Spanish website launched at www.harrismoran.com

Harris Moran is pleased to announce the activation of a Spanish website for our customers in Mexico.

Just go to www.harrismoran.com/mexico.

“The Spanish website is the next evolution in our service to Mexico,” said Dan Stephens, communications manager for Harris Moran. “An increasing number of customers use the internet. And a separate website showcasing our Mexico products in Spanish makes it more convenient and informative.”

Launched days ago, the Spanish website offers easy navigation through a user-friendly menu where you can examine our prominent line of vegetable varieties, look at a schedule of upcoming events, or email a salesman from Semillas Harris Moran Mexicana our newest subsidiary, based in Mexicali.

Ignacio Reyna, general manager of SHMM, said the new website takes Harris Moran products into customers’ homes and offices. “Now our customers can see our people and our products with the click of a mouse.”

Questions or comments about the Mexican website can be emailed to HMMexico@harrismoran.com.

Another Spanish website is under construction at Harris Moran, this one for customers in Central and South America. It should be unveiled in a few months.

Harris Moran Seed Company is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. The Modesto, CA-based company is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a French cooperative owned, run, and operated by French farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.

October 5, 2004

Maurice H. Smith named COO of Harris Moran

Harris Moran is pleased to announce the addition of Maurice H. Smith as chief operating officer.

Smith, currently general manager of Nickerson-Zwaan Group in the Netherlands, will take over COO responsibilities from current President and COO Bruno Carette. Carette will remain president of Harris Moran.

A 30-year veteran of the seed/food business, Smith has been with Nickerson-Zwaan Group for the past four years. Nickerson-Zwaan and Harris Moran are sister companies, both owned by Groupe Limagrain, a French agriculture cooperative and a worldwide leader in seed.

Prior to joining Groupe Limagrain, Smith held several high-level executive positions throughout Europe with Petoseed and then with Seminis. His experience spans the seed spectrum, from production, marketing and sales, to research. He is a British citizen and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Botany from Liverpool University, UK.

He assumes his new functions at Harris Moran starting Nov. 1 

Harris Moran Seed Company is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a French cooperative owned, run, and operated by French farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.

June 21, 2004

Fresh-market, large seed customer rep in Idaho

To better serve our customers, Harris Moran has created a fresh-market, large seed customer service position in our Nampa, Idaho office.

Starting July 1, corn and bean customers can contact Michael Youngblood at 866-733-3706 or 866-SEEDS-06 regarding their orders, and receive personal attention from somebody on site.

“For the first time, we have placed a fresh-market, large seed customer service rep in our Northwest office,” said Sherry Horton, Harris Moran’s customer service manager, adding that small seed orders will be handled by Modesto customer service.

"Having large seed customer service based where the activity takes place will provide customers a more direct link to the information they need regarding product supply and order status.”

Youngblood has spent the last five years in customer service. He also has a strong history in inventory, production scheduling and shipping.

Andrea Maritt, inventory manager at Harris Moran’s Nampa facility, said, "Michael's experience in the many different facets of fulfilling customer orders provides an excellent background to meet the complex needs of our customers."

Youngblood joins a Harris Moran customer service team dedicated to helping customers with professionalism, promptness, and politeness.

Harris Moran is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a cooperative owned, run, and operated by farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.

May 28, 2004

John Molyet joins Harris Moran sales team

Harris Moran, part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world, is pleased to announce the addition of John Molyet to its North American sales team.

Molyet, who grew up on an Ohio farm and has a deep knowledge of vegetable production both fresh and processing, will sell Harris Moran seed in the Upper Midwest, the Northeast, and eastern Canada.

Dan Bailey, Eastern Regional Sales Manager, said Molyet's lifelong background in agriculture will serve him well in his new position.

"He's had experience in evaluating new varieties and introducing them to growers. So his main focus will be to help our dealers evaluate and introduce new varieties for fresh market growers within this market."

Molyet comes to Harris Moran from Hirzel Canning Company where he was an agriculture manager, overseeing 30 processing tomato growers.

He has a degree in crop production from The Ohio State University. He will be based in Ohio.

Harris Moran is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a cooperative owned, run, and operated by farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.

March 22, 2004

New office building caps Davis expansion: flagship research station gets makeover

Harris Moran recently unveiled a new office building at its flagship research station in Davis, California, culminating a three-year makeover of the 120-acre site and ushering in a new generation of innovation.

The 8000 square-foot structure is home to 36 employees including: breeders, lab scientists, lab
assistants, and production people for stock seed and foundation seed.

President and COO Bruno Carette said the new building symbolizes Harris Moran's success and
commitment to innovation and growth.

"Staffed with the talent we have here, the new and upgraded facilities will serve as a springboard
for our continued research efforts. Innovation will emerge daily within these walls and upon
these grounds, resulting in better varieties for our customers."

The new building's design - reminiscent of a country schoolhouse and complete with a rooster
weather vane - respects the surrounding oak-studded property and remains true to the land's historical heritage.

The office building was the finishing touch of a continuing facelift for the Davis facility. Last
Dec. 1, employees moved into four new breeder greenhouses, each 2,520 square feet, total 10,080 square feet. Then on March 1, workers moved into an 8000 square foot support greenhouse, also known as a pathology-cell biology greenhouse. Additionally, a 2000 square foot headhouse has been added. And more than half of the laboratories have been remodeled.

Harris Moran's Davis station is a stone's throw from the University of California, Davis, one of
the premiere agricultural schools in the country.

Harris Moran is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a cooperative owned, run, and operated by farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.

Whoa! Harris Moran tomato debuts in Texas rodeo

February 14, 2004
San Antonio Business Journal

Amelia, a new tomato hybrid, will make an exclusive and short-term appearance at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.

The "buxom" hybrid is the result of two years of work. It is naturally resistant to the Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV), and will yield three-and-a-half inch fruit.

"Amelia produces some of the largest fruit we've ever seen," says Dr. Jerry Parsons, professor and horticulture specialist with the Texas Cooperative Extension in San Antonio, who monitored the two year trials. "She's TSWV resistant, and is really sweet -- perfect for the home garden."

Because the tomato is too large for commercial production, Amelia will be deal for most home gardeners in Texas, Parsons says.

Plants will be on sale, weekends only, at the Master Gardener's Trail Pavilion -- starting Feb. 13 and running through the last day of the Rodeo, Feb. 22.

Harris Moran is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a cooperative owned, run, and operated by farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.

Harris Moran’s new Solar Fire tomato can take the heat

Bradenton, Florida
January 20, 2004

Growing tomatoes in Florida's hot, humid climate isn't always easy. Too hot and the fruit won't set. Too much rainfall and the fruit cracks, or the plants develop diseases and lose their leaves.

These problems have been largely solved with the introduction of Solar Fire, a heat-tolerant variety developed by researchers at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

"Solar Fire is our best bet yet for a tomato that can set fruit at warm temperatures," said Jay Scott, a professor of horticultural sciences at UF's Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Bradenton. "Most tomatoes that can set fruit at higher temperatures have small fruit, but this one is different. And you can plant this variety earlier in the fall growing season than other varieties."

Solar Fire has medium to large-sized fruit, just above 6 ounces, with an attractive red color and gloss. Each vine bears a lot of fruit, so crop yields are good. It is a firm tomato, an important factor when shipping produce, he said.

"It's best when eaten fresh in salads or sandwiches, rather than cooked or canned," Scott said. "I like it on bruschetta with pecans and blue cheese."

Solar Fire is resistant to races 1, 2 and 3 of Fusarium wilt, as well as Verticillium wilt race 1 and gray leafspot. It has moderate resistance to fruit soft rot, a bacterium that attacks damp tomatoes after the fruit has been harvested. "Until now, if you wanted to plant tomatoes in Florida from July through August you've been pretty much out of luck," said Tony DiMare, vice president of DiMare Ruskin Inc., one of the state's largest tomato producers. "There are a few varieties such as Florida 91 that can be planted in early fall, but summer heat has always meant the fruit won't set. We're glad to see the introduction of a new heat-tolerant variety."

Growers are invited to see the new varieties, usually on someone's farm, DiMare said. "A small amount of seed is offered to growers so they can plant single rows of the tomato, called strip trials. If growers like the way the tomato performs, they'll plant a couple of acres to see how the plant fares under commercial production techniques."

Commercial production has become a science, he said, and new varieties come under close scrutiny.

"We check the moisture in the soil and monitor the nutrition we add to the plant," DiMare said. "We analyze the sap from the petiole of one of the tomatoes in the field for nitrogen and potassium levels to see if we need to add fertilizer. When the fruit is ripe, we check density, color, interior color and texture. We also look for flavor - consumers don't want tomatoes that taste like cardboard."

Once the varieties are accepted for further production, they are named - often for the characteristic for which they were bred - such as Solar Fire's tolerance for heat, DiMare said.

Reggie Brown, director of the Florida Tomato Committee, an industry group based in  Orlando, said tomatoes are the most valuable vegetable crop grown in Florida. A winter cash crop in Florida since the 1870s, tomatoes now bring more than $400 million into the state annually.

"We think this tomato will extend the tomato season in Florida, and will prove to be a significant addition to the fresh tomato business in the state," Brown said.

Solar Fire has been licensed for production with Harris-Moran Seed Company in Modesto, Ca. Bruno Libbrecht, a tomato product manager for Harris-Moran, said his firm has fields of Solar Fire under cultivation, and the seed will be available in late May to early June.