Ryan Flaim looks back on the past year with a mixture of relief and gratitude.

“A year ago, we were basically unsure of how the COVID-19 pandemic would affect our business,” said Flaim, a managing member of the family-owned-and-operated R&R Flaim Next Generation Produce, based in Vineland, NJ. “When the lockdown was first implemented last March, our business took an initial hit, especially on the foodservice side.”

In the weeks that followed, Flaim saw an increase in his retail business that more than made up for losses on foodservice accounts, as people stocked their pantries and cooked at

Avocados From Mexico announced the opening of its Avocados From Mexico Superfood Lab at KidZania Dallas, an indoor city where children can role-play professions in realistic settings.

The Avocados From Mexico Superfood Lab is the latest offering from the brand known for its innovative approach to produce marketing. The Superfood Lab at KidZania is an inspirational and educational experience that creates awareness among younger generations, offering kids the chance to interact with Avocados From Mexico and learn how avocados are grown, how to pick them, and how to prepare the delicious fruit.

The Four Seasons Family of Companies, a full-service wholesale distributor of organic, local, and conventional fruits and vegetables, announced that it has broken ground on a major expansion project at its facility in Ephrata, PA.

The project features a 131,000-square-foot addition to its existing state-of-the-art warehouse and will include a second dock, more multi-temperature cold storage rooms, plus more ripening rooms for bananas and avocados. Construction began in May and is expected to be completed by spring of 2022.

Four Seasons said the expansion is in response to the double-digit

Sunkist's Ojai Pixie tangerines are available now through June in one-, two- and three-pound bags. Already a favorite among citrus consumers, word is continuing to spread about this unique citrus variety that is small in size, but big in flavor.

“IRI data shows that the Pixie one-pound bag, the most popular pack for this variety, is experiencing 19 percent growth in dollar sales season year to date compared to last year, and a 28 percent growth compared to two years ago.”

Named after the Ojai region in Southern California where they are grown, and for their small size, Sunkist Ojai Pixie

Dan Graiff Farms was already harvesting a number of New Jersey vegetables the first week in May and was anticipating good supplies going forward, according to the owner of the company.

“We dealt with some wind, but overall the weather wasn’t bad at all. We were able to get stuff planted and out of the ground. We’re already harvesting stuff, so we’re happy about that,” Jamie Graiff told The Produce News. “Right now it looks like we’re on track to have a good supply of product. We’ve been harvesting cilantro and methi, we had some winter parsley that we harvested as well as some bunched arugula

Wakefern Food Corp., one of the largest retailer-owned supermarket cooperatives in the United States, has selected dunnhumby, a global leader in customer data science, as its strategic platform for category management and merchandising.

dunnhumby will use its expertise in customer data models, along with consumer-led insights and collaboration, to help Wakefern make merchandising decisions that will enhance the shopping experience and drive engagement and growth across the cooperative’s 363 supermarkets, including nearly 280 ShopRite stores.

“Our customers remain our singular focus. The