Bako Sweet is driving incremental demand at retail by delivering meaningful, sales-driven moments with American Hearth Health Month and National Sweet Potato Month during February. Additionally, retailers can stop by the Bako Sweet Booth No. 324 to learn more about packaging options and customized programs during the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure trade show in Orlando, FL, Feb. 26–March 1.

I am gladly an assassin
as my teeth puncture
its juicy flesh

Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries can make the berry section come alive as the variety adds quality and charm beyond just the strawberries. Combining a diverse selection of the other three popular berry varieties will add a warm summer-like ambience around the display. That alone can influence shoppers to make purchases of all berries. 

The Idaho Potato Commission is introducing Top That Tater, a new chef-inspired seasoning created to celebrate everything people love about Idaho potatoes, from mashed and baked to fried and roasted, while exploring new, flavorful ways to keep the crop at the center of the plate.

Village Fresh Greenhouse Grown has appointed Helen L. Aquino as vice president of innovation, reinforcing the company’s focus on consumer relevance and customer-driven innovation.

Aquino has been with Village Farms, now Village Fresh, since 2008, bringing more than 20 years of experience across agricultural research, brand strategy, product development and controlled environment agriculture. During her tenure, she has contributed to varietal introductions, packaging innovation, category management, sustainability communications and retail-focused go-to-market strategies.

After a near-decade of trending upward, employee engagement in the workplace fell in 2024, sliding from 23 percent to 21 percent. In the State of the Global Workplace: 2025 Report, Gallup attributes the decline largely to a drop in manager engagement, which fell from 30 percent to 27 percent during the same period.

“Since the pandemic, managers have been asked to square the circle of new executive demands and employee expectations. We are starting to see the toll,” said Gallup.