Western Growers and S2G Ventures are accepting applications for the 2023 AgSharks Competition, a unique event where startup companies pitch their innovations in front of a live audience of the world’s largest specialty crop producers to win a $250,000 minimum investment. Impact-driven entrepreneurs and startups developing technologies that promote a more healthy and sustainable food and agriculture system can apply for the AgSharks Competition by clicking here: https://2023agsharks.splashthat.com. Applications close on July 28, at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific).

“As our partnership with S2G Ventures to

The online grocery market finished May with $6.9 billion in total sales, down 3.4 percent compared to last year’s $7.2 billion, according to the latest monthly Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey. The dip in overall sales was driven by a combination of fewer households buying groceries online during the month than last year and a decline in the average number of orders placed by active shoppers.

Results were mixed across the three receiving segments: Pickup recorded the only year-over-year growth and captured its largest share of sales to date, climbing 9.1 percent and

When two crop areas meet in a timely manner, it’s an opportunity for some aggressive promotions. Well, that opportune time could take shape with the cherry crop this year.

It appears that the California cherry volume will last longer and the Washington crop may start earlier. With both produce regions interconnecting, there will be plenty of cherries to move. This will be a very favorable time to get in some great cherry ads to draw shoppers to your produce department.

Currently, the cherry demand is moderate with a steady market out of California's San Joaquin Valley. There is a good

IFCO, a leading supplier of reusable packaging containers, is on a self-proclaimed mission to make the fresh grocery supply chain sustainable.

Toward that goal, the company recently held a webinar, which can be viewed on its website, exploring the role technology and data play in sustainability. Titled “Discovering Digital and Sustainable Fresh Food Supply Chains,” the webinar featured three experts discovering the topic.

Veaceslav Driglov, chief digital officer for IFCO, explained why the container organization is so intent on using data to help solve sustainability issues.  He argued that

When strolling the aisles of your local grocery store, you most likely can’t go more than a few feet without seeing packaging or signage boasting products being plant-based. Whether it’s beverages, snacks, even beauty products, the buzzword is (and has been) everywhere. We’re seeing this shift toward everything being plant-based continue to dominate the shelves and it brings up a larger question: in this plant-based evolution, what are the original plants? Fruits and vegetables.

As a produce marketer, I spend my days keeping up with the latest trends not only by browsing store shelves, but

Recovering from pandemic pressures, businesses are now faced with inflationary concerns, economic uncertainty and a skittish public. How should produce companies respond?

The Produce News asked a group of veteran ag marketing experts. This year’s participants included Mary Heslep, senior vice president of Ten Acre Marketing; Steven Muro, president of Fusion; Melinda Goodman, president of Full Tilt Marketing; Cindy Jewell of Jewell Marketing; Tristan Simpson, CEO of tristan michele marketing; as well as a trio from GoldenSun Insights, Co-Owners Randy Riley and Jason Fuller and Vice President