PAARL, SOUTH AFRICA - Hortgro, an organization that supports and represents the deciduous fruit producers of South Africa, announces its third annual Endless Plum Possibilities consumer-facing sweepstakes to shoppers in the United States. Now through April 30, participants are encouraged via email and social media platforms to enter the promotion HERE for a chance to win a $500 gift card.

New this year, Hortgro is elevating its South African culture and pride with a distinctive promotional design that showcases the country’s flag and unique regional growing characteristics.

“We’re excited to share a bit more of the South African culture as well as the uniqueness of our growing region with this year’s promotion,” said Wilechia Van Der Westhuizen, Trade Development Manager at Hortgro. “Having the opportunity to continue educating U.S. consumers about what makes South African plums special is key to furthering our presence on grocery store shelves.”

By focusing on new cultivars and taste credentials driven by Mediterranean growing conditions, the South African stone fruit industry has achieved greater product consistency in an otherwise challenging category. Consumers can enjoy a reliable eating experience and consistently trust the product.

“We look forward to engaging with consumers during this third promotion period and encouraging them to enjoy South African plums during peak seasonality!” added Van Der Westhuizen in the recent release. “We’ve introduced a few new recipes this year to showcase all the delicious ways plums can feature in every meal.”

South African plums can be found at Costco, Sam’s Club and Wegman’s with high saturation in the Northeast region.

LEAMINGTON, ON - From new items like Georgia Grown Organic Long English Cucumbers to established tomato favorites like Rocco Reds®, Pure Flavor continues to deliver on its commitment to elevating the produce department with premium products. At this year’s Southern Exposure, the greenhouse supplier showed off its robust portfolio while emphasizing its continued investment in the Southeast.

“Our message centered on regional production, greenhouse growing that supports consistency and year-round availability, and innovation that responds directly to retailer and shopper needs,” shares Matt Mastronardi, Executive Vice President. “That same focus on innovation and flavor-forward produce created the perfect opportunity to spotlight one of Pure Flavor’s standout tomato offerings, Rocco Reds®— The Chef’s Tomato®. As cooking at home remains popular and consumers look for ingredients that elevate everyday meals, Rocco Reds® gives retailers a differentiated tomato that inspires recipe usage and repeat purchases.”

Emphasizing flavor and quality, Pure Flavor® continues to focus on purposeful innovation that helps retailers grow the category while delivering memorable eating experiences for shoppers.

With new regional production, a strong pipeline of greenhouse-grown vegetables, and products like Rocco Reds® designed to inspire cooking at home, the company remains committed to supporting retailers with dependable supply, impactful merchandising programs, and premium produce that keeps shoppers coming back.

“Rocco Reds®, The Chef’s Tomato® stands apart through its bold color inside and out, delivering a rich, classic tomato flavor and versatility across sauces, salsas, and fresh slices,” Matt adds. “Grown in controlled greenhouse environments, it offers consistent quality and reliable supply, making it a dependable choice for both shoppers and retailers. Across the broader Pure Flavor® portfolio, the same focus on greenhouse-grown, specialty varieties and flavor-driven innovation sets the products apart. Each is grown with a specific eating occasion in mind, whether for snacking, cooking, or entertaining, while maintaining consistency, quality, and distinctive flavor profiles that resonate with today’s shoppers.”

Looking ahead, the greenhouse grower will continue to strengthen its partners’ produce departments with a focus on flavor, consistency, and ease. The company is exploring product and packaging innovations that highlight quality and simplify the shopping experience, along with integrated marketing programs that bring these benefits to life in-store and online.

The supplier is also continuing its investments in greenhouse production and expanding its regional growing capacity to support consistent supply and freshness, helping retailers confidently deliver high-quality produce to their customers.

“Southern Exposure provided an opportunity for meaningful face-to-face conversations with retail partners and industry peers,” Matt concludes. “For Pure Flavor®, the event was especially valuable as a platform to share updates on its Southeast expansion, showcase new products, and gather direct feedback from customers. Those discussions help inform future product development and strengthen long-term partnerships and collaboration.”

For more exclusive insights from across the produce industry, look out for that little apple logo.

FLUVANNA, NY - Moments from getting acquainted with Eric LeBlanc, one of the two Founders behind Perimeter Insights, he already had me on the edge of my seat.

“The most important three things in research: ROI, ROI, and ROI. When you’ve had to go to senior management or a board of directors to get a research investment approved, you know you have to speak the language of any other capital investment: What will it cost, what will we get, and what is the payback period? We can’t hide behind vague claims about value or tropes about ‘the cost of doing business.’ If a dollar gets spent, it has to answer for itself,” he said right out of the gate.

He and partnering Co-Founder Adam Brohimer believe strongly that every dollar spent has to answer for itself.

“We have to build that thinking in the front end. Remember to prioritize it in execution, and unwaveringly measure it on the back end. Because here is the reality: People are counting on us,” he emphasized. “People are counting on us to do great work for them that will grow businesses and careers, feed families, and make life better for the consumer. That’s a higher calling.”

When he and Adam started Perimeter Insights, it was with six principles to both strive for and measure by.

Adam and Eric both have lived through the idea that insights are a cost center, not an investment. The buck of that methodology, they concluded, stops at the desk of people who have not stepped up to require ROI on their work.

“We do not flinch from having our work’s utility and value measured, we insist on it,” Eric promised. “We sell our time, our thinking, our experience, and our commitment to making a difference. We never offer a client a product that doesn’t meet their business objectives and promise to deliver ROI on expectations.”

Eric drove the importance of ROI home further as he pointed out that too much of the industry is trying to sell a product, platform, or service.

“They’re going to keep selling buggy whips as long as they can keep finding buyers for them. Among them are some who will tell you that dashboards are bad (because that is a popular message these days) while their central product is a dashboard. How does that even make sense?” he asked. “Most businesses sell a product they want you to buy. That’s how they pay their bills. We have products, too, but we don’t exist to sell you them. We exist so that we can, after carefully considering your needs and strategies, collaborate with you to find a way to gain new distribution for your products and to drive velocity where you have that distribution.”

Helping suppliers build strategic relationships with their retailers, founded on trust and aligned objectives through work clients respect is the goal.

“We like to say that we did not set out to build the largest strategy and insights firm—we are out to build the most trusted strategy and insights firm,” Eric emphasized. “It’s not about our advertising. It’s not about seeing you at every trade show. Those things don’t show up in our clients’ P&Ls. We will stand by our work and its ability to make a difference to our clients where it matters most—in real, measurable financial results and in the careers of the people who are responsible for them.”

Intentionally small and founder-led, Perimeter Insights points to its work as the standard by which it should be measured.

“We’re simple, in a way. Simple in our convictions. But our work bears the mark of experience and nuance. We see ourselves as craftsmen. We commit to doing things the way they should be done. Not because it is easy, or fast, or profitable—because we take deep pride in what we do and take the responsibility seriously that our clients entrust us with something precious: Their time, energy, and opportunity,” he concluded.

Often, hands-on experience creating and executing business strategies is rare. When an insights firm offers to craft your strategy for you, Eric encouraged to ask what business strategies they have created and managed, and to what results.

If you get an answer that resonates with you, hang on tightly in the promising partner you’ve just found.

Curious about the experience that forged Adam and Eric’s hands-on methodology? Keep an eye on AndNowUKnow as we continue to report.

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - The Allen Lund Company is pleased to share that Nora Trueblood, Director of Marketing and Communications, has been selected as a recipient of the Catholic Charities San Gabriel Region's 2026 Spirit of Caring Award for her work with Navidad en el Barrio and the Acts of Kindness program at ALC.

The Spirit of Caring Award honors individuals and organizations that directly impact people and their communities.

Navidad en el Barrio was established in 1972 with the mission of providing a healthy Christmas dinner to thousands of families in Southern California. For 22 years, ALC has supported the organization's annual event, with Nora facilitating the company's involvement by sourcing food items, working with offices to donate loads, and coordinating employee volunteers.

Nora Trueblood, Director of Marketing and Communications, stated, "I am truly humbled and honored to be acknowledged by Catholic Charities. Navidad en el Barrio is part of my dad's legacy, having been with them since the early 1980's. To see companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Wada Farms, Grimmway Farms, and a laundry list of very generous donors contribute year in and year out is amazing. Even more amazing is seeing families receive their Christmas groceries after waiting in lines, sometimes for hours. It fills me with gratitude and anguish at the same time.

"I have been blessed to be part of Navidad en el Barrio before coming to the Allen Lund Company, and to see a corporate buy-in like ALC has truly shown what a company and its employees can do when determined."

Nora has also focused the Allen Lund Company's philanthropy efforts, helping to launch the company's Acts of Kindness program in 2016. This initiative encourages offices and employees to give back and has enabled employees to take part in charitable causes in their local communities. In 2025, ALC completed 67 Acts of Kindness.

Kenny Lund, Executive Vice President, shared in the recent release, "Nora has done so much for the community over the years. We are so proud of her work and the happy attitude she brings to teams doing the work. Her organizational skills have helped Navidad en el Barrio bring food to countless families. She was instrumental in launching the Acts of Kindness program at Allen Lund Company. That effort continues, having served hundreds of community projects and fostering a dramatic, positive cultural change at ALC. This award recognizes her many decades of service."

A charity event to honor Spirit of Caring awardees will be hosted by the Catholic Charities San Gabriel Region chapter on May 13, 2026. Click here for more information.

MARLBOROUGH, MA - BJ’s Wholesale Club announced that Stephanie Reibling has been named Executive Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer, effective immediately.

Reibling will lead the company’s merchandising organization, playing a critical role in driving BJ’s merchandising transformation and delivering continued growth across categories. Reibling will report to Paul Cichocki, EVP, Chief Commercial Officer.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Stephanie to BJ’s Wholesale Club,” Cichocki said in the recent release. “Her experience in retail and merchandising will be invaluable as we evolve our assortment, build BJ's own brands and advance our omnichannel capabilities.”

“I look forward to working with Stephanie as we accelerate BJ’s merchandising transformation,” said Bob Eddy, Chairman and CEO, BJ’s Wholesale Club. “The club channel is thriving, and Stephanie brings a deep knowledge of the space and a track record of driving growth. She will have an immediate impact as we continue to deliver unbeatable value and exciting products to our members.”

Reibling brings nearly 25 years of experience across merchandising, product and brand development and sourcing. Most recently, she served as senior vice president, general merchandise manager at Sam’s Club, where she led a broad portfolio across apparel, home, hardlines, toys and seasonal categories for both clubs and e-commerce.

Earlier in her career, Reibling held divisional merchandising roles at Walmart, leading categories including DIY, sports and outdoors, kids apparel and home. She also held leadership roles at Gap Inc. Reibling holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from the University of Michigan.

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Bolthouse Fresh Foods™ is continuing to push the carrot category forward with the introduction of Bolthouse Fresh® Carrot Fries, a value-added product that brings a new take to one of America’s most familiar comfort foods. Designed for the produce aisle, they combine convenience, flavor, and versatility, giving retailers a fresh way to bring excitement to both the carrot set and value-added vegetable section.

Bolthouse Fresh® Carrot Fries are available in three delicious flavor profiles, including Classic Sea Salt, Rockin’ Ranch, and Spicy Chipotle. Cut from real carrots and seasoned for bold flavor, they deliver a crispy, vegetable-forward twist on a familiar favorite while showcasing the natural sweetness and nutritional benefits of carrots in a convenient fry-style format. Ready in minutes in the air fryer or oven, Carrot Fries are ideal for weeknight meals, appetizers, or casual entertaining.

Convenient, ready-to-cook vegetables continue to be an area of growth in the produce department. Bolthouse Fresh Carrot Fries build on that momentum with a new carrot innovation designed for modern meal occasions, giving retailers an opportunity to expand usage and drive incremental sales in the category.

“Carrots are one of the most versatile vegetables in the produce department, and Carrot Fries offer a new way for shoppers to enjoy them,” said Melissa Oliver, SVP of Sales and Marketing at Bolthouse Fresh Foods, in the recent release. “By pairing the familiarity of fries with the freshness of carrots, we’re introducing a format that fits today’s cooking habits while helping retailers expand how shoppers use carrots at home.”

Carrot Fries also provide flexible merchandising opportunities for retailers, with placement options that include the traditional carrot set and the value-added vegetable section. Positioning within the value-added set can help maximize visibility and highlight the product’s convenience-driven appeal while encouraging trial among shoppers looking for quick meal solutions. This product also lends itself well to cross-merchandising opportunities alongside proteins or dips to help inspire simple serving ideas.

Bolthouse Fresh Carrot Fries will begin rolling out to retailers nationwide this month. The launch reflects Bolthouse Fresh Foods’ continued focus on bringing innovative solutions to the produce aisle while continuing to expand how carrots are used in the produce aisle.

BAKERSFIELD, CA - After early 2026 supply fluctuations, carrot volumes are beginning to rebound—bringing much-needed relief to retail and foodservice partners just in time for spring shopping and meal planning.

“Supply conditions are improving and beginning to better align with demand, putting the industry in a stronger position to consistently service customers moving forward,” Melissa Oliver, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Bolthouse Fresh Foods, shares with me. “Earlier fluctuations were largely driven by the extended weather impacts across key growing regions, which impacted both availability and quality. As growing conditions have improved, we’re seeing supply recover. While the current political climate has introduced additional uncertainty, supply is trending in the right direction, and overall conditions are improving.”

As Melissa continues to describe what created the perfect storm in the market at the beginning of the year, she notes that a series of overlapping weather events—sustained fall and winter rains beginning in October 2025, which helped ease drought in California but led to oversaturated fields and difficult harvest conditions—tipped the scales.

“Those difficulties were compounded by extended periods of dense Tule fog, resulting in more than 50 consecutive days with little sunlight during key harvest windows,” Melissa explains. “This slowed crop development and impacted quality, particularly in Kern County. Warmer-than-average winter temperatures in the Desert Southwest introduced additional variability. In the Southeast, late-January and early-February frost events reduced yields after an otherwise strong start. Together, these factors created a prolonged supply disruption across key growing regions, tightening supply and shaping current market dynamics.”

In times of supply chain inconsistency, Bolthouse Fresh Foods works to maintain reliability and quality for its retail and foodservice partners. Maintaining consistent service and quality is a top priority for the operation, especially in more volatile conditions.

“We’re continuously refining our supply planning and focusing on improving yields to better support strong service levels for our customers. At the same time, we’ve strengthened our quality processes across the entire supply chain. That includes expanded field testing, close monitoring throughout plant operations, and oversight at every key touchpoint before product reaches our customers,” Melissa discusses. “We’re also advancing our supply diversification strategy, including expanded production in Georgia, alongside our Desert Southwest and Southeast growing regions. This broader footprint helps us mitigate risk and deliver more consistent supply to our partners.”

The company is constantly reassessing strategies and investments to mitigate challenges such as weather impacts, labor disruptions, and logistics disruptions.

“We’ve taken a multi-pronged approach to strengthen the resilience of our supply network,” Melissa explains. “That starts with diversification and geographic separation, allowing us to reduce risk and limit the impact of localized weather or operational disruptions. We’ve also invested in our infrastructure, including the addition of our new Georgia facility, which enhances our ability to deliver more consistent supply and service. In parallel, we’re continuing to improve supply planning, yields, and operational efficiency across the network, giving us greater flexibility to navigate ongoing challenges and maintain reliability.”

As the market continues to evolve, Bolthouse is strengthening its relationships with customers and positioning itself as a long-term, dependable partner—without a doubt.

“As weather disruptions have improved, we’re leveling our supply to better match demand and deliver reliable service. We’re also continuing to strengthen quality across every step of the process, from the field through to finished product,” Melissa reflects. “On the innovation side, we’ve recently launched Carrot Fries to bring new energy to the category and keep consumers engaged. Alongside that, we’re working closely with our customers on category management, using insights and performance data to optimize assortment, placement, and overall category growth. At the end of the day, it’s about delivering consistency and being a partner our customers can count on.”

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to follow the markets that impact fresh produce and the categories that define its success.