As we move through the back half of August, the fall transition is beginning to take shape in the Salinas Valley. While volume has remained relatively steady, several factors are starting to chip away at yields and quality.

Lately, lighter weights have become more common, especially in Romaine and Iceberg boxes. Some shippers are diverting products into secondary labels due to appearance and sizing issues. Premium labels are still available, but substitutions are becoming more common across the industry.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has filed an administrative complaint against Freshquita Brands LLC. The company, operating from Texas, allegedly failed to make prompt payment to 14 produce sellers in the amount of $271,497.27 from November 2023 through September 2024, in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.

July was a record-setting month for the online grocery segment. Sales totaled $10 billion, a 26 percent increase from the prior year, according to the latest Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopper Survey, sponsored by Mercatus.

The surge in sales can be attributed to record-high household penetration, strong order activity and solid gains in spending rates, which helped online capture over 17 percent of total grocery spending during the month.

Each July and August, stores across The United Family in Texas and New Mexico host the annual Hatch Chile Fest, a promotion all about the celebration of the Hatch chile. During the promotion, stores conduct on-site roastings of fresh Hatch chiles, build special displays and prepare numerous limited-time products across departments.

Procurant and Fusionware launched a seamless integration that brings unprecedented automation and visibility to fresh food supply chains.

Get the large salad bowls out along with your favorite salad dressings. This is the ideal time to promote those summer salads for backyard BBQs, parties, family gatherings or camping. Plan a nice ad flyer section of all lettuce varieties to draw those customers.