The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on three produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

• OTC Produce LLC, operating out of McAllen, TX, for failing to pay a $57,582 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Jorge A. Mardones Lopez was listed as the manager, member and

The 2021 holiday season will not bring the same level of fear and uncertainty as last year’s, but it may still bring frustration, especially with the supply chain challenges we are all facing. Without a doubt, as consumers we’re feeling the stress of these challenges and as members of the grocery and produce industries, that stress is exacerbated.

So how do we get through arguably the two most important months of the year for our business while mitigating these headaches? Moreover, how do we maintain sales and meet consumers’ expectations?

Communication is key, but that doesn’t mean simply

California broccoli and cauliflower is readily available out of the Salinas-Watsonville and Santa Maria areas now in all sizes. With cooler weather, this is a great time to promote it in ads and in the stores. Both will sell well tied in together on an end cap display. Adding a waterfall off the table will even make it more exciting and aggressive. Just set some original cartons or crates in front of the display, dummy up the top cartons to prevent over stacking and to control shrink, spill over the product and watch customers fill their bags. Whether in an ad or as an in-store promotion

Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) and Reasor’s LLC are excited to announce that they have entered into an agreement under which BGC will acquire Reasor’s 17 stores in Oklahoma. These stores will be the newest banner of stores for the BGC family, which operates four other banners of stores including Brookshire’s, Super 1 Foods, FRESH by Brookshire’s and Spring Market in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

“We are so incredibly excited to welcome Reasor’s employees, customers and communities, that these 17 stores serve, into our BGC family,” said Brad Brookshire, chairman and CEO for Brookshire Grocery

Food Lion has completed remodeling 87 stores across Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, offering neighbors an expanded variety of new products and services and an easier shopping experience.

“We’re excited to welcome our neighbors in these towns and cities into their fresh, new Food Lion," said Food Lion President Meg Ham. "Our associates can’t wait to show customers their newly remodeled store and have them experience the expanded variety and assortment of new products and services. All these changes were made with our neighbors in mind so they can

Save A Lot, one of the largest discount grocery chains in the U.S., sold six company-owned stores in Dallas and Jacksonville, FL, to Yellow Banana LLC as part of Save A Lot’s ongoing efforts to convert corporate-owned stores to local ownership. Yellow Banana’s acquisition will enable these six stores to remain open, providing critical support to both the communities in question and the nearly 100 store associates employed.

This news follows Yellow Banana’s September 2021 purchase of 32 Save A Lot stores in the Cleveland, Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas, and brings Yellow Banana’s