Brighter Bites, a Houston-based nonprofit that provides underserved families with fresh produce and nutrition education to improve health outcomes, today announced it has received an additional $1.5 million grant from the Walmart Foundation to expand programming in diverse communities throughout the country. The grant will support Brighter Bites’ ongoing response to the Covid-19 pandemic and nutrition crisis by fueling growth in Houston, Dallas, Austin, the Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has filed an administrative complaint against Imperial Frozen Foods Op Co LLC for alleged violations of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. The company, operating from North Carolina, allegedly failed to make payment promptly to 31 produce sellers in the amount of $6.37 million from May 2019 through January 2020.

Gerald L. Harp, former president of Harps Food Stores, died Oct. 16. The son of Harvard and Floy Harp, founders of Harps Food Stores, was 80.

Magic Sun, well known as a leading grower of conventional and organic tomatoes, has taken its agricultural expertise to a new commodity and expanded its product line to include blueberries.  Grown in the Mexican region of Jalisco, there are approximately 52 acres of blueberries planted across three varieties: Biloxi, Jupiter and Atlas, which offer medium to jumbo-sized berries with great taste and performance that are popular with consumers.

With pistachios, citrus, pomegranates and Pom Wonderful products leading the charge, The Wonderful Company has a full fall lineup and a bevy of opportunities on tap for consumers and retailers.

During the recent Fresh Summit, The Wonderful Company team sat down with The Produce News, via a video meeting, to discuss its various crops, new offerings and the promotional support it is offering for each of its categories.

Beachside Produce LLC is bringing a full production of Brussels sprouts, celery and broccoli for the Holiday Season.

Production is well under way for Beachside Brussels sprouts.  They are grown domestically in Lompoc and Guadalupe, CA, and are shipped from several different locations in the Santa Maria Valley, for quick loading convenience. Supplies will be steady through the end of the year in California, with steady production continuing in Mexico for 2021.