Now that the deadline has passed and Fresh Express has become a signatory to the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, the California Department of Food and Agriculture has issued the names of all the signatories:
ASSESSMENTS BEGIN FOR LEAFY GREENS
MARKETING AGREEMENT
Nearly 100 percent of product enrolled
SACRAMENTO, April 2, 2007 — The fiscal year for the new Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement began on April 1. From that date forward, handlers that are signatories to the agreement are being assessed two cents per carton for operation of the agreement, which is being administered by CDFA.
The marketing agreement’s role is to verify and certify that signatories are following industry guidelines for leafy greens production, using a USDA-designed inspection program in use around the country for other commodities, and CDFA inspectors.
A total of 71 handlers have signed-up so far, representing more than 99 percent of the leafy greens produced in California. Those handlers are as follows:
A&A Organic, Aptos
Agro Jal Farms Inc, Santa Maria
Andrew Smith Co., Spreckels
Anthony Costa and Sons, Soledad
Babe Farms Inc., Santa Maria
Baloian Pkg Co. Inc., Fresno
Beachside Produce LLC, Guadalupe
Bengard Ranch Inc., Salinas
Big E Produce, Lompoc
Boggiatto Produce, Salinas
Bonita Packing Company, Santa Maria
Boskovich Farms, Oxnard
C & E Farms, Inc, Salinas
Cal Cel Marketing Inc., Oxnard
Capurro Marketing, Moss Landing
Channel Islands Farm, Inc, Oxnard
Church Bros LLC, Salinas
Circle Produce Co. Inc, Calexico
Classic Salads LLC, Salinas
Crown Packing Co. Inc., Salinas
D’Arrigo Bros of Ca, Salinas
Deardorff Family Farms, Oxnard
Dole Fresh Vegetables, Salinas
Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc-Cal, Salinas
Dynasty Farms Inc., Salinas
Epic Roots, Salinas
Fisher Ranch Corporation, Blythe
Five Crowns Marketing, Brawley
Fresh Express, Salinas
Fresh Kist, Nipomo
Fresh N’ Healthy, Hollister
George Amaral Ranches Inc., Gonzales
Gold Coast Packing Co., Santa Maria
Growers Express LLC, Salinas
Ippolito Intl, Salinas
Kenter Canyon Farms, Sun Valley
Mann Packing Co. Inc., Salinas
Metz Fresh LLC, King City
Mills Family Farms Inc., Salinas
Misionero Vegetables, Salinas
Muranaka Farms, Moorpark
Natural Selection Foods, San Juan Bautista
NewStar Fresh Foods LLC, Salinas
Ocean Mist Farms, Castroville
Pacific International Mktg, Salinas
Pajaro Valley Fresh Fruit and Veg Dist, Watsonville
Peter Rabbit Farms, Coachella
Pismo Oceano Vegetable Exch, Oceano
Premium Valley Produce, Inc, Scottsdale
Purepak Inc., Oxnard
Ratto Bros Inc., Modesto
Ready Pac Produce Inc., Duarte
River Ranch Fresh Food LLC, Salinas
Royal Packing Co., Salinas
Salad Savoy Corp, Salinas
Salyer American Fresh Foods, Salinas
San Miguel Produce, Oxnard
Santa Barbara Farms Packing, Lompoc
Silva Farms, Gonzales
Steinbeck Country Produce, Spreckels
Sun Coast Farms, Santa Maria
Sun Terra Produce Traders Inc, Newport Beach
Sunridge Farms Inc., Salinas
Sunsation Farms Inc., Monterey
Talley Farms Inc., Arroyo Grande
Tanimura & Antle Shipping, Salinas
Taylor Farms, Salinas
The Nunes Co. Inc., Salinas
True Leaf Farms, Salinas
Vessey And Company, Inc, Holtville
Watsonville Produce Inc., Moss Landing
Final details about the inspection and certification program and use of service and certification marks by signatories remain under consideration by the marketing agreement board. The next scheduled board meeting is April 20.
Inspections are scheduled to begin this spring. In the interim, trial inspections of signatories will take place with the expectation that each signatory is compliant with the program’s guidelines for good agricultural practices.
The marketing agreement board is planning district outreach meetings next week for handlers to familiarize them with the program. Details are forthcoming.
It is certainly an impressive list… and that the whole industry could come together in this manner is an impressive accomplishment.
One would like to believe that this symbolizes the start of a new era of comity among competitors, yet I think the motivations were more those ascribed to the founders on the occasion of the American Revolution:
“We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
— Benjamin Franklin
Let us hope that by “hanging together,” our venture may be as successful as that of the good Mr. Franklin.
