Exceptional quality, good volume, later start seen for San Joaquin Valley grapes
by Rand Green
Table grape growers in the San Joaquin Valley generally are expecting their earliest varieties to start a week or more later this year than they did last year. Some call it "later than normal"; others say that last year was early and that this year is closer to normal. But with just a few exceptions, most growers who have grapes in early districts do not expect to start harvesting in any significant volume before the Fourth of July.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE: Organic Food Miles: Does Distance Negate Benefit?
by Rand Green
Very few people would argue with the desirability of buying locally grown produce in season. But there are those who object so strongly to transporting any foodstuff beyond a minimum arbitrary distance (most commonly 500 miles), mainly owing to the consumption of fossil fuels in transit, that for the sake of the environment, they urge people to eat nothing -- or next to nothing -- that has not been produced close to home.