SALINAS, CA - Tanimura & Antle, an employee-owned leader in fresh produce, is proud to announce the induction of 62 employee owners into its prestigious 20 Year Club, recognizing individuals who have dedicated two decades of service to the company.

With this year's inductees, Tanimura & Antle now celebrates more than 450 employee owners who have reached the 20-year milestone, a remarkable achievement in today's workforce where long-term tenure has become increasingly rare.

The 20 Year Club honors employee owners whose dedication, hard work, and commitment have helped shape the company's culture and contribute to its continued success. These individuals represent every aspect of the business, from the field and harvesting operations to customer service, logistics, administration, and leadership.

"Our 20 Year Club members represent the heart of our company," said Nora Cortez, Chief Human Resources Officer at Tanimura & Antle, in the recent release. "Their commitment, experience, and pride of ownership have helped build the strong culture we enjoy today. We are incredibly grateful for their contributions and honored to celebrate this milestone alongside them."

In addition to recognizing 62 new 20 Year Club members, Tanimura & Antle is celebrating hundreds of employee owners who reached important service milestones this year, including:

• 141 employee owners celebrating 10 years
• 99 employee owners celebrating 15 years
• 36 employee owners celebrating 25 years
• 11 employee owners celebrating 30 years
• 12 employee owners celebrating 35 years
• 7 employee owners celebrating 40 years

Together, these milestones reflect the strength of a culture built on opportunity, respect, shared success, and employee ownership.

Among this year's 20 Year Club inductees is Brian Antle, Executive Vice President of Sales, whose two decades with the company have provided a unique perspective on the organization's growth and evolution.

"What makes this milestone so special isn't simply the number of years people have worked here; it's what those years represent," said Antle. "Across industries, companies are facing unprecedented challenges while retaining employees. To have hundreds of employee owners choose to build long-term careers at Tanimura & Antle speaks volumes about our culture, our values, and the opportunities available here. The loyalty and commitment demonstrated by our workforce has been a significant factor in our success, and I'm incredibly proud to celebrate alongside this year's inductees as a fellow 20 Year Club member."

Also being recognized this year is Josefina Alcala, Payroll Technician in Yuma, who reflected on the people and relationships that have defined her career.

"When I look back on the past 20 years, what stands out most are the people," said Alcala. "I've had the opportunity to work with incredible teammates, learn new skills, and grow both personally and professionally. Tanimura & Antle has always felt like a place where employees are valued and supported. Reaching this milestone is something I'm very proud of, and I'm grateful to have been part of a company that feels like family."

The company's commitment to employee ownership continues to play a key role in fostering engagement, stability, and career growth. Through its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), employees have the opportunity to share the company's success while helping build a future for themselves and their families.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median tenure for private-sector employees is approximately 3.5 years, making a 20-year career with a single employer increasingly uncommon. Tanimura & Antle's growing 20 Year Club highlights a culture that has enabled generations of employee owners to build meaningful and lasting careers.

"As we celebrate these milestones, we are reminded that our success has always been driven by our people," said Cortez. "Every employee owner contributes to our mission of delivering Quality, Service, and Innovation, and we are grateful for the dedication they bring to work each day."

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Grimmway Farms®, a Grimmway Produce Group company, is launching a new seasonal marketing platform designed to drive baby carrot category growth through limited-edition packaging, consumer inspiration, and merchandising opportunities for retailers. The initiative debuts with Grimmway Farms® Back-to-School Baby Carrot packaging, the first in a series of seasonal activations designed to engage shoppers during key carrot usage occasions throughout the year.

Designed to capture shopper attention during one of the busiest family shopping seasons, the limited-edition packaging features bright, playful graphics that celebrate the season while reinforcing baby carrots as a convenient, ready-to-eat, nutritious snack for lunchboxes, after-school activities, and on-the-go occasions.

To support the launch, the company partnered with The Produce Moms, a consumer platform dedicated to helping families eat more fruits and vegetables through practical recipes, meal inspiration, and nutrition education. The partnership will come to life through lunchbox inspiration, family-friendly recipes, snacking tips, and digital content that encourages parents to make baby carrots part of everyday meals and snacks while reinforcing the convenience, versatility, and nutritional benefits of baby carrots.

“Our goal is to continue finding new ways to bring excitement to the baby carrot category and keep consumers engaged year-round,” said Eric Proffitt, Chief Commercial Officer at Grimmway Produce Group, in the recent release. “Seasonal packaging, paired with consumer inspiration and strong retail partnerships, allows us to connect baby carrots with key seasonal moments, while giving our retail partners new ways to inspire shoppers and create fresh merchandising opportunities in the produce department.”

This inaugural activation launches a year-round seasonal marketing platform that will align with key seasonal moments and holidays, creating fresh merchandising opportunities for retailers while delivering timely, engaging packaging and consumer programs that give shoppers new reasons to choose baby carrots throughout the year.

The limited-edition Grimmway Farms® Back-to-School Baby Carrot packaging is now available at participating retailers through mid-September.

WEST DES MOINES, IA - Hy-Vee announced that all of its stores across the region will host a Back-to-School Community Food Drive from Saturday, Aug. 15, through Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026, aimed at providing direct food assistance to local communities as families prepare for the new school year, according to the recent release.

This initiative comes as hunger reaches critical levels in many of the communities Hy-Vee serves, with approximately 1 in 5 children across the nation facing food insecurity. To ensure help reaches those who need it most, each Hy-Vee store has designated a specific local food pantry or food bank to benefit from the drive, keeping donations as close to home as possible.

How customers can help:

• Register donations: Customers can round up their purchase totals at checkout, with proceeds going to support each store's designated local food pantry or food bank.
• $5 and $10 food bags: Shoppers can purchase $5 or $10 food bags to donate actual product to those in need.
• Online donations: Hy-Vee customers shopping online will also be able to make donations as part of the drive.
• Donation barrels in-store: Each store will place a collection barrel next to its food bag display so customers can drop off additional food donations for their local pantry.

To further support the effort, Hy-Vee will match all customer monetary donations made during the drive, up to $100,000.

The Back-to-School Community Food Drive reflects Hy-Vee's ongoing commitment to the health and well-being of the communities it serves, ensuring that families have the resources they need as students head back to the classroom.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY - LGS Specialty Sales offers an impressive summer citrus lineup. Sourced from a wide variety of growing regions, LGS brings retail partners the high-quality citrus that drives repeat purchases.

“Different growing regions offer different climates unique to different citrus varieties,” shared Lucio Rainelli, Director of Sales. “This can help to ensure the fruit is of the highest quality and provides an exceptional eating experience.”

Growing regions include Argentina, Chile, Peru, South Africa, and Uruguay, which provide summer citrus offerings of mandarins, Navel oranges, Cara Cara oranges, minneolas, Dekopons, lemons, and grapefruit.

Mandarins and Navels are available now until November. Minneolas are available now through September; Lemons, Grapefruit, and Cara Caras are available now through October. To learn about the program’s specifics, please click here.

“It all begins with quality and trying to produce the best fruit,” added Lucio. “At the top level, you need to start with the best growers and then consider the volumes available and the window you need them in. Layering in the logistics of importing from that country, we then think through what’s best for the industry. Where are we seeing pain points?”

The company’s import strategy is longstanding, dating back more than 35 years, ensuring the surety of supply is something that LGS Specialty Sales takes very seriously.

AndNowUKnow will continue to track updates across fresh produce, so stay tuned!

CHARLOTTE, NC - As bloggers, recipe-developers and the world’s tastemakers celebrate everything banana in 2026, Dole Food Company releases the latest details on its long involvement with National Banana Split Day, the annual Aug. 25 holiday devoted to the iconic dessert created by a Latrobe, Pa., drugstore soda jerk in 1904.

The world’s largest banana provider will return as brand sponsor of the Great American Banana Split Celebration, Aug. 21-23, a three-day destination festival in Latrobe featuring a Yellow-Tie Gala, 5K Banana Run, baking contest, car show and other ripe banana- and banana split-themed activities.

DOLE® Bananas will also be the title sponsor of the 3rd Annual Dole Great American Banana Challenge on Aug. 22, which will award the Dole Banana Challenge Championship Belt to the banana fan who peels and eats the most DOLE® Bananas in 125 seconds. Last year, Latrobe resident Leo Sun was crowned the Challenge winner for the second consecutive year after eating 11 ½ bananas, topping his own record of 11 bananas set in 2024.

Bobby Banana, Dole’s 7-foot mascot and healthy-eating ambassador, will be present throughout the festival, including serving as an unofficial Banana Challenge judge and top cheerleader for contestants.

“Dole worked with the City of Latrobe to help organize the inaugural Great American Banana Split Celebration back in 2013 – and we’ve been honored to be part of the annual festivities ever since,” said William Goldfield, Dole’s director of communications, in the recent release. “We’ve had fun over the years challenging public perceptions of a banana split by introducing great-tasting new versions that add fresh berries, pineapple, banana ice cream, Greek yogurt, pomegranate seeds and other healthier alternatives to the traditional split.”

Banana split lovers wanting to celebrate with a more wholesome version of the famous dessert are directed to Dole’s Berry Banana Splitz and Honey Pomegranate Banana Split recipes, and to a how-to blog post by Melanie Marcus, MA, RD, Dole’s health, wellness and communications manager.

This year, Dole is also spotlighting its Pineapple Dole Whip® Sundae, a new recipe created for last month’s Dole Whip Day that combines the iconic Banana Split with the best of a Dole Whip®.

Beyond Latrobe

Beyond its involvement with the Great American Banana Split Celebration, Dole will be hosting a DIY Banana Split Bar on National Banana Split Day on Aug. 25, at its U.S. offices in Charlotte, N.C. Dole employees will be encouraged to make one of Dole’s featured banana split-inspired recipes or create their own unique dessert.

For details on the Great American Banana Split Celebration and to register for specific events, visit the 2026 event website.