Why has aggressive produce merchandising decreased in many produce departments? Are management policies turning to simpler, more conservative selling displays?

I have seen a noticeable decline in enthusiasm and energy within produce sales environments. There has been a passive approach to merchandising lately by simply displaying produce and waiting for customers to make purchases. This method lacks the proactive sales strategies necessary to stimulate growth. It is essential to shift the focus back toward actively generating sales again.

Currently, the industry demonstrates insufficient

MANHEIM, PA – Four Seasons Produce, a wholesaler based in Ephrata, PA, that is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, hosted its fourth annual Fresh Fest Independent Retailer Trade Show & Conference on April 21 at The Junction Center, here. In all, more than 400 attendees gathered in this rural area of the Keystone State to network and promote their items to independent retailers and natural food store leaders.

When planning for the inaugural Fresh Fest in 2023, Four Seasons Vice President and General Manager Jon Steffy said at the time that the main theme was “connection,” and the goal of

This week wasn’t without its own set of challenges. With processors now fully operating in Salinas, the region was immediately met with rain across key Central Coast growing areas including Salinas Valley, Santa Maria and Oxnard. Growers packed ahead of the weather to help cover orders, but wet fields and muddy conditions slowed harvest activity and will likely create lingering quality concerns in the days ahead.

Rain totals were enough to disrupt normal operations, and as fields dry out we expect the usual post-rain issues to surface: elevated dirt, mildew pressure, shorter shelf life, bottom

In February, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by imposing a broad-based import tax on most countries providing products to U.S. customers. The IEEPA decision called for the issuance of refund checks, which led to the opening of a tariff refund portal on the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries website, also known as CAPE, this week.

To receive refunds, businesses have to register for the Customs and Broder Protection electronic payment system. As of mid-April, more than

Rice Fruit Co. announced the groundbreaking of a new controlled atmosphere storage facility at its Gardners location in Adams County, PA. The project is partially funded through a $1.25 million grant awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program.

The RFSI program, supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered in Pennsylvania by the Department of Agriculture, is designed to strengthen food supply chains and support infrastructure investments that benefit producers and rural

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on seven produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without USDA approval.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

• Sun Wing Bellaire Market LLC, operating out of