LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - The Allen Lund Company is pleased to announce Paul Ellis' promotion to Assistant General Manager of the Memphis office.

Paul graduated from the University of Memphis in 2008. He began his career in the supply chain industry by working with other transportation brokers before joining the Allen Lund Company in 2017 as a Broker in Training. Since then, he has advanced through the ranks to Broker, Senior Transportation Broker, and Operations Manager.

Jim McGuire, Executive Vice President, stated in a recent release, "Since joining the company eight years ago, Paul has demonstrated a strong work ethic and natural leadership qualities. We are thrilled to congratulate him on his well-deserved promotion to Assistant General Manager. This new role is a testament to his dedication, and we look forward to his continued contributions to ALC and our Memphis team!"

Matt Gronostaj, General Manager of ALC Memphis, remarked, "Paul's unwavering dedication, strong work ethic, and consistent performance have set a high standard within our team. We are confident that his leadership will bring continued success, and we look forward to an exciting future watching his leadership and talents grow."

Regarding his promotion, Paul shared, "I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity. I appreciate the trust and support of Matt and our entire team, and I look forward to driving our office to continued growth and success."

NEW YORK - The New York Apple Association has named Thomas Coene as chairman of the board. Coene and his wife, Lindsey, farm alongside his parents, David and Elizabeth Coene, and his grandparents, Robert and Judith Coene, at Windmill Farms LLC, a fifth-generation family operation. The family cultivates approximately 500 acres across Monroe and Wayne counties on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, growing apples for both fresh and processing markets. They also operate an on-farm controlled-atmosphere storage facility.

Coene holds a degree in agricultural business management from SUNY Cobleskill. “I look forward to leading the organization and working side by side with the other board members,” Coene said in the recent release.

Kristen DeMarree has been named vice president. She earned a doctorate in physical therapy from Nazareth University before returning to the family farm, where she is now transitioning to full ownership.

Newly appointed board members Domenic Porpiglia and Jenna Roberts-Bruning join current members Ely Giroux, Kenny Bowman, Marcus Jones, Helene Dembroski, Joy Crist, Catherine Blackler, Mark Russell, Jeffery Fremouw, Carrie Wafler, and Kent Schwab. Board members are elected by New York state apple growers to serve three-year terms, with the option to serve up to two consecutive terms.

The New York Apple Association is a nonprofit organization representing more than 500 apple growers across 50,000 acres statewide. New York is the second-largest apple-producing state in the U.S. NYAA supports fresh, processing, and direct-to-consumer growers through advertising, promotions, public relations, and educational initiatives aimed at strengthening the industry.

This year, NYAA was awarded two state contracts totaling more than $3 million.

“New York is expecting a robust crop this year, with production projected to exceed 30,500 million bushels,” Coene said. “We’ve had a good mix of rain and warm summer days. Harvest in the Hudson Valley will begin around mid-August, followed by Western and Central New York, and then Northeast New York a few days later. Harvest typically wraps up the first week of November, depending on the weather.”

Cynthia Haskins, NYAA president and CEO, announced an omni-channel consumer marketing campaign featuring a large digital billboard in New York City, 225 panel display billboards, and a targeted social media campaign showcasing digital images of New York apple growers. The campaign will highlight The Big Flavor in The Big Apple, with branded display shippers and signage throughout the city.

“We have a great opportunity to tell the story of New York apple growers,” Coene said. “Consumers are more interested than ever in where their food comes from, who produces it, and how it’s grown.”

NYAA is expanding the Big Flavor campaign nationwide. Retail account managers are securing cooperative advertising partnerships and launching digital and coupon programs. New York apples are available in more than 7,400 retail stores across the country. To help consumers locate them, NYAA is developing a landing page listing participating retailers.

The association also unveiled a new social media initiative that invites the state’s 500-plus apple growers to actively participate in content creation. The grower-driven effort aims to deepen consumer engagement. DeMarree serves as chair of the Social Media Committee.

UNITED STATES - Broccoli is another category seeing an uptick in demand with school back in session. As we reported this morning, with Iceberg lettuce, this cruciferous veg is also feeling the heat in terms of demand.

According to the USDA’s August 20, 2025, National FOB Review, broccoli coming out of Salinas-Watsonville in cartons bunched 14s are priced between 11:05 and 17.00, mostly 12.05 and 14.75.

This wide range of prices was reflected in pricing reported out of Santa Maria, although the prices were lower, at a range of mostly 9.00–10.00.

Organic cartons out of South and Central District California reported prices of cartons bunched 14s at 18.00–31.00, mostly 24.00–28.00.

The Source commented that broccoli supplies and quality are strong across all growing regions. These conditions are expected to last into next week.

Keep turning back to ANUK for the latest on category updates like this.

UNITED STATES - Blackberries deliver on both tang and sweetness, and shoppers looking to have that extra burst of sunshine before summer ends are keeping demand strong.

The Source reported that supplies do vary by shipper, with steady volume coming from Mexico and California, and transfers from Oregon helping to fill gaps.

No report on any heat damage to the berries from the higher temperatures seen this week. For blackberries coming out of California and Mexico, The Source noted the following weather alerts for the regions.

In California, moderate high pressure will keep temperatures near or above average throughout next week. In Mexico, seasonal temperatures range from the mid-70s to mid-80s, with some isolated showers and storms likely to occur from now until August 30.

According to the USDA’s August 20, 2025, National FOB Review, blackberries coming out of South and Central District California are priced between 18.00 and 20.00 in flats of 12 6 oz cups with/lids.

We’ll be here when you need the latest updates, so stay tuned to ANUK!

CHICAGO, IL - Pilot Light announced the release of its updated Food Education Standards, the first-ever comprehensive framework for integrating Food Education into PreK-12 classrooms. The revised standards build on five years of real-world implementation by educators across the United States and expand access to include PreK students for the first time.

Since their groundbreaking introduction in 2018, the Food Education Standards have empowered educators to use food as a powerful teaching tool across all subjects, from science and social studies to math and language arts. The updated standards reflect feedback from hundreds of educators and incorporate greater diversity in food system expertise, while maintaining their core mission: helping students understand the role of food in connecting communities, cultures, and the environment.

“Every day, educators using Food Education Standards prove that Food Education is about so much more than nutrition,” said Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn, Executive Director of Pilot Light, in the recent release. “These updated standards give teachers an even stronger foundation to help students explore their world through food – building connections between health, culture, the environment, and their futures as food system leaders.”

Real Impact in Real Classrooms

The original standards have already transformed learning for more than 26,000 students nationwide through Pilot Light’s teacher-centered model. Educators report that food-focused lessons increase student engagement and create connections to their communities and cultures.

“Pilot Light introduced me to seeing how Food Education is used in all content areas,” shared an educator who integrates Food Education into their classroom. “The lesson bank online has such a treasure chest of knowledge and resources that can connect to any subject matter.”

In classrooms across the country, students have used the standards to develop advocacy projects that lead to lasting change. At Ray Elementary in Chicago, students’ work led to a city council ordinance banning the use of Styrofoam containers. At North Judson-San Pierre High School in Indiana, students created advocacy projects addressing food waste in their cafeterias. In Syracuse, New York, students at McKinley-Brighton Elementary used Food Education lessons to explore their community’s food systems and advocate for healthier school meal options. In San Francisco, 6th and 7th-grade students, along with student leaders, at Alice Fong Yu Alternative School, demonstrated how food and the environment are interconnected at the 2nd Annual Climate Action Youth Summit.

Updated for Today’s Classrooms

The 2025 edition of the Food Education Standards:

• Incorporate greater diversity in food system expertise, ensuring all students see themselves reflected in Food Education.
• Reflect best practices in teaching and learning based on five years of classroom implementation.
• Include competencies tailored to PreK students for greater accessibility and early childhood engagement.

The seven standards guide students through understanding that food connects us, has sources and origins, impacts the environment, influences our behaviors, impacts our health, empowers informed choices, and provides opportunities for advocacy and change.

See the full release here.

CANADA - Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada will remove its existing retaliatory tariffs on CUSMA-compliant goods, which include several fresh produce items, as of September 1st.

CPMA is extremely pleased to see this announcement, which follows significant advocacy efforts to remove the tariffs since they were first introduced in March. Over the past few months, CPMA has taken every opportunity to engage with elected and departmental officials and has raised this topic through multiple letters, meetings, and stakeholder sessions, and we continue to work with our partners across the continent to emphasize the importance of tariff-free produce trade.

In 2024 alone, Canada imported close to $5.5 billion in fresh produce from the United States, representing a little less than half of all fresh produce imports. Canada also imported another $3 billion in fresh produce from Mexico. Just as important, Canadian companies exported just over $4.5 billion in fresh produce to the United States, comprising more than 97% of all fresh produce exports. These figures highlight the critical interconnectedness of our agricultural economies.

CPMA will continue to advocate for the importance of free and fair produce trade across North America, and to engage with the Canadian government to advance Canadian interests in the renewal of CUSMA in the coming months.

WASHINGTON, DC - Equitable Food Initiative, the workforce development and certification organization, and Stemilt Growers, a leading grower and packer of apples, pears and cherries, are proud to share A Holistic Approach to Resilience, a new film in which both companies are featured, presented by B Lab Global and produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions for Once Upon a Farm.

The short film is part of the global series, Common Good, launched in May 2025, which explores how certified B Corporations are working to weave environmental and social performance, transparency, and accountability into their core mission by addressing critical challenges in ways that benefit businesses, workers, and society.

In the film, Jane Kuhn, director of sustainability at Once Upon a Farm, reflects on the role of businesses in driving positive impact. “Even amidst all the complexities and challenges, I believe that businesses should and can be positive change agents,” she shares. “We can support positive impact and positive change in the supply chain.”

Once Upon a Farm was selected from among global B Corp submissions to be included in the series. “Once Upon a Farm’s pioneering commitment in becoming the first consumer product goods company to source EFI-certified products and pay the EFI premium perfectly embodies how businesses can truly be positive change agents,” said LeAnne Ruzzamenti, director of marketing and communications for EFI, in a recent release. “The partnerships built between EFI, Stemilt, and Once Upon a Farm have created positive impacts on the workers, the environment, and the products.”

The film highlights how EFI’s unique workforce development model, centered around leadership training, collaboration, and problem-solving, has been implemented at Stemilt, strengthening workplace culture. Maggie Torres, Stemilt’s manager for business partners and people experience, is featured in the film, sharing her background as a farmworker and her commitment to listening to workers and to integrating their feedback into the operation.

“Our partnership with EFI has deepened our commitment to continuous improvement and to our Stemilters, who are the people behind our fruit,” explained Brianna Shales, marketing director at Stemilt. “We have always invested in our people and the planet, but when that commitment is recognized by customers and consumers, it brings a higher standard to the industry at large and creates a ripple effect of positive impacts.”

Ruzzamenti added, “What makes this story worth sharing is not just that these three companies are doing the right thing – it’s that they’re doing it together. Real resilience comes from shared purpose and true collaboration, and that’s what this film captures so well.”

The film recognizes the challenges faced by and the deep knowledge required of farmworkers, with Kuhn also sharing that “Farmwork is hard work. It’s skilled work, and I think it’s crucial we remember that behind every apple or fruit pouch on the shelf, there are many hands and many people who made it happen. Stemilt is one of our key suppliers, and they quickly stood out as an example of a supplier that doesn’t let complexity equal complacency.”

The content is part of the Common Good series, which was produced by the commercial content division of BBC Studios for B Lab Global and participating brands. While the series is branded content, participation is based on a rigorous review process highlighting values-driven, impactful businesses.

EFI and Stemilt encourage viewers to explore the film and join the conversation about creating a collaborative and sustainable food system.

To view the full film, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLEoLrU86PI