AWG Brands, the private brands program of Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc., is adding 63 new items to its product portfolio in the first quarter of 2026. The curated rollout across the Best Choice, Superior Selections by Best Choice, Tippy Toes, TopCare and Simply Done brands reinforces the company’s commitment to providing independent retailers with quality, on-trend products that provide exceptional value.

When Lumo Founder Devon Wright walked onto the AgSharks pitch stage at the 99th Western Growers Annual Meeting, he never would have guessed he was moments away from winning the 2025 Audience Choice Award. He certainly didn’t feel like a winner. In fact, he actually felt terrible.

“I was sick that day,” Wright said with a laugh. “I woke up late. I took a bunch of medicine and thought everyone could tell. I was just ready to get out of there.”

Harps Food Stores Inc. has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire 18 stores from Joey and Jeanie Hays, owners of Dyer Foods, an independent grocery retailer with multiple locations across western Tennessee.

The store locations being acquired are in the following towns: Fulton, KY; Alamo, TN; Bells, TN; Brownsville, TN; Covington, TN; Dyersburg, TN; Halls, TN; Henderson, TN; Humboldt, TN; Jackson, TN; Millington, TN; Newbern, TN; Somerville, TN; Tiptonville, TN; and Trenton, TN.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has filed an administrative complaint against IE AAA LLC, Citrus World. The company, operating from New York, allegedly failed to make payment promptly to 17 produce sellers in the amount of $1.96 million from March 2024 through March 2025, in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.

The countdown to one of America’s most anticipated seasonal ingredients has officially begun. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper, in coordination with the Vidalia Onion Committee, announced that April 13 has been set as the official pack date for the 2026 Vidalia onion season, marking the day growers can begin packing and shipping the world-famous sweet onions to retailers across the country.

Supporting students who are committed to building careers in floriculture has long been one of the core focuses of the American Floral Endowment. Continuing that commitment, the August (Gus) and Mary Belle De Hertogh Scholarship Fund is being established by Mary Belle De Hertogh in honor of her late husband, Gus, celebrating their shared belief in the power of education and their enduring commitment to supporting the next generation of floriculture professionals.