02/16/07 Warehouse Fire & New Vending

Fire Destroys Warehouse & New Vending idea. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. A large fruit cold storage warehouse was destroyed by fire on Wednesday morning. The 40,000 sq ft facility in Wapato, Washington began burning around 7am and officials had to close down a portion of Highway 97 due to heavy smoke causing limited visibility. The warehouse was the Yakima Fruit and Cold Storage building which was only about 15 years old and was part of a larger complex of storage and shipping operations. Most of the apples that were stored in the warehouse were destroyed but the company had sold off much of the fruit. Fire departments from 3 towns responded to the blaze. Dole Food Co. Inc. announced they are partnering with national organizations to launch a pilot program introducing innovative vending machines to schools that will offer healthy food choices. The new vending machines will be stocked with salads, fresh fruit and other healthy foods. The program is due to begin in February involving 15 schools throughout the U.S. with the hopes of expanding the program later this year. Dole said all snacks and meals are USDA approved. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.