Mac Johnson, a major force in the snack-food world and a produce marketing icon, died Sunday, Dec. 12 in Newnan, GA, due to complications from cancer. He was 74 years old.

With its premium Envy apple on track to be a billion-dollar brand and global demand for its other apple varieties on the increase, one of New Zealand’s largest apple growers and marketers, T&G Global, has announced significant investment in its apple operations, including $100 million for a new state-of-the-art packhouse.
 

This year's New York Produce Show & Conference offered roughly 5,000 attendees and 400 exhibitors seven hours of non-stop business opportunities. While on the trade show floor attendees had a chance to take part in educational seminars run throughout the show. The four-day event ran Dec. 13-16.

Raley’s announced the completion of its Bashas’ acquisition.  The company had entered into a definitive agreement to purchase all the assets of the Bashas’ Co.  This transaction closed earlier this week, and the Bashas’ Co. will join a newly formed enterprise, The Raley’s Cos..

As a third-generation family farm, onions have been a part of G&R Farms’ DNA since its beginnings.

“In fact, we shipped the first Vidalia onions to a retailer — Piggly Wiggly — back in the 1960s and I guess you can say the rest is history,” said Walt Dasher, vice president of business development for the Glennville, GA-based company. “Today, we grow over 5,000 acres of sweet onions across Georgia and Peru and are a top supplier of sweet onions.”

Let’s keep the winter-berry train rolling right along with some cross-merchandising ideas to keep the register ringing right on through the ringing in of the new year! By now your shoppers hopefully have a sense of how delicious winter strawberries can be, but with a little creativity, those 100-percent recyclable clamshell packages can help fill up shopping carts with other delectable goodies as well. It’s all a matter of knowing which desserts, snacks, and meals will motivate shoppers to not only purchase plenty of berries, but the corresponding ingredients as well!