Wakefern Food Corp., one of the largest retailer-owned supermarket cooperatives in the U.S. with banners including ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Fairway Market, Gourmet Garage and Dearborn Market, has launched an autonomous convenience shop for associates to test at its company offices in Edison, NJ.

Following meetings last week with new members of the 118th Congress, International Fresh Produce Association government relations staff and a small group of IFPA members met with incoming House Agriculture Committee Chair Representative GT Thompson (PA15-R) and other key House leaders at the Pennsylvania Farm Show on Jan. 13.

Over the last decade, the apple category has evolved to sate a growing appetite for organics. Consumers crave new and exciting flavors; CMI feeds that hunger with a fourth tier of selling power devoted to high-flavor, branded organics available in one place. This is the perfect time to capitalize on that hunger and trade shoppers up, deliver incremental sales for the apple category, and give shoppers organic options that satiates their desire to eat well.

Situated on the Michigan Produce Terminal in Detroit, Ben B. Schwartz & Sons serves local and national chain stores, as well as foodservice providers. The company’s distribution network ranges to most areas of the United States and also into Canada, and it has continued expanding yearly.

In spite of all the problems we've had with COVID-19, weather and inflation, I still see fully stocked and attractive produce departments in all of my visits to the stores. This is attributed to how well every level in our industry operates. From the growers to the produce managers, the product always gets through to the consumers.

Crunch Time Apple Growers of Lockport, NY, reports its exclusive offering, RubyFrost, is up 25 percent this crop year. Described as an all-purpose apple, RubyFrost is known for its deep red skin and bright white flesh, ideal for baking or setting out on the counter for a grab-and-go snack.