Produce Marketing Association has officially opened registration and hotel reservations for PMA Foodservice 2021 which will be held in Monterey, CA, from July 21-22.  The event invites all industry members and partners from across the foodservice supply chain, including operators, retail foodservice buyers, growers-shippers and more, to come together to connect, share insights and find innovations.

This year will be the 40th anniversary of the PMA Foodservice Conference and there could not be a more important time for a celebration.  After the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Wish Farms, an international grower and year-round marketer of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, celebrated the grand opening of its new office headquarters with a music festival called PixieRock! on Saturday, April 24.

Hundreds of guests flocked to the physically distant, outdoor event on Wish Farms’ front lawn. The concert featured live performances by Giselle Gutierrez, Atlanta Rhythm Section, BlackHawk and headliner Young the Giant.

The event concept was the creation of owner and self-proclaimed “Head Pixie,” Gary Wishnatzki. “We wanted to throw an unforgettable

Brighter Bites, a Houston, TX-based nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits, vegetables and nutrition education resources directly into students and families' hands, hired Amy Priebe as its new sourcing manager.

Priebe joins Brighter Bites with years of produce sourcing experience, most recently working at Imperfect Foods as the produce merchandising and category manager. In her new role, Priebe will work closely with produce suppliers and distributors from across the country to ensure Brighter Bites families receive the most nutritious fresh food available.

"I am looking forward to growing

Empire and Second Harvest have formed a national partnership to implement the Second Harvest Food Rescue App at Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods and Voilà. Second Harvest's food rescue app will enable Empire’s banners to divert food waste and offer even more access to fresh, healthy food to Canadian families in need.

“The number of Canadians experiencing food insecurity has significantly increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need for access to healthy food has never been greater,” said Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest. “Our food rescue app enables

Harvest of the year’s first fresh cherries has begun in California’s southern-most growing areas and will soon be moving its way up the state.  

“We’re looking forward to 2021 being an excellent year for California cherries in terms of both volume and quality,”  said Chris Zanobini, executive director of the California Cherry Board.  “Statewide estimates are predicting a crop of 9.47 million 18-pound boxes, which is near the record produced in 2017.

“We’re also really pleased with an industry-wide effort to vaccinate the essential workers who got us through last year’s harvest and packing

The Kroger Co. announced the expansion of its Simple Truth Recycling Program — offering customers a free and easy way to recycle flexible plastic packaging — to include all private-label brands. The newly expanded Kroger Our Brands Recycling Program is the first program of its kind and advances the retailer's Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social and environmental impact plan.

Developed in partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle, the innovative and eco-conscious Kroger Our Brands Recycling Program encourages customers to mail in flexible plastic Our Brands packaging.

"Kroger