Back in early March, I had the opportunity to be a part of a United Fresh Brandstorm Panel with Ajit Saxena of Mucci Farms and Yolanda Owens of Forage + Black, both industry professionals highly passionate about cultivating empathy in produce and beyond. The panel was created to talk about empathy in business to consumer marketing. When we closed out the hour panel session, I sat feeling like that couldn’t be the end of that discussion. There was so much left to cover. There was more work that needed to be done within the produce industry.

If you didn’t attend the panel, and even if you did

What happens when you take a dash of delicious foods, add in a sprinkle of family fun and stir in a chance to teach kids about giving back? You get the recipe for a new interactive Walmart experience that aims to show kids that healthy food can be fun. The retailer, in collaboration with Partnership for a Healthier America and Higher Ground Productions, has launched The Hidden World of Waffles + Mochi, an interactive culinary adventure experience, to inspire families to cook up fresh, healthy foods just like Waffles and Mochi do on their Netflix show as part of the Pass the Love campaign. In

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., one of the world’s leading vertically integrated producers, marketers and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, announced the election of two additional members to its board of directors: Lori Tauber Marcus and Kristin Colber-Baker.

As a company committed to promoting diversity and inclusion at all levels of its organization, Tauber Marcus and Colber-Baker join fellow independent board member Mary Ann Cloyd, an independent director serving as chair of the audit committee and member of the governance committee. With the new

Jim Leimkuhler’s produce career briefly began in Wisconsin potato fields, blossomed in an accounting office in Cincinnati and found its niche in the corner suite of Progressive Produce LLC in Los Angeles.  From those different perches he enjoyed a long career in the industry, excelling in many different areas and working with many different commodities. After 35 years in the business, he retired from Progressive on March 31, 2021.

Leimkuhler’s journey began in the Midwest where he first became acquainted with fresh produce on his grandfather’s farm. “My grandfather grew sweet corn and sweet

Fresh Direct Produce Ltd. and its partner companies Mike & Mike’s Organics, Islands West Manufacturers, and Emperor Specialty Foods were named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies over the past decade. This prestigious national award is sponsored by CIBC, Deloitte Private, Canadian Business, Smith School of Business and TMX Group.

“Our team is honored to receive its 10th consecutive Best Managed Companies Award," said President and CEO Davis Yung. "We are celebrating our 18th anniversary with exceptional growth and business development across western and central Canada. Our teams persevered

Wonderful Pistachios, long-time supporter of championship boxer Jose Ramirez, is proud to sponsor him in the ring once again as he faces Josh Taylor on May 22 for the junior welterweight unification title, Ramirez’s biggest fight yet. If victorious, Ramirez would become the first Mexican American junior welterweight boxing champion and only the second undisputed junior welterweight champion of the four-belt era. The main event fight will take place at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas and will be broadcast live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+).

Leading up to the fight