CHARLOTTE, NC - Dole Food Company is honoring its first 125 years in the pineapple business with the Dole 125th Pineapple Crowning Anniversary—five months of special recipes, serving suggestions, digital downloads, social content, special events, partner promotions, and commemorations marking the Quasquicentennial of Dole’s contribution to the world.

“Although it’s been 125 years since a 24-year-old James Drummond Dole planted his first pineapples in Wahiawa, Hawaii, founding the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, the produce entrepreneur’s legacy is still very much alive both on the Island of Oahu and in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, home of the United States main office of Dole Food Company,” Bil Goldfield, Director of Corporate Communications, began telling me. “Little did the namesake Founder know that his vision to introduce an obscure, nutrient-dense delicacy in 1901 would lead to the fruit’s generational reign as a universally beloved symbol for tropical vacations, hospitality, welcome, and the spirit of aloha. Through innovations in farming, canning, refrigeration, and transportation, Dole helped transform pineapple from a luxury item enjoyed by royalty into an everyday fruit enjoyed by families everywhere.”

The fresh fruit pioneer will start rolling out activities this month, March 2026, leading up to an extended celebration in June, coinciding with International Pineapple Day on June 27, and continuing through the summer.

Visitors to the celebration landing page will find a multitude of free ways to satisfy their love for the fruit. New opportunities to join in on the pineapple fun will be added throughout the year.

• A “Crown to Core 2026” showcase that includes fun, actionable pineapple tips, tricks and engagements being shared on Dole’s Facebook and Instagram stories pages all year long
• A growing calendar of Dole 125th Pineapple Crowning Anniversary events and partnerships, including appearances by Dole’s very own Pinellopy Pineapple
• Dole’s largest celebration of International Pineapple Day on June 27, featuring a public blood drive with the American Red Cross inspired by the fruit’s tradition hospitality and community
• Opportunities to join in on the Pineapple Anniversary conversation and share Dole and pineapple memories through #DolePineapples
• Expanded launches of licensed DOLE® Pineapple-flavored and themed products
• Delicious pineapple-focused breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snack and smoothie recipes created exclusively by Dole over the decades
• A series of free digital downloads and hands-on DIY activities celebrating all things DOLE® Pineapple in 2026

“Dole’s 125-year pineapple legacy is woven into moments both big and small: family meals and special moments and traditions passed down through generations,” Bil pointed out. “It is a story of discovery, enjoyment, and agriculture, shared by Dole’s farmers, employees, partners, and pineapple fans around the world.”

Key DOLE® pineapple milestones include:

• 1933: The DOLE brand officially replaces Hawaiian Pineapple Company on all products in recognition of the global popularity and quality associated with James Dole’s name
• 1964: Dole purchases the Standard Fruit and Steamship Company to control its Latin American products from the time they are grown until they arrive at customers’ warehouses to ensure quality
• 2025: Dole introduces its Colada Royale™, an all-new variety of pineapple conventionally bred in Honduras to be gold to green on the outside, cream-colored on the inside, and offer distinct notes of coconut and piña colada. One of Dole’s most successful new products ever, the Colada Royale receives rave reviews from consumers and retailers, as well as multiple industry and shopper-voted awards

In our next conversation, Bil and I will explore how the buy-side can take advantage of this monumental milestone in 2026 and beyond, so stick with us here at ANUK.

WENATCHEE, WA - As Farmworker Awareness Week begins, Stemilt is highlighting a new Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) case study and the completion of 48 worker-driven production improvement projects made in the past year. What began as a partnership to strengthen the health, safety and wellbeing of farm workers has grown into a company-wide commitment to creating a better future for the people behind World Famous Fruit. Stemilt is proud to share the measurable results that have come from collaboration with EFI.

“When I think about what EFI is, it’s people,” Stemilt’s President, West Mathison, states in the recent release. “By definition, EFI is a third-party audit designed by workers, growers, retailers and consumers to help suppliers like Stemilt bring more transparency and assurance around farm working conditions. But by the way it shows up in everyday life at work, it’s become part of our team’s identity, shaping how they show up, collaborate and look out for one another.”

To honor the progress made toward farmworker health and wellbeing, Stemilt examined the impact of its continuous improvement efforts with EFI over the past five years. According to this case study, employee engagement has improved by 10% since 2022, with 96% of H-2A and 80% of local workers returning for seasonal work each year. In 2025 alone, EFI leadership teams across the apple and pear packing lines and the North Distribution Center completed 48 improvement projects at Stemilt’s packing facilities, each driven by worker insight and collaboration.

“One of the most powerful things our leadership teams have shared is that employees feel comfortable coming to them with questions or concerns,” said Mathison. “Many of our improvement projects have grown directly from those conversations, from adding stairs to parts of the packing line to improve safe access, to reorganizing the box mezzanine for better efficiency, to installing box elevators that reduce repetitive bending. Individually, these changes may seem small, but over time they create meaningful improvements in both physical and mental safety. Between 2023 to 2024, we reduced workplace injuries by 15%, and in some months, we’ve had no reported injuries at all.”

Additional improvements included painted crosswalks and directional arrows in parking areas to enhance pedestrian safety, chains added to the line dumper to improve operations, electric scales installed in bagging areas to reduce unnecessary movement, new cafeteria access points to reduce slips and falls, and modifications to the pear line stamper to streamline workflow and reduce downtime. Each of these changes has contributed to more than $68,000 in ROI, while also making Stemilt’s production facilities safer, and more efficient for workers.

“As we celebrate five years of EFI certification, we’re proud to recognize the World Famous farmworkers whose leadership and expertise have driven continuous improvement across Stemilt,” said Mathison. “Their hands, knowledge and commitment to excellence are what make our apples, pears, and cherries World Famous. Farmworker Awareness Week gives us a special moment to highlight their impact, but our appreciation extends far beyond a single week.”

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Vista Vineyards announced the appointment of Shawn Caldwell as Director of Sales, bringing more than 30 years of table grape industry experience to the company's newly launched leadership-owned supply platform.

Caldwell joins Vista from Sunview Marketing International, where he served as Senior Account Executive and Commodity Manager. Before that, he specialized in importing Peruvian table grapes to North America as Sales Manager at Vanguard Direct. With a career selling California, Mexican, and Peruvian fruit across more than 30 years, his experience translates directly into the surety of supply that Vista's retail partners depend on. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Business and Management from California State University, Fresno.

"We've had our eye on Shawn for years," said Kevin Andrew, CEO of Vista Vineyards, in the recent release. "He's sold California fruit, Mexican fruit, and Peruvian imports — he understands this business from every angle. Retail is where we see our biggest opportunity, and Shawn is exactly the person to lead it."

Vista Vineyards launched earlier this year as a leadership-owned, vertically integrated grower, packer, and shipper with proprietary licensed access to Sun World® and BLOOM FRESHTM varieties across California, Mexico, and South America. The company's 52-week supply model is built to give retail partners surety of supply, varietal depth, and a single point of accountability across the full year.

In his new role, Caldwell will lead retail program development across all three growing regions, working directly with national and regional chain buyers to build long-term programs aligned with volume planning, varietal mix, and surety of supply throughout the year.

"Vista has the acreage, the regions, and the varieties, with a leadership team committed to a long-term, disciplined strategy. Joining at launch allows me to help shape that trajectory. We're excited for what comes next," said Shawn Caldwell.