EmpowerFresh has partnered with Karns Quality Foods, a 10-store family-owned grocer in central Pennsylvania, to enhance produce operations through artificial intelligence-powered ordering and inventory management. Founded in 1959, Karns Quality Foods has been recognized for its meat and produce departments. The partnership will leverage EmpowerFresh’s AI-driven forecasting and data analytics to help the grocer reduce […]
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, Association News, Grocery Research, National, News
Fresh Produce White Paper Links Fruits, Vegetables To Reduced Disease Risk
The Foundation for Fresh Produce has released a white paper examining how fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases including heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer, the Newark, Delaware-based organization announced Feb. 9. “Fruits, Vegetables, and Human Health: Key Nutrients and Their Role in Chronic Diseases,” written by the foundation’s Chief Medical […]
Posted inSupply Chain News, Deli News, Meat/Seafood/Poultry, National, News, Produce News
DeltaTrak Introduces FlashLink NOW Real-Time Loggers
Pleasanton, California-based DeltaTrak has introduced a new generation of its FlashLink NOW real-time loggers, giving fresh product suppliers expanded visibility into cold chain conditions as requirements for accepting shipments continue to tighten across the U.S. grocery sector. Inbound shipment requirements increasingly go beyond temperature data alone. When used with the UBQ Network, FlashLink NOW loggers […]
Expert Article
Commercial Ripening 2026: An Interview With David Byrne
Commercial ripening has come a long way over the past 30 years. From air-stacking boxes in temperature-controlled holding rooms to today’s ultra-advanced, digitally controlled ripening room systems that can uniformly ripen multiple truckloads of palletized fruit to the exact same color at the exact same time. As the global leader in commercial ripening room design […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, News, Northeast, Produce News, Tops Friendly Markets
Tops Markets Launches 2026 Produce Winter Olympic Games
Tops Markets has launched its 2026 Produce Winter Olympic Games, a four-week, company-wide competition Feb. 1-28 that challenges store teams to showcase produce displays, innovative merchandising and strong sales performance. Throughout the competition, stores participate in weekly themed events designed to highlight freshness, presentation and promotional creativity within the produce department. Teams compete for thousands […]
Posted inProduce News, Marketing News, News, Northeast
Keystone Fruit Marketing Promotes Gideon To Director Of Sales
Greencastle, Pennsylvania-based Keystone Fruit Marketing, a division of Progressive Produce, has promoted Matthew Gideon to director of sales. Gideon has been with Keystone since 2009, playing a key role in supporting the division’s growth and strengthening its year-round sweet onion program. In his new role, Gideon will be responsible for all aspects of sales for […]
Posted inProduce News, Southeast
NC Sweetpotato Commission Honors Yencho With Service Award
The NC Sweetpotato Commission presented its 2026 Distinguished Service Award to Craig Yencho at the organization’s annual meeting held in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Through his extensive work in agricultural research, Yencho has shared valuable knowledge with sweetpotato growers across the state, developing new cultivation techniques, improving pest management practices and innovating varieties that have boosted […]
Posted inProduce News, Finance News, News, Southeast
Fresh Del Monte Named Winning Bidder To Acquire Del Monte Foods Assets
Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE: FDP) has been named the successful bidder to acquire select assets of California-based Del Monte Foods Corporation II Inc. for a purchase price of $285 million, plus assumption of certain liabilities, through a court-supervised sale under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The transaction remains subject to court […]
Posted inProduce News, Finance News, National, News, West
Mission Produce To Acquire Calavo Growers In $430M Deal
Mission Produce Inc. (NASDAQ: AVO) and Calavo Growers, Inc. (NASDAQ: CVGW) have entered into a definitive agreement under which Mission will acquire Calavo in a cash-and-stock transaction. The transaction would give Mission entrée into the high-growth prepared food segment, complementing its avocado business with Calavo’s value-added, avocado-based prepared foods. In addition to a variety of ready-to-eat […]
Posted inProduce News, News, Southwest
NatureSweet Introduces Employee Recognition On Product Labels
NatureSweet has launched a new marketing initiative called Hearts Behind the Harvest, spotlighting employees by featuring their names and stories on product labels. The program is designed to celebrate frontline team members, deepen connection with customers and showcase the people who contribute to growing, packing and delivering NatureSweet products. The company said the effort highlights […]
Posted inProduce News, Finance News, National, News
Avocados From Mexico Projects 2.5B Pounds For 2025-26 Season
Avocados From Mexico is projecting a record-breaking 2.5 billion pounds of Mexican avocado imports to the U.S. during the 2025-26 season, marking the highest volume Mexico has ever supplied to the U.S. market. The organization said about 280 million pounds of Mexican avocados are projected to be available for the Big Game alone, another record-setting […]
Posted inProduce News, Finance News, National, News
80 Acres Farms Broadens Retail Footprint Nationwide
80 Acres Farms, a vertical farming supplier of pesticide-free produce grown in controlled-environment farms, is expanding distribution of its microgreens to more grocery retailers across the U.S.. Shoppers can find 80 Acres Farms branded microgreens at retail banners including Albertson’s, Dorothy Lane Markets, The Fresh Market, H-E-B, King Soopers, Mariano’s, Meijer, Metro Market, Pick ’n […]
Posted inProduce News, News, West
California Pear Farmers Seek Relief From Surging Imports
California pear farmers are fighting for survival as a surge of low-priced pear imports from Argentina continues to flood the U.S. market each year just as the domestic harvest begins. Industry leaders are in discussions with staff at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to find relief from a situation they say has […]
Posted inProduce News, Marketing News, News, West
Cuties Launches New Mandarin Marketing Campaign
Pasadena, California-based Sun Pacific has launched a new marketing campaign for its Cuties brand as the company looks to build on momentum in the mandarin category heading into the season. The campaign, titled “Irresistibly Cute,” highlights Cuties’ attributes – sweetness, convenience and family appeal – with a playful tone. Cuties was the first mandarin brand […]
Posted inExecutive News, National, News, Produce News
Pawlowski To Succeed Barnard As Mission Produce CEO
Mission Produce has shared a planned leadership transition that will see John Pawlowski succeed Steve Barnard as CEO in the spring. Under the succession plan, Barnard – co-founder of Mission Produce and its CEO since 1988 – will assume the role of executive chairman of the board, effective at the close of the company’s annual […]
Posted inExecutive News, National, News, Produce News
GrubMarket Appoints DeNeve As Chief Legal Officer
GrubMarket has named Jorge deNeve as its new chief legal officer, adding a legal and governance executive to its leadership team as the company continues to scale its technology and food supply chain platforms. DeNeve brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate governance, regulatory compliance and securities law. His background includes service as […]
Posted inProduce News, Association News, National, News
Equitable Food Initiative Commemorates 10th Anniversary, Celebrates 2025 Achievements
Equitable Food Initiative – a workforce development and certification organization that partners with growers, farmworkers and retailers – marked a year of progress in 2025 during which it advanced responsible labor practices, strengthened industry collaboration and drove worker engagement throughout the fresh produce supply chain. EFI also celebrated its 10th year as an independent nonprofit with program […]
Posted inSupply Chain News, Deli News, Guest Contributors, National, News, Produce News
Why Food Retailers Are Moving To Full Traceability – Turning Compliance Into Opportunity
by Ron Margulis / ReposiTrak Many of the country’s largest food retailers are actively embracing full traceability under FSMA 204 as both a regulatory mandate and a critical business strategy. Driven by major chains like Walmart, Kroger and Albertsons, the push for comprehensive recordkeeping is transforming the grocery industry, setting new performance standards for the […]
Posted inProduce News, Supply Chain News, West
Arizona Farmer Named 2025 Organic Grower of the Year
Arnott Duncan, founder of Duncan Family Farms, received the Grower of the Year award during the recent 2025 Organic Grower Summit in Monterey, California. The John Deere-sponsored recognition honors Duncan’s three-decade transformation from small-scale agritourism operator to organic farming innovator managing 3,850 acres across three states. Duncan’s path to organic leadership began with an accidental […]
Posted inProduce News, Grocery Store Equipment, News, Northeast, Weis Markets
Weis Markets Completes Tech Upgrade With Toshiba ELERA Security Suite
Weis Markets has completed a full deployment of Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions’ ELERA Security Suite across its store network, advancing the company’s efforts to modernize its front-end operations and strengthen loss-prevention capabilities. The technology is active in the self-checkout lanes of all 199 Weis Markets stores, with plans to extend the system to dual-use and […]