Down $35 million, Fairway may face bankruptcy
Fairway Market, which operates 15 locations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, said it intends to grow its store base in the New York City metropolitan area for the next several years; however, the company continues to experience significant losses, which could result in its need to file for bankruptcy protection.
USDA files action against Virginia company over $500,000 of produce payments
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has filed an administrative action under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act against Andrews Farming Inc. of Hillsville, VA. The company allegedly failed to make payment to 11 produce sellers in the amount of $513,226 from December 2014 through June 2015.
Chipotle commits $10 million to help local farmers
Chipotle Mexican Grill announced the formation of the Chipotle Local Grower Support Initiative, a new program to help smaller, local suppliers meet its heightened food-safety standards. The company plans to commit up to $10 million to help local farms meet its food-safety standards and to make more local ingredients available across the country.
CAC shows marketing savvy with #BigGameAdd program
When your marketing budget is dwarfed by a heavy-spending Goliath, it’s time take a cue from David. That’s what the California Avocado Commission did with its #BigGameAdd program Super Bowl weekend, joining in the Big Game action on social media by celebrating commercials from food and beverage companies.
Stemilt sees apple sales trend up
Apples contributed more dollars on average to U.S. produce departments in December 2015 than in 2014, despite volume being down slightly year-over-year, according to the latest Stemilt-O-Graphic.
Sambrailo launches new site and suite of services
Sambrailo Packaging, which offers innovative and integrated packaging solutions, is kicking off 2016 with a new website and suite of services branded as Sambrailo Resource Management.
Cal Giant continues to hone social media effort
If data is gold…and maybe it is…California Giant Berry Farms is rich indeed.
The Watsonville, CA-based strawberry grower was one of the first fresh produce shippers to tout the importance of connecting with the consumer through social media. They have continued down that path for several years now, honing their offerings and learning more and more about the people who buy their products.
Black Gold Farms: Red is the new color of St. Patrick’s Day
Black Gold Farms is letting retailers know that that this year, red is the new color of St. Patrick’s Day. While the color green may be synonymous with the holiday, red potatoes are already part of St. Patrick’s Day feasts, whether they’re Irish or not — and the sales numbers show it.
Meijer program generates $2.4 million for food pantries
The Meijer Simply Give program set a holiday record with $2.4 million for food pantries throughout the Midwest, making it the most successful holiday campaign in the program’s history.
USDA restricts three California PACA violators
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on three produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.
The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry: