The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on four produce businesses — Assured Edge Solutions, Golden Hills Foods, Zia Onion Sales and Fresh Central Trading — for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and 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 approval from USDA.

As the leaves change color and the air gets cooler, it’s time for florists to prepare for the always-exciting fall season. Rio Roses explores five ways to prepare flower businesses so they can reap the rewards of a busy autumn.

1. Use Data to Plan for Fall

Real Local Florists Inc., through the efforts of Harold M. Hoogasian, have donated $20,000 to the American Floral Endowment to support and bolster future educational efforts. This significant contribution creates a lasting legacy for the Real Local Florists.

Giant Eagle Inc. announced a 20 percent average price reduction on more than 200 produce items across its Giant Eagle and Market District locations, offering customers an estimated $25 million in annual savings. Its New Low Price initiative will include many of the most popular items in the produce department as Giant Eagle aims to provide affordable access to high-quality fresh food in the face of continued high grocery costs across the neighborhoods it serves.

Family Tree Farms announced the creation of the Jack & Sun brand under its parent company, PayBack Provisions Inc. The Jackson family of Kingsburg, CA, owners of Family Tree Farms, along industry veterans Matt Fuller, Willem Meyer and Amanda Goers formed PayBack to collaborate on creating healthy and delicious snacks from the fruit grown by Family Tree Farms and other world-class farmers.