Produce Retail
Judging by early returns from on-farm markets, there is a high demand for Jersey Fresh produce this year — lagging foodservice business not withstanding.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is planning another round of contracts for the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, according to an administrator of the program who touted its successes in a PMA Virtual Town Hall.
Bowery Farming has launched crispy leaf lettuce.
Rainier Fruit Co. is on track to earn Bee Better certification for Washington blueberries in July 2020.
The common phrase lately has to be “I’m looking forward to getting back to normal.”
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I sometimes struggle to find some ray of hope, some lesson that we may have overlooked that we might carry with us when it’s all over.
My quarantined focus, like that of so many folks now, is the grocers in my immediate area.
“You’re a produce person? I would buy more fresh produce if I only knew what was in season — you know, what’s really good right now.”
Senior director Chris Cockle said Dinuba, Calif.-based Wonderful Citrus will have an extensive offshore citrus deal this summer that will include mandarins, navel oranges and lemons.
Thanks to year-round availability, tastier varieties and improved growing practices, summer citrus seems to be more popular than ever at neighborhood supermarkets.
The Oppenheimer Group is bringing the Orchard View cherry brand back when the Pacific Northwest season starts in June.
Potatoes USA is seeking nominations for 60 open board member seats for the 2020-24 term.
April prices for food purchased at grocery stores were up 2.7% from March and 4.1% above year-ago levels, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported.
Fruits that can be eaten out of hand continue to reign in the realm of produce snacking, according to the newest FreshFacts on Retail report from the United Fresh Produce Association.
Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers is promoting Piñata and Artisan Organics Lil Snappers apples as summer promotion options.
Are consumers changing their preferences around fresh produce because of COVID-19? And will their new behaviors stick around after the pandemic has subsided?
The COVID-19 crisis has caused consumers to see plastic produce in a new way.
Lakeside Organic Gardens, Watsonville, Calif., has a unique new product, organic fioretto.
The produce business seems to be gradually rebounding in Los Angeles as stores and restaurants start to reopen after more than two months of shutdowns triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite myriad COVID-19 -related challenges, Los Angeles area grocery stores have fared well from a sales perspective since the pandemic broke out.
The produce industry has been working to help feed families during the COVID-19 pandemic in a number of ways.
The Produce Traceability Initiative has added/upgrade four tools for the industry to support traceability implementation.
Working with farmers in Tennessee, Genera is contracting switchgrass and biomass sorghum as inputs to create compostable, sustainable packaging when its manufacturing facility comes online later this year.
The National Pecan Federation has petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish a research and promotion program to expand markets for pecans.
Schnucks Markets Inc., St. Louis, is pledging to buy more than $5 million of local produce and other goods this year.
Hy-Vee, Aldi and Jewel-Osco have recalled private label garden salads supplied by Fresh Express after they were linked to an outbreak of cyclospora, with cases rapidly increasing.
(UPDATED/CORRECTED) Cyclospora infections linked to Fresh Express garden salads continue to rise and now include Walmart private-label bagged salads, including salad served at a North Dakota restaurant.
The National Watermelon Promotion Board is inviting retailers and commissaries to enter its Watermelon Retail Merchandising Contest.
California Giant Berry Farms is starting summer blueberry season with strong volumes in the Pacific Northwest.
The Oppenheimer Group has acquired a 50% share in Agroretail, a Peruvian produce supplier.