Church Brothers Farms has completed its acquisition of key assets and operations of Mann Packing from Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., solidifying the company’s leadership position in value-added vegetables and accelerating its long-term retail growth strategy.

The acquisition immediately expands Church Brothers’ annual volume with capacity to grow through the newly integrated Gonzales, CA, facility: a 200,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art fresh-cut plant that includes 160,000 square feet of production and cold storage space, 40,000 square feet of offices and 7.5 acres designated for future

In just four months, availability of Amazon's same-day perishable grocery delivery has grown to over 2,300 cities and towns, with additional growth coming in 2026. 

Perishable grocery sales have grown 30 times since January as more customers turn to same-day delivery for fast, convenient access to fresh groceries. Perhaps most telling is the shift in shopping patterns: customers who add fresh groceries to their same-day delivery orders shop about twice as often as those who don’t.

Over the last few months, customers have ordered fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, seafood, baked goods and

Based on the popularity of RedLine Solutions' session at the International Fresh Produce Association's Global Produce & Floral Show, traceability experts Todd Baggett and Erik Larsen return with FSMA 204: Getting Started On The Path to Compliance. 

This webinar, taking place Dec. 17 at 11 a.m. Pacific, is designed to help growers, packer-shippers, distributors and retailers all understand and prepare for their role in the FDA’s new food-traceability requirements. 

"If you're a produce supplier, or someone who ships products with ingredients on the FDA's Food Traceability List, you're not going

The FDP Group, a leader in the distribution of ethnic, organic and conventional produce, has acquired the UNFI Canada Produce division.

The company said this represents an exciting new chapter for FDP Group and specifically Fresh Direct Produce as it will provide an even broader selection of fresh, high-quality produce while strengthening its position within the organic market. Fresh Direct Produce has two distribution centers in western Canada: one in Vancouver and one in Calgary.

“This strategic acquisition will further increase our ability to service and meet the needs of our organic

Produce directors and managers as well as buyers can start to be at ease and get ready for more lettuce supplies. Ad promotions can start up again on Iceberg and leaf varieties since desert yields have improved out of Arizona. Lettuce demand is moderate along with a slightly lower market.

Iceberg, Romaine green and red leaf lettuce are all showing better weights and prices are starting to ease. Spring mix is starting to show better supplies and quality. So, get ready to plan some ads to show your customers more desirable value after weeks of higher markets. This will sustain their loyalty to

Philip Sheridan Beese IV, former owner of Southeast Farms Inc., died Nov. 27 following an illness. He was surrounded by the love and comfort of his family.

Mr. Beese’s story is one of hard work, determination and vision. He began his career at age 14 as a bag boy at Winn-Dixie and, through dedication and leadership, became the company’s youngest store manager at just 24. At 32, Mr. Beese made the bold decision to leave Winn-Dixie and establish Southeast Farms Inc.

Through steady growth and unwavering commitment, Mr. Beese expanded the company’s market presence and ultimately built a business