Cheers, applause and a few happy tears filled the Wenatchee Valley Performing Arts Center on June 10 as the largest class of Project SEARCH Stemilt interns graduated from the transition-to-work program. This year, nine students completed the hands-on internship experience designed to help young adults with disabilities gain skills for competitive employment.

When making purchase decisions, shoppers are considering potential health benefits and sustainability. As a result, many are opting for organic fresh produce, fueling higher demand for flavorful, high-quality, organically grown fruits and vegetables.

US Foods Holding Corp. has unveiled programming for the most all-encompassing foodservice solutions show in the company's history: Food Fanatics 2025 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Aug. 19-20. Themed “Every Second Counts,” the event will bring together more than 5,000 foodservice operators, culinary professionals, vendors, industry experts and an exciting roster of celebrity chefs, for two days of immersive content and experiences designed to provide countess solutions to address operators’ most pressing needs.

Established in 2004 as an organic produce distributor and rebranded in 2019, Happy Dirt has evolved as a significant North Carolina-based organic produce wholesaler that is experiencing rapid growth in the sector.

Pat Bayor, vice president of sales and purchasing, revealed that the company was founded as Eastern Carolina Organics by Sandi Kronick with a limited product line, but it has since expanded its offerings and is now owned by two staff members and 16 North Carolina farmers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on four produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and for failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators of the businesses from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without USDA approval.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

June is National Mango Month, and Continental Fresh is marking the occasion by highlighting the impact of mangos beyond the produce aisle. For Continental Fresh, mangos represent more than tropical flavor — they embody a deeper connection to the Latin American communities where the fruit is grown and where the company’s philanthropic work continues to grow.