SpartanNash has hired Djouma Barry as its senior vice president and chief retail officer. Barry is stepping into the position preceded by Executive Vice President Corporate Retail Thomas Swanson as Swanson will exit and transition into a consulting arrangement at the end of year. Barry will oversee retail strategy and operations across SpartanNash’s growing retail footprint.

Football season is here, and it’s shaping up to be a winning year for fans and avocados. As football fans pull out their team jerseys, stock the coolers and fire up grills, one thing’s for sure: avocados are scoring big across the nation this season.

For Giovanni Cavaletto, the period from October to May is a great time of the year.

“For the next six or seven months, Mexico will be in the heart of its avocado season,” said the CEO of U.S.-based GLC Cerritos Inc., which is the sales arm for Grupo Aguacatero Los Cerritos. “We will be in peak production from now until early May.”

The International Fresh Produce Association donated 226,735 pounds of produce and 8,575 pounds of floral after this year’s Global Produce & Floral Show hosted in Atlanta. The rescue and distribution of this donation is in partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank, a member of the Feeding America network, which serves 29 counties in the Atlanta and northern Georgia region.  

Express Seed Co. released its first cut flower catalog which is available in printed and digital form. Customers can request catalogs through their sales representative, filling out this form or by emailing [email protected].

As we get closer to the transition period for California grapes, there is still time to get in another promotion or two. Quality is good but the supply will taper off until the Chilean crop becomes available.

California strawberries are also tightening up considerably. Demand is moderate and the market is steady. Mexican berries will start production in a limited way while the Florida crop will be set back a couple weeks due to hurricanes.