The Foundation for Fresh Produce and the International Fresh Produce Association announced the newest cohort of companies selected to participate in the 2025 Fresh Field Catalyst Accelerator, a flagship program designed to connect promising technology innovators with leaders from the fresh produce and floral industries.

This groundbreaking initiative is presented in partnership with Clemson University, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is part of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s $10 million Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab

Exp. Group supplies a full line of mainstream fresh produce items — such as potatoes, onions, tomatoes, bananas and watermelons — but Anthony Serafino, president of the North Bergen, NJ-based company, said the foundation is an A-to-Z offering of specialties.

“We started our organization on tropicals, and it’s something that is principled in our business,” Serafino said. “When we think of specialties, we think of tropical merchandise.”

Citrus, papayas, mangos and Cavendish bananas are common tropicals in a produce department, but Exp. Group’s roster goes deep in the specialties category. For

At The Retail Conference and Golf Tournament last week, the International Fresh Produce Association announced the 20 recipients of the 2025 Retail Produce Manager Awards, recognizing their outstanding dedication to fresh produce, inventive merchandising, community engagement and exceptional customer service.

These 20 winners proudly represent the produce industry to the consumer and work to increase sales and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables for their banners and their communities. Their recognition would not be possible without the support of Robinson Fresh.

• Christina Hills of

The roller coaster of temperatures, typical of spring, looks likely to continue across the coastal California fields as we move through May. 

As low pressure systems pass mainly to the north, they bring cooler temperatures along with a heavy marine layer and drizzle to the fields. Intermittent high pressure then brings warm temperatures and a shallow marine layer for a short period followed by another round of cooler temperatures, fog and drizzle.

The cooler temperatures will slow growth rates while increasing mold, mildew and disease pressure in these stands.  Some of the mature lettuce and

FirstFruits Farms is celebrating another impactful year of its Take a Bite Out of Hunger program, a core expression of the company's mission to nourish communities and support families in need with fresh apples.

Since 2010, Take a Bite Out of Hunger has worked alongside retail partners to deliver fresh apples to food banks across the United States and Canada. In 2025 alone, the program donated 126,922 pounds of apples, pushing the total past an incredible milestone: 3 million pounds donated since its inception. Each apple donation is a step toward bridging the nutrition gap in our communities

During the 2024-25 college basketball season, Food Lion Feeds teamed up with 51 collegiate basketball programs, including 15 women’s teams, to address food insecurity with its Score to Give More initiative. The effort resulted in more than 1.6 million meals provided to neighbors experiencing hunger.

For every free throw made by players during the regular season and tournaments, Food Lion Feeds helped provide 100 meals (up to 30,000 meals per team). Since the program’s inception in 2019, it has helped provide more than 6.5 million meals to nourish those in need. This innovative program