FRESNO, CA - Classic Fruit is pleased to announce their new Fair Trade USA Authorization for their offshore melon operations at Classic Guatemala. Aligning with their commitment to social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and integrity, the team is excited to further enhance their mission of providing high quality melons to consumers.

“For many years, Classic Guatemala has utilized Rainforest Alliance and SMETA certifications to measure our social, environmental, and sustainability efforts and objectives,” comments Paul Raggio, President at Classic Fruit, in a recent press release. “Fair Trade USA allows Classic Guatemala to operate more efficiently by consolidating these efforts and objectives desired by us and many of our customers, under a single certification process. In addition, Fair Trade USA provides an opportunity for Classic Fruit and many of our customers to enhance the lives of our Guatemalan employees and the communities they live in.”

Playing a huge role in achieving the Fair Trade Authorization was Classic Fruit’s newest hire, Andrea Griggs, who led the overall certification process. “Andrea was hired this last August to work in Food Safety Compliance at Classic Fruit,” continues Raggio. “With over 15 years of executive leadership in food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance, Andrea’s expertise aligns with our commitment to maintaining high standards in food safety, product quality, and sustainable practices. She has experience establishing and/or improving food safety programs inclusive of in-house laboratories, and in collaborating with USDA and FDA through complex audits and certifications in the meat and almond industries, so Andrea was a natural choice for us.”

“I joined the company last year and immediately began researching various sustainability and social responsibility programs that aligned closely with our company's values as well as those of our partners and customers,” states Andrea Griggs. “After evaluating several options and presenting them to management, we selected Fair Trade USA as the most suitable certification as it was important to us that we align with customer expectations and strengthen the company's values-driven mission."

Finding a suitable certification that strengthens their mission was especially important for the Classic Fruit and Westside Produce Alliance. “Classic Fruit and Westside Produce have a shared commitment to food safety,” comments Garrett Patricio, President of Westside Produce. “Any certifications or standards we set must be both rigorous and embodied within our company culture. Achieving Fair Trade USA certification in our Guatemalan operation is yet another example of that commitment and having Andrea here to help with that has been instrumental.”

All in all, when it comes to the certification benefits, Griggs states how being Fair Trade certified “includes improved worker welfare, gives access to new markets, builds stronger relationships with ethical retailers, and enhances brand trust among socially conscious consumers.” These benefits only continue to recognize the importance of obtaining this certification for both the alliance and its customers and confirms their commitment to social, environmental, and economic standards as well as their commitment to ethical practices and improving conditions for farm workers.

MONTEREY, CA - The Organic Grower Summit, presented by Farm Progress, has officially opened nominations for the eighth annual Grower of the Year award. New for 2025, the selection process will feature four finalists who will be invited to attend the summit, where the winner will be revealed during the event.

The prestigious Grower of the Year award recognizes exceptional leadership and commitment to organic farming and innovation in the organic industry. Four finalists will be recognized, and the winner will be announced during the Organic Grower Summit, scheduled for Dec. 3-4, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa in Monterey, California.

"We're excited to enhance this year's award program by recognizing four outstanding finalists who represent excellence in organic agriculture," said Matt Jungmann, national events director for Farm Progress. "This new format allows us to showcase more of the incredible work being done by organic growers across the country while building anticipation for the final announcement at the Summit."

Nominations can be submitted online via the Organic Grower Summit website. The committee will evaluate candidates based on their commitment to organic farming practices, industry leadership, and innovation in organic agriculture. A full overview of the award criteria is available on the website.

The Grower of the Year award has previously honored distinguished leaders in organic agriculture, including Dick Peixoto of Lakeside Organic Gardens (2024), Rod Braga of Braga Fresh (2023) and Jeff Huckaby of Grimmway Farms (2022). The award presentation will be a highlight of the summit's comprehensive educational program, which includes seminars on ag tech, soil health, pest management, and other critical topics for organic producers.

Nominations for outstanding organic growers are now being accepted through the official online submission form. All nominations must be submitted by Aug. 31, 2025.

Registration for the 2025 Organic Grower Summit will become available in July 2025. Interested parties may sign up for email notifications to receive registration information.

PORTERVILLE, CA - Reporting a strong start to its domestic stonefruit season, Homegrown Organic Farms breaks down the strategies necessary to keep category sales high throughout the summer.

“We’re seeing excellent quality across our organic stonefruit varieties, with clean, vibrant fruit, strong sizing, and solid volume projections,” begins Parker Anderson, Tree Fruit Category Manager. “Favorable weather during bloom and early fruit set the stage for a successful season. With the added supply from our new partnership with Kliewer Family Farms, we’re well-positioned to support our retail partners with consistent, flavorful fruit throughout the summer.”

In addition to its new partnership, the company has expanded its Regenerative Organic Certified® offerings—a farming approach that restores the land, supports soil biodiversity, and delivers incredibly flavorful fruit.

“We’re also offering conventional stonefruit to provide added flexibility and convenience for our retail partners,” adds Parker. “Paired with our EFI-certified facility, our program reflects a deep, holistic commitment to fair labor, food safety, and sustainability. This isn’t just a stonefruit program—it’s a mission-driven partnership rooted in transparency, integrity, and people-first values.”

As a 100% employee-owned company, the team is personally invested in the quality of every piece of fruit they grow, pack, and ship. This is something shoppers deeply care about when reaching for products to add to their baskets.

“Stonefruit sells itself when it’s ripe, juicy, and full of flavor—but storytelling still matters,” Parker notes. “Shoppers care about where and how their food is grown. With Homegrown, you’re offering more than great fruit—you’re offering transparency, sustainability, and a connection to real family farms.”

We’ll stay connected to the stonefruit season as it unfolds, so stay tuned to us here at AndNowUKnow.

SALINAS, CA - Retailers, get ready: Naturipe Farms, one of the largest berry growers and breeders in the world, is excited to announce promotable volumes of fresh, flavorful blackberries from the Southeast, led by Georgia-grown fruit and featuring our highly-sought after proprietary variety, Southern Grace. With Mexico’s crop winding down and domestic production ramping up, this year’s blackberry season is off to a strong start.

“Our Southern Grace variety delivers exceptional flavor and consistently high quality, and we’re excited to bring this delightful berry to our retail partners at just the right time,” said Fernando Aguiar, Director of Business Development at Naturipe Farms, in a recent press release. “It’s a unique opportunity to promote a regionally grown blackberry that really stands out on the shelf — and in the clamshell.”

Naturipe’s domestic blackberry peak is expected to begin in late May and run through most of June, with promotable volumes available in both 6 oz and 12 oz clamshells. This is a great time for retailers to capitalize on consumer demand for local and regionally-sourced foods, highlighting the Georgia origins of Naturipe Blackberries and driving purchases during a key window for berry sales.

Naturipe Raspberries are also headed into a peak in June, with crops boasting both strong quality as well as promotable volumes. All Naturipe’s Raspberries are 100% proprietary varieties, and are specially bred for flavor and appearance – they last longer on the shelves and taste sweeter than others on the market. They are available in the same convenient 6 oz and 12 oz. pack sizes.

“June is a great time to run a dual blackberry and raspberry promotion,“ Aguiar added. “It’s a one-two punch of flavor, quality, and value.”

With promotable volumes, proprietary varieties, and a focus on locally grown goodness, Naturipe’s late spring berry lineup is a win for retailers and consumers. For more information on Naturipe’s offerings, contact sales at [email protected].

WASHINGTON - The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) issued the following statement after the House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee voted to move forward its Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies funding bill on June 5. The bill reduces the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) cash value benefit (CVB) by 10 percent for fruits and vegetables in 2026 with the goal of an eventual slash in benefits from $54 per month for women and $27 per month for children, to a mere $13 and $10, respectively – a cut of almost 75 percent.

“The committee’s proposed bill would cut $100 million from WIC in 2026 and create a pathway to an eventual $1 billion reduction in fruit and vegetable benefits WIC provides for young children and pregnant and post-partum mothers. On the heels of the president’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report that recognized the health effectiveness of WIC’s fruit and vegetable benefit, we are deeply troubled that the committee is choosing this path. These proposed cuts would have serious consequences for connecting farm-fresh produce to low-income women and children — populations already at increased risk for diet-related health disparities.

“The current benefit amount is consistent with the 2017 National Academy of Science’s recommendations to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. As a result, young children participating in WIC have consumed more fruits and vegetables daily, while growers have experienced a wider variety of fruits and vegetables being sold through the program than when the benefit was at lower amounts. At a time when nearly half of U.S. children do not eat a daily vegetable, reducing WIC benefits would undermine national nutrition initiatives and contradict bipartisan efforts to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, improve dietary quality, and support farmers.”

BENTONVILLE, AR - Walmart is taking convenience to new heights—and new speeds—with the expansion of its drone delivery service. Now, millions of customers in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa will enjoy the convenience of receiving their orders in just minutes—making Walmart the first retailer to scale drone delivery across five states: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. This rapid expansion reinforces Walmart’s leadership in tech-enabled retail, bringing the future of shopping to even more customers—right from the sky, faster than ever before.

“As we look ahead, drone delivery will remain a key part of our commitment to redefining retail. We’re pushing the boundaries of convenience to better serve our customers, making shopping faster and easier than ever before,” said Greg Cathey, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. Transformation and Innovation, in the recent release. “This expansion of our drone delivery service marks a significant milestone in that journey. As the first retailer to scale drone delivery, Walmart is once again demonstrating its commitment to leveraging technology to enhance our delivery offerings with a focus on speed.”

Next-level convenience, delivered to more customers in minutes

The new drone service will launch at 100 stores, building on the existing operations in Northwest Arkansas and Dallas-Fort Worth. Through an agreement with established drone provider Wing, Walmart can deliver a faster, more efficient service to even more customers — ensuring they get what they need, when they need it, in a way that’s both safe and sustainable. Wing operates within FAA guidelines, flying their drones Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) up to a 6-mile aircraft range from the store.

“This is real drone delivery at scale,” said Adam Woodworth, CEO of Wing. “People all around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex have made drone delivery part of their normal shopping habits over the past year. Now we’re excited to share this ultra-fast delivery experience with millions more people across many more U.S. cities.”

Customers in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa can sign up on Wing’s website to be notified when drone delivery becomes available in their area by visiting wing.com/walmart.

Dallas-Fort Worth customers can check their eligibility for service today at wing.com/dfw.

From first flight to full speed ahead

Since launching drone delivery in 2021, Walmart has completed more than 150,000 deliveries within minutes. With the expansion, the company is set to make shopping even more convenient for its shoppers — offering thousands of products delivered directly to their door, faster than ever — in 30 minutes or less.

As Walmart grows its footprint in these new cities, customers can utilize one of the retailer’s fastest delivery options for everything from groceries to health and wellness products to household essentials, all powered by drone technology. Customers are using drone delivery for key ingredients they may have forgotten during their weekly grocery trip or for urgent care items, such as OTC cold/flu medicine, baby formula, and COVID tests. Among the most frequently delivered products:

• Fresh fruit, including bananas, lemons, and limes
• Great Value eggs
• Ice cream
• Pet food

Customers and communities continue to welcome Walmart’s expanding drone delivery operations in Dallas-Fort Worth. Earlier this year, Zipline launched its first-ever P2 drone site at Walmart stores in Mesquite and Waxahachie, Texas, offering a delivery experience that’s quieter than the average delivery truck.

Drone delivery is just one of the many ways Walmart is accelerating convenience by offering faster, more efficient delivery options. With choices like Express Delivery (as soon as 30 minutes), Late-Night Delivery, and InHome Delivery (right to the refrigerator), Walmart is setting a new standard for speed and flexibility in retail. This milestone marks a major leap for the retail industry and underscores our commitment to innovative, time-saving solutions that make customers' lives easier, faster, and more convenient.