Nature Fresh Farms continues to give back to its community this holiday season through various fundraisers and donations.

On Dec. 23, as part of its Holiday Giveaway initiative, Nature Fresh Farms distributed gift baskets to a total of 44 families in need — 34 in Windsor/Essex and 10 families in Fulton County, OH — providing each of them with $200 in groceries and a $500 gift card. This has been the fourth consecutive year Nature Fresh Farms has carried out its company Holiday Giveaway.

Hy-Vee Inc. will start hosting quarterly “Best of Local Brands” summits in 2021 to expand and enhance the product offerings at its more than 275 retail stores in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Hy-Vee is currently accepting submissions for its “Best of Brands” summits online at www.rangeme.com/hyveelocalsummit in the following categories of retail ready products: produce, grocery, deli, general merchandise, frozen, dairy, and health and beauty care.

Hazel Technologies Inc., a USDA-funded technology company delivering new solutions for the fresh produce industry to extend shelf-life, increase sales, and fight food waste, announced a new partnership with Reedley, CA-based Kliewer Farms, a leading grower of California kiwifruit, stone fruit, and table grapes.

As people across Florida face food insecurity at unprecedented levels, Publix announced a new six-week program to support six of the state’s largest food banks collectively serving 46 counties.

Food banks are in need with some reporting as much as a 300 to 400 percent increase in demand — more than 2.7 million people in Florida are struggling with hunger.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that Fernando McIntyre, doing business as Morning Star Produce, satisfied an $8,640 reparation order issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act involving unpaid produce transactions.

The McAllen, TX, company can continue operating in the produce industry upon applying for and being issued a PACA license. McIntyre was listed as the sole proprietor of the business and may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.

WP Rawl, a premier grower, processor and shipper of leafy greens, honored fallen military heroes by participating in Wreaths Across America Day this December.

WP Rawl’s dedicated truck and trailer traveled from Pelion, SC, to Columbia Falls, ME, to pick up thousands of fresh evergreen wreaths to be placed on the headstones of veterans — a symbol used for centuries to recognize and honor the fallen.