Last week, Brighter Bites, a Houston, TX-based nonprofit providing under-resourced families with fresh fruits and vegetables and nutrition education, hosted a virtual wine event, Wine for a Cause, as part of the International Fresh Produce Association Foodservice Conference held in Monterey, CA.

Sterman Masser, a partner member of Fresh Solutions Network, formed the Lykens Valley Grain Co. through an acquisition by Sterman Masser Potato Farms from Perdue Agribusiness. The purchase includes the Upper Dauphin Grain Center in Pennsylvania, renamed Lykens Valley Grain. Sterman Masser will use the facility to store all the grain they grow and harvest, in addition to local farmers' wheat, corn and contracted soybeans.

Higher retail prices of organic fresh produce during the second quarter of 2022 generated a 3.7 percent increase in total organic dollars but also contributed to a decline in organic volume of 2.8 percent, according to Q2 2022 Organic Produce Performance Report issued by the Organic Produce Network and Category Partners.

The International Fresh Produce Association announced that Laura Linney will be the keynote speaker for the Women’s Fresh Perspectives General Session on Saturday, Oct. 29 at the Global Produce & Floral Show held in Orlando, FL. The session, titled “Women in Film: Navigating a Male-Dominated Industry,” will feature Linney’s insights on her experience in Hollywood. 

Summer is the ideal season for hosting or attending a potluck with family and friends. This distributes the responsibility for cooking among all attendees and each guest receives a plate full of exciting and different foods. The best part is that there is more time to socialize and enjoy the company of who you are with. In the warmer weather, wilt-free salads are ideal for bringing to an outdoor gathering, whether it’s a pool party, backyard BBQ, or a family reunion at the park.

While there was hope for a return to normal in 2022 following two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Salix Fruits, a global import-export company based in Philadelphia, has been faced with additional challenges involving the war in Ukraine, climate changes and strikes that have affected the fruit produce industry.