Articles by Rosemary Parker, The Kalamazoo Gazette

The string of thunderstorms that moved through southern Michigan Monday likely hit the region's tart cherry crop hard, said Mark Longstroth, Michigan State University Extension educator. …

Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) is pleased to announce the new Half-Your-Plate Social Media Marketing toolkit is now available on the PBH website, www.PBHFoundation.org. This useful new toolkit was designed to help members of the fruit and vegetable industry, educators, and public health professionals support the dietary recommendation to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables via social messaging. The toolkit includes sample Facebook posts and tweets for Twitter that can be used in social media outreach efforts. …

Shoppers looking for freshness from North Carolina farms will have plenty of opportunities to sample and buy fresh North Carolina food products at their local Walmart as part of the Got to Be NC Walmart Tour. …

Chiquita Brands International, Inc. today announced the results to date and the amendment of certain terms of its previously announced offer to purchase its 8 7/8% Senior Notes due 2015. The Offer is made pursuant to the terms of an Offer to Purchase dated June 27, 2011. As of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on July 11, 2011, the Company received tenders from holders of $131 million (74 percent) principal amount of the approximately $177 million aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes. …

CPS is pleased to announce produce industry veteran Stephen Patricio, president of Westside Produce, as its next Advisory Board chairman. Patricio plans to focus his tenure on expanding the center's partnerships to include more commodity sectors and across borders. …