Denver, Colorado-based Potatoes USA, the marketing and promotion board for the potato industry, elected new leadership during its annual meeting in March. The newly elected chairman and executive committee will lead the board through 2022-23. Jason Davenport was elected as chairman of the board. This marks Davenport’s sixth year on the board and as a member of the executive […]
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.
Four Star Fruit Reports Large Supply For Mexican Grape Season
Delano, California-based Four Star Fruit Inc. says it expects strong volume to supply this year’s Mexican table grape season. Each year, Four Star Fruit boasts year over year volume growth and this year, the company is expecting its volume growth to be 25-30 percent higher due to its Mexican grape program. Harvest began the first […]
Mission Produce Appoints Bulow As President And COO
Oxnard, California-based Mission Produce Inc. has named Timothy Bulow as president and COO, effective no later than Aug. 1. Steve Barnard, Mission’s founder, will continue to serve in his role as CEO and a member of the company’s board of directors. “Tim is a versatile and results-driven executive who has a great appreciation for global […]
Dole Launches Astrology-Based Salad Recipe Series
Beyond ingredient variety, nutritional value, taste and ease of preparation, Charlotte, North Carolina-based Dole Food Company Inc. has added another selection criteria to the 12 recipes featured during its “Healthier by Dole” salad recipe series in May: the alignment of the stars. The produce leader has released a dozen original recipes linked to the specific astrological […]
From Watermelons To Pepsi, Lowe’s Not Afraid To Go Big
Lowe’s Market is continuing to go big with its product displays. Residents of Lubbock, Texas, were treated to a record-breaking display of watermelons on June 2, 2021. The Food King on 82nd Street hosted a watermelon marketing event of epic proportions, with the world’s largest watermelon display. Although unverified by the Guinness Book of World […]
Calavo Growers Announces Departure Of CFO Matute
Santa Paula, California-based Calavo Growers Inc., an avocado-industry provider of value-added fresh food, has announced Mariela Matute, CFO, will be leaving for a CFO role at another company. She will remain with Calavo through May 19 to assist with the transition. Brian W. Kocher, Calavo’s president and CEO, will assume the role of the company’s […]
Avocados From Mexico Introduces Guactail For Cinco De Mayo
Irving, Texas-based Avocados From Mexico is showing consumers new ways to celebrate with avocados this Cinco de Mayo with the introduction of Guactail. To bring the Guactail to life, Avocados From Mexico teamed up with author, food and wine expert Antoni Porowski to create the Guactail. The drink takes a spin on a fruit-forward daquiri […]
IRI Report Shows Fresh Produce Sales Increased From 2020
To document the changing nature of the marketplace, IRI, Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics and Marriner Marketing have teamed up to continue to bring the latest trends and analysis relative to fresh produce sales. This is the sixth in a series of reports presented by IRI, discussing inflation trends. Fresh produce prices are up from last year, […]
Gotham Greens, Grateful Dead Launch Grateful Greens
On the heels of Gotham Greens’ 10th anniversary celebration, the New York-based company has launched a new series of musical marketing partnerships featuring some of the most iconic bands and musicians that connect fans to their communities. Gotham Greens has entered into a partnership with the band, the Grateful Dead, on a limited-edition packaging and […]
California Avocado Extends Advertising Campaign
The California Avocado Commission is extending its advertising campaign – “the best avocados have California in them.” This season’s ads feature visuals that point to the “CA” in the middle of the word “avocados,” and audio and other ads that call out the play on words in their tag lines. Consumer media is targeted to […]
MountainKing Introduces 3-Pound Mesh Bags For Potatoes
Houston, Texas-based MountainKing has introduced new, 3-pound mesh bags of its baby-sized red and gold potatoes designed to generate a higher ring for retail grocers while providing shoppers with a larger, yet still manageable product size for summer cook outs, potato salads and other dishes associated with the season. “It’s well documented that small potatoes […]
Revol Greens Adds Key Leadership Roles
Owatonna, Minnesota-based Revol Greens has hired Kathy Flores as chief of staff and Amanda Crews as VP of people (human resources). Both bring decades of experience and proven results to the company. “I admire their impressive backgrounds and the impact they will make within our rapidly growing organization,” said Michael Wainscott, Revol Greens CEO. “We’ve hand-selected […]
Publix Donates 50M Pounds Of Produce From Farmers To Food Banks
Lakeland, Florida-based Publix has donated more than 50 million pounds of produce as part of its initiative to support farmers and food banks in the Southeast. Launched in response to farmers being forced to discard produce they could no longer sell due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Publix began purchasing produce directly from impacted farmers and donating […]
Florida’s Natural Growers Names Groom As CEO
Florida’s Natural Growers has promoted Christopher Groom as the company’s incoming CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Groom, the current COO of Florida’s Natural Growers, will succeed Robert Behr as CEO. In this role, Groom will work closely with the Florida’s Natural management staff and board of directors to uphold the cooperative’s long-standing legacy in Florida citrus. Since 2011, Groom has been instrumental […]
Presence Unveils Key Trends, Predictions For Consumers In 2022
In the past few years, there’s been a shift as consumers have become more focused on better-for-you products and prioritizing their health and wellness needs. They are also better informed today than ever before. People have become more conscious of the way they shop, consume and dispose of everyday items. “The new generation of consumers […]
Gotham Greens Expanding In Key Growth Markets Across U.S.
New York, New York-based Gotham Greens, a Certified B Corporation and indoor farming pioneer that operates one of the largest networks of high-tech hydroponic greenhouses in North America, will double the size of its greenhouse capacity from 600,000 square feet to more than 1.2 million square feet in 2022. Development is currently underway for new greenhouse […]
Wild About Sprouts Introduces New Packaging Labels
Sacramento, California-based Rä Foods and its brand, Wild About Sprouts, has created new packaging labels that highlight each variety option to attract attention to the packaging on the shelf and to the entire category section. The company has also announced new expansion into additional Kroger divisions across the country as well as its introduction into Meijer […]
WP Rawl Announces Official Partnership With U.S. Army
Pelion, South Carolina-based WP Rawl has announced its official partnership with the U.S. Army Partnership for Youth Success Program. The PAYs program is a partnership between the U.S. Army and companies that help provide America’s youth with an opportunity to serve their country while also preparing them for future employment. As a company, WP Rawl is […]
Bolthouse Farms Establishes Hub To Strengthen ESG Commitment
In order to strengthen its environmental, social and governance commitment, Bakersfield, California-based Bolthouse Farms has established an ESG Hub. The hub represents a sharpened focus on key issues and will facilitate integration of ESG factors across all parts of the business, positioning the company for growth. “As we look to the future and redefine the […]
Revol Greens Hires Dillon As Marketing Director
Owatonna, Minnesota-based Revol Greens has hired Jessica Dillon as its new marketing director. Dillon will take responsibility of all marketing initiatives in support of propelling the Revol Greens brand forward and extending the reach of its products across the country. “Our greenhouse grown organic lettuces create an exciting opportunity to engage consumers in the process of […]
