Locally, nationally and globally, so much has changed in such a short time. The produce industry has been tested in ways that we probably never could have imagined, including at the New England Produce Council Inc.

After much consideration, the NEPC board of directors has decided to cancel the 21st NEPC Produce Floral & Food Service Expo due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The always popular event was supposed to take place this Aug. 25-26 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

Northwest berry season is only a week away, and Superfresh Growers and Norris Farms are excited to deliver premium blueberries and kiwi berries.  These two multi-generation family growers complement each other in farming, marketing and logistical expertise.

Harvest is expected to start the week of June 9, with great quality and size projected. “Weather this crop year has been in our favor. We have been experiencing cool nights that will help increase fruit sizing, create a more uniform size, and increase the brix of the blueberries,” said Catherine Gipe-Stewart, communications manager.

The

The Produce for Better Health Foundation announced the acceleration of its multi-year, cross-sector Lead The Change Movement. The non-profit’s vision for the future, first introduced to its Board of Trustees in January 2020, unifies produce industry stakeholders and food system thought leaders to close the consumption gap and develop innovative, behavior-based solutions that help people enjoy more fruits and vegetables for happier, healthier lives. With nine out of 10 Americans not eating enough fruits and vegetables each day, PBH recognizes the significant consumption crisis affecting not

The United Family recently announced three people moving into new leadership opportunities. Tony Crumpton was named the chief merchandising officer; Greg Ammons will move to executive vice president of supply chain and strategic projects; and Chris Farr will be director of e-commerce.

Early in his career, Crumpton was a CPA with a large accounting firm. His 37-year tenure with United has included leadership positions in store management, operations, fuel, facilities and logistics. As CMO, Crumpton will lead all merchandising and marketing efforts for the company. He is a graduate of

A special new subcommittee has been appointed by the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement to focus on how land adjacent to leafy greens farms may be contributing to foodborne illness outbreaks associated with romaine lettuce.  This action is part of a comprehensive review of all existing food-safety practices required under the LGMA program and is in direct response to findings from a U.S. Food and Drug Administration report issued last week.

“The role of the LGMA’s Adjacent Lands Subcommittee is to review current LGMA standards related to grazing lands and adjacent properties, gather

If retailers want to provide consumers with healthy, grab-and-go snack options, Stemilt suggests they look no further than its Artisan Organics Lil Snappers apples. Lil Snappers kid size fruit is dedicated to serving families a healthy snack they can feel good about consuming during the upcoming summer months.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has changed grocery shopping habits and it’s encouraging to see both produce sales and organic sales up year-over-year,” said Brianna Shales, Stemilt’s senior marketing manager. “In fact, apples are among the top four organic items in the produce department