YAKIMA, WA - Stories, like our fingerprints, are uniquely ridged—carried and shared in remarkable, sometimes undetectable ways. At their core, they drive the beating heart of how we choose to love, lose, and reconcile. No one knows this better than Cat Gipe-Stewart, recipient of the 2025 Snack Storyteller Besties Award.

“Stories have a way of transporting us to a new perspective. I love telling stories that open minds, tug at heartstrings, expand our thinking, and offer insight into something people hadn’t even thought to ask about yet,” Cat, Director of Marketing for Superfresh Growers®, shared with me. “I love learning as much as I can firsthand, as well as through other people’s storytelling. I get this high when I start pulling all the pieces together into a narrative. Sometimes people ask if I’m the owner of the company because I speak with so much pride and passion. I’ve never been an owner in the business sense, but I’ve been fortunate to work for companies that make me feel like family and give me a sense of ownership over the storytelling.”

This deeply personal and visceral way of experiencing stories is the lens through which Cat lives her life. She speaks in story—whether she is creating her own or reflecting someone else’s.

“Just last week, I was on vacation—first on the Oregon Coast, then by the water in Michigan. Both places grounded me in that expansive, open energy you get near a large body of water. While I lay in the sun, I read The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd, and it completely swept me into the salty Carolina marshes,” Cat said. “There’s a line that stuck with me: ‘I come here, and it seems the divine is running rampant. That the marsh, the whole of Creation, is some dance God is doing, and we’re meant to step into it.’ That’s what the best stories do—they invite us to step in.”

Whether she’s telling a consumer where their food comes from and who grows it, or sharing the experiences of industry members around her, Cat sees life in poetics—from the earth to the customer’s hand.

“Telling the story of the farmworkers, the terroir of the land, the mountains, the soil, the generations that have farmed it, and then treating it with solidarity and stewardship—I see a tear in their eye,” Cat reflected. “Not kidding. People are often so removed from the source of their food that they can be taken aback when they truly consider it. It’s like they’re blown out of their shell for a moment and reminded that their food came from the soil, from someone who hand-picked every blueberry in their plastic carton, and every cherry in their plastic bag.”

I find kinship with Cat, who speaks about writing with curiosity, passion, and a relentless pursuit of meaningful experiences.

“When I’m writing about a person, the first step is getting to know them as best I can. Are they natural storytellers—do they write or speak easily? Or will I need to talk to their peers to really understand who they are and how to tell their story?” she noted. “I usually start by asking for bullet points. It’s an easy way to get the conversation started. From there, I can expand with more detailed questions, asking them to elaborate on their notes. This is when the spark often shows up—when I can highlight what drives them and motivates them in their everyday lives, bringing to light what their colleagues and peers see each day.”

When it comes to generating stories, having a team that wholly respects, supports, and cherishes such creative work makes all the difference.

“I genuinely love the team I work with. We collaborate, inspire, and challenge each other every day. While we each have our specialties, there’s a lot of overlap, and we’re always ready to jump in and support each other. That support, combined with the occasional challenge to step into someone else’s expertise, pushes us all to grow,” Cat said. “It’s also inspiring to be around talent. When one of my teammates creates something incredible, I feel proud of them—and it motivates me to rise to that same level. We keep raising the bar for each other in the best way.”

This year, the committee voted on every category except Snack Storyteller, Retailer of the Year, Best Marketer to Work With, and the Lifetime Achievement Award—four honors selected by our leadership team due to their special significance.

A heartfelt thank you to our Besties Committee for your time, dedication, and insight. Your contributions are deeply valued. Each year, our team compiles the Besties ballot with nominations across all award categories, and our committee votes to determine the winners.

Cat, your stewardship is felt, imprinted, and cherished by those around you. When the pen is in your hand, the divine is definitely running rampant.

CHARLOTTE, NC - Latrobe, Pa., resident Leo Sun is the winner of the 2nd Annual Dole Great American Banana Challenge after peeling and eating 11 ½ bananas in the 125-second competition on Aug. 23, topping his own record of 11 bananas set during the inaugural event last year.

One of the signature events of the Great American Banana Split Celebration, the annual three-day festival marking the invention of the iconic dessert in Latrobe in 1904, the challenge was created by Dole Food Company in 2024 to honor its 125th year in the banana business. The produce leader has committed to sponsoring the competition through at least 2027.

According to Banana Challenge rules, the banana fan who peels and eats the most DOLE® Bananas on the Robindale Main Stage of the Great American Banana Split Celebration receives the Dole Banana Challenge Championship Belt, created by Latrobe-based Wildcat Championship Belts, Dole, and event organizers exclusively for the competition.

Sun, 19, is enrolled in the aviation management program at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.

The Great American Banana Split Celebration has been an annual destination for banana and dessert fans since 2013, when the Pennsylvania Historical Society unveiled a marker at the downtown Latrobe site where the banana split was invented. Dole helped organize the inaugural celebration in conjunction with Aug. 25’s designation as National Banana Split Day, and sent Bobby Banana, the company’s 7-foot mascot and healthy-eating ambassador, as representative.

“Dole is proud to sponsor both the three-day Celebration and Banana Challenge and congratulates Leo Sun for bringing home the Dole Banana Belt for the second year in a row,” said William Goldfield, Dole’s director of communications, in the recent release. “It’s rewarding to see this small event that we helped start 13 years ago to honor Latrobe and National Banana Split Day grow into a destination celebration that draws tens of thousands annually.”

Also making an appearance at the three-day festival was Dole’s Bobby Banana, its 7-foot healthy eating mascot, and Punxsutawney Phil of Groundhog Day’s fame.

Banana split lovers wanting to celebrate with a more wholesome version of the famous dessert are directed to Dole’s Berry Banana Splitz and Honey Pomegranate Banana Split recipes, and to a how-to blog post by Melanie Marcus, MA, RD, Dole’s health, wellness, and communications manager.

WASHINGTON, DC - Giant Food, the Washington D.C. region’s leading food retailer, is proud to announce a new partnership with BrightFarms, a national leader in indoor hydroponic farming, to bring fresher, long-lasting, ready-to-eat greens to customers under its private-label Nature’s Promise® products brand.

The partnership introduces several new Greenhouse Grown greens to the produce aisle, including Nature's Promise® Greenhouse Grown Sweet Baby Butter, Nature's Promise® Greenhouse Grown Green and Red Leaf, and Nature's Promise® Greenhouse Grown Spring Mix.

BrightFarms grows leafy greens indoors in high-tech, climate-controlled greenhouses near major cities. Greens are harvested, packed, and delivered to stores in as little as 24 hours, offering maximum flavor and shelf life. Grown closer to the communities they serve, these greens require no washing and can be enjoyed straight from the container, offering customers a more convenient choice.

“This partnership with Giant Food is an exciting opportunity to offer our responsibly grown, nutritious greens under the trusted Nature’s Promise brand,” said Matt DiNitto, Executive Vice President of Sales for BrightFarms, in the recent release. “We’re proud to make healthy eating easier for households across the region.”

“We can’t wait for Giant Food customers to experience BrightFarms ready-to-eat greens under our Nature’s Promise label,” says Rick Manzi, Vice President of Fresh Merchandising for Giant Food. “These crunchy, fresh greens last longer, taste delicious in salads and sandwiches, and continue our mission of bringing customers the very best products at the best value.”

The new Nature’s Promise® Greenhouse Grown lineup includes:

• Nature's Promise® Sweet Baby Butter 4 oz.
• Nature's Promise® Spring Mix 4 oz.
• Nature's Promise® Green and Red Leaf 4 oz.
• Nature's Promise® Crunchy Green Leaf 4 oz.
• Nature's Promise® Crunchy Green Leaf 8 oz.
• Nature's Promise® Green and Red Leaf 8 oz.
• Nature's Promise® Spring Mix 8 oz.