Meijer holds community giving events
For more than 90 years, Meijer has supported local communities, including through in-store holiday shopping events. In the last 10 years, the company hosted more than 1,750 events, partnered with more than 560 organizations and impacted more than 5,200 families. This year more than $970,000 was invested in its holiday shopping partnership events.
Seeded Produce adds new L.A. office, increases product line
Seeded Produce, a Nogales, AZ-based distributor of Mexican produce items, has opened an office in the Los Angeles area and is expanding its product line to include items from Asia and Central and South America that it previously did not offer.
Inspiring the next generation of floral designers at Texas A&M’s Benz School of Floral Design
Earlier this fall, AFE Program Manager Candice Musgrove and members of the Vic and Margaret Ball Committee visited the Benz School of Floral Design at Texas A&M University, one of the many programs supported through AFE’s James and Helen Phillip Floral Design Grant. The visit offered a firsthand look at how AFE’s educational funding is helping students strengthen their skills, pursue their passions and build meaningful futures in the floral industry.
USDA restricts PACA violators in California, New York and Washington
The U.S. Department of Agriculture imposed sanctions on five produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the businesses’ principal operators from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without USDA approval.The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
Wholesum continues to innovate tomato line
Wholesum Family Farms, a leading grower of organic greenhouse tomatoes, is rolling out a new heirloom variety that pays homage to its French roots while offering consumers a superior eating experience.
Walmart teams up with carrot supplier, powering reindeer
What started as a simple gesture, leaving a few crunchy carrots next to the cookies and milk, has grown into one of the most heartwarming and enduring holiday traditions for families with young children. It’s a moment filled with imagination: kids carefully selecting the perfect carrots for Santa’s reindeer, debating which gets the biggest one and proudly arranging their display before heading to bed.
Community-Suffolk maintains steady growth and trusted service
With nearly a century operating in the New England produce industry, Community-Suffolk continues to reinforce its reputation as one of the most dependable wholesale suppliers serving Boston and the surrounding region. Its customer base includes an almost even mix of retail and wholesale clients, and company representatives take great pride in the longstanding relationships they have cultivated with both growers and shippers.
1-800-FLOWERS.COM appoints Alex Zelikovsky chief information officer
1-800-FLOWERS.COM Inc. announced the appointment of Alex Zelikovsky as chief information officer, a move aimed at advancing the company’s digital transformation strategy under CEO Adolfo Villagomez.
Giving back feels good: Beacon impatiens delivers charitable donations for 2025 season
PanAmerican Seed continued its support of charitable causes in 2025 through its Beacon Impatiens Beacon Shines the Light program, which raises awareness and provides assistance to selected nonprofit organizations each year.For the 2025 season, Beacon Impatiens presented two charitable donations — one to esp Inc. in the United States and another to Greenfingers Charity in the United Kingdom.
Alexandra Farms showcases garden roses at IFTF 2025
Alexandra Farms displayed its garden rose collection earlier this month at IFTF 2025, highlighting its largest exhibit to date.The company’s booth featured 75 garden rose varieties, along with an expanded selection of diversified products. The exhibit reflected Alexandra Farms’ continued growth and commitment to offering a broad range of colors, textures and varieties to the floral industry.