CHARLOTTE, NC — The Southeast Produce Council kicked off Southern Innovations 2025 with an elegant evening at the VIP dinner Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the Charlotte City Club. The semi-annual dinner celebrates the leaders, innovators and partners who have helped shape the council.

Kristin Yerecic Scott of Yerecic Label, who chairs the SEPC board of directors, welcomed everyone to the dinner and thanked them for their work on behalf of the council.

Supporting education that inspires, informs and prepares the floral industry for a bright future is one of the American Floral Endowment’s core funding programs. This year, 17 organizations were awarded educational grants totaling $60,700. 

Pure Flavor is investing in the future of fresh produce with a 25-acre expansion of its state-of-the-art Southern Flavor Farms greenhouse in Georgia. The expansion further strengthens the company’s commitment to growing with purpose and providing families and retailers with consistent access to fresh, flavorful and high-quality vegetables year-round.

Marolda Farms, a family-owned operation based in Vineland, NJ, specializes in growing both conventional and organic leafy greens and herbs. The farm spans 250 acres for conventional crops and 130 acres for organic produce.

As interest in how food is grown continues to rise, Windset Farms has partnered with Koppert Biological Systems to launch an engaging digital campaign that takes consumers behind the scenes of greenhouse production.

Following a season in which massive rains and other extreme weather caused North Carolina sweet potato production drop, Vick Family Farms has good news for retailers and other customers this season.