The Kroger Co. and 80 Acres Farms bring farm-fresh produce to customers across Ohio. Today, the companies are growing their partnership to reach more shoppers in the Midwest — both in store and online.

"Everyone deserves easy access to fresh, affordable, delicious food," said Dan De La Rosa, Kroger's group vice president of fresh merchandising. "This newly expanded partnership means more communities will have just-picked produce at their fingertips 365 days a year. We're proud to partner with 80 Acres Farms as we work together to create a world with Zero Hunger | Zero Waste."

80 Acres Farms'

Not only has Avocados From Mexico been named to Fast Company's prestigious annual list of the World's Most Innovative Companies for 2021, but it also has been recognized as the No. 1 innovator in the Branding category. The list honors businesses that have found a way to be resilient in the past year and turned those challenges into impact-making processes. This year's list features 463 businesses from 29 countries; AFM's honor follows being named to Fast Company's List of 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators last year.

"We are honored to be named to Fast Company's 50 Most Innovative Companies

Vertical farming company Kalera announced that Sonny Perdue, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Georgia governor, will join its board of directors and has also personally invested in the company in the latest financing round. Perdue’s appointment to the board follows the addition of Maria Sastre to the board of directors, as well as Kalera’s acquisition of Vindara Inc., which develops seeds specifically for use in vertical farming environments.

Perdue served as the United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021, where he initiated USDA’s Ag Innovation Agenda. Prior to

Avocados have found their way onto the tables of an increasing number of U.S. households as the category continues to develop and cement its place as one of the largest categories in fresh produce. A recent study by the Hass Avocado Board, available here for free, revealed that purchases of avocados have increased substantially over a four-year period (2016-19). The study indicates that the growth is coming from a growing segment of “Super” avocado shoppers.

Super avocado-purchasing households spend at least $26 or more annually on avocados and accounted for 94 percent of the increase in

Tanimura & Antle announced the acquisition of Boston-based Green City Growers.  The merger of the two companies is based on a common commitment and passion to provide communities, organizations and individuals with a hands-on educational experience to increase awareness, build engagement and provide education about where food comes from.  By providing a path to engagement with hands on experience, Green City Growers will assist Tanimura & Antle with reaching individuals of all ages, promoting a long-term healthy lifestyle with consumers.  The combined goal of this partnership is to access and

John Shuman, president and CEO of Shuman Farms in Cobbtown, GA, has been named the 2020 Grower of the Year by the Vidalia Onion Committee in recognition of Shuman’s contributions to the industry for more than 25 years.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Buck Shuman, who began growing Vidalia onions in the 1980s, John Shuman took over his family’s farm in the early 1990s, rebuilding it from the ground up following the national farm crisis of the previous decade. Today Shuman Farms is one of the largest growers of Vidalia onions in North America.

A graduate of Georgia Southern