Brighter Bites is working with Zespri Kiwifruit as a key produce partner for the upcoming 2022-23 school year.  

Through this partnership, Zespri Kiwifruit will provide product for Brighter Bites’ programming in New York City, Washington, DC, as well as South and Central California, supply kiwi nutrition education, recipes and coupons through the upcoming school season, and support national programming through a monetary donation. In addition, the two organizations will also host a kiwi art challenge for students to participate in for a chance to win prizes.

“Our partnership with Zespri

Summer can be the hungriest time of year for many families with an estimated 22 million children facing summer hunger, according to Feeding America. In response Stop & Shop launched its annual “Local Produce for Locals in Need” program, an initiative dedicated to donating locally grown, fresh vegetables to neighbors in need to help combat summer hunger in children and families throughout the month of August.

Distribution events across multiple states will bring the same local produce Stop & Shop offers in its stores to hundreds who are facing food insecurity. Through this program, communities

Twenty years ago, I started my first job out of college and 12 years ago next month, I entered the produce industry. When recently speaking to a colleague about how different the workplace is now for college graduates vs. when I entered, she asked me, “If you could give advice to your younger self, what would you say?”

Despite feeling like I am just starting out in my career some days, I realized that through experience, wonderful mentors, lots of laughs and a few tears, I may have some words of wisdom to pass along.

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The grocery industry is challenging, but the produce

Canada had some of the strictest protocols during the pandemic, which meant many restaurants were closed and foodservice business declined immensely. But the summer of 2022 paints a different story as things are starting to look almost normal again and business is back to pre-pandemic levels.

That’s good news for Fresh Taste Produce, which ships its produce to wholesalers, retailers, restaurants and foodservice customers throughout Canada and the United States.

“We are a major importer, packer, and distributor of fresh produce with a world-renowned reputation,” said Julian Sarraino, chief

Inflation and COVID-19. It seems neither can be avoided, and they both continue to send grocery shoppers to digital devices.

According to the Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey fielded July 29-30, online grocery sales for July jumped 17 percent year over year to $7.8 billion.

During July, more than 68 million households went online to buy groceries, a 3 percent gain versus last year, but only the Pickup and Delivery segments benefited from that increased demand. Pickup’s monthly active user base expanded more than 5 percent and Delivery’s expanded nearly 4 percent during the

With the typical summer lull in coast-to-coast produce shipments, truck rates are well below the very high rates experienced at the beginning of this year, but there is expectation that they will start rising again as typical fall demand increases.

“I believe we have hit the floor in terms of rates,” said Matt Patterson, senior transportation manager for Sunrise Logistics Inc., based in Ephrata, PA, on Aug. 8. “If we haven’t, we’re very close. As we moved into August, (produce) volumes dropped off as they always do.”

He said this led to a downward pressure on demand and rate decreases. He