The International Fresh Produce Association announced that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will deliver remarks at the upcoming Washington Conference with IFPA CEO Cathy Burns during the State of the Fresh Nation Breakfast and morning General Session.

In alignment with its continued efforts to create access to food, Meijer announced a $500,000 donation to The Henry Ford's public charter high school, Henry Ford Academy, to support its Farm to School initiative. The program provides free, accessible, locally sourced and cooked-from-scratch school lunches for every high school student.

Progressive Produce and Keystone Fruit Marketing announced the highly anticipated return of Walla Walla sweet onions, the official state vegetable of Washington.

With their renowned flavor profile, Walla Walla sweet onions will captivate taste buds again this season.

"An excellent crop of these irresistibly sweet and mild onions will be ready by mid-June," said Mike Blume, vice president of sales and marketing at Keystone Fruit Marketing. "And as a July 4th favorite, it's imperative that you plan accordingly now."

Umberto Bifulco Jr. (Bert) was born on Staten Island, NY, and attended schools there. He worked on the family farm that his parents started in 1929 after coming from Naples, Italy. The young Bifulco branched out and owned a fruit and vegetable market and also had a commission house in the New York City Produce Market with his brother.

MANHEIM, PA — Four Seasons Produce held its second annual Fresh Fest Independent Retailer Trade Show & Conference May 6-7 at the Junction Center, here, drawing nearly 200 independent retailer customers for educational and networking opportunities.

Mucci Farms is expanding with the addition of a 32-acre greenhouse in Tehachapi, CA. This move marks another step in Mucci Farms’ strategy to enhance production capabilities and ensure accessibility to fresh produce across North America. In partnership with Cox Farms, a business entity of Cox Enterprises focused on greenhouse grown food and agriculture, Mucci Farms is scaling operations to meet the growing demand for its products on the West Coast.