Ark Foods has purchased and opened its first-ever owned property, a 12,000-square-foot packhouse within the historic farming community of Immokalee, FL. The Ark Foods team has been farming in Immokalee — a hub of agricultural output — since 2014.

This acquisition is a major move for Ark Foods’ mission to make unique vegetables more accessible and affordable in grocery stores across the country. After a summer of upgrades and improvements, the new packhouse is fully operational as of November 2020.

While Smith’s Farm has seen its share of challenging years since its founding in 1859, none have been quite like 2020.

“By far, this has been our most challenging year,” said Tara Smith Vighetti, a partner in the company, a leading East Coast grower-shipper of broccoli and cauliflower.

Prepare to deck the halls with Cosmic Crisp apples this holiday season, from charcuterie and cocktails to your table and tree. Through partnerships with retailers, influencers and media, millions of shoppers will get a taste of the new Cosmic Crisp apple and inspiration to put a fresh twist on traditions. While no one can deny our 2020 gatherings look different, the Cosmic Crisp’s holiday campaign serves up simple and unique ways to make our celebrations memorable with ingredients that can be found at the grocery store. 

C&S Charities,Inc., a non-profit organization established as the coordinating entity of C&S Wholesale Grocers’ charity golf outing, announced its 35th annual Tee Up For Kids event raised $1.92 million for six nonprofit organizations devoted to ending pediatric cancer and childhood hunger. With safety as the first priority, this year the traditional golf outing transformed to a virtual fundraising experience, and with unmatched support from customers, vendors and business partners, it raised the most funds since its inception.

A coalition of California farm organizations and water districts has formally asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to appoint Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, as the new chair of the House Agriculture Committee.

In a letter sent to Pelosi last week, the 70 organizations said Costa “possesses the experience and leadership adeptness” to serve effectively as committee chair. The position opened last week when the current chair, Rep. Collin Peterson, D-MN, was defeated for re-election.

Target is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its loyalty program, Target Circle, and will be offering its nearly 80 million members more ways to save big this holiday season.

As one of the nation’s largest loyalty programs, Target Circle members have saved nearly $2 billion through Target Circle offers; earned nearly $200 million by getting 1 percent rewards on purchases to put toward their future Target visit; and directed more than $7 million to more than 2,500 local and national nonprofit organizations.