In the doldrums of winter, produce departments can be a bright spot of colorful entries in the Idaho Potato Lovers Display Contest, sponsored each February-March by the Idaho Potato Commission.

The imaginative floor displays are the end result of a planning process that begins with retail category managers, who work to ensure their stores participate and reap the full benefits of the promotion. IPC’s Category Manager Match Program acknowledges the important role these managers play in pulling it all together: When a store is a 1st through 5th place winner, the category manager also receives the

Sprouts Farmers Market Chief Merchandising Officer Scott Neal succinctly defines the role of his team as creating the connections between the chain’s products and its customers. 

“We are an attribute driven retailer and we need to curate the selections and create the assortment that speaks to our customers,” he said.

His team of category managers are focused on innovative products and new varieties to delight the Sprouts customer, who over-indexes on looking for what’s new. In fact, every Sprouts store has an innovation destination, Forager Finds, prominently placed near the front of the store

Total Experience Produce, which specializes in pineapples and other tropical fruits from Mexico, is entering the new year with a new packing facility that will allow it to dramatically increase pineapple production. It also has plans to add other tropical items to its lineup.

Total Experience’s roots lie within the Origen group, which brings together more than 15 years of agricultural expertise through companies such as Piñas y Limones del Golfo, Piñas del Pacífico and Viva Papaya. These operations span Mexico’s most strategic growing regions, from the Pacific coast in Colima to the fertile

Nearly 140 winners enjoyed $150,000-plus in cash and prizes courtesy of the 34th annual Idaho Potato Lovers Display Contest, including a Victrola jukebox package sweepstakes giveaway in each of the three Idaho Potato Commission regions.

Retail produce managers continued to jump on the Idaho potato bandwagon with a 22 percent boost in entries for the 2025 display competition. IPC awarded 1st through 5th place prizes in three store size categories, plus 103 honorable mentions and six grand prize sweepstakes packages to produce managers and their category managers. The sweepstakes winners are

Sprouts Farmers Market is on a stated mission to help its customers “live and eat better,” so it’s no surprise that its charitable arm is also centered around improving the health of the communities in which Sprouts operates. 

In fact, the very name — Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation — articulates its focus. “Being involved in the community is important to our team members, and we formed the Foundation to be able to do this at a larger scale,” said Lyndsey Waugh, founding executive director of the Foundation. “Our focus on advancing nutrition education, nutrition access, health and

Sprouts has built its business around a clear purpose: helping people live and eat better. That same purpose shapes how the retailer approaches sustainability — not as a separate initiative, but as an integral part of how the company operates, grows, and serves its communities.

Justin Kacer, sustainability manager at Sprouts, said the company’s approach is grounded in pragmatism, transparency, and collaboration across the value chain.

“We think about sustainability as part of everyday business decisions,” Kacer said. “It’s about supporting responsible sourcing, reducing waste and emissions, and