Rosa's mission

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., is out to change the world, or at least the federal government's food safety systems. Here is what her office released today;

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) issued the following statement on the closure of Castleberry’s Food Company’s production facility in Augusta, GA, after cans of chili sauce tested positive for botulism over the weekend. This recall affects more than 8,500 retailers around the country, including Big Y stores in Connecticut.

“The expansion of this botulism recall highlights the critical need to overhaul our food safety system.

“That is why I am using my authority as chair of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee to take a close look at our food safety efforts and begin to making tangible changes at both USDA and FDA.

“We start by directing the FDA to create a multi-year, comprehensive performance plan, which includes measurable benchmarks for concrete improvements in the performances of its food safety mission. And continue by providing them with substantial resources – a $28 million increase – what we hope will be the first step in a fundamental transformation in the regulation of food safety at FDA.

“Additionally, under this legislation we ensure that funding levels for FDA’s field operations are not reduced and are fully funding the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), as well as directing funds to fill the vacancies in federal inspectors.

“This botulism outbreak is a reminder of our food safety goal: to prevent food-borne illness not just to react when outbreaks occur.”

Monday headline roundup 7/23

Tesco announces LA area store locations From AP: The Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets, significantly smaller than typical supermarkets, are among 30 stores the retailer intends to open in California, Arizona and Nevada by the end of the year.

Wal-Mart opens up to social content online From Advertising Age: The company's announcement that it's allowing consumers to review and rate products on its website is a big, if belated, push by the stodgy giant into the social web, following scores of other retailers who have realized the power of crowdsourcing and co-creation.

Wal-Mart sees big savings in fuel From AP: Wal-Mart's fleet of about 7,200 semi trucks is already about 15 percent more fuel efficient, and the company knows what changes it needs to make to meet a target of 25 percent by late next year.

COOL change

What happened to the industry's compromise position on country of origin labeling? The industry plan called for voluntary labeling as long as 90% of the top 20 fruits and vegetables were labeled for origin at retail. Failing to meet that threshold, over time, would trigger mandatory COOL.

While industry lobbyists many never give up on the compromise until the bitter end, it doesn't look like it has a great shot of advancing at this point. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. and chair of the House Appropriations ag subcommittee, wants COOL to stay mandatory, though she is reportedly open to listen to industry concerns.

The political landscape now seems to say the country of origin labeling law will be mandatory and it will happen in 2008. China's misadventures with food safety can probably credited with the current dynamics. The industry's best shot now may lies showering the USDA with comments (the agency has reopened its comment period until Aug. 20) on how to make the law more workable and less expensive to implement.

Here is the link to the AMS page on country of origin labeling rulemaking.

Apples and oranges

New York apple growers will release an estimate for the 2007 crop this week.....

Slice of kiwi

CFDA: no more rejections for armored scale

Here is a link to a letter from CDFA to its inspectors relative to the armored scale, which has been a lingering issue on avocado imports from Mexico. Here is the text:

DATE: July 18, 2007
TO: All Border Station Inspectors and County Agricultural Commissioners
FROM: Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services
SUBJECT: Armored Scale (Diaspididae) on Commercial Produce for Consumption
Effective immediately, inspectors should no longer reject commercial shipments of produce for consumption due to the presence of armored scales (Diaspididae). This change in policy is the result of an updated pest risk analysis for armored scales conducted by USDA-APHIS-PPQ. The analysis concludes that commercial produce shipments for consumption present a low-risk pathway for the introduction of armored scales. The Federal Code of Regulations defines commercial shipment as “a shipment containing fruits or vegetables that an inspector identifies as having been produced for sale and distribution in mass markets.”
Non-commercial shipments of consumptive produce, such as those found in private vehicles or private parcels, have not necessarily been through any cleaning or culling process. Because these processes were significant factors in determining that commercial shipments present a low risk, non-commercial shipments should still be rejected if actionable armored scale pests are found. Additionally, inspectors should continue to reject any shipments of propagative plant material (commercial or non-commercial) infested with actionable armored scales.

TK: This should resolve an issue that has been hanging over the North American avocado industry for some time.

Sliding in under a dollar a pound

Let's face it. Old school merchandisers (or old consumers) don't consider hot ad prices for produce truly hot unless they break the $1 per pound level, particularly for summer fruit items. Even by that outdated, inflation ignorant standard, we have some HOT ad prices this week in the Kansas City market. Here is a look at what produce items are advertised for July 25-July 31.

Price Chopper ( Chopper card)
Yellow peaches or Prime Time black or red plums: 97 cents/lb
Washington jumbo bing cherries: $3.99/lb
Fresh cut watermelon: 49 cents/lb
Driscoll's blackberries: 2 for $5
Green Giant whole mushrooms (8-ounce package) 2 for $3
California Bartlett pears: 99 cents/lb
British Columbia Hot House tomatoes-on-the-vine: $1.49/lb
California jumbo red onions: 89 cents/lb
Fresh green beans: 99 cents/ lb
B-sized white or red potatoes: 99 cents/lb
Sunkist pistachios: $3.99/12 ounces
Dole salad blends: 2 for $5 (10 to 12-ounce)

Dillons (plus card)
Golden ripe bananas: 39 cents/lb
red or black plums: $1.49/lb
Jumbo kiwi: 3 for $1
Peaches, nectarines or green grapes: $1.69/lb
Tomatoes on the vine: $1.99/pound
New crop Australian navel oranges: 2 for $1
Driscoll's strawberries (1 lb) or blueberries (pint): 2 for $5
Fresh corn on the cob: 5 for $2
Northwest sweet red cherries: $2.99/lb
Private Selection organic salads 5-ounce: 2 for $6
Ripe cantaloupe: 2 for $4


Hy Vee
(in store sampling Friday July 27 4-7 pm and Saturday, July 28 10 a.m. to 2 pm for Great White nectarines, Stemilt cherries, Kandy label honeydew melon, Ripe N Ready peaches or sweet red peppers)
Thompson seedless grapes: 99 cents/lb
Great white nectarines: $1.48/lb
Kandy label honeydew: $1.99 each
Ripe N Ready peaches; $1.48/lb
Sweet red peppers: 3 for $2
Stemilt cherries: $3.88/lb
Australian navel oranges: $1.58/lb (More Matters logo)
Driscoll's strawberries: $5.98/4-pound clamshell
Australian minneola tangelos: $1.99/lb
Dole classic iceberg: 88 cents/1-lb
Monterey baby bella mushrooms: $1.88/8 ounces
Popeye spinach: $1.88 /10-oz. bag
Purely Juice: pomegranate juice: $5.88/ 32 ounces


Hen House (rewards card)
Color ad features a blurb about Kyle Mathison of Stemilt. "Kyle Mathison's family has been growing cherries for nearly 100 years in the world's premier cherry growing region in Wenatcheee, Wash." And more...
Artisan Natural Golden Rainier cherries: $3.99/lb
Certified organic sweet dark cherries: $3.99/lb
Large summertime Calif. Bartlett pears: 99 cents/lb
Big blueberries: $5.99/ 18 ounces
Heirloom tomatoes *Twin County Farms in Rush Hill, Mo. : $3.99/lb
Fresh okra (grown by Debbie Genova in Nortonville, KS: $5/ for one quarter peck
Driscoll's Finest strawberries: 2 for $5 (1-lb)
Hearts of romaine: 3 ct: 2 for $4
Sweet to eat nectarines, peaches or plums: $1.18/lb Wiwona Packing

Not all love for the House farm bill

Yes, the fruit and vegetable community feels good about what was accomplished in the House Agriculture Committee. Close to $2 billion over five years seems like a mind-numbing blessing for speciality crop alliance priorities. After all, excluding commodity purchases and export promotion funds, the fruit and vegetable industry netted nearly nothing in previous farm bills.

If you haven't noticed, however, not all change-seekers were happy with the committee's work.

Here is a link to a blog post from the Grist blog, which states "Speaker Pelosi should work with Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Collin Peterson (D-MN) to include a $40,000 cap on direct payments, close all of the loopholes, and restore the $4 billion stolen from the Conservation Security Program before the bill goes to the floor for debate."

Dan Owns writes in the Blog for Rural America that "The evident defense for this laughable "reform" proposal is the claim that real reform would cost rural Democrats elections. That is complete drivel of the highest order. We've written many times about how poll after poll shows that farmers and rural Americans understand and want real payment limits."

Dan Morgan of the Farm Policy blog had it right:"Despite reservations from the cotton industry about changes in payment limits, the farm bloc will join lobbyists for the fruit and vegetable (blessed with $1.8 billion in new money) to protect the legislation on the floor."

TK: Once the specialty crops lobbyists may have seen a scenario where they went after traditional farm bill targets like commodity subsidies and payment limits arm in arm with of true reformers like Rep. Ron Kind and environmental interests. Now they are firmly linked with the House Agriculture Committee in preserving the farm bill as it emerged from committee. The traditional farm lobby and the specialty crop alliance both need each other to make it through the floor debate this week.

Food safety: expanded role for USDA?

One of the provisions of the farm bill passed by the House Agriculture Committee is under Sec. 10106. The language from the House Agriculture Committee Web site reads like this:

SEC. 10106. IMPLEMENTATION OF FOOD SAFETY PROGRAMS UNDER MARKETING ORDERS.

Section 8c(6) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 13 U.S.C. 608c(6)), reenacted with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, is amended by adding at the end the following:‘‘(K) In the case of an order related to a specialty crop (as such term is defined in section 3(1) of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-465; 118 Stat. 3883)), authorizing the implementation of quality-related food safety programs designed to enhance the safety of the specialty crop and products derived from specialty crops.’’.

TK: This language allows traditional marketing orders to delve into food safety programs "designed to enhance the safety" of specialty crops. Questions: 1) How many specialty crop marketing orders will be motivated to use this authority? 2) Could the use of this authority be considered a trade barrier by exporters from other countries? 3) Does this language open the door for a nationwide food safety marketing order for leafy greens? 4) Does the USDA have the staff and capabilities to audit for Good Agricultural Practices/Good Handling Practices?

One Washington lobbyist said the farm bill's marketing order language applies to marketing orders voted on by the growers community. Apart from that is the issue of a national food-safety oriented marketing agreement/order that would be voted on by handlers.

The USDA is apparently preparing notice of advance rulemaking for a national leafy greens marketing agreement/order. The lobbyist I visited with this morning said there is general discussion of having a national leafy greens marketing order that would allow handlers - through a referendum - consider something like what the leafy greens marketing agreement has done in California. That might require additional legislative language to authorize, however - beyond the Sec. 10106 language in the House farm bill.

The USDA AMS could use the cash flow from performing GAP/GHP inspections. For growers, determining how an expanded marketing order role for USDA in food safety inspections relates to the potential for stepped-up FDA authority and oversight at the farm level remains a pivotal question.

Adopt a peach tree

Again, I go back to the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group for our next topic. Luis provides this link to a fascinating business model from a peach grower looking to connect with consumers.

From the Web site of David Mas Masumot, a Fresno-area organic peach and grape farmer and author of several books:

Personalized Produce
One of our goals is to personalize my produce. Our work on the Masumoto Family Farm is not just to grow something that people pay money for. We take this personally - and want consumers, peach lovers, food enthusiasts to share our passion. Here’s an opportunity for you to come harvest your own peaches and share the farmer's dilemmas, challenges and rewards.
By adopting a tree, these Elbertas will be yours for a year of gestation. We at the Masumoto farm will take care of the early work of pruning, irrigating and pest control. We utilize only organic practices, adopting the best natural practices (by the way, the entire farm is certified organic).
However, the most critical time will be your responsibility - the moment of crucial decisions and trying to understand the dramatic rhythm of farming: HARVEST TIME.

Adopt A Lifestyle, Harvest Like A Farmer
Your tree will be waiting for you - and you will be kept abreast of how your peaches are doing.
Like most natural arrivals, delivery date cannot be predetermined nor scheduled. We can estimate that approximately the last Saturday in July or the first or second Saturday in August. - your peaches will be ready for your hands to carry them to their new homes. This is very much like giving birth naturally (we don’t schedule Cesarean peaches on our farm)!
You and your family, friends, and neighbors will come to the Masumoto farm and hand harvest your own peaches. For two Saturdays you can come pick, enjoy, select ripe, over ripe and ripening fruit - and determine how you want to use your harvest.
We suggest you adopt a tree with others - your extended family, your neighbors, perhaps a group or an organization can adopt a tree and send a small work crew to come do the harvest! We will provide ladders and picking boxes - you’ll need to provide the personal touch

TK: What a great concept - particularly if it works. Have consumers take ownership in the process and literally lend their backs to harvest the peaches from their adopted tree. As Luis commented in the discussion group, there are amazing and endless ways growers can connect with the public: "In this case, combine Japanese sensibility, business acumen plus the ability to write and you have "aspirational" peaches."

The view back home

I was back home for the weekend. This is what "back home" looks like out the front window of the farm house near Bertrand, Neb. My wife is walking the dog on a hot summer day, with a backdrop of field corn that stretches for miles.

All of that ties in nicely to this link about ethanol provided by Big Apple on our Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Board. From the AP story:

An FPL Group subsidiary says it will develop a first−of−its−kind commercial plant to convert orange and grapefruit waste into ethanol that will be sold to Florida motorists at gasoline pumps "Currently, there is no ethanol production in Florida," said David Stewart, president of Boca Raton−based Citrus Energy LLC, a partner in the development of the FPL Energy ethanol plant. "This is the first in the world for citrus." State Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson said the proposed facility is one of several now being discussed to move Florida from the sidelines of ethanol production to the forefront of developing more efficient ways of making the alternative fuel. The FPL plant is expected to produce about four million gallons of ethanol a year to be sold as a gasoline additive in Florida. The plan is to build it in Hendry County, an agricultural region just south of Lake Okeechobee. FPL Energy is a subsidiary of FPL Group Inc., which also operates the state's largest utility, Florida Power & Light Co.


TK: Converting citrus waste to ethanol will allow that growers in Florida to capture some of the dollars that have flowed toward corn growers in Nebraska and other Midwest states. The citrus groves are definitely closer to population centers, which is a positive for its long term prospects. Our discussion board continues to be a great forum for ideas and news angles related to produce, and thanks to Big Apple for this link.

Labeling law showdown

Just where does the produce industry stand in its quest to implement voluntary country of origin labeling with mandatory triggers? Only the meat industry had language in the House farm bill about COOL Here is what the Ag Committee said about what it did for meat:

The Committee also approved language that will finally allow full implementation of Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling for meat in the Farm Bill. This language is a victory for consumers who overwhelmingly support the program. It includes three categories of labeling, one that indicates product was born, raised and slaughtered in the United States; one that indicates that product was not exclusively born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S.; and one that includes products entirely from other countries. For ground meat, products can be labeled with a list of countries where product may have originated.


Here is an opinion piece from The Palm Beach Post about COOL, and the piece quotes Rep. Mary Bono.

"The situation with China has definitely strengthened our hand," said Rep. Mary Bono, R-Calif., who has been working on labeling since 1998.

Later in the story..

While the Department of Agriculture works on the rules, Consumers Union last week found that 92 percent of Americans want country-of-origin labels on imported food. The group wants immediate implementation of the law that has the support of more than 200 farming, ranching, food safety and consumer organizations.
Florida's exemplary 1979 produce-only labeling law proves "that it can be done," Rep. Bono said. Expediting the federal law could happen if the Bush administration wants it, says the trade adviser for Lake Worth-based Florida Farmers Inc. The president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association said that only because mandatory country-of-origin labeling bogged down did the group seek a voluntary program. After years of voluntary rules, a county-of-origin label on meat is almost as rare as one on tofu.

More headlines:

R-CALF celebrates COOL victory


Power of Internet in COOL comment period From the story:
In the latest news on this issue, the USDA last month announced it was reopening the comment period for 60 days on mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef, lamb, pork, perishable agricultural commodities and peanuts.The comment deadline is Aug. 20.
TK: A wave of pro-COOL comments arriving via the Web could influence debate, story says.

COOL Rules: Will Congress finally enforce it? From the Valdosta Daily Times

Despite the recent worldwide news reports of food product contamination from countries such as China, Congress continues to be reluctant to enforce the initiative, again eliminating language from the bill that would make it mandatory.
Rep. Jack Kingston, who represents a large portion of agriculture-rich South Georgia, serves on the Agriculture Appropriations Committee in the House. Kingston stated, “COOL has been a contentious issue in Washington since it was first included in the 2002 Farm Bill. It sounds like a great idea and in theory it could be a very beneficial tool for both consumers and farmers. The problem with it is that the way the USDA regulations were written, COOL became a very expensive and complicated mandate.


TK: Again, the industry's plan of a voluntary plan with mandatory triggers doesn't have great political appeal because it combines ideologies and mixes passions. Can the industry get members of Congress to back their plan? More importantly, can the plan win the hearts and minds of consumers? I don't look for enthusiastic buy-in, and therefore it will be an uphill struggle to find champions for the f/v plan on COOL.