VALENCIA, CA - Sunkist Growers is introducing a refreshed suite of merchandising tools to help retailers drive citrus sales and inspire shoppers as the cooperative prepares for peak season.

Building on the momentum of its Sunny Days brand platform, Sunkist is expanding the campaign into retail with a full creative rollout across display bins and point-of-sale materials. At the center are new grower bins, designed to highlight the stories of Sunkist’s multi-generational family growers and connect shoppers directly to the people behind their citrus. Featuring bold colors, distinct variety callouts, and authentic storytelling, the display celebrates the cooperative’s heritage while meeting today’s shopper expectations with a fresh, modern look designed to stop traffic in the produce aisle and convert brand recognition into sales.

According to a recent Sunkist-commissioned study, in-store promotions and brand familiarity remain powerful motivators for citrus purchases. New merchandising elements—including seasonal graphics, shopper-friendly messaging, and flexible display formats—aim to help retailers activate these motivators in produce departments nationwide.

“Merchandising is where brand storytelling meets the purchase decision,” said Cassie Howard, Senior Director of Category Management and Marketing at Sunkist Growers. “By combining bold creative assets with insights from our category management program, we’re making it easier for shoppers to say yes to citrus, connect with our growers, and keep the category top of mind all season long.”

The expanded merchandising suite will include tools for a range of citrus varieties—such as Navels, Lemons, Mandarins, Grapefruits, and specialty favorites like Cara Caras and Blood oranges.

Sunkist leads the industry in Blood oranges, selling more branded Blood orange volume and packaging than any other supplier. Sunkist’s 2lb Blood orange bag has proven especially successful at traditional retail, offering a strong value price point and aligning perfectly with this variety’s size and specs. Paired with the refreshed display bins, these programs give retailers flexible tools to spotlight in-season favorites and drive incremental citrus purchases in-store.

Retailers are encouraged to contact their Sunkist sales representative to learn more about the Sunny Days merchandising program and reserve materials early for the season.

MIAMI, FL - Continuing to make a splash with its exciting new brand refresh, Crystal Valley Foods is once again emphasizing its strength as a one-stop shop with another trade show appearance. At the 2025 Global Produce & Floral Show, the supplier will showcase its entire product line for retail, foodservice, and wholesale outlets, from asparagus and value-added offerings to Asian fruits and vegetables and more.

“This year, we have added a few new tropical fruits and an expanded organic asparagus program to ensure more consistent, year-round availability,” shares Katiana Valdes, Marketing Director of Crystal Valley Foods. “We offer a wide range of specialty products, which allows us to be a one-stop shop for our customers. We pride ourselves not only on the quality of our product and service but on our strong sourcing partnerships, which allow us to ensure we have consistent, year-round availability to meet demand. If we have a customer in need of a certain pack size or product, we go above and beyond to work with our partners to develop it.”

As the company takes to this year’s Global Produce & Floral Show, Crystal Valley Foods is looking forward to another exciting step in its brand refresh strategy.

“We are excited to continue rolling out our brand refresh. Following our new website last spring, our booth and promotional items will be updated with our new logo,” Katiana previews. “We are also working on a new packaging design for our entire product line, which will be revealed by the new year.”

Crystal Valley Foods’ refreshed new look and comprehensive portfolio will be showcased at booth #1261.

“The Global Produce & Floral Show is always a great event for us. It is a time when the entire industry can gather in one place to discuss all the important details affecting our day-to-day business,” Katiana adds. “We are able to see our vendors, customers, and peers all at once, catch up, and strengthen our relationships. It also takes place at the perfect time, allowing us to start planning for the upcoming year.”

More show updates are on the way as we approach October 16, so keep clicking on AndNowUKnow!

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Brighter Bites, a nonprofit organization that delivers fresh fruits, vegetables, and nutrition education resources directly into families’ hands, held its inaugural Bakersfield Celebration of Community Collaboration & Impact with presenting partner Grimmway Farms. The event brought together more than 100 guests and community leaders for a larger conversation on creating communities of health through fresh food.

The celebration raised over $85,000 and highlighted the importance, need, and growing success of collaboration, both locally and nationally. This helps Brighter Bites change behaviors among children and families through its proven model of fresh produce, nutrition education, and fun food experiences.

“This event is a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when a community and the produce industry come together,” said Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites, in the recent release. “Every contribution helps us deliver fresh, nutritious produce to children who need it most. It’s not just about food — it’s about giving kids the foundation to grow, learn, and thrive. We’re deeply thankful to everyone who supported this event and have joined us in our mission to create healthier futures for kids in Bakersfield and beyond.”

Despite Kern County being one of the nation’s leading agriculture producers, 1 in 5 children within the county remains food insecure which affects learning, health and long-term potential.

Brighter Bites launched its Bakersfield program in April of 2022 to address this urgent issue. The program provides 20 pounds of fresh produce and nutrition education each week to underserved elementary school families and now serves more than 5,000 children, families, and teachers across six schools.

“Brighter Bite’s initiative is the perfect addition to the Community Resource Center that provides families in the area with holistic services and resources,” said Jose Quintero, Director of the Fairfax School District Community Resource Center. “We’ve been able to create a single point where families can access Brighter Bites fresh produce while also connecting to English classes, mobile health clinics, nutritional education, and more to best support our community.”

With support from healthcare systems, foundations, growers, and individuals, Brighter Bites is working harder than ever to expand to more schools and empower families to make healthy choices that lead to lasting behavior change.

“We are thrilled to see such an outpouring of support for Brighter Bites here in Kern County. More than 100 people came together at this event, not only to celebrate the incredible progress Brighter Bites has made in just four years, but to commit to its future,” said Dana Brennan, Vice President, Grimmway Farms. “Food insecurity is a real challenge in our community, and Brighter Bites provides a proven solution – delivering fresh produce, nutrition education, and healthier futures for local families.”

The following local and industry partners sponsored the event and joined the conversation on food insecurity: Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms, Dignity Health, Blue Zones Project, Adventist Health, Wonderful Orchards, Wonderful Citrus, Proforma Solutions, Kern Energy, Kya, Bank of America, and Jim Burke Ford Lincoln. Key partners also attended: Sunkist Growers, Berry Corporation, IFPA, Fairfax School District, Kern Medical, Kern County Farm Bureau, and WN Citrus.

DELTA BC, CANADA - WINDSET FARMS® is proud to be featured in the latest episode of Everything Electric: Fully Charged YouTube series titled Clean Energy Tech Is Changing the Way We Grow Food. The episode showcases how Windset is pushing the boundaries of sustainable agriculture through controlled environment innovations, highlighting how the company grows energy-efficient tomatoes and cucumbers using state-of-the-art greenhouses, precision farming, thermal curtain systems, water irrigation technologies, and other sustainability practices.

The episode is centred around Windset Farms' 92-acre greenhouse facility location in Delta, BC. A partnership between BC Hydro and Windset has enabled Windset to expand its Delta facility in recent years, making it Western North America's largest LED-lit greenhouse powered by renewable electricity from BC Hydro. The greenhouses are equipped with systems designed for energy efficiency and sustainability, ensuring a year-round supply of vegetables to customers across North America. By utilizing energy efficient LED lights instead of high-pressure sodium lights, electrical consumption is reduced by approximately 55%. Windset Farms was named a CleanEnergy Champion by BC Hydro, recognizing the company's commitment to innovative energy solutions.

These efforts are central to Windset's mission to reduce environmental footprint, improve resource efficiency, and lead in greenhouse design tailored to British Columbia's climate. According to the recent release, the video gives viewers an inside look at the company's growing practices and its motivations for continuing to raise the bar on sustainability.

In addition, Windset Farms' co-owner and CEO, Steven Newell, spoke at the Everything Electric Canada trade show in Vancouver earlier this month. "There's a real push from retailers and consumers to have locally grown produce, and to make that possible, it all came down to the availability of power," said Steven Newell. "Knowing we've got the electricity we need gives us and our partners certainty of assured locally grown, B.C. supply, year-round."

Watch the Fully Charged: Clean Energy Tech Is Changing the Way We Grow Food episode here to learn more about Windsets' sustainability practices and how we're setting the bar for clean energy.