Bard Valley Natural Delights are an essential part of the Ramadan tradition as Muslims begin the daily ritual of fasting from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan lasts 30 days beginning April 12 and ending May 11. Past sales data indicate a retail sales volume spike of 57 percent during this period. Retailers are encouraged to begin building inventory on Bard Valley’s Medjool Dates to capture sales during this high-volume consumption period.

Fresh Express, a category leader in value-added salads, is contemporizing its brand with clean, refreshed packaging for its Garden, Premium Garden, Crunchy and Tender Leaf salad blends products. The new eye-catching design, which features revised artwork and graphics, aims to increase consumer appeal and purchase interest, and in independent qualitative and quantitative research, a whopping 86 percent of consumers said the updated look feels “fresh.”

The Produce Marketing Association announced that Fresh Summit 2021 will take place in person Oct. 28-30 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. PMA will welcome the industry back to the event with a variety of safety protocols and modifications developed with guidance from public health authorities.

SpartanNash announced the promotion of Amy McClellan to vice president of fresh merchandising, effective March 8. McClellan has served as senior vice president of retail operations and merchandising for Martin’s Super Markets and as division vice president, retail for SpartanNash since the company acquired Martin’s in January of 2019.

Ocean Mist Farms, a leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., announced the availability of its proprietary purple artichokes. This seasonal, limited addition to the Ocean Mist Farms artichoke family is a colorful variety selected for superior flavor and appearance. The company expects the heaviest production period to be March 15-April 30.

Brighter Bites, a nonprofit organization that delivers fresh fruits, vegetables and nutrition education resources directly into families’ hands, announced its new supplier partnership with Mr Greens Produce Texas. The partnership is a strategic one that will support Brighter Bites in continuing to bring fresh food to Austin-area families.