Latest News From Kristin Leigh Lore

Farm Journal’s beta Climate-Smart Opportunity Navigator tool seeks to match growers with Climate-Smart Commodities grants tailored to their operation.

A new bill seeks raise the bar for organic standards by upping accountability and establishing a period every five years for reviewing and revising regulations.

The retail giant's partnership aims to provide food waste recycling at its 4,700 stores across the U.S., seeking to divert millions of pounds of food waste from landfills.

The Fresno, Calif.-based stone fruit producer has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, seeking a third-party sale or conversion of existing debt into equity ownership.

Fresh produce purveyors chased big goals at this year’s IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show in Anaheim, Calif., seeking to deliver the freshest products and the most provocative ideas and innovations on the show floor.

While we're in full fall mode, hit up social media for pumpkin-themed inspiration to incorporate eye-catching autumn displays across your produce department.

What artificial intelligence is, what it represents, its opportunities, benefits and potential threats were on the mind of industry leaders spanning the fresh produce supply chain.

From the proliferation of compostable packaging options to a snack-sized supernova, fresh produce purveyors unveiled the most exciting updates and products at the 2023 Global Produce and Floral Show in Anaheim, Calif.

Attendees brought their A-game to the show floor at the IFPA’s 2023 Global Produce & Floral trade show, creating an inspired, and at times raucous, display of products, people and innovations.

The International Fresh Produce Association has kicked off its annual show, bringing together a diverse industry and delivering programming and parties with its signature showmanship and panache.

The fair-trade certifier has increased its Fairtrade Minimum Price across 16 banana-growing countries. These price updates were informed by stakeholder consultation and a cost of production study.

“For us, it was a perfect, unicorn type of an event — you just don't get these kinds of opportunities very often, if ever,” Frutura’s CEO David Krause tells The Packer in a Q&A about what these acquisitions mean.

The Guatemalan fresh produce supply chain is experiencing logistics delays due to protests and road closures, says the Guatemala Produce Trade Association.

Coalition of Immokalee Workers co-founder Lucas Benitez has been selected to receive the Wallenberg Medal, joining past recipients who include the Dalai Lama, John Lewis, Elie Wiesel and Desmond Tutu.

International Fresh Produce Association CEO Cathy Burns and current and incoming board of directors chairs say technology and innovation will be a constant drumbeat throughout the 2023 Global Produce & Floral Show.

United Farm Workers has endorsed Biden, citing his labor rights track record and appointment of Julie Chavez Rodriguez, granddaughter of Cesar Chavez and daughter of UFW's Arturo Rodriguez, as campaign manager.

A preliminary University of Florida report assessing agricultural damages and losses from Hurricane Idalia estimates that 3.3 million acres of ag land were affected, along with a $392 million loss in production value.

A diversified sourcing strategy has helped brokers like Mission Produce sail through a soft Peruvian season for commodities such as avocados, onions and asparagus.

Blue Road Capital is acquiring the greenhouse grower from its venture-capital parent company, Silver Venture, and aims to expand the company through increased vertical integration, innovation and distribution channels.

The Packer met with Frank Yiannas to discuss his recent pivot to the private sector, why fresh produce needs food safety leaders and the opportunities he sees to raise the bar for indoor-grown leafy greens.

The Food Safety Modernization Act’s new traceability final rule, the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement’s leafy greens assessment tool and the “Romaine Test and Learn” study seek to raise the bar and improve food safety.

An International Fresh Produce Association case study reveals how tropical fruit grower Kapi Kapi approaches sustainable banana production and bringing carbon-neutral bananas to market.

After recent tariff lifts on apples, walnuts and almonds, India has slashed tariffs for additional U.S. exports, including include blueberries and cranberries, signaling increased opportunities for American producers.

As the dust settles in recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, a new controlled environment agriculture company from the Netherlands is poised to secure AppHarvest’s 30-acre farm facility in Somerset, Ky.

Colorado's San Luis Valley, a heavy hitter in fresh potato production, is poised for another strong season.

Advocates are urging action to support workers outside who are harvesting, packing and transporting fresh produce through a summer of record-breaking temperatures.

SecondBloom Auctions, a management firm specializing in indoor growing facilities, is auctioning assets from AeroFarms’ vertical farm facility in Newark, N.J., through Sept. 28.

The Packer tours Central Market, in Austin, Texas, in the latest installment of Market Crush, a series featuring retail produce purveyors who are crushing it when it comes to dynamic displays that drive shoppers to buy.

The vertical, controlled environment agriculture greens grower says it’s doubling its retail footprint by expanding to Whole Foods Market and Gelson’s Markets California stores.

Jim Jones has been selected to lead the Human Foods Program, a new initiative within the FDA that will encompass food safety, chemical safety, innovative food products and agtech. The news has received early praise.

While the Golden State is producing almost two-thirds of peaches grown in the U.S., it’s harvest yields have been steadily declining for two decades, according to a USDA report.

The Michigan-based food solutions company is advancing its long-term strategic plan and repositioning its go-to-market strategy in the second half of 2023, encouraged by strong second-quarter earnings.

Growers, researchers, nonprofits and food companies are sparking innovation in fruit and vegetable seed breeding to nourish and inspire communities in the years ahead.

In sustainability marketing, regenerative agriculture is the new darling, and government agencies, food companies, farmers, ranchers and retailers are scrambling to define what it means.

“The reality is we are playing catch-up with a situation that has been worsening for decades exacerbated by drought, disease and even climate change,” farmer, rancher and firefighter Johnnie White testified to Congress.

How the fresh produce industry is embracing the circular economy and reducing waste across the supply chain.

Central Washington-based grower Ostrom Mushroom Farms was fined $74,000 in civil penalties for H-2A violations, and the Department of Labor was able to recover $59,000 in back wages for workers, a news release said.

The Packer and Healthy Family Project have teamed up for The Fresh Factor series to share some of our favorite facts and tips about zucchini and why shoppers should give this produce underdog a moment in the limelight.

John Carkoski shares with The Packer what he’s learned so far leading operations at Revol Greens' newest CEA facility in Temple, Texas, and how the grower is expanding its footprint with its largest farm to date.

Almond crop production has kicked off this August with improved expectations that a heftier almond will offset the lowest almonds-per-acre-yield since 2009, according to a recent USDA report.

If you want to get your hands on the cult-favorite smoky-spice chili grown in Hatch, N.M., don’t wait — the time is now.

The first sighting of the Tau fruit fly in the Western Hemisphere was recently detected near Santa Clarita, Calif., launching a quarantine and multi-agency plan to stop the spread of the invasive species.

What you need to know about the temporary, but heightened requirements to import romaine or salad mixes containing romaine to Canadian markets from Sept. 28 to Dec. 20, 2023.

The mushroom is enjoying some buzz in the cultural zeitgeist, but is it translating to sales in the produce department?

The natural and organic grocer’s impact report is showcasing achievements in reducing carbon footprint, agriculture, responsible sourcing and supporting employees.

As part of shifting its business model, the hydroponic grower is pausing production, closing three of its four container farms across the U.S. and laying off staff.

The indoor grower has secured a financing commitment to support operations at three of its four farms during Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and hopes to maintain operations and employees through transition.

The Kentucky-based greenhouse grower is seeking to reassure stakeholders in a stated response to recent news of creditor and property issues facing several of its farms.

The Packer and Healthy Family Project are sharing our favorite tips to pick and prepare the iconic fruit of summer.

Village Farms is growing over a million pounds of fresh produce a year in the inhospitable Big Bend region of Texas thanks to innovative, greenhouse growing methods and knowledgeable farmers like Abby Lange.