Fresh produce packaging innovator StePac Ltd. is gaining growing interest in the retail sector for its functional standing pouches. The attractive, high-performance resealable bags are crafted with the company’s proprietary Xgo advanced modified atmosphere/modified humidity (MA/MH) technology. They’re designed to significantly lengthen the shelf life of fresh produce and reduce waste in the supply chain as well as in the consumer’s homes. The pouch enhances consumer experience and concurrently helps raise the fresh food packaging sector to greater ethical standards by contributing its part to

Michigan apple lovers have a new variety to get excited about with the EverCrisp, a cross between Honeycrisp and Fuji. This late-season apple stores well and is long-lasting, boasting even better quality coming out of storage. The variety shares the sweet and crisp qualities of its parent varieties and can last for weeks without refrigeration.

“This rosy-colored, crisp apple is a fairly new variety grown across the Midwest, including right here in Michigan,” said Diane Smith, executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee. “Many Michigan growers have invested in EverCrisp tree plantings

Dole Packaged Foods has partnered with Bashas’ and Food City supermarkets to help schools education children about nutrition. Now through Feb. 12, Arizona residents can fill out an application online to nominate their favorite K-5 school in the state (located within a 10-mile distance of a Bashas’ or Food City grocery store) for a chance to receive a learning garden at bashas.com or captainplanetfoundation.org/contest/bashas.

Two elementary schools will receive a comprehensive Captain Planet Foundation Learning Garden, valued at $3,000. The Learning Garden comes complete with lesson kits

Meijer will host the Lift Local Supplier Event, giving local businesses across the retailer’s six-state footprint the opportunity to showcase their offerings to Meijer merchants virtually.

“We are proud to be a Midwestern retailer and want to carry products that highlight our communities,” said Peter Whitsett, Meijer executive vice president of merchandising and marketing. “Each Meijer store should represent its customers and the community that makes those customers unique. This event gives us the chance to source products from our customers’ hometowns, which makes their shopping experience

Moxxy Marketing has added Beth Adan, an experienced marketer, SEO strategist and content creator, in a new role of marketing director to manage brand objectives and increase agency visibility.

Adan has an extensive background in marketing, PR and content creation, most recently in the cannabis, hemp and CBD industries. She will propel Moxxy’s marketing to increase thought-leadership and continue to expand audiences and opportunities in the fresh produce industry.

"Beth is a welcome and necessary addition to our team as we ramp up our own marketing," said Karen Nardozza, president and CEO of

Buoyed by a fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, 2020 organic produce sales finished with a 14.2-percent increase over the previous year, outpacing conventionally grown produce in both sales and volume gains, according to the 2020 Organic Produce Performance Report released exclusively by the Organic Produce Network and Category Partners.

Organic fresh produce sales in 2020 were $8.54 billion, an increase of over $1 billion from 2019, and represented 12 percent of all fresh produce sales, according to scanned data from Nielsen. Conventional produce sales rose 10.7 percent for