With summer in full swing, it's prime time for fresh produce to shine. Tops Friendly Markets said it relies on partnerships with local growers to load its produce shelves with the freshest items available throughout the season. The retailer has cultivated partnerships with over 500 locally owned and operated family farms.

The close proximity of these farms to Tops locations allows for fruits and vegetables to go almost directly from farm to table, sometimes as quickly as 12 to 36 hours.

The tight knit relationships that Tops produce managers have created with local growers ensure that the

Due to extremely low estimated tree fruit volumes, weather effects, and difficult market and financial conditions, BC Tree Fruits Cooperative determined it will not be able to effectively operate the business moving forward. On Aug. 6, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada issued a demand for repayment, and in order to downsize or liquidate the cooperative BCTFC filed for creditor protection Aug. 12.

The Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada's demand for repayment and notices under section 244 of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act is in respect of the debt currently due and owing by BC Tree Fruits

Red Tomato, the pioneering force behind Eco Apple and Eco Peach, rebranded its certification program to EcoCertified along with the redesign of EcoCertified fruit totes and pouches. This strategic shift broadens the scope of the certification to include a variety of fruits and value-added agricultural products, providing a more cohesive and impactful brand for consumers and growers alike.

The redesigned packaging is timed for the 2024 apple season and includes paper totes, pouches, poly bags and mastercases. The rebrand will help consumers choose EcoCertified fruit, which means they are

Continental Floral Greens announced a major development in its journey to provide top-quality floral products. The company has officially partnered with and leased the renowned Sun Valley Floral Farms in Willow Creek, CA. It is now managing and cultivating esteemed crops such as "Spirit Series" Ilex, Rosehips, Cotinus, Snowberries, Flowering Cotinus and Snowball Viburnum, in addition to Sun Valley's Butterfly Ranunculus and Iris at its Watsonville, CA, farm.

This strategic partnership enables the continuation of the tradition of excellence established by Lane DeVries in the floral industry

ALDI and Instacart will expand their partnership globally. The partnership includes the rollout of Instacart’s Connected Stores technologies across ALDI stores in the U.S., including In-Store mode and Carrot Tags, as well as Instacart’s fulfillment technology to power e-commerce orders. In addition, ALDI is testing Caper Carts in Austria. Caper Carts are Instacart’s AI-powered smart carts designed to ease the checkout process and personalize the shopping experience for customers.

Instacart’s Connected Stores technologies are a suite of products designed to help grocers like ALDI build a

U.S. Customs & Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility seized 378 pounds of methamphetamine worth an estimated $453,600 hidden in a shipment of fresh tomatillos last week. 

CBP officers working at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility encountered a 35-year-old man driving a commercial tractor-trailer with a shipment manifested for fresh tomatillos, applying for admission into the United States from Mexico. The driver, a valid border crossing card holder, was referred for further examination along with the tractor-trailer and shipment.

In the secondary inspection area, non