Farm Pak Products Inc. will launch its newest brand, Francie’s Finest, this month in celebration of the first birthday of Francine (Francie) Barnes, daughter of company President Josh Barnes.

FirstFruits Farms, the exclusive grower of Opal apples, is excited to announce the kickoff of the highly anticipated Opal season. Known for its signature bright yellow skin, naturally non-browning flesh, and tangy-yet-sweet flavor, Opal continues to deliver an eating experience unlike any other apple.

This season, shoppers will see new packaging that highlights Opal’s bright color and crisp, sweet flavor, while making it pop out on the shelf. The refreshed design reflects FirstFruits’ focus on giving consumers a fresh look and a high-quality experience.

The Kroger Co. and Instacart announced an expanded relationship to continue to innovate the customer digital shopping experience. The companies are looking to find new ways to provide customers fresh food and pantry staples through improved efficiency, increased access to Express Delivery and new, agentic shopping experiences.

Westfalia Fruit has established a new customer development team, led by newly appointed Dani Busseni as global head of customer marketing and development. The new appointments combine market insights, commercial strategy and category management expertise to identify growth opportunities for both customers and growers.

The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas announced that Pedro Francisco Batiz Guillen will receive the Pillar of the Industry Award at FPAA’s 2025 Annual Meeting. 

The Northwest pear harvest has made a tremendous comeback from last year’s crop and is back on its feet with a 60 percent increase over 2024 — with the entire U.S. pear crop estimated at a 22 percent increase. So get ready to run some exciting retail pear promotional ads now through Christmas.