MILWAUKIE, OR - The pear harvest has drawn to a close in the Pacific Northwest, and USA Pears had a fruitful harvest. After last year’s short crop, Oregon and Washington growers – who supply 88% of the nation’s fresh pears – achieved a remarkable rebound this fall, harvesting 19 million boxes of pears, a 78% increase over 2024’s yield. Retailers can expect strong availability and renewed consumer excitement for USA Pears.

“Thanks to the dedication and hard work of our 700 grower families, partners, and the entire USA Pears community, we are proud to deliver exceptional quality fresh pears to consumers seeking a healthy snack or culinary delight,” says CarrieAnn Arias, president and CEO of USA Pears, in the recent release. “Elevating holiday dishes is easy with the gorgeous pears produced this year. We’re shining a light on all the possibilities with pears.”

USA Pears distributes 10 varieties of pears throughout the year, and yields increased among all varieties this harvest. Bosc pears, with their distinctive long neck and cinnamon brown hue, had a particularly strong resurgence, with yields up more than 250% over last year’s harvest. With their firm flesh and honey sweetness, Bosc pears dazzle when it comes to culinary experimentation. They retain their shape, texture and a subtle sweetness — making them an ideal choice as an addition to savory holiday classics and baked treats. Like other varieties, Bosc pears are a sweet and delicious gift to boost wellness this season.

Pear producers lean into nutrition education, promoting benefits of a fiber-rich fruit

With Gen Z and Millennials seeking foods with more fiber, pears are well-positioned to deliver on this nutritional attribute. Snacking on a medium pear provides 6 grams of dietary fiber or 21% of the recommended Daily Value — an exceptional choice for fibermaxxing or for those seeking a sensational smoothie ingredient. Pears’ high water content makes them naturally hydrating and a refreshing fruit.

“With our recent brand refresh, USA Pears has put education front and center, and we’re creating engaging content that makes pears irresistible, fun and easy to incorporate in everyday eating,” explains Arias. “On our website or through streaming platforms and social feeds, we’re giving shoppers greater transparency into what makes U.S.-grown pears a staple for everyone’s kitchen — whether you’re seeking health, flavor or a sustainable fruit grown right here in the USA.”

Arias encourages everyone to mark their calendars for World Pear Day on Saturday, December 6. Kicking off the festivities at the New York Produce Show, the USA Pears team will be cooking up excitement with local and national media by highlighting one of America’s favorite fruits — pears!

More information about nutrition, varieties, recipes and ripening is at www.usapears.org.

LOS ANGELES, CA - With California persimmons now in season, the Giumarra Companies team is highlighting a robust program designed to support retailers through strong merchandising, consumer education, and grower collaboration. Vice President of Merchandising Services Kellee Harris joined Madera Persimmon Growers General Manager Kaylee Yin to break down the details.

“We’re here today to talk about our new California persimmon program, which we’ve actually been shipping for several years, and we’re now shipping again, and we work with one of the largest growers in California,” said Kellee.

She noted that the program was built with retailers in mind, incorporating a wide range of point-of-sale tools designed to improve visibility and boost consumer engagement.

“For the California persimmon season, we have a very extensive point-of-sale program,” she explained. “It incorporates signage [and] a bin program. You can put a bin of the bags next to a bin of the bulk so you can give your customer the opportunity to buy either or both.”

The offering even includes a branded line named after Yin, a nod to her longstanding role within the operation and the connection between grower and product.

“We have a branded program that’s actually called Kaylee, and that is after Kaylee,” Kellee shared.

Kaylee showcased the fruit’s versatility. “There are a lot of ways to use persimmons. Put it on top of avocado toast or they also like to put it in salads and persimmon bread.”

Watch the full video above to hear Kellee and Kaylee share more retail tips and usage inspiration.

WENATCHEE, WA - Stemilt’s 2025 apple harvest laid the foundation for an exceptional year for Cosmic Crisp® apples, with vibrant color, ideal sizing, and outstanding quality. As the industry looks to more growth in volume, Stemilt’s Marketing Director, Brianna Shales, sees Cosmic Crisp poised for promotions as it becomes a mainline apple variety.

“This year’s crop is absolutely stunning,” said Shales in the recent release. “From color to firmness, every apple reflects the care and dedication our growers put into making Cosmic Crisp a premium choice for shoppers nationwide. It’s one of those apples that tastes great straight off the tree or enjoyed many months later. It stores incredibly well throughout the season and is consistent in delivering an out-of-this-world crunch. It's no surprise that its swift rise in popularity has positioned Cosmic Crisp to be a regular part of the apple category.”

Cosmic Crisp continues to rise as a key player in the U.S. apple category, now recognized as the #1 club apple in the nation and #7 variety overall. According to the latest industry report from the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, Washington has produced approximately 13 million boxes of Cosmic Crisp, increasing its availability on shelves year-round. Last year, Cosmic Crisp reached a peak store count of 21,157, up 2,402 from the year prior.

Shales explained that conventional apples offer a broad range of sizes, while organic options tend to be larger but less abundant. A recent Stemilt analysis of Nielsen scan data also shows that 67.6% of Cosmic Crisp is sold in bulk, with 32.4% available in bagged options, giving retailers flexibility for both volume sales and consumer convenience.

“Cosmic Crisp is a key driver of dollars to the apple category because two-thirds of its volume is sold as bulk, which carries a 19-cent increase in the price per pound compared to bags. It’s now a mainline variety that opens tremendous opportunities for retailers to engage consumers all year long,” said Shales. “Whether through bulk bins, 5 lb. bags, or programs like Lil Snappers® and EZ Band packs, there are so many ways to highlight this apple and make it a favorite in every household.”

Retailers can align promotions with key seasonal opportunities to maximize consumer engagement. Healthy eating trends in January and red-themed Valentine’s Day promotions in February provide perfect moments to spotlight Cosmic Crisp. Promotional activity from January onward helps maintain momentum, with February and March representing peak months for sales. Display bins, boxes, and in-store events can highlight the variety and capture shopper attention across the regions. While peak timing varies, like in the Northeast, which typically reaches peak sales in March, well-timed promotions in these areas can still drive incremental growth.

“The key to success is combining beautiful crop quality with thoughtful in-store promotions,” added Shales. “With the right displays, ads, and events, retailers can showcase Cosmic Crisp this apple season in a way that drives both excitement and sales.”

DELTA, CANADA - WINDSET FARMS® is proud to announce it has been named a FortisBC 2025 Efficiency in Action Award winner. FortisBC is an energy utility that provides natural gas to homes and businesses across British Columbia. According to the recent release, this recognition highlights the company’s commitment to energy efficiency and its proactive approach to sustainable, innovative growing.

As part of the lit expansion, Windset deployed 100 percent LED lighting, which uses substantially less power than traditional HPS systems. The company installed additional hot water grow pipes to maintain consistent crop temperatures, vertical airflow fans to recirculate air, and fully rubber gasketed aluminum glazing bars, reducing overall energy input. Double energy curtains are used to save energy and enhance light abatement. The Delta facility also operates a biomass boiler in combination with natural gas, which allows Windset to capture CO₂ and repurpose it to promote crop growth. Together, using the latest data driven growing techniques, Windset has reduced natural gas consumption while maintaining optimal growing conditions year-round.

In 2024, Windset Farms made a significant advancement in sustainable agriculture by installing LED lighting across two 24-acre greenhouse facilities in Delta, British Columbia. These upgrades were made possible by a transmission connection to BC Hydro’s renewable hydroelectricity, enabling Windset to grow high-quality tomatoes and cucumbers for customers year-round using clean energy. Earlier this year, Windset was also recognized as a Clean Energy Champion by BC Hydro, further reflecting the company’s leadership in adopting innovative energy solutions.

Windset Farms is continuing its growth trajectory with another expansion at its Delta site. The company is adding 38 acres of new “ultra-lit” production in 2026. A further 38-acre expansion of ultra-lit production is planned for 2027, bringing Windset’s Delta facility to a total of 168 acres, with 123 acres of lit production.

Windset Farms values its partnership with FortisBC. The FortisBC 2025 Efficiency in Action Award reflects the power of collaboration in driving meaningful progress towards a more sustainable future. We are grateful to FortisBC for recognizing our efforts and supporting our commitment to sustainable innovation.

GLENNVILLE, GA - Bland Farms, the nation’s leader in sweet onions, is teaming up with Weber to bring flavor and excitement to football season for this year's Gameday Sweetness promotion. Designed to engage shoppers, inspire game-day meals, and drive produce department traffic, this brand-new partnership is designed to help retailers score big sales.

The promotion gives shoppers a chance to win exciting prizes all season through Bland Farms’ social media accounts, by scanning QR codes on POS and display materials, or by visiting the Bland Farms website to enter the sweepstakes for the grand prize provided by Weber. The website also features a collection of exclusive game-day recipes showcasing Bland Farms Premium Sweet Onions and Sand Candy Sweet Potatoes. Gameday Sweetness concludes after the “Big Game” on February 9, 2026, with a Weber SPIRIT E-435 LP (MSRP $899) awarded courtesy of Weber.

Troy Bland, CEO of Bland Farms, added: This partnership brings energy and authenticity to the produce aisle. Weber shares our commitment to quality and flavor, making this a natural fit for football season.

Sloan Lott, Director of Sales at Bland Farms, noted that the company’s commitment to retailers goes beyond quality produce: Everything we do is about helping our retail partners succeed. From co-branded displays to turnkey promotions, we’re giving retailers the tools to connect with shoppers in meaningful ways and keep them coming back.

That commitment includes a full promotional toolkit with:

• Custom POS and display materials spotlighting the Gameday Sweetness theme
• QR code signage linking directly to sweepstakes and recipes
• Digital and social content to extend reach beyond the store
• Recipe and giveaway integration to spark shopper engagement

Bland Farms will be sharing more about the promotion at the New York Produce Show this week. Be sure to stop by Booth #335!

Retailers interested in participating can also contact their Bland Farms sales representative or visit www.blandfarms.com for more information.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC - Weis Markets is expanding its investment in innovative retail technology by partnering with Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions and successfully implementing ELERA® Security Suite to enhance loss prevention measures and improve the overall customer experience.

ELERA® Security Suite is now operational across self-checkout lanes in all 199 Weis locations, with plans to extend the technology to dual-use and cashier lanes. ELERA® Security Suite – which includes ELERA® Loss Prevention and ELERA® Produce Recognition offers a comprehensive solution that delivers key benefits for security and checkout experiences.

“Our goal is to upgrade our technology stack and invest in ELERA® Security Suite to provide a frictionless experience for our customers. Our customers have embraced produce recognition, with over 94% selecting to use it at self-checkout,” said Greg Zeh, CIO and SVP of Weis Markets, in the recent release. “We are one of the first retail chains with ELERA® Security Suite across our stores, ensuring speed, privacy, and performance. It is already strengthening real-time loss prevention.”

Effective loss prevention solutions must include dynamic human factors, speed, and data. Empowered by edge AI, ELERA® Security Suite enables real-time, on-device processing at self-checkout stations to automatically identify produce items and proactively correct loss-related behaviors. Unlike systems that only detect incidents after they happen, the suite prompts immediate action with minimal customer disruption.

“Weis Markets has been a trusted partner for over two decades, and we’re thrilled to support their continued innovation. By understanding the real-world complexities of shrink, we designed a system that helps retailers like Weis Markets to enhance the shopping experience and empower associates,” said Yevgeni Tsirulnik, SVP Portfolio Management at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions. “ELERA® Security Suite represents a significant leap forward in self-checkout solutions. Its edge AI operates locally at checkout, shifting loss prevention from reactive detection to proactive influence and built to evolve with changing business needs.”

The implementation is part of Weis Markets’ ongoing ELERA® journey with Toshiba. The scalable solution boosts operational performance and reduces store costs through serverless, energy-efficient edge processing, providing Weis Markets with powerful, real-time insights. Its modular design integrates seamlessly with existing store hardware and the ELERA® Commerce Platform POS used by Weis Markets, lowering infrastructure costs and complexity. With an integrated dashboard for loss prevention and produce recognition, Weis Markets can proactively manage and streamline store operations while driving meaningful cost savings. ELERA® also safely handles all customer and payment data across POS, self-service, mobile, loyalty, and payment systems to deliver a faster, more secure experience for shoppers.

Toshiba will showcase ELERA® Security Suite and other retail innovations across software, hardware, and services in their booth at the upcoming NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show in January.