Honeybear Brands is freshening up the apple supply chain with the introduction of Chilean imports. This aims to provide retailers nationwide with a continuous supply of freshly picked apples and pears year-round, beginning in March. By leveraging its Chilean operations, Honeybear Brands is poised to enhance the availability and freshness of fruits in the market, catering to evolving consumer preferences and retailer demands.

The U.S. Apple Association named the newest members of its leadership development program, the NextGen Apple Fellowship. Seven fellows from across the country have been selected to participate in the 2024 class.

The new members are Amanda VanBergen of Riveridge Produce Marketing Inc., Austin Benson of Chelan Fresh, Brannon Frankel of AgriMACS Inc., Joseph Strippoli of Geig's Orchard, Madison Schaefer of Storage Control Systems Inc., Max Farrell of Seso Labor and Shelby Miller of Applewood Fresh.

Charter Next Generation will feature Solar Shrink, a certified recyclable mulch film that is up to 50 percent lighter and four to six times stronger than traditional products, at the National Watermelon Association convention Feb. 21-24 at the We-Ko-Pa Resort and Conference Center in Scottsdale, AZ.

Fareway Stores Inc. CEO Reynolds Cramer recently announced three officer group promotions: Bret Wiltse, executive vice president of merchandising; Rick Beckwith II, vice president and supervisor; and Stephen Morgan, vice president of IT.

“These officers are important members of our team, having been instrumental in supporting and executing Fareway’s strategy," said Cramer. They contribute greatly to our core and expanding operations, and will be important to our continued success.”

Upside, a digital marketplace dedicated to empowering individuals and businesses financially, announced its partnership with nearly 80 independently owned Shop ‘n Save locations in western Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Ohio and West Virginia.

Hippo Harvest, a controlled environment agriculture startup developing advanced greenhouse systems that produce sustainably grown produce, announced the close of its $21 million Series B funding round. The funding will be used to scale the company's greenhouse operations and to expand its product offerings into new categories of leafy greens.