Wish Farms Puts Berries Back on the Back-to-School List; Amber Maloney Shares

PLANT CITY, FL - As families trade summer schedules for school-year routines, Wish Farms is looking to keep berries top of mind with a teacher-focused sweepstakes and a collection of kid-friendly meal and snack inspiration.

The grower is launching its Teacher Wishlist Sweepstakes on Aug. 13 at noon EDT, giving families the chance to nominate a deserving teacher — or teachers the chance to nominate themselves — to receive one of five $200 Amazon gift cards toward classroom supplies.

“This is the first time Wish Farms has launched a nomination-style campaign like this,” said Amber Maloney, Marketing Director for Wish Farms. “As families prepare for back-to-school and settle into new routines after a busy summer, we wanted to find a meaningful way to recognize the teachers who work so hard for our kids throughout the year.”

The campaign will be driven primarily through Wish Farms’ social channels, with consumers directed to WishFarms.com to submit nominations.

Retailers can participate by sharing and engaging with the company’s social content while incorporating berries into their own back-to-school merchandising and digital efforts, Maloney said.

“It's a great opportunity to connect with families around the excitement of a new school year while inspiring more healthy berry occasions,” she said.

Beyond the sweepstakes, Wish Farms is developing kid-friendly breakfast and snack recipes, lunchbox inspiration and other ideas designed around the return-to-school-year routines.

“Back-to-school is all about getting back into a routine, and berries fit naturally into that transition,” Maloney said. “Parents are looking for easy, healthy foods their kids will actually eat, especially when they are rushing to make breakfast, pack lunches and get everyone out the door.”

Berries have an advantage in that environment because they require little preparation, she said. Wish Farms’ seasonal content ranges from grab-and-go snacks and lunchbox ideas to make-ahead berry breakfast casseroles designed to simplify busy mornings.

That content can also give retailers another way to encourage berry purchases by showing shoppers how the fruit can fit into multiple eating occasions throughout the day.

“For retailers, there is a great opportunity to inspire shoppers at the point of purchase and through digital and social channels,” Maloney said. “The more we can give families practical ideas for using berries throughout the day, the more occasions we create for them to add berries to their carts.”

Wish Farms also sees the beginning of the school year as a broader reset in household eating habits. After months of vacations, camps and changing schedules, parents are often looking to reestablish routines while balancing nutrition with foods that are quick and easy to serve.

“Convenience is a big part of that, but parents don't want to sacrifice nutrition,” Maloney said. “They're looking for foods that are easy to serve, nutrient-dense and, importantly, something their kids will actually eat. Berries check all of those boxes.”

Snacking also remains an important part of the equation. Nearly half of U.S. consumers snack three or more times per day, according to Circana, while the research firm’s 2026 back-to-school insights indicate younger children tend to select better-for-you options during the school day, including fresh fruit. That creates room for retailers to position berries beyond the lunchbox, Maloney said, including for breakfast, afternoon snacks and after-school activities.

“For retailers, I think the opportunity is to make those choices easy and inspiring,” she said. “Pair strong berry displays with simple meal and snack ideas that show shoppers how berries can fit into the routines they're rebuilding for the school year.”

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