Natural Delights makes strategic shift to strengthen U.S. market focus
Natural Delights is making a strategic shift in its business model to further support and grow domestic demand. As part of this evolution, the company will refocus its distribution primarily on the U.S. market while continuing to invest in category growth and consumer engagement nationwide.
Schools are America’s largest nutrition platform, and we’re not fully using it
If we step back and look at the landscape of public health in the United States, one thing becomes clear: schools represent one of the most powerful — and underleveraged — nutrition platforms we have.Every single day, millions of children interact with federally supported feeding programs. Whether through the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program or educational snack-based initiatives like the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, schools are not just places of education, they are daily touchpoints for food exposure at scale.
Progressive Produce sees growth in organic category under Nature’s Bounty brand
With more than 50 organic stock-keeping units, Progressive Produce has a wide variety of items to offer, including year-round programs in key commodities.The Los Angeles-based company is promoting the quality of its organic russet potatoes this spring, according to Gael Vazquez, vice president of procurement and grower relations.
SEPC’s STEP-UPP Retail Class completes immersive spring tour
The Southeast Produce Council successfully hosted its 2026 STEP-UPP Retail Class for their annual spring tour last week. The intensive multi-day journey took participants directly into the fields and through state-of-the-art facilities, providing hands-on experience designed to foster more effective partnerships between retail professionals and growers.
Wegmans bolsters staff, invests in stores
Wegmans Food Markets Inc. has released its 2025 Impact Report, sharing the various ways the company makes a difference for its customers, communities and employees. The company opened three new stores in 2025, creating approximately 1,400 permanent jobs and hundreds of temporary construction positions.The company invests approximately $100 million annually in roughly 700 store upgrade projects.Wegmans also sources products from 400 family farms and local suppliers to provide customers with a variety of local goods including produce, meat and cheeses.
Brand refresh for Fresh Pro's Honey Watermelons
Fresh Pro launched its refreshed Honey Watermelons brand. Designed to support shopper marketing and increase consumer engagement, the updated brand introduces an integrated marketing platform that helps simplify watermelon selection and drive demand at the shelf.The refresh includes a new consumer landing page, original video content, point‑of‑sale materials and an enhanced PLU system — delivering retail‑ready tools that guide shopper decision‑making and promote engagement at point of purchase.
Social media seminar provides tips for EPC Leadership Class
Members of the 2026 Eastern Produce Council Leadership Class participated in a seminar about making the most of social media prior to the April 7 general EPC membership meeting, sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture at Topgolf in Edison, NJ. The general EPC membership was also invited to attend this timely seminar.
North Shore continues tradition of innovation
For nearly four decades, North Shore Greenhouses has redefined how fresh herbs reach the retail shelf. The company continues that legacy with new product innovation designed to enhance both retail merchandising and the consumer experience.
Anthony Vinyards diversifies grape portfolio with high-flavor varieties
As the California grape season gets underway, Anthony Vineyards Inc. is once again positioning its Coachella Valley program as a key early driver of domestic supply, offering retailers a reliable transition from imports into fresh California fruit.With operations based in Bakersfield and key facilities in Coachella and Thermal, the company has long been a major player in the early California deal, leveraging its desert growing regions to bring grapes to market ahead of the San Joaquin Valley harvest.
FlowerTrials 2026 to bring global pot and bedding plant professionals to three regions
FlowerTrials will bring together ornamental plant professionals from more than 90 countries from June 9-12, 2026, as 58 breeding companies showcase their latest innovations and future developments across three growing regions in the Netherlands and Germany.The event offers attendees the opportunity to connect with horticultural professionals worldwide while discovering cutting-edge novelties in pot and bedding plants.