Fresh fruits and vegetables came to life to celebrate the hard work and dedication of school lunch heroes on National School Lunch Hero Day, May 7.

Studies show that some of the healthiest meals of the day for school children come from school lunch programs because many school children don’t have access to healthy fruits and vegetables at home. The DNO team is committed to continuing to raise awareness to continue to work toward easy access for fresh-cut produce options to support school meal foodservice providers.

Noting that “there are still a lot of potatoes out there,” Skyline Potato Co. General Manager Les Alderete said his Center, CO, shed will ship the remainder of its 2020 crop into August this year.

He added, “We have quite a bit left, and we think we’ll go the first two weeks into August, about a week or so longer than normal if demand keeps up.”

Strawberries are a year-round anchor of the berry category in U.S. supermarkets, representing nearly two-thirds of the sales volume and more than $3 billion in annual sales.

Ever since Glenmont, NY-based New York Apple Sales launched Yes! Apples in 2019, the consumer-friendly apple brand has worked to become a force in the industry.

Employee-owned Tanimura & Antle, one of the largest grower-shippers in the Salinas Valley, announced the promotion of Brett Champlin to senior director of harvest operations. In his new role, Champlin will oversee the day-to-day harvest operations for all the company’s crops.

Stemilt’s cherry season kicks off this week in California and all eyes are on the crop’s upcoming promotional window and the fast-approaching Memorial Day holiday. The 2021 California crop projects more promotable volume compared to last year’s smaller crop, with good sizing and flavors predicted between now and mid-June.