NEW YORK, NY - New York Apple Association (NYAA) will launch new health-focused content and expanded digital outreach, introducing a series of initiatives designed to inspire consumers to consume more New York apples.

“Our outreach will elevate the health and nutrition benefits of New York apples and strengthen engagement throughout the year with the industry’s most loyal followers,” said Cynthia Haskins, president and CEO of the New York Apple Association, in the recent release.

A major focus will be new social media content featuring Kelly Springer, RD, MS, CDN. “Known for her approachable style and practical nutrition advice, Springer brings a fresh, family-centered voice to NYAA’s messaging. Her recipes and educational insights will begin appearing across NYAA’s social platforms as the winter season unfolds,” Haskins said.

After the holidays, many shoppers look for healthy meal ideas and renewed inspiration, making it an ideal moment to highlight apples as a versatile, nutrient-dense fruit.

NYAA will also collaborate with registered dietitian Julie Raway, MPH, RDN, CDN, SNS, FAND, who serves as the Farm to School chair of the New York School Nutrition Association and is a leader of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Farm to School Program Work Team. Raway will help integrate nutrition education from both a flavor and wellness perspective, supporting lifelong healthy eating habits. Her expertise will help NYAA translate nutrition science into practical stories that resonate with busy parents, health-conscious shoppers and individuals seeking simple ideas for eating well.

“We are excited to feature the upcoming Health and Nutrition Blog, and this is a wonderful opportunity to share the health benefits of consuming apples,” Haskins said.

The new Health and Nutrition Blog on ApplesFromNY.com will serve as a consumer-friendly space that explores topics central to family health, including heart-supportive habits, immunity support, balanced snacking, and creative ways to incorporate apples into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. The blog will be educational while supporting the industry’s position on wellness. Content will also reinforce New York apples as a smart, everyday choice for people across the country.

To complement the blog, NYAA will send a monthly e-newsletter created specifically for consumers who have opted to learn more about New York apples. “The consumer newsletter will go out initially to more than 28,000 consumers, and we expect that number to grow,” said Haskins. This subscriber community has grown steadily over the years and represents one of NYAA’s strongest opportunities to build long-term loyalty. The newsletter will feature seasonal recipes, apple variety flavor profiles, orchard spotlights, nutrition tips, grower stories, and updates on cider destinations and events.

According to Haskins, interest in New York apples remains steady. “Our website welcomes more than 300,000 visitors each year and reaches millions through social media platforms,” she said. “This reflects the public’s enthusiasm for apples and the industry’s ongoing commitment to health and nutrition.”

CHICAGO, IL - FOODWORKS, a national restaurant incubator under Compass Group USA, is proud to announce Roots to Rise the grand prize winner of their first Annual Global Street Food Competition. Chef Heather Klein, the mind behind the winning dishes and recipes through four stages of the recipe contest, received the FOODWORKS grand prize of two tickets to the Culinary Institute of America’s Menus of Change, an initiative dedicated to supporting the best possible future for the overall foodservice industry.

FOODWORKS Annual Global Street Food Competition is part of the brand’s mission to elevate local restaurants by creating high-quality, scratch-made plant-based cuisines. The goal of FOODWORKS is to foster inclusion and cultural appreciation by embracing modern food movements and health-conscious dining. This collaboration is a testament to the food incubator's support for businesses that are not only culinary innovators but also social agents, actively working to increase food access in underserved communities. FOODWORKS seeks to elevate diverse culinary perspectives while simultaneously contributing to positive systemic change in the food industry, and spotlights this through initiatives like their Annual Global Street Food Competition.

Consistently receiving top recognition throughout each phase of the recipe contest focused on seasonal produce, one particular dish that caught the judge’s eyes was Chef Heather Klein’s plant-based Peanut Buta Pizza, wowing the judges with its complex flavors and savory peanut curry sauce.

“I am beyond grateful and blown away as I watch my work touch so many hearts and stomachs,” said Chef Klein in the recent release. “It means so much to have my recipes recognized by FOODWORKS. As a partner, each contest has pushed me to grow, trust my instincts, and keep flourishing through creativity. Winning the grand prize and heading to the CIA for Menus of Change 2026 feels like the most meaningful celebration of this whole journey.”

Starting in 2016 with pop-up 12-course dinners and catering, Roots to Rise rapidly expanded into mainstream markets and large festivals, significantly impacting public perception of plant-based cuisine. The organization prioritizes highlighting the benefits of plants and creating generational community wealth by increasing access to healthy, affordable foods in underserved communities through local systems of growing, production, and distribution. Their commitment to the health of the planet and its inhabitants follows a similar mission to FOODWORKS, reflected in the brand’s scratch-made dishes using high-quality, mostly organic plant ingredients. Ultimately, Root to Rise aims to raise the bar for plant-based foods, creating new systems and meaningful, unique meals to help save the planet.

Competition Details:

The Annual Global Street Food Competition was exclusively available to FOODWORKS partners. Participating partners had the unique opportunity to showcase their culinary expertise in one of four semifinals by crafting and presenting plant-forward recipes incorporating peanuts, honey, lentils and mushrooms, respectively. All recipes had to be 51% plant-based ingredients, furthering FOODWORKS overall mission of celebrating the importance of fruit and veggie-forward cuisine, shown through their vast partner list of plant-forward chefs and restaurateurs across the country.

The FOODWORKS recipe panel internally recreated and evaluated each submitted recipe based on creativity, taste, and presentation. The top four recipes from each category were entered into the running for the grand champion prize–two passes to the CIA Menus of Change, courtesy of FOODWORKS.

For more information and to see the documentation of this national culinary expedition, visit https://www.foodworks.org/
or check out FOODWORKS social media channels (@foodworkslocal) for behind-the-scenes recipe development and the winning partner’s experience in the competition.

BENTONVILLE, AR - Walmart Inc. announced the appointment of Shishir Mehrotra, Chief Executive Officer at Superhuman (formerly Grammarly), to the company’s Board of Directors. He will serve on the Board’s Compensation and Management Development Committee and the Technology and eCommerce Committee.

“Our focus remains on serving customers through a people-led, tech-powered approach,” said Greg Penner, chairman of Walmart’s Board of Directors, in the recent release. “Shishir’s background adds to our boardroom the insight of a proven builder, offering a distinguished track record scaling platforms relied upon by millions.”

Randall Stephenson, lead independent director, added: “Shishir brings a rare combination of technical depth and product leadership. He has helped create and scale platforms that unlock creativity and productivity for people and teams at global scale. We’re excited to welcome him to our Board.”

“I have long admired Walmart’s ability to innovate while staying true to its core values, and joining the Board as the company builds for an agentic AI future is a rare opportunity,” said Mehrotra. “This era is the most significant technological shift I’ve seen in my career, and I look forward to working with the team to shape the future for the millions of people Walmart serves.”

Mehrotra is a 25+ year technology veteran with a track record of building category-defining platforms. Prior to joining Superhuman, he was the CEO and co-founder of Coda, a productivity and AI platform that grew to serve millions of users and tens of thousands of teams.

Before founding Coda, Mehrotra served as YouTube’s Chief Product Officer and Chief Technology Officer, helping grow YouTube into the world’s largest video destination and one of Google’s largest and fastest-growing businesses, as well as a platform of choice for a new generation of creators. He holds a dual Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

OXNARD, CA - Mission Produce, Inc., a world leader in sourcing, producing, and distributing fresh Hass avocados, announced its support of the inclusion of the avocado in the newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025–2030), emphasizing its role as a healthy, nutrient-dense whole food.^1,2

“Avocados have become a staple in American diets, with per capita consumption growing from 3.3 to 9 pounds over the last two decades.³” said Steve Barnard, Chief Executive Officer, Mission Produce, in the recent release. “Their recognized health benefits have played a big role in that growth, and we are proud to support the Dietary Guidelines highlighting their role in a healthy diet. At Mission Produce, we leverage diversified sourcing, vertical integration, and world-class ripening and distribution to be the go-to supplier of high-quality avocados year-round.”

“As a global leader in the worldwide avocado business, we are encouraged to see the Dietary Guidelines reinforce food as the foundation of health and recognize the importance of whole foods, like avocados, in a balanced diet,” said John Pawlowski, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mission Produce. “This is a meaningful moment for our growers and partners, and I’m proud of the Mission Produce team for delivering healthy, nutrient-dense avocados to our retail, wholesale, and foodservice partners every day.”

Mission Produce delivers billions of avocados a year to retail, wholesale, and foodservice customers across more than 25 countries. 

Mission Produce’s vertically integrated operations span five state-of-the-art packing facilities across the U.S., Mexico, Peru, and Guatemala, with avocado sourcing capabilities across 15 premium growing regions to provide a consistent, year-round supply of premium Hass avocados.

^{1. USDA. Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025–2030).}

^{2. Hass Avocado Nutrition Copy Points – USDA APPROVED July 2025. 3. USDA. Per Capita Consumption. Avocados. 2006-2025.;}

^{3. USDA. Per Capita Consumption. Avocados. 2006-2025.}

MONHEIM AM RHEIN - Bayer announced the launch of Baya Solara, the first commercial strawberry variety from Bayer’s De Ruiter brand. The launch is a vital part of the company’s strategic expansion into the strawberry market and follows Bayer's acquisition of the strawberry assets from UK-based NIAB in 2023. The introduction of the new variety reinforces Bayer’s commitment to providing innovative solutions to protected culture growers and sets a new standard in soft fruit cultivation. Strawberries are among the fastest-growing fruit crops, with year-round demand exceeding supply.

“Our new variety Baya Solara is an exciting June-bearing cultivar and delivers impressive productivity and strong resistance to diseases like Phytophthora cactorum without compromising fruit quality. With this launch, we are targeting Northern Europe's rapidly growing protected cropping sector and offer growers new opportunities,” said Swanny Chouteau, Portfolio Lead for the Europe Middle East and Africa region at Bayer’s Crop Science division, in the recent release.

Baya Solara is characterized by its large, uniform fruits and is designed to reduce post-harvest darkening, meeting the growing consumer and retail demand for high-quality strawberries. The fruit also offers a pleasant sweetness with a balanced sugar-acid ratio, making it an attractive option for consumers. In addition, this early-mid season June-bearer variety is designed to show significant improvement against common diseases, including Phytophthora cactorum, a fungal disease that causes the strawberries’ crown to rot. This genetic resistance is vital for ensuring the long-term viability of strawberry production.

“Baya Solara is a strawberry that offers many benefits. For growers, it means a more productive and reliable harvest. For retailers, it delivers consistent, large, firm fruits with excellent shelf life, reducing waste and ensuring dependable quality. For families, it offers delicious strawberries that stay fresh longer, helping them reduce waste and enjoy every berry,” said VK Kishore, Head of Global Product Innovation for Vegetables at Bayer’s Crop Science division.

Baya Solara will be available to growers in the UK, Germany and Benelux. The June-bearer is the first one to be commercially launched since the NIAB acquisition, and complements six other strawberry varieties, including Malling™ Ace, a highly versatile and productive everbearer that has been increasingly favoured by growers and consumers, and Malling™ Centenary, a June-bearer market-leading variety, highly regarded for its standout fruit quality.

With more than 20 different crops and thousands of seed selections, Bayer’s Vegetable Seeds business supports a diverse range of growers with seed varieties tailored to the tastes and preferences of consumers around the globe. Key crops include Tomato, Cucumber, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Lettuce, Melon, Onion, Pepper, Spinach, Sweet Corn and Watermelon.

RIDGE SPRINGS, SC - Titan Farms, the largest peach grower on the East Coast, is proud to announce the release of its inaugural 2024 Sustainability Report. The report focuses on key achievements and continued commitments across climate impact reduction, land stewardship, workforce support, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.

Built around Titan Farms’ four core sustainability pillars: Climate (GHG Reduction), Land Stewardship, People & Community, and Continuous Improvement, the report details Titan Farms’ comprehensive approach to responsible farming, precision agriculture, energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, and employee and community investment. Additionally, it establishes a clear baseline for future measurement, offering year-over-year emissions data and expanded Scope 3 insights that will guide long-term climate strategy.

Titan Farms further advanced its measurement systems by partnering with CarbonCents, enabling more robust emissions tracking and greater transparency in its sustainability reporting.

“Sustainability isn’t an initiative at Titan Farms, it’s who we are,” said Ross Williams, President of Titan Farms, in the recent release. “This report demonstrates our continued commitment to doing things the right way: protecting our land, improving our operations, and caring for the people who make our work possible.”

2024 Highlights Include

• 587,300 pounds of corrugated cardboard recycled
• A 6.77% reduction in waste-related emissions
• A 16.76% reduction in packhouse fuel consumption through operational optimization
• 5,096 metric tons of CO₂e absorbed by Titan Farms’ forests and orchards
• 37,800 pounds of peaches donated to local food banks through community partnerships
• Continued progress toward long-term goals, including 100% diversion of all operational recyclable materials by 2032

“We are proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re even more excited about what comes next in the years to come,” said Chalmers Carr, CEO and Founder of Titan Farms. “Our responsibility as stewards of this land, and leaders in our industry, drives us to improve year after year. In 2024, we continued to strengthen our recycling programs, refine our use of precision agriculture, and manage the forests and orchards that naturally sequester thousands of tons of carbon annually. These efforts reflect our deep commitment to caring for our land, supporting our people, and producing exceptional fruit and vegetables with integrity. As we look to the future, we remain dedicated to building on this foundation and advancing practices that benefit our farm, our community, and the families we feed.”

The full 2024 Titan Farms Sustainability Report can be found at titanfarms.com/innovation/sustainability.