Cherry Central Cooperative named Helena Beckett as its new president and CEO, effective today.

Beckett brings more than two decades of experience in the fresh produce and retail industries, with a strong track record of driving growth, building high-performing teams and developing strategic partnerships across national retail markets. Most recently, she served as director of retail sales at BrightFresh Microgreens, where she led significant revenue growth, expanded national retail partnerships and helped drive the company’s marketing and digital commerce strategy.

William H. Kopke Jr. Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned company founded in 1937 by its namesake. For over 87 years, Kopke has built a legacy importing and exporting the finest fruits from around the world, supplying customers throughout North America and Asia. As an industry leader, the company continues to add value through vertical integration, with strategic investments in agriculture, logistics, and refrigerated distribution.

The Giant Co., known locally as Giant and Martin's, announced its Feeding School Kids initiative, in partnership with its customers, raised more than $1.2 million to address food insecurity in local school districts throughout the communities it serves.

Berry category sales rose 6.6 percent from last year, with strawberries accounting for a 5.6 percent increase and making up 42 percent of all berry sales. This demonstrates that strawberries remain a top choice for shoppers looking for fresh fruit.

For 12 weeks each year, southeast Georgia produces the only onion in the world with a cult following: the Vidalia Sweet Onion.

Shoppers know the name. They wait for it. They seek it out.

Yet in a produce department where every SKU competes for attention, simply having them in stock is not a strategy. It is a missed opportunity.