Fresh Produce Discussion Blog

Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst

Thursday, January 31, 2008

First person account - John McCain, POW

I was at a Steve & Barry's sporting goods store here in Olathe the other day and I saw a black hoodie sweat shirt with the familiar white logo, " POW/MIA - You are not forgotten." As I thought about the message, I thought about my own father, who was MIA in 1968 (later declared KIA) and the experience of John McCain.

My own father's story is something I may tell at another time. In this post, I wanted to find a Web resource that tells John McCain's story, because I think it reveals something essential about the man, even as so much short-lived political spin fills the air. I found a Web link to McCain's first person narrative of his prisoner of war experience, published in U.S. News and World Report in May of 1973. It is a long article, but a riveting read.

Some excerpts from the first page of the 17 page account:

I pulled the ejection handle, and was knocked unconscious by the force of the ejection—the air speed was about 500 knots. I didn't realize it at the moment, but I had broken my right leg around the knee, my right arm in three places, and my left arm. I regained consciousness just before I landed by parachute in a lake right in the corner of Hanoi, one they called the Western Lake. My helmet and my oxygen mask had been blown off.

I hit the water and sank to the bottom. I think the lake is about 15 feet deep, maybe 20. I kicked off the bottom. I did not feel any pain at the time, and was able to rise to the surface. I took a breath of air and started sinking again. Of course, I was wearing 50 pounds, at least, of equipment and gear. I went down and managed to kick up to the surface once more. I couldn't understand why I couldn't use my right leg or my arm. I was in a dazed condition. I went up to the top again and sank back down. This time I couldn't get back to the surface. I was wearing an inflatable life-preserver-type thing that looked like water wings. I reached down with my mouth and got the toggle between my teeth and inflated the preserver and finally floated to the top.

Some North Vietnamese swam out and pulled me to the side of the lake and immediately started stripping me, which is their standard procedure. Of course, this being in the center of town, a huge crowd of people gathered, and they were all hollering and screaming and cursing and spitting and kicking at me.

When they had most of my clothes off, I felt a twinge in my right knee. I sat up and looked at it, and my right foot was resting next to my left knee, just in a 90-degree position. I said, "My God--my leg!" That seemed to enrage them —I don't know why. One of them slammed a rifle butt down on my shoulder, and smashed it pretty badly. Another stuck a bayonet in my foot. The mob was really getting up-tight.

From the last page, after his long stay in Hanoi was over....

I've received scores of letters from young people, and many of them sent me POW bracelets with my name on it, which they had been wearing. Some were not too sure about the war, but they are strongly patriotic, their values are good, and I think we will find that they are going to grow up to be better Americans than many of us.

This outpouring on behalf of us who were prisoners of war is staggering, and a little embarrassing because basically we feel that we are just average American Navy, Marine and Air Force pilots who got shot down. Anybody else in our place would have performed just as well.

My own plans for the future are to remain in the Navy, if I am able to return to flying status. That depends upon whether the corrective surgery on my arms and my leg is successful. If I have to leave the Navy, I hope to serve the Government in some capacity, preferably in Foreign Service for the State Department.

I had a lot of time to think over there, and came to the conclusion that one of the most important things in life—along with a man's family—is to make some contribution to his country.


TK: McCain is reaching for "some contribution" to his country now, and it may fall within his reach. While some conservatives have written off McCain as a Republican imposter, others, such as some quoted in this NYT ariticle - As McCain wins, critics on right look again - are reconsidering. After reading this first person account, I'm sure McCain can deal with whatever Limbaugh dishes out.

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School based fruit and vegetable programs - the record so far

Lorelei DiSogra of United Fresh passes on this important report called, "School-based fruit and vegetable schemes: A review of the evidence," published in December 2007. The report is authored by Dr Karen Lock, Department of Public Health and Policy, at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The thumbnail sketch - these programs work.

Here is the summary from the report:

SUMMARY
This report presents a systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions to promote fruit and/or vegetable consumption in children in schools worldwide. The results show that school-based schemes are effective at increasing both intake of, and positive knowledge and attitudes to fruit and vegetable intake. Of the 35 studies included, 65% of studies in both younger and older age groups showed statistically significant increases in fruit and vegetable intake at follow, with none decreasing intake. There was marked heterogeneity in study design, measurement and reporting of intake which makes comparisons of effect size or meta-analysis difficult. Differences in intervention effect ranged from +0.14 servings/day to +0.99 servings/day. 25 studies had follow up periods greater than 1 year and this review provides evidence that both large (national) and smaller (local) scale FV schemes can have long term impacts on consumption. One study showed that free school fruit and vegetable schemes can also help to reduce inequalities in diet. Only one study showed an effect on both increasing fruit and vegetable intake and decreasing overweight in the same scheme. It was unsurprising that other studies showed no impact on overweight or obesity, as changes to weight would be expected to occur at longer time scales that changes in dietary intake.
This review concludes that school fruit and vegetable schemes work. Effective school programmes have used a range of approaches and been organised in ways which vary nationally depending on differences in the food supply chain and education system.

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Agricultural Prices - January

Here is the text file for today's Agricultural Prices report. From the USDA:

The preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in January, at 150 percent, based on 1990-92=100, increased 6 points (4.2 percent) from December. The Crop Index is up 16 points (11 percent) but the Livestock Index decreased 4 points (2.9 percent). The All Farm Index and All Crop Index are at record highs. Producers received higher commodity prices for corn, soybeans, broilers, and wheat and lower prices were received for milk, tomatoes, hogs, and turkeys. The overall index is also affected by the seasonal change based on a 3-year average mix of commodities producers sell. Increased average marketings of corn, soybeans, cattle, and strawberries offset decreased marketings of grapes, milk, broilers, and cottonseed. The preliminary All Farm Products Index is up 27 points (22 percent) from January 2007. The Food Commodities Index, at 150, increased 2 points (1.4 percent) from last month and increased 26 points (21 percent) from January 2007. Prices Paid Index Up 3 Points The January Index of Prices Paid for Commodities and Services, Interest, Taxes, and Farm Wage Rates (PPITW) is 168 percent of the 1990-92 average. The index is up 3 points (1.8 percent) from December and 13 points (8.4 percent) above January 2007. This is a record high for the index. Higher prices in January for cash rent, taxes, and other farm services more than offset the decline in diesel fuel, feeder cattle, and hay & forages.


Potatoes & Dry Beans: The January index, at 127, is up 1.6 percent from last month and 5.0 percent above January 2007. The all potato price, at $7.11 per cwt, is up 2 cents from December and 5 cents from last January. The all dry bean price, at $28.40 per cwt, is up $1.40 from the previous month and $5.70 above January 2007.

Fruits & Nuts: The January index, at 153, is down 1.9 percent from December but unchanged from a year ago. Fruit prices were down slightly compared to last month. Marketing of fruits decreased from last month.

Commercial Vegetables: The January index, at 147, is up 6.5 percent from last month but 17 percent below January 2007. Price increases during January for lettuce, broccoli, snap beans, and celery more than offset price declines for tomatoes, onions, and sweet corn.

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On vegetables

The USDA Economic Research Service annual report on vegetables was released on Jan. 25 and can be found in text form here.


Here is a summary graph:

Fresh market vegetable and melon production for the 24 selected crops estimated in 2007 totaled 494 million hundredweight, up 2 percent from last year. Harvested area covered 1.94 million acres, virtually unchanged from 2006. Value of the 2007 crop is estimated at 10.9 billion dollars, up 2 percent from a year ago. The three largest crops, in terms of production, are onions, head lettuce, and watermelons, which combined to account for 38 percent of the total production. Head lettuce, tomatoes, and onions claim the highest values, accounting for 32 percent of the total value when combined. For the 24 selected vegetables and melons estimated in 2007, California continues to be the leading fresh market State, accounting for 46 percent of the harvested area, 50 percent of production, and 54 percent of the value.

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Inside United Fresh

Congrats to the United Fresh Produce Association - Amy Philpott especially - for the first edition of Inside United Fresh, the new member email update. I like greater use of photos and I think midweek Wednesday delivery - as opposed to the Friday delivery of the now retired weekly update - serves members better. I note this interesting tidbit from the report:

Study Shows Fruits and Veggies in WIC to Boost Grower Returns
“With the inclusion of fruits and vegetables now on tap for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) government feeding program, most of us have been focused solely on the consumption increases that will be driven by some $500 million in federal funding,” said Lorelei DiSogra, vice president of nutrition and health at United Fresh. Now, a new economic study by the National Food and Agricultural Policy Project (NFAPP) at Arizona State University projects an additional impact on grower returns, due to the increased market demand. NFAPP examines one commodity – broccoli – to estimate the impact that adding fruit and vegetable vouchers will have in the marketplace. NFAPP’s Broccoli Market Watch builds on United Fresh’s estimate of $32 million in increased retail sales for broccoli, but then uses economic modeling to predict how strengthened market demand will boost grower returns as well. NFAPP estimates that demand will increase 2.2%, leading to a 3.8% increase in retail price, and 2.9% increase in grower price. That price impact alone would generate $21 million in increased returns to broccoli growers. For more information about fruits and vegetables in WIC, contact Lorelei, 202-303-3403.

TK: By the way, Lorelei helped set up an interview yesterday for me with researchers in Wisconsin studying the program effects of the fresh fruit and vegetable program there. More coming on that later....

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Fresh & Easy Bay area

I see Tesco is not waving the white flag of surrender in the U.S. market yet. This story details Tesco's plans to build Fresh and Easy stores in the Bay area, and reflects some positive pub it is getting by putting stores in underserved areas. But you can't please everyone...
From the article in the
The San Franciso Chronicle:

A British supermarket chain plans to open at least 18 stores throughout the Bay Area next year, many in neighborhoods that other grocery stores have long avoided.

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the aggressively expanding U.S. division of Tesco PLC, the world's third-largest retailer, plans to build smaller than typical outlets offering prepared meals, fresh produce and perishables in Antioch, Concord, San Jose, San Francisco, Hayward, Oakland, Oakley and elsewhere.

Later...

"It's easier to go to a Burger King than it is to get a decent piece of fruit in many neighborhoods," said San Francisco Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, who represents Bayview and Portola. "Fresh & Easy can help that."

Ken Hecht, executive director of California Food Policy Advocates, initially said he was pleased to hear that Fresh & Easy is expanding in the Bay Area, because the company repeatedly has said it will locate in neighborhoods underserved by grocery stores. But after reviewing the list of locations, which includes stores in upscale cities like Danville and Walnut Creek, he said the company isn't doing enough.

"This just isn't going to do what needs to be done if low-income people are to avoid obesity - and that's our biggest threat to public health right now," he said.




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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

McCain v. Hillary?

I talked to my 24 year old son yesterday about the results of the Florida primary. He was chagrined that McCain won, feeling that Mitt Romney is by far the better Republican. In any case, here is a little taste of McCain's victory speech in Florida, accompanied Clinton's Florida victory speech. Big day next Tuesday.....




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Calling the shot

I see a quick scan of the headlines related to Tesco this morning reveals several headlines with similar themes.

Tesco hits back at U.S. skeptic


Tesco denies claims of U.S. failure


Tesco decides against releasing sales figures for U.S. business

From Thompson Financial:

One of America's most influential commentators on the grocery market has unveiled a list of criticisms of Fresh & Easy, Tesco's US operation, in his blog, accusing the business of failing to know what its customers want, mismanaging stock, and not living up to its green credentials, the report says.

TK: Jim is a little early in on his rush to judgement with Tesco, but this highly publicized dust up promises more scrutiny of the early momentum for Fresh & Easy in the U.S. In any case, we'll see have to wait until next year for sales figures from Tesco's U.S. stores.

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Piling on

As I read more testimony today from the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the FDA today, statistics could not have been more clearly presented about the dire situation the agency faces. Consider the testimony of Peter Barton Hutt, senior counsel at the Washington, D.C. law firm of Covington & Burling LLP and a lecturer on food and drug law at Harvard Law School where I have taught a course on food and drug law. Hutt said:

In the history of our country, no other Federal regulatory agency has ever faced such an onslaught of new statutory mandates without appropriate funding and personnel to implement them. Instead, the agency is expected to implement all of these new unfunded congressional mandates with resources that, in the corresponding time, represent at best a flat budget. Not surprisingly, many of the new congressional mandates languish for years or cannot be implemented at all.

Later...

The science functions within the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) -- which include dietary supplements and cosmetics -- have been hit especially hard. In the 15 years from 1992 to 2007, CFSAN suffered a reduction in force of 138 people, or 15 percent of its staff. During the same period, Table 1 shows that Congress enacted several important new laws creating major new responsibilities for CFSAN, all of which required substantial scientific expertise for implementation.

The deterioration of the FDA Field Force -- which must daily make scientific evaluations of FDA-regulated products -- has been equally severe. Between 1973 and 2006 there was a 78 percent reduction in food inspections. FDA conducted twice the number of foreign and domestic food establishment inspections in 1973 (34,919) then in did for all FDA-regulated products in 2006 (17,641). The inability of FDA adequately to police the importation of food and drugs into the United States has been well documented by Congress during the past two years
.

Later....

Congress must commit to doubling the current FDA funds, together with a 50 percent increase in authorized personnel, within the next two years. From then on, it is essential that the FDA budget at least keep up with inflation and perhaps even more.

TK: What does it mean for the industry? How will Congress find the funds to invest in FDA? While the industry's position is that food safety is a public good and should be shared by all taxpayers, look for more and more pressure to create a steep registration fee or other type of user fees to boost FDA funding and oversight of food safety.

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Tuesday, January 29, 2008

More on the FDA

More testimony about the FDA today from the GAO before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. From the report by Lisa Shames of GAO:

Changing demographics and consumption patterns underscore the urgency for effective food safety oversight. According to FDA, shifting demographics mean that more of the U.S. population is, and increasingly will be, susceptible to foodborne illnesses. The risk of severe and life-threatening symptoms from infections caused by foodborne pathogens is higher for older adults, young children, pregnant women, and immune compromised individuals. According to FDA, these groups make up about 20 to 25 percent of the U.S. population. In addition, we are increasingly eating foods that are consumed raw or with minimal processing and often associated with foodborne illness. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), leafy greens such as spinach, are the category of produce most likely to be associated with an outbreak, and the average consumer ate 2.4 pounds of fresh spinach in 2005—a 180 percent increase over 1992.

Later, on the FDA's shortcomings.....

Subsequently, FDA’s Science Board, an advisory board to the agency, released a report titled, FDA Science and Mission at Risk. This report, which is the focus of today’s hearing, concluded that FDA is not positioned to meet current or emerging regulatory needs, and stated that FDA does not have the capacity, such as staffing and technology, to ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply. In addition, the report found that FDA’s ability to provide its basic food system inspection, enforcement, and rulemaking functions is severely eroded, as is its ability to respond to outbreaks of foodborne illnesses in a timely manner and to develop and keep pace with the science needed to prevent food safety problems. The report stated that the system cannot be fixed using available resources, and its primary food safety recommendation was that FDA needs additional resources to fulfill its regulatory mandate.

A summary...

FDA’s Food Protection Plan also proposes some positive first steps intended to enhance its oversight of food safety. Specifically, FDA requests authority to order food safety recalls and issue additional preventive controls for high-risk foods, both of which GAO has previously recommended. However, more specific information about its strategies and the resources FDA needs to implement the plan would facilitate congressional oversight. FDA officials acknowledge that implementing the Food Protection Plan will require additional resources. Without a clear description of resources and strategies, it will be difficult for Congress to assess the likelihood of the plan’s success in achieving its intended results.

TK; What seems to be lacking is an Administration plan for more resources for FDA. Here is a comment from the office of Rep. Rosa DeLauro.

“The latest Government Accountability Office report provides yet additional evidence that the Food and Drug Administration is failing its mission to protect the public health.
“Congress alone cannot resolve the myriad problems facing the FDA. Last year, Congress attempted to increase FDA funding significantly, but the proposal was rejected by the Administration. If we are to avoid a repeat of last year’s budget battle, Congress will need the Administration to acknowledge the severity of the problems at FDA and recognize that substantial help is necessary in order to restore consumer confidence in our food and drug safety systems. “Next week the President will release his budget request for the coming year, and it is my hope that the blueprint will include a strong funding proposal for the FDA. “There also needs to be recognition by the Administration that current problems at FDA are very extensive and will require more than just an increase in funding. The existing culture at the FDA that has allowed political and corporate interests to permeate the decision-making process at the expense of irrefutable science is a critical concern that increased funding will not solve. “We need to ensure that the inspectors are not hampered by a lack of resources and outdated technology so that the agency can begin to make up for years of neglect and take the steps necessary toward restoring the FDA to the gold standard for which it was once known. This is not a partisan issue, but one that requires working together across party lines.”


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High time for hass

Avocado movement  Dec. 1 to Jan. 26 - http://sheet.zoho.com


Mexican avocado (S. Texas)  f.o.b. Dec. 1 to Jan. 26 - Size 40s - http://sheet.zoho.com

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Reports of note

Readers may want to check out a couple of reports that have come to my attention. Here is a link to a recently publicized report about mandated marketing programs in California. Author Hoy Carman, writing for the journal California Agriculture, says the reach of mandated programs is expansive:

In 2004, mandated marketing programs covered California commodities ranging from 96.6% of the value of fruit and nut production to 8.3% of nursery and floral production (table 1). As of June 2006, California’s 63 active marketing programs included 11 federal marketing orders, 29 state marketing orders and agreements, 20 commissions, and 3 councils.

TK: From the concluding graph, about trends in mandated programs:

California farmers continue to rely on mandated marketing programs for solutions to their marketing problems and as a competitive tool to improve crop returns through demand expansion programs. Forward-looking producer boards appear to be emphasizing customer satisfaction in designing action programs. New commodity research programs on health and
nutrition are providing information desired by health-conscious consumers, which is also effective for promotion activities. Mandatory food-safety programs for pistachios and almonds offer benefits to both producers and consumers. Finally, the market information program initiated by HAB is an innovative development based on the latest information technology, which is designed to increase marketing efficiency by smoothing the flow of avocados through the distribution network to retail customers. If this program is successful, the model has the potential to be extended to other commodities and countries, with benefits flowing to producers and consumers worldwide.

TK: In another realm, Willard Bishop has recently published a "quick and dirty" analysis of "Fresh & Easy" in the Phoenix market. The report, authored by Jim Hertel, states that 20% of fresh items in a pair of Phoenix stores were out of stock. Demand forecasts have not tracked actual sales in computer ordering of fresh items, the study says.

A summary of the Mintel Group report about organic demand in the U.K. states that "health is the main driver for organic purchase and the Newcastle University study that offers more conclusive proof that organic food is healthier than standard food is likely to provide the biggest boost to the organic food industry for some time." That seems to be an astounding statement, and I wanted to see the Newcastle study in greater detail. One problem; the study has not yet been released. More coverage coming on this in The Packer....

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Welcome aboard

One wonders if the newly minted Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer will greet the Feb. 7-8 meeting of the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. Schafer will have to get up to speed quickly, and farm lobbyists are more than willing to help. Here, American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman gave this greeting to Ed Schafer yesterday:

“As the opportunity arises, we will offer Secretary Schafer insights on the new farm bill from our farmer and rancher members who work on the land to provide food, fiber and fuel for our nation. We look forward to working with him and thank his predecessor, Chuck Conner, for his efforts as acting secretary.”



From the office of Sen. Tom Harkin:

“As a former North Dakota Governor, Ed Schafer has a background leading a state in which agriculture is critical. Agriculture is likewise a vital part of our national economy and thus the leadership of USDA must be forward-looking and energetic. So I congratulate him on his Senate confirmation today and I look forward to working with him in the weeks and months ahead. It is critical that USDA work with Congress to overcome the challenges in completing a new farm bill for the department to implement. Governor Schafer’s leadership can help make this new farm bill a reality."

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Monday, January 28, 2008

Democratic Response


Here is the link to the Democratic response to the State of the Union. From the prepared text of the Democratic response to the State of the Union address delivered by Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, as provided by her office.

In this time, normally reserved for the partisan response, I hope to offer you something more: An American response.

A national call to action on behalf of the struggling families in the heartland and across this great country. A wake-up call to Washington — on behalf of a new American majority — that time is running out on our opportunities to meet our challenges and solve our problems.

Our struggling economy requires urgent and immediate action, and then sustained attention. Families can't pay their bills. They are losing their jobs, and now are threatened with losing their homes.

We heard last week and again tonight that Congress and the president are acting quickly, on a temporary, targeted stimulus package. That is encouraging. But you and I know that a temporary fix is only the first step toward meeting our challenges and solving our problems.

There is a chance Mr. President, in the next 357 days, to get real results, and give the American people renewed optimism that their challenges are the top priority. Working together, working hard, committing to results, we can get the job done.

In fact, over the last year, the Democratic majority in Congress has begun to move us in the right direction — with bipartisan action to strengthen our national security, raise the minimum wage and reduce the costs of college loans.

These are encouraging first steps. But there is still more to be done.


On the war in Iraq.....

We stand ready in the heartland and across this country, to join forces with peace-loving nations across the globe and to fight the war against terrorists, wherever they may strike. But our capable and dedicated soldiers can't solve the political disputes where they are, and can't focus on the real enemies elsewhere.

The new Democratic majority of Congress and the vast majority of Americans are ready — ready to chart a new course. If more Republicans in Congress stand with us this year, we won't have to wait for a new President to restore America's role in the world, and fight a more effective war on terror.

The last five years have cost us dearly — in lives lost; in thousands of wounded warriors whose futures may never be the same; in challenges not met here at home because our resources were committed elsewhere. America's foreign policy has left us with fewer allies and more enemies.

Join us, Mr. President, and working together with Congress to make tough, smart decisions; we will regain our standing in the world and protect our people and our interests.

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President Bush - Read my lips


Not exactly, but President Bush made it clear he would veto any bill with tax increases. From the State of the Union address at the White House Web site:

We have other work to do on taxes. Unless Congress acts, most of the tax relief we've delivered over the past seven years will be taken away. Some in Washington argue that letting tax relief expire is not a tax increase. Try explaining that to 116 million American taxpayers who would see their taxes rise by an average of $1,800. Others have said they would personally be happy to pay higher taxes. I welcome their enthusiasm. I'm pleased to report that the IRS accepts both checks and money orders.

Most Americans think their taxes are high enough. With all the other pressures on their finances, American families should not have to worry about their federal government taking a bigger bite out of their paychecks. There's only one way to eliminate this uncertainty: Make the tax relief permanent. And members of Congress should know: If any bill raises taxes reaches my desk, I will veto it.

Just as we trust Americans with their own money, we need to earn their trust by spending their tax dollars wisely. Next week, I'll send you a budget that terminates or substantially reduces 151 wasteful or bloated programs, totaling more than $18 billion. The budget that I will submit will keep America on track for a surplus in 2012. American families have to balance their budgets; so should their government.

The people's trust in their government is undermined by congressional earmarks -- special interest projects that are often snuck in at the last minute, without discussion or debate. Last year, I asked you to voluntarily cut the number and cost of earmarks in half. I also asked you to stop slipping earmarks into committee reports that never even come to a vote. Unfortunately, neither goal was met. So this time, if you send me an appropriations bill that does not cut the number and cost of earmarks in half, I'll send it back to you with my veto.

And tomorrow, I will issue an executive order that directs federal agencies to ignore any future earmark that is not voted on by Congress. If these items are truly worth funding, Congress should debate them in the open and hold a public vote.


On trade...

On trade, we must trust American workers to compete with anyone in the world and empower them by opening up new markets overseas. Today, our economic growth increasingly depends on our ability to sell American goods and crops and services all over the world. So we're working to break down barriers to trade and investment wherever we can. We're working for a successful Doha Round of trade talks, and we must complete a good agreement this year. At the same time, we're pursuing opportunities to open up new markets by passing free trade agreements.

I thank the Congress for approving a good agreement with Peru. And now I ask you to approve agreements with Colombia and Panama and South Korea. Many products from these nations now enter America duty-free, yet many of our products face steep tariffs in their markets. These agreements will level the playing field. They will give us better access to nearly 100 million customers. They will support good jobs for the finest workers in the world: those whose products say "Made in the USA."


On entitlements and immigration...

There are two other pressing challenges that I've raised repeatedly before this body, and that this body has failed to address: entitlement spending and immigration. Every member in this chamber knows that spending on entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid is growing faster than we can afford. We all know the painful choices ahead if America stays on this path: massive tax increases, sudden and drastic cuts in benefits, or crippling deficits. I've laid out proposals to reform these programs. Now I ask members of Congress to offer your proposals and come up with a bipartisan solution to save these vital programs for our children and our grandchildren.

The other pressing challenge is immigration. America needs to secure our borders -- and with your help, my administration is taking steps to do so. We're increasing worksite enforcement, deploying fences and advanced technologies to stop illegal crossings. We've effectively ended the policy of "catch and release" at the border, and by the end of this year, we will have doubled the number of border patrol agents. Yet we also need to acknowledge that we will never fully secure our border until we create a lawful way for foreign workers to come here and support our economy. This will take pressure off the border and allow law enforcement to concentrate on those who mean us harm. We must also find a sensible and humane way to deal with people here illegally. Illegal immigration is complicated, but it can be resolved. And it must be resolved in a way that upholds both our laws and our highest ideals.



On foreign policy...
We are engaged in the defining ideological struggle of the 21st century. The terrorists oppose every principle of humanity and decency that we hold dear. Yet in this war on terror, there is one thing we and our enemies agree on: In the long run, men and women who are free to determine their own destinies will reject terror and refuse to live in tyranny. And that is why the terrorists are fighting to deny this choice to the people in Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Palestinian Territories. And that is why, for the security of America and the peace of the world, we are spreading the hope of freedom.

In conclusion...

By trusting the people, our Founders wagered that a great and noble nation could be built on the liberty that resides in the hearts of all men and women. By trusting the people, succeeding generations transformed our fragile young democracy into the most powerful nation on Earth and a beacon of hope for millions. And so long as we continue to trust the people, our nation will prosper, our liberty will be secure, and the state of our Union will remain strong.



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Party time - Super Sunday

Retail produce ads in Olathe, KS, reflect the Super Bowl party theme this week. Hamburgers, chicken, pizza and pop are featured on the front pages of food section ads, accompanied by produce items such as broccoli, cauliflower and Chilean green seedless grapes. The inside pages of food section ads featured vegetable trays, avocados and pineapples, to name a few.

Here is a quick report on what his headlining local produce section ads:
Jan. 30 - Feb. 5


HyVee
Chilean green seedless grapes: $1.48/lb
Hass avocados: 3 for $4
Mangoes: 88 cents/lb

Dillons
Large ripe hass avocados: 4 for $5
Red or green seedless grapes: $2.49/lb

Hen House

Broccoli crowns - $1.18/lb
Cauliflower $1.18/each
Blueberries: 2 4.4 ounce packages for $4
Idaho premium russets: 2 lbs for $1
Large hass avocados: 2 for $3

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Schafer action today

It appears the Senate is poised to confirm Ed Schafer by consent agreement this afternoon, from a report from the office of Sen. Tom Harkin.

Here is the Wikipedia reference page on Schafer, with some recent history:

Schafer has also served as an advisor and sometimes spokesperson for the North Dakota chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a nationwide limited-government/pro-growth organization.

On October 31, 2007 Schafer was nominated by President Bush to be the next Secretary of Agriculture[1]. His hearing was originally scheduled for January 30, 2008, but was moved to January 24 on the request on North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad so that Schafer could attend the State of the Union address as a cabinet member[2]. The hearing was held on January 24; it was friendly[3], with Senators asking Gov. Schafer questions on various topics such as US beef exports to Japan and South Korea, the Department of Agriculture's ability to deliver on programs passed by Congress, policy on sugar, and cotton prices[4].

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The dark side of the street

"The Center for American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to promoting a strong, just and free America that ensures opportunity for all. "

Well, that's what the email said, but President Bush doesn't get any love from this "nonpartisan" institute. They are not the "glass is half full" kind of people when it comes to the current Administration. Here is how they describe "A look at the Biggest Winners and Biggest Losers Under the Bush Administration":


TK: I'm sure that's not how President Bush would like to characterize the "winners" under his Administration. Here is what has gone wrong under Bush, according to Center for American Progress:

As President Bush’s days of power draw to a close, one thing is clear: We’ve got a lot more problems now than we did seven years ago. Here are 99 of them, everything from less money to more war and a planet in crisis. It’s not a comprehensive list.


TK: The extremely long email does have 99 problems, so I won't list them all. But here are a couple:

Problem: Freezing Families
In 2008, the average U.S. household will have to spend $986 to heat their homes in winter, up 11 percent from the year before. Millions of the elderly and poor rely on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to heat their homes, yet in 2007, President Bush asked Congress to slash funding for LIHEAP by $379 million. [ Associated Press ]

Problem: Starvation
According to the USDA, the number of hungry families in the United States rose 26 percent between 2001 and 2006. Worse, the number of families with the least access to enough food rose 32 percent. That’s 1.3 million American families, not including the homeless. [ USDA ]

Problem: Killing Us with Carbon Emissions

After President Bush pledged a cap on carbon emissions in 2000, President Cheney filled the White House Committee on Environmental Quality with industry representatives. Following their appointment, the group released a report saying “the current state of scientific knowledge about causes of and solutions to global warming is inconclusive” and no caps were needed. [ Rolling Stone ]

Problem: Killing the Polar Bears
In January of 2008, the Bush administration missed a deadline requiring a final decision on whether to give polar bears—often the poster children of global warming—federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Geological Survey’s September report, meanwhile, found that melting Arctic sea ice could wipe out polar bears in Alaska and kill off two-thirds of the species’ global population. [ ABC ]

TK: Bush has had a rocky run, admittedly, but can a "nonpartisan institute" lay the blame on him for the fact that "Afghan women still live in fear" and his role in "killing the polar bears"? I'd hate to see what a "partisan" group would say.

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Food stamps plus stimulus?

The White House is warning Senate Democrats to avoid loading the stimulus package with what they define as 'pork." For one, Sen. Tom Harkin has advocated a defined food stamp benefit in the stimulus package. Not so fast, says the WH. From The Financial Times:

Hank Paulson, the US Treasury secretary, warned yesterday that adding direct spending measures to the $150bn economic stimulus package agreed last week would be "a slippery slope" that could derail the deal, urging the Senate to approve it quickly.

His comments highlight Bush administration concerns that signs of dissatisfaction from top Senate Democrats with elements of the deal - reached between the White House and House of Representatives - could at least delay the package.

"Once you start considering additions - the food stamps, unemployment insurance and so on - it's a slippery slope and there's a real danger that we're going to [get bogged] down and screech to a stop," Mr Paulson told CNN.


TK: As tempting as it is to load up targeted benefits in this stimulus package, it makes sense to keep it simple and give consumers maximum flexibility.

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Weekend flurry

The Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group has been active in the last couple of days, even as I have been lallygagging through the weekend. Be sure to join the group this week if you haven't done it yet. Here are just a couple of posts that you will find interesting from the group in the past couple of days:

Calif. farmers want to sell water - Big Apple
From AP:

"It's been a good decade since there's been this much interest in buying and selling water on the open market," said Jack King of the California Farm Bureau Federation. "We're prepared to see significant fallowing in several key parts of the state."As for what this will mean for the cost of food at the supermarket, it's still too premature to say where prices will settle, but I can say that virtually every agricultural district in the Sacramento Valley is thinking about selling their water this year," said Laura King Moon, assistant general manager of the State Water Contractors Association, which represents 29 water agencies.


Food Flex - Luis From Luis:
Safeway's online interactive tool allows loyalty card holders to keep track nutrition info of past past purchases and to generate constrained shopping lists. Wonder how this stacks vs simplified food nutrition labels. Don't know but prefer the "simplex method".

http://shop.safeway.com/nutrition/Tutorial.html



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Saturday, January 26, 2008

Johnny the bagger

A message for the day....

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Friday, January 25, 2008

National Retail Report - Jan. 25

Here is the summary from the USDA's National Retail Report from Jan. 25

Advertised Prices for Fruits & Vegetables at Major Retail Supermarket Outlets 01/19 to 01/31

Fruit Ads Rebound
Ads continued to feature a variety of themes this week. There were some lingering ads promoting healthful eating. Breakfast food items such as cereals, oatmeal, milk, and blueberries were featured heavily across the nation. The number of football and “big game” ads increased and focused mainly on snack food items. By far, though, most retailers were featuring meat items as their main attractions. There were an abundance of 10 for $10 ads nationwide as well. Produce ad activity increased roughly 6 percent this week and can be attributed to a 15 percent increase in activity on fruit ads. The top 5 featured items this week were all imported fruit items and included: peaches, blueberries, nectarines, grapes, and mangoes. Blueberries were also often featured in package sizes larger than the 4.4 oz package reported here. Vegetable activity, however, declined about 5 percent. Other features in the produce and seasonal areas were quite varied. Citrus was still being featured quite often throughout the country. The most prevalent citrus ads were for bagged navel oranges, bagged grapefruit, Cara Cara oranges, tangerines, and tangelos. There were also a few ads noted for Meyer lemons. Kiwi ads, both conventional and organic, were noted more often than usual. Cut flowers and small potted flowers such as tulips and daffodils were noted
occasionally.


Fruits as Percentage of Total Fruit Ads - January 25, 2008
Grapefruit, red 4%
Limes 1%
Honeydew 2%
Lemons 0%
Apples, red delicious 4%
Watermelon, mini 1%
Strawberries 4%
Plums 4%
Pineapple 5%
Peaches 12%
Pears, Bartlett 0%
Oranges, navel 5%
Mangoes 8%
Nectarines, yellow flesh 10%
Watermelon, seedless 0%
Cherries 5%
Clementines 1%
Grapes, green/red 10%
Cantaloupe 4%
Avocadoes, hass 4%
Bananas 2%
Bananas, organic 2%
Blueberries 11%

Spanish Clementines  - NY and Philly Jan. 25 Size 18s FOB - http://sheet.zoho.com


Vegetables as Percentage of Total Vegetable Ads January 25, 2008
Tomatoes 4%
Tomatoes, grape 6%
Asparagus 3%
Tomatoes, grape organic 1%
Tomatoes, organic 0%
Tomatoes on the vine 2%
Squash, zucchini 1%
Sweet Potatoes 2%
Potatoes, russet 9%
Peppers, bell red 10%
Peppers, bell green 3%
Onions, sweet 10%
Mushrooms, white 6%
Onions, yellow 6%
Corn 2%
Celery 3%
Cucumbers 3%
Lettuce, iceberg 3%
Lettuce, romaine 2%
Carrots, baby organic 5%
Broccoli 5%
Broccoli, organic 1%
Cabbage 6%
Carrots, baby 8%
Beans, round green 1%


Mexican avocados through S. Texas Size 40S  Jan. 25 - http://sheet.zoho.com

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Scenes from an Iraq market

These pictures are passed along by a friend in the Army, a reminder that commerce and agriculture in Iraq are reemerging, despite the challenges.

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King George and Mexican trucks

There is a lot of discontent in some quarters about the Cross Border Truck Safety Inspection Program. Though Congress appeared to end funding for the program in an omnibus budget bill, the Administration said the legislative language wasn't clear and has not cut off funding for the program. It seems Mexican trucking interests are feeling pretty good about the pilot program, according to a Jan. 22 USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report.
From the USDA translation of a Mexican press account:

Mexican transportation companies have taken advantage of the pilot stage of the Cross Border Truck Safety Inspection Program. According to the Mexican Ministry of transportation, 83 companies have signed up for the Program, out of which 72 have been inspected and approved, and 13 are already operating in the United States with 58 trucks. Meanwhile, 22 U.S. trucking companies have registered, seven have been inspected and approved, and five are operating in Mexico with 45 units. Almost 2,000 “crossings” have been registered during the four month period since the pilot program started. Authorities will meet next September to evaluate the one year test program and determine whether the program will be cancelled or continued. The GOM is optimistic on continuing the program.

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Is it good to be Burger King?

Tom Philpott gives us this post today at Gristmill, a blog that describes itself as "leafy green commentary." Philpott covered the speech of Eric Schlosser - author of Fast Food Nation - at Eco-Farm, the annual conference held by the Ecological Farming Association of California. Philpott writes:

Organized by the heroic Coalition of Immokolee Workers, tomato pickers had managed to cajole major tomato buyers Taco Bell and McDonald's to agree to pay an extra penny a pound for tomatoes -- enough to double the wages of workers.

But Burger King has refused to go along with the hike, a move that threatened to scotch the deal. By holding back on that penny per pound, Schlosser reports, Burger King saves itself $250,000 per year -- a rounding error compared to annual profits, and a fraction on a fast-food CEO's annual pay.

Schlosser himself recently brought that story to broad public attention with an op-ed in The New York Times. And while he didn't mention it in his speech, it was almost surely his high-profile expose that inspired Bernie Sanders, Ted Kennedy, and other senators to get involved, pressuring Burger King to relent. Schlosser predicted that to get the senators off its back, Burger King would likely soon pay the extra penny.

TK: Should Burger King pay the extra penny a pound for tomatoes? Here is a link to an interesting Web site that discusses the history and effectiveness of boycotts. From the site, about the history of boycotts:

The word "boycott" is of much more recent origin than the act of boycotting. Many British absentee landowners in late 19th century Ireland took advantage of famine conditions in Ireland to evict tenants from their property and to lower wages for field work. One of the worst offenders was Captain Charles Boycott (1832-1897), estate manager of the Irish lands of the British Third Earl of Erne. In 1880, Boycott evicted undesirable tenants from the Earl's estates and paid laborers only half the day wage for field work. An American journalist in Ireland and an Irish priest came up with a fitting word to describe the Irish Land League's tactic of encouraging the peasantry to stop working and producing for oppressive landlords, coining the term "boycotting." Irish peasants "boycotted" the estates of absentee Earl of Erne, forcing Charles Boycott to harvest the crops. The boycott was extended further: no merchant would service the Boycott family, and their servants disappeared. This collective social and economic ostracism forced Boycott to stop his abusive tactics.

The example of the Irish Land League and the rise of organized labor in the United States encouraged the use of boycotts as never before. Hitherto the most famous "boycott" in the U.S., before the word was invented, was in 1765, to protest the Stamp Act. As a result, Parliament repealed the act.


TK: What makes a boycott effective? From the Web site:

Most boycotts deliver less than they set out to achieve, though, and as a mechanism for change they have a very spotted record. Financially, boycotts have had negligible impact on their targets, according to a 1997 study published in the Journal of Business Research. Some of the least successful boycotts, now all but abandoned in the United States, have been consumer protests against price increases. Other ill-fated boycotts have been directed at only one link in a complex chain of factors, making the object of the boycott seem unclear or unrealistic. Still others never appeal to widely held values in order to attract mass support.


TK: I think any organized boycott of Burger King over this tomato wage issue would be ill-fated, in part because it precisely is directed at one link in a complex chain of factors. I believe most of the public would like Congress to deal with the working conditions of immigrant farm workers by enforcing our immigration and employment laws, not by this patchwork effort that is driven by one interest group.

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Thursday, January 24, 2008

Curse you, light brown apple moth


In a battle of invasive pests versus eradication efforts, the pest sometimes wins with an assist from the public. That's the sobering report from California, where some communities have stopped aerial spraying of the light brown apple moth because of citizen complaints. Here are some headlines:

Moth spraying suspended

Albany stands up to spray, tree removal


Hundreds of health complaints followed apple moth spraying



The USDA has recognized the gravity of the situation. From the USDA comes this press release:

CONNER ANNOUNCES NEARLY $75 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH ERADICATION

From the USDA story:

The light brown apple moth was first confirmed in Alameda County, Calif. on March 22, 2007 and soon after was identified in 11 other counties. Since the initial detection, USDA has been working cooperatively with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to conduct surveillance, trapping and treatment. In August 2007, USDA provided more than $15 million in emergency funding for eradication efforts. This latest funding will be used to continue and expand those activities in 2008.

USDA also will initiate a 50-state national detection survey to verify that light brown apple moth is not present anywhere else in the continental United States. Nursery stock, which is a major pathway for the spread of this pest, will be a target of the survey. Other priority areas for the survey include orchards and urbanized areas with ornamental plantings that are attractive to the light brown apple moth.

The light brown apple moth is native to Australia and also is found in New Zealand, Ireland and the United Kingdom. This pest is of particular concern because it threatens crops as well as plants and trees, such as California's prized cypress and redwoods and many other varieties commonly found in urban and suburban landscaping, public parks and the natural environment.

TK: It is one thing to object to aerial spraying ; what will the public with a bias against big ag do if they are asked to stand aside while state and federal officials uproot their suburban landscaping? California agriculture and industry officials face a massive public relations challenge as eradication efforts will continue in the months and weeks ahead. That battle it is undoubtedly better than the alternative of waving the white flag to the Australian invader.

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What's going on

If any members of the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group want to participate in a trial run on the Google Talk feature (online chat embedded in the blog), shoot me an email and I will invite you. I anticipate this might be a new forum to conduct an interview with a member of The Packer's team and other industry leaders. (I thought one interesting subject out of the gate may be Pamela R of The Packer, as she is taking on media spokesperson duties for sister site Produce Guru). This may take time to figure out.

My email is tkarst@thepacker.com if you want me to send you an invite to check out the Google Talk feature. You do need to have a Google account to participate.

In other news, the nomination hearing of Agriculture Secretary designate Edward Schafer, former governor of North Dakota, was held today by the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Sen. Tom Harkin, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said this in his opening remarks (provided by his office).

“Among your key responsibilities is faithfully carrying out the laws that Congress writes and the President signs. Currently, we face a big challenge in completing a new farm bill for you to implement. The Senate and the House of Representatives have each passed versions of a new farm bill. Both bills have significant improvements and reforms to benefit agriculture, rural communities and our nation as a whole. In our Senate bill we continue and improve a solid farm income protection system, and we make critical new investments to conserve our resources, promote rural energy initiatives, alleviate hunger and malnutrition, and boost the economy and quality of life in rural communities.

“Unfortunately, we do not yet have the support of the President for funding the critical, forward-looking investments crafted by the Agriculture Committees and approved by the House and the Senate. We have a good deal of hard work and negotiation with the White House ahead of us on the new farm bill. Yet I am hopeful that we can approach this challenge reasonably and cooperate to reach agreements. Governor Schafer, we look forward to working with you, and we are counting on your help in working out differences in order to enact a sound new farm for our nation.


TK: Harkin and other senators are sure to test the resolve of Schafer out the gate, as the tension of the Administration's veto threat of the farm bill is balanced by Schafer's natural instincts to be agreeable. Schafer is expected to be confirmed easily. Still, look for Chuck Conner to continue to be the point person and tough talker for the Administration on the farm bill.

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The unstoppable spread of obesity

You most likely have seen the obesity map at some industry event. What the powerpoint presentation shows is the persistent spread of obesity in the U.S. In 1985, the CDC shows eight states were reported to have between 10% and 14% of their population categorized as obese. The balance of the states reported no statistics or showed obesity levels below 10%. By 2006, 20 states showed 25% of their population as obese.




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The taste of heirlooms

Guest blogger Lance Jungmeyer chiming in ...

In its own survey of seed sales and buyer preference, TomatoFest Garden Seeds has developed a top-10 list of heirloom tomatoes.

Here's the list:

1. Paul Robeson (purple/black)
2. Cherokee Purple (purple/black)
3. Brandywine (pink)
4. Amana Orange (orange)
5. Marvel Stripe (red/yellow striped)
6. Julia Child (pink)
7. Black Zebra (green/purple striped)
8. Black Cherry (purple/black)
9. Kellogg's Breakfast (orange)
10. Aussie (red)

Three of the top-10 are from the so-called "black" tomato group. In actuality, according to a news release from TomatoFest Garden Seeds, these tomatoes have their origin in the southern Ukraine.

From the release:

"Black tomatoes cover a range of dark colors, including deep purple, dusky deep brown, smoky mahogany with dark green shoulders, and bluish-brown. The depth of colors seems to be encouraged by a higher acid and mineral content in the soil," said Gary Ibsen, founder of Carmel Tomato Fest and owner of TomatoFest Garden Seeds.

"Black" tomatoes are native to Southern Ukraine during the early 19th century. They originally existed in only a small region of the Crimean Peninsula. Soon they were showing up as new varieties in many shapes and sizes and began to appear throughout the territories of the former Soviet Union. Then they began turning up in the former Yugoslavia, Germany and the United States.

The Paul Robeson "black" heirloom tomato, ranking high on the "Top 10" list, won "Best Tasting Tomato" for several years at the Carmel TomatoFest in California. Its deep, rich colors stand it apart from other traditional tomatoes, boasting a dusky, dark-red skin with dark-green shoulders and red flesh in its center. This beefsteak tomato is filled with luscious, earthy, exotic flavors, and has a good acid-to-sweet balance.

As these unique tomato varieties make it onto restaurant menus, expect more commercial growers to adopt them. Be warned, however, that the yields on heirlooms are notoriously low and if you're looking for a perfect shape with no blemishes, heirlooms are not for you.

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About f/v consumption and weight loss

Here is a powerpoint from CDC that may be useful as a resource for questions about f/v consumption as a weight loss strategy.


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81 days till Vidalia onion harvest but only 8 hours left in Fresh Talk poll

Right now it is a deadlock in the Fresh Talk poll between high fuel prices and the slowing economy as the number one worry for U.S. produce marketers. In a handicap of the final hours of polling, I would have to say the "slowing economy" might win the day. There is more and more coverage about how real the prosperity the U.S. has enjoyed. How much was built on the plastic of credit cards and home equity loans? And what will it mean to the rest of the world as we dig out? Staples like like fresh produce may not be as hurt as LCD TVs, but a measure of the pain may depend on how "soft" the landing is when our economy bottoms out.

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Been there, done that, bought the traceability system

Big props to EProduce software for pouncing on the Produce Traceability Initiative and positioning itself as a solution to what is an important industry priority. I don't know much about the software other than what I read in the press release, but I can say the public relations department is answering the bell. From a news release on Newswire:

eProduce Ahead of the Traceability Initiative's Proposed and Agreed upon GS1 Standardization

NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Deming, NM, United States, 01/24/2008 - eProduce v4.0, developed using ISO, GS1 traceability standards, enables immediate compliance with the fresh produce Traceability Initiative steering committee proposed and agreed upon recommendations in Atlanta, GA January 9, 2008.
The Next Version Software (TNV), announced today its software eProduce v4.0, fresh produce production management and product trace-back software was developed using the GS1 traceability standards, as proposed and agreed upon by the steering committee of the Produce Traceability Initiative meeting held January 9 in Atlanta, Ga.eProduce developed in 2003 in response to meeting the complex compliance requirements of the US Bioterrorism Act 2002, and FDA GAP guidelines, could only be accomplished using the traceability standards developed by the international standards organization GS1, formerly known as EAN International and UCC (Uniform Code Council). eProduce provides a common platform enabling growers, packing facilities, distributors, wholesalers and retailers of fresh produce to perform consumer unit (item), trade unit (carton/bag) and logistic unit (pallet) level tracking using a dynamically generated GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), SGTIN or SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code). eProduce does not use a proprietary numbering system that requires users to use a third party server to store and/or retrieve traceability data.eProduce records grower crop production data, lot number, including maintaining records of pesticides applied, irrigation sources, and harvest records that detail the employees who harvested the fresh produce. Growers and packing facilities of distributors do not need to install any software, all they need is an internet connection to access the trade partner’s eProduce application, providing a common platform for all members within the supply chain, including the consumer. eProduce supports the GS1 traceability standards requirements of recording packaging supplies consumed in the packing process and third party carrier logistics including transportation company data.eProduce users simply create electronic records, instead of manual records of the fresh produce, within the four walls and outside of the four walls, those records are stored in a database for on-demand display, enabling users of eProduce to perform product trace-back within seconds. “Last year we performed a mock re-call for one of our customers using eProduce, literally within minutes we emailed a report on over 1500 pallets of product that were shipped to locations throughout the United States”, stated James Johnson, VP Carzalia Valley Produce, Inc. eProduce is compatible with and receives input from any Code 128 compliant hardware device (reader or scanner) capable of reading RSS barcodes on a PLU or RFID encoding on a trade or logistics unit. Using pre-printed serialized RSS barcodes on the labels of clam shells, cellophane wraps, cartons or flats allow eProduce to collect product information with virtually no impact on the harvest/packing personnel.“Implementing a GS1 traceability standard solution is not only about compliance, but also enhances your ability to manage exposure to risk”, stated Anderson Grogen Sr., CEO Next Version Software at the Summer 2007 NOA Convention held in Fresno, CA. “Your inability to quickly identify a product involved in a recall and with previously little known attorneys waiting to file lawsuits, the fresh produce industry could easily find itself involved in another category wide recall. We need only look at the wrongful implication of green onions by Taco Bell and the millions of dollars lost by the supplier of the green onions in sales, product destroyed and damage done to the growers who supplied green onions to the supplier, to see this is also a “risk management” issue.”The Next Version Software (TNV) established in 1993, possess extensive experience in internet based software application development, data modeling and database administration. TNV has designed, developed and implemented compliance solutions for law enforcement agencies, social service agencies, natural resource development companies and the healthcare industry, utilizing standards developed by ISO organizations.To learn more about eProduce or to schedule a online demonstration please visit our website “eproduce.biz” or call.Next Version Software is committed to providing training, consulting and low cost software solutions to members of the fresh produce industry, desiring to implement a GS1 standardize traceability software solution.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Here is a good benchmark powerpoint presentation on immigration statistics, particularly the spread of the influence of the immigration population to dozens of states.


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That guy

Whatever happened to the nominee for Agriculture Secretary? As Acting Secretary Chuck Conner has been blitzing the country with the Administration message and taking fire from Senate Democrats, Edward Schafer has been laying low, apparently waiting for his nomination hearing in the Senate. He won't have to wait too much longer. From the office of Sen. Tom Harkin:

Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), the Chairman and Ranking Member respectively of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today announced a nomination hearing for former North Dakota Governor Edward Schafer. The hearing will take place on Thursday, January 24th at 3:30 pm in Room 328A of the Russell Senate Office Building.
The Committee will examine the nomination of Governor Schafer to be the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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York

From my observations of him, Tim York has the personality and thoughtfulness to step into any leadership job in the entire supply chain and excel. As it stands, the industry veteran has been tabbed to serve as the chair of the board of advisers to The Center for Produce Safety at UC Davis.

From a press release:

The Center for Produce Safety at UC Davis has named Tim York, president of Salinas-based Markon Cooperative, as chair of the center’s new board of advisors. With 30 industry, academic, and regulatory members named to the advisory board of the Center for Produce Safety, UC Davis is poised to further advance its research and education partnerships on foodborne illnesses such as E. coli.

York brings a strong agricultural and food processing voice to the Center for Produce Safety. “Tim York’s leadership on the advisory board will allow UC Davis, other research centers, the produce industry, and regulatory agencies to work together to establish the critical scientific foundation for ‘best practices’ that provide a safe food supply for the public,” said Devon Zagory, interim executive director of the Center for Produce Safety.

“The Center for Produce Safety is a critical step forward for the produce industry,” York said. “The center’s mission is to provide ready-to-use, science-based solutions that prevent or minimize produce-safety vulnerabilities. I am pleased to have been asked to serve the industry in this capacity.”

Markon Cooperative, Inc., based in Salinas, Calif., is a leader in procuring fresh fruits, vegetables, and juices for food companies throughout North America. Under York’s leadership, Markon has long been a leader in food safety, quality control, and innovation. York formerly served as chair of the national Produce Marketing Association’s board of directors and served on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee.

At the Center for Produce Safety’s first advisory board meeting, Zagory and York worked with board members to establish priorities for the center, such as developing university and produce-industry partnerships, assimilating research data on produce safety, and establishing an ongoing research program.

The Center for Produce Safety (
www.cps.ucdavis.edu) works closely with the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (www.wifss.ucdavis.edu), also based at UC Davis, to address numerous food safety issues, including foodborne illnesses. The center was established in 2007, and will appoint its permanent executive director in February 2008.

TK: What follows is John Chadwell's excellent piece about Tim York in the 2007 Packer 25 leadership profile.

As far as resumes go, Tim York's is on the slim side. After all, he's 51 and has only held down two jobs in 30 years. On the other hand, there is no shortage of people willing to be listed on York's resume as references. It could be said that he isn't one much for jumping from job to job. Another way to look at it is that he is so good at what he does, he has been strongly encouraged to stick around as long as he likes. York was 21 when he went to work as the purchasing director for H. Hall & Co., a Salinas grower-shipper. In 1985, though, he found a home, as it were, at a new company just opening its doors in Salinas, Markon Cooperative Inc. Markon was the first produce purchasing agent for the foodservice industry and is now composed of nine leading independent foodservice distributors in the U.S. and Canada. Collectively, the co-op accounts for $12 billion in annual sales. "I think he has been a key force of Markon's success over the years," said Eric Schwartz, president of Dole Fresh Vegetables, Salinas. "When it comes to business acumen, he is very sharp and forward thinking, which is different for an industry that tends to be very reactive sometimes." There was a time, though, that York had plans other than working in the produce industry. As he left high school, his career path almost took another route. "I wanted to be a school teacher," he said. "My mom was a school teacher, my sister is (one) and now my daughter is a school teacher." He said that when he was growing up, there was one memorable teacher who made a difference in his life. "I think about a teacher I had at San Gabriel High School where I grew up," York said. "His name was Mr. Police. He was my mathematics teacher. He loved math, and his enthusiasm and the way in which he taught it made me love math. I saw the power of what a wonderful influence a good teacher can be." For some reason that he can't recall now, he didn't pursue teaching and found himself in the world of produce. As president of Markon, York has been vocal the last few months as part of a coalition of foodservice and retail buying organizations insisting that the major produce trade associations develop a single set of safety standards for the industry after it was nearly crippled by the devastating E. coli outbreak linked to fresh spinach. "Food safety will continue to be an issue for us in developing better guidelines and implementing them throughout the industry," he said. "We're going to continue to see food safety dominate much of the media around fresh produce." Schwartz said York has been the driving force pushing the retail food safety group to get leafy greens' standards implemented. "He's doing now what a lot of the trade organizations should have been doing from the very beginning," Schwartz said. "He stepped in and led that charge." Bryan Silbermann, president of the Produce Marketing Association, Newark, Del., said York has never been shy about speaking up for something he believes in. "He felt there was a need to get buyers together to discuss how they could address some of these food safety issues and try to do it in a way that didn't have suppliers running off in every direction," he said. "He really believes in industry service, which was made clear by his service on the PMA board. He is very willing to throw his energy into issues." York served for 10 years as a board member for PMA. He served as chairman of its foodservice division, as an executive committee member and in 2002 as chairman of the board. "His willingness to step up, his knowledge of the industry and his proximity to the supply side of the business has caused him to be well regarded," Silbermann said. Two other important issues besides food safety that York said will affect the industry in 2007 are transportation and labor. "Transportation will continue to be a major challenge for us as an industry," he said. "This will include fuel costs and the availability of transportation. AgJobs was recently reintroduced to the new Congress. Hopefully, we'll get good legislation that helps with our needs for labor. I think, though, that labor will continue to be an issue." With consumers continuing to be concerned about food safety, York believes there will be more of a movement toward locally grown produce. "Organic used to mean local, but doesn't necessarily mean that any more," he said. "Local is the new organic and will continue to be so." He said in 2007 consumers will demand a wider selection of products, particularly varieties of citrus. "Clementines a few years ago weren't even on the map. Now you go to any supermarket and you'll find them on the shelves," he said. "With the diverse cultures we have in America, we're seeing demand for more exotic fruits and vegetables. We're seeing a demand for more intense, traditional flavors, whether it's Mexican or Spanish or Moroccan cuisine." -- By John Chadwell
More to the story * Most admired: York said he admires J.T. Snow, former first baseman for the San Francisco Giants, because he was an excellent player who was committed to his craft and did it well. He also gave back to the community. He donated seats for underprivileged youths to come to the ball games. York said Snow used his God-given talents well and understood how privileged he was to be in the position as a professional baseball player.
* Hobbies: York enjoys water skiing, snow skiing and fly fishing. He also likes to run with buddies on weekends. He ran in the San Diego Marathon in 1999 and the Portland Marathon in 2005.
* Lesson learned: Not listening to his gut when it came to hiring some people over the years. He thinks he has very good instincts about people and needs to trust his instincts more.
* Most memorable moment: Going to Israel with his church group in 1996 and walking the road that Jesus traveled carrying the cross.
* Family: York and his wife, Lisa, have been married for 27 years. She is a nurse at a family practice. They have one daughter, Margaux, who is 24 and is engaged to be married in August. Their son, Weston, is 13.

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