GoVerden, a Mexico-based, vertically integrated grower and processor of avocados, is expanding its marketing efforts in the United States to more fully promote its own brand.

Grocery delivery took a momentous step forward in 2020, and as retailers explore new services and delivery methods — including drones and autonomous vehicles — they're also reevaluating their relationship with delivery heavyweight Instacart, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Nature Fresh Farms continues to give back to its community this holiday season through various fundraisers and donations.

On Dec. 23, as part of its Holiday Giveaway initiative, Nature Fresh Farms distributed gift baskets to a total of 44 families in need — 34 in Windsor/Essex and 10 families in Fulton County, OH — providing each of them with $200 in groceries and a $500 gift card. This has been the fourth consecutive year Nature Fresh Farms has carried out its company Holiday Giveaway.

Hy-Vee Inc. will start hosting quarterly “Best of Local Brands” summits in 2021 to expand and enhance the product offerings at its more than 275 retail stores in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Hy-Vee is currently accepting submissions for its “Best of Brands” summits online at www.rangeme.com/hyveelocalsummit in the following categories of retail ready products: produce, grocery, deli, general merchandise, frozen, dairy, and health and beauty care.

Hazel Technologies Inc., a USDA-funded technology company delivering new solutions for the fresh produce industry to extend shelf-life, increase sales, and fight food waste, announced a new partnership with Reedley, CA-based Kliewer Farms, a leading grower of California kiwifruit, stone fruit, and table grapes.

As people across Florida face food insecurity at unprecedented levels, Publix announced a new six-week program to support six of the state’s largest food banks collectively serving 46 counties.

Food banks are in need with some reporting as much as a 300 to 400 percent increase in demand — more than 2.7 million people in Florida are struggling with hunger.