The Southeast Produce Council’s STEP-UPP Retail Class set out on its summer tour last month, taking participants into the field and on plant tours to gain hands-on experience in how to partner with growers more effectively. STEP-UPP, which is an acronym for Southeast Training Education Program for Upcoming Produce Professionals, is SEPC’s flagship program giving retail and foodservice produce professionals a greater understanding of the industry through an emphasis on strategic orientation, personal leadership, and hands-on field experience.

The American Floral Endowment has a long history of honoring industry champions through memorial tributes. These tributes allow friends and family to contribute to AFE to forever honor and recognize, in a lasting way, the successes, achievements and legacy of fallen friends and family.

Getting people to eat more fruits and vegetables has been an ongoing effort for nearly everybody associated with the produce industry.

Perhaps a glance at the results from the second annual Consumer Curiosity Report, developed by Curious Plot, a marketing communications agency specializing in the produce industry, can provide some inspiration for those hawking their produce.

Though the foodservice sector is known to buy many different specialty packs for low volume items, McAllen, TX-based GR Fresh concentrates its sales in the category to its more voluminous items touting its bulk options.

The International Fresh Produce Association hired Jessica Keller as its vice president of global industry relations.  

Keller is the first to serve in this role, which was created to align with IFPA’s core commitment to grow member value globally. She will direct and support the association’s global representatives and country councils and committees and lead the implementation of the association’s global portfolio.  

William H. Kopke Jr. Inc. has acquired R B Sandrini Cold Storage in Delano, CA, and Safco of America operations in Visalia, CA. These strategic moves mark a significant milestone in Kopke's ongoing efforts to enhance its position in the business, with a focus on expanding its operational capabilities on the West Coast.