The U.S. Department of Agriculture imposed sanctions on Farm Fresh Packers LLC in Pompano Beach, FL, for violating the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. These sanctions include barring the business and the principal operators of the business from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA.

The International Fresh Produce Association announced its slate of new directors for the 2023 IFPA board of directors. The volunteer leaders will be confirmed by a ballot shared with membership and their board term will begin at the end of October.

The Pacific NW organic pear crop looks promising, as estimates point to an increase in volume over last year.

Kowalski’s Markets, the family-owned grocery retailer with 11 stores based in Woodbury, MN, announced that recently they started to offer Fyffes Fair Trade Certified Bananas.

On Tuesday, Aug. 9, Weis Markets store managers and specialists from the Company’s New Jersey and Northeast Pennsylvania stores volunteered with America’s Grow-A-Row in Pittstown, NJ. America’s Grow-A-Row partners with organizations local to its farms to harvest and distribute fresh produce to food insecure families.

Applewood Fresh Growers LLC is a fourth-generation grower, packer, shipper and marketer whose roots go back to 1935. The company is owned by the Swindeman family, who also own Applewood orchards—a grower and packer of apples located in southeast Michigan.

“Apples are the main produce item we sell, accounting for 95 percent of what we do, but we also sell some Michigan asparagus,” said Brian J Coates, vice president of sales and business development for the Sparta, MI-based company.