Square Roots and Gordon Food Service have announced the opening of a new climate-controlled, indoor farm in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Since establishing their strategic partnership in 2019, Square Roots and Gordon Food Service have been building indoor farms together across the continent with the ultimate aim of bringing locally-grown food to customers at a global scale. In the past […]
Category: Produce News
The Shelby Report covers the produce industry for grocery retailers nationwide, from fresh fruit and vegetable trends and supplier announcements to merchandising strategies and regional market news. Updated regularly across our five regional editions.
Find all our fresh coverage in Focus on Fresh.
Posted inProduce News, West
FirstFruit Farms Celebrates National Opal Apples Day
Prescott, Washington-based FruitFirst Farms is celebrating the inaugural National Opal Apples Day on Dec. 9, officially recognized on NationalToday.com. Opal apples are a cross between a Golden Delicious apple and a Topaz apple, but beyond its flavor and hue, the apple has natural non-browning properties, an attribute allowing this fruit to remain fresh after cutting. Opal […]
Posted inProduce News, Southeast
Mancini Foods Acquired By Third-Generation Family Member
A full century after beginning operations in 1922, Zolfo Springs, Florida-based Mancini Foods has been acquired by family member Alan Mancini and his wife, Debbi Mancini. The new company will be called Mancini Foods LLC. Mancini, who immediately assumes the title of president and CEO, was past president of the company, having worked at Mancini Packing from 1996-08. The new […]
Posted inProduce News, National
EFI Elects Donlon As New Board Member
The board of directors of Equitable Foods Initiative, a multi-stakeholder workforce development and certification organization that partners with growers, farm workers, retailers and consumer groups, has named Pete Donlon as a new board member. Donlon, VP of Misionero, will fill the seat recently vacated by Vic Smith of JV Smith Cos. The EFI board includes […]
Posted inProduce News, Southeast
AppHarvest Begins Third Season Of Tomato Shipments
AppHarvest has kicked off its third season of harvesting ahead of schedule with commercial shipments of tomatoes from its 60-acre high-tech indoor farm in Morehead, Kentucky. Martha Stewart, an AppHarvest board member, hosted a press conference for the company’s first harvest of tomatoes in January 2021. Since that time, the company has opened two additional […]
Posted inProduce News, West
Full Harvest Acquires FarmersWeb For Surplus Produce Software
San Francisco-based Full Harvest has announced the acquisition of FarmersWeb, a farm sales and inventory management SaaS provider. Adding FarmersWeb’s software capabilities to its technology pipeline, Full Harvest will be able to speed the delivery of advanced features for its produce suppliers and buyers. “Climate change considerations have become a pressing priority across the agriculture and food industry, […]
Posted inProduce News, West
Calavo Growers Enters Licensing Partnership With Old El Paso
Santa Paula, California-based Calavo Growers has announced a brand licensing partnership with General Mills as the exclusive manufacturer of the Old El Paso brand of refrigerated guacamole and salsas in the U.S. market. Launched this fall, this line of products features proprietary recipes, available to grocery, mass and convenience channels nationwide. Old El Paso refrigerated guacamole blends come in mild and […]
Posted inProduce News, Southeast
Produce Takes Center Stage At Southern Innovations
David Sherrod, president and CEO of Southeast Produce Council, spoke with The Shelby Report of The Southwest during the recent Southern Innovations conference in Nashville, Tennessee. A member-driven, nonprofit association of more than 3,000 leaders from the produce industry, the SEPC formed more than 20 years ago to promote the value of fresh fruits and […]
Posted inProduce News, West
Ocean Mist Farms Introduces Brussels Sprouts In Retailers
Castroville, California-based Ocean Mist Farms’ brussels sprouts are headed into the peak fall crop to meet shopper demand during the holiday season. Known for its Gold Standard Artichokes, Ocean Mist Farms also provides brussels sprouts, which are being harvested out of Castroville through January, and will be coming out of Coachella and Mexico beginning in late-December. “The […]
Posted inProduce News, C-Store News, Southeast
Royal Farms Expands Into North Carolina With New Facility
Royal Farms has announced plans to open its first location in North Carolina in early 2023. The store will be built in Grandy and additional stores in the state will follow in New Bern, Greenville, Lumberton, Kinston and Jacksonville. Royal Farms has plans to open more locations in other areas of the state to bring […]
Posted inProduce News, West
Sun World Expands Footprint With New Licensed Distributors
Bakersfield, California-based Sun World International has added several new companies to its global licensed distributor lineup. These include three marketers in Brazil, four in Chile and three in Peru. “We are proud to welcome these grape producer-marketers to the Sun World community and pleased to expand our distribution channels to fulfill increasing market demand for Sun World’s […]
Posted inProduce News, Southwest
Produce Association Hosts Skeet Shoot PAC Fundraiser
The Texas International Produce Association held its annual Pull-for-PAC Skeet Shoot fundraiser on Nov. 16. Critical to supporting the endeavors of the association’s activities in Washington D.C. and Austin, Texas, this event has continued to grow every year. This year, TIPA was able to host a sold-out shoot. Twenty teams registered and more than 100 people […]
Posted inProduce News, Northeast
Green Giant Begins Partnership With Tariq ‘The Corn Kid’
Parsippany, New Jersey-based Green Giant has announced a partnership with 7-year-old corn enthusiast and internet sensation, Tariq the “Corn Kid.” Together with Tariq, the brand will elevate corn from a side dish. “What is Thanksgiving without corn?” Tariq said. “Thanksgiving is practically a holiday about corn. I mean, every day could be a holiday if you […]
Posted inProduce News, West
Calavo Hires Foster As VP Of Sales, National Accounts
Santa Paula, California-based Calavo Growers has hired Andy Foster to support the company’s recently aligned prepared division as VP of sales, national accounts. Foster brings more than 25 years’ experience in the food industry, including more than a decade in fresh cut produce and fresh prepared foods with companies such as Taylor Farms and Boskovich Farms, and […]
Posted inProduce News, Executive News, West
Del Monte Appoints Beliveau As Chief Human Resources Officer
Walnut Creek, California-based Del Monte Foods has appointed Matt Beliveau as chief human resources officer. Beliveau reports to Greg Longstreet, president and CEO, and is responsible for human resources, corporate communications and environmental, social and governance for the company. He brings to Del Monte Foods more than 20 years of human resource leadership experience at public and private companies […]
Posted inProduce News, Northeast
Edible Garden Offers Poultry Mix Potted Herbs At New Retailers
Belvidere, New Jersey-based Edible Garden AG Incorporated has announced an integrated program with several of its major retail distribution partners to provide its Poultry Mix potted herbs. “We are happy to announce a holiday season offering where we will be selling our Poultry Mix potted herbs that includes rosemary, thyme and sage, all in one convenient pot. […]
Posted inProduce News, Sustainability News, West
Dole Installs Two Wind Turbines For Facility Electricity
Dole Fresh Vegetables, a division of Dole, has announced the implementation and activation of two General Electric 2.8-Megawatt wind turbines at its salad processing plant in Soledad, California. Each Dole turbine generating power to the facility stands 499 feet tall at maximum height with rotor diameters of 417 feet. Whenever sufficient wind is present to […]
Posted inProduce News, West
Hass Avocado Board Details Seasonal Sales Opportunities
According to the Mission Viejo, California-based Hass Avocado Board, research suggests seasonal influences impact retail sales of avocados, driven by supply chain dynamics and shopper purchase behaviors. These influences have steered the category into an evolution of seasonality over the past four years. The Avocado Seasonality Drivers study reveals that the first quarter is the […]
Posted inPublix Super Markets, Produce News, Southeast
Publix Pledges $23M To Feeding America Member Food Banks
Lakeland, Florida-based Publix Super Markets and its charity foundation have announced plans to extend their commitment to help alleviate hunger in the communities Publix serves. Publix and Publix Super Markets Charities have pledged $23 million to support hunger alleviation by the end of 2023, including a commitment to provide more than 10 million pounds of […]
Posted inProduce News, West
Duncan Family Farms Provides Herb Merchandising Opportunities
Goodyear, Arizona-based Duncan Family Farms is offering retailers merchandising and sales support with its line of 18 fresh, organic herb varieties heading into the holiday season. According to Google trends, there is a spike in search volume for terms involving “fresh herbs” leading up to Thanksgiving and following through to Christmas. This presents opportunities to drive sales at the […]