The U.S. Department of Agriculture imposed sanctions on All Fresh Distributors LLC in Miami for violating the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. These sanctions include barring the business and the principal operators of the business from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA.

All Fresh failed to pay $339,601 to four sellers for produce that was purchased, received and accepted in interstate and foreign commerce from September 2018 to March 2020. This is in violation of the PACA. All Fresh cannot operate in the produce industry until Nov. 4

Meijer announced Jan. 26, 2023 as the opening day for its first two Meijer Grocery stores.

"By opening Meijer Grocery stores, we're introducing a new way for our customers to shop that provides convenience, value and the great quality our customers have always come to expect from Meijer," said Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes. "Our customers' needs are always evolving, and we're committed to meeting them where they are. That's why we're excited to share this new Meijer experience with the Orion and Macomb Township communities."

Meijer Grocery is a new type of Meijer store focused on

Hapco Farms, a leading broccoli grower-shipper based in Westhampton Beach, NY, has tripled its broccoli acreage on the East Coast this year. 

With new acreage in Florida and North Carolina, Hapco Farms said it is now the largest grower of broccoli on the East Coast.

“Our goal is to grow as close to our customers as we can,” said Eric Scannelli, senior vice president of Hapco Farms. “Moving acreage from Mexico to the United States, specifically the East Coast, allows us to deliver product fresher, faster and cheaper.” 

Since Hapco Farms already had acreage in these areas, expanding growing

We are three weeks from Christmas; which commodities are being naughty and which are being nice?

The strawberry market, which has seen sky-high prices, declined 5 percent for the first time in months. Strawberry markets typically peak during the early weeks of December and descend steadily as California winds down and Mexico and Florida pick up production. This year has seen abnormally high prices for an extended period due to an early end to the summer season.

“When a commodity reaches extremely high price points during a transition, prices tend to fall rapidly as the next crop begins to

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is working to provide healthy meals for kids and their families.  Recently Village Farms Fresh has become part of this effort through a team volunteer endeavor in conjunction with its Mercy Kitchen location, which provides meals to a variety of children’s after school programs in the greater Orlando, FL, area.

A team from the Lake Mary corporate office comprising employees from the Village Farms and Village Farms Fresh divisions spent a morning assembling nutritious meals for children at the Second Harvest Food Bank’s Mercy Kitchen location. In

The International Fresh Produce Association provided a map of its efforts to advocate for improved efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and collaboration at the FDA. The update comes before the Reagan-Udall Foundation is expected to issue a report commissioned by the FDA to provide holistic recommendations to strengthen the foods program. 

“The produce industry needs a strong FDA that provides strong, effective leadership for food,” said Jennifer McEntire, IFPA’s chief food-safety and regulatory officer. “For too long, food programs have been given a backseat to the FDA’s drug and medical