooperation with the California Department of Food & Agriculture, is hosting a California Agricultural Export Training Certificate Program for farmers, ranchers and food processors.

Most retailers who had hopes for California strawberry promotions for Valentine's Day were probably disappointed as late plantings and late January rains made supplies tight and prices high coming into the Valentine's Day pull.

But as of Sunday, Feb. 3, the Accuweather 15-day forecast showed no further rain for the next two weeks, and growers were optimistic that fields would quickly dry out and plants would start putting out lots of beautiful fruit by mid-February or shortly thereafter.

The tomato category has exploded over the past decade with no item having a better story to tell than the so-called heirloom tomato.

Though its name conjures up the past, one would have been hard-pressed to even find an SKU for the item at the turn of this century. It has only been in the past few years that the heirloom tomato has become a big seller, and it still is much more popular in upscale, specialty or natural food markets than in conventional supermarkets.

FRESNO, CA -- John Hein, director of marketing for Crown Jewels Marketing & Distribution, here, and a partner in the company, has left Crown Jewels and joined Trinity Fruit Sales Co., also in Fresno.

Mr. Hein told The Produce News Feb. 4 that he now is connected with Trinity Fruit, where he is working in sales.

Mr. Hein had joined Crown Jewels Marketing just over a year earlier, in January 2007, after 17 years as marketing director at Kingsburg Orchards in Kingsburg, CA, a major grower and shipper of stone fruit, Asian pears and an assortment of other fruit.

The Produce Marketing Association, based in Newark, DE, has named Robert Whitaker, one of the produce industry's more respected scientists, as its first chief scientific officer. Dr. Whitaker will direct the creation of PMA's new science-based programs and services at a time when food safety, traceability, sustainability and other science-based issues are moving to the forefront in the produce industry.

WASHINTON -- U.S. Foodservice asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help develop a new testing service for processed produce, and now USDA is offering the new program to other buyers.

Chicago-based U.S. Foodservice is the first company to sign a yearlong agreement with USDA's Agriculture Marketing Service to provide the new quality monitoring program service at several of its distribution centers.