In the spirit of Carnival season, Winn-Dixie is honoring its long-standing heritage in the Louisiana community by celebrating traditions locals know and love. With nearly 67 years of experience serving the state’s diverse communities, Winn-Dixie is committed to commemorating Louisiana’s rich history and time-honored traditions with delicious food, local celebrations and of course by taking part in the biggest celebration of the year, Mardi Gras.

The Ugly Co., a farmer-led producer of upcycled dried fruit snacks, completed a $9 million Series A round of funding. The Ugly Co. will use the funds to expand its processing capacity to meet surging demand while accelerating expansion nationwide.

Dave Daniel has been named the general manager for Fall Creek Farm & Nursery Inc.’s U.S. and Canada business. Previously, he was the blueberry breeding and nursery company’s U.S. operations manager.

A cold snap during the winter growing season in Mexico is not all that unusual. But this season has seen more than it’s fair share of temperature swings, according to Fresh Farms, the Rio Rico, AZ-based U.S. sales arm for the Molina Group.

Hy-Vee Inc. awarded $50,000 to local minority- and women-owned businesses during the Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit at U.S. Bank Stadium. The event was the third summit Hy-Vee has hosted in support of underrepresented groups to provide these business owners with access to funding and valuable business development resources.

These summits are part of Hy-Vee’s ongoing commitment to diversifying its supplier base and product offerings, as well as supporting minority communities across its eight-state territory.

It was in December of 2002 that the late Francisco (Pancho) Obregon opened IPR Fresh in Nogales, AZ, with the idea of brokering a few fresh produce items and bringing them into the U.S. market.

“Our first product was the bell pepper,” said Jose Luis Obregon, son of the founder and the current president. “We’ve been growing ever since. We’ve had a good track record of delivering high-quality bell peppers and we’ve built strong relationships with trusted growers in Mexico that are focused on sustainable farming practices.”