The U.S. Department of Agriculture will announce Dec. 5 that it is terminating plans for a national leafy greens marketing agreement in light of the new food-safety regulations that have been proposed by the Food & Drug Administration.

The scant, seven-page notice, which will appear in the Federal Register, ends the four-year journey for a national leafy greens handling agreement that started when Western Growers Association and other trade groups petitioned FDA on June 10, 2009, before the Food Safety Modernization Act was enacted.

Turbana’s Growing Smiles, Sharing Goodness movement has gained momentum over the last few months. The Coral Gables, FL-based company kicked off the movement in August 2013 on its Facebook and Twitter pages, encouraging individuals to eat healthy, be active and get more involved in their communities.

This past year Kroger invested $71 million in the Cincinnati area, opening three new stores, performing major remodels at four locations and opening six new fuel centers. The company anticipates investing significantly more money in the area for 2014.

At this point the only two projects that have been approved are a new store in Florence, OH, expected to open in the spring and a major remodel at its Mt. Zion, OH, location.

Market Fresh Produce hired Windsor (Windy) Hall as general manager for Market Fresh Produce-Florida.

Owners at River Point Farms, America’s largest onion producer headquartered in Hermiston, OR, are moving forward with a new business plan including major improvements at the company’s facilities. “We are currently focused on substantial equipment and facility upgrades to be completed over the next 18 to 24 months,” President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Hale told The Produce News.

Located just outside Kearney, NE, M&J Farms provides retailers and foodservice operators locally grown Spanish sweet onions that are hand-sorted and shipped either by bulk or in 50-pound bags.