For the third year in a row, United Family stores will help serve the hungry in their local communities by donating more than 30,000 pounds of apples to five local food banks in their trade areas.

Bi-Lo Holdings LLC, parent company of BI-LO and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, announced that it will rebrand 18 Sweetbay stores throughout the Tampa, Brandon and Zephyrhills areas in Florida. The Sweetbay stores are scheduled to close on Saturday, April 5, and reopen on Friday, April 11, as Winn-Dixie stores.

Village Farms International Inc. announced that it is part of the first renewable energy quad-generation project ever to be realized for a greenhouse operation from fuel-cell technology.

The 2014 Fresno Food Expo presented by Union Bank will be held July 24 at the Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center New Exhibit Hall, a shift from its traditional date in March. The date change will provide greater inclusion of more than 2,500 fresh produce growers and packers in the San Joaquin Valley.

A trio of produce companies has been named to the list of Canada's Best Managed Companies.

Mastronardi Produce, a Kingsville, ON-based greenhouse vegetable producer, JemD Farms, a Leamington, ON-based greenhouse vegetable producer, and Oppy, a Vancouver-based marketer of a full line of produce items from around the world, were among the 50 best-managed companies in Canada.

California strawberry shipments as of mid-March were running significantly ahead of the same date a year ago, the difference being primarily due to good growing weather this year in contrast to cold and wet weather a year ago.