SOLEDAD, CA - On July 1, 2025, Braga Fresh welcomed California Department of Food & Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross to its home ranch in Soledad for a field tour highlighting the company’s regenerative farming trials. The visit marked a milestone in Braga Fresh’s fifth year of Carbon Capture Farming, showcasing progress, sharing learnings, and inviting continued support to expand regenerative practices throughout the Salinas Valley.

For the past five years, Braga Fresh has been committed to farming in ways that reduce emissions, rebuild soil health, and capture carbon directly in the soil. CEO Rod Braga and his team demonstrated how evolving their approach to tillage and implementing permanent plantings within crop beds is yielding measurable results.

Tour Highlights Shared with Secretary Ross:

• 100 acres of Braga’s organic fields in Soledad, CA, are now farmed regeneratively
• 78% fewer tractor passes through minimum tillage practices
• Carbon emissions reduced by up to 1,000 lbs. per acre
• Permanent roots have helped cultivate 49 new microbial species

Braga's goal: “What if the answer to climate change lies in the soil?” said CEO Rod Braga in a recent press release. “If carbon capture farming works, then large-scale farming becomes a force for good, for people and the planet.”

This visit underscores Braga Fresh’s leadership in sustainable agriculture and its open-source approach to sharing progress, encouraging more Salinas Valley growers to explore regenerative farming.

For more information about the company, visit https://bragafresh.com/regenerative-farming-trials/ .

LOS ANGELES, CA - Wonderful® Pistachios has announced a major partnership with Buffalo Bills star quarterback and pistachios farmer Josh Allen, uniting the NFL’s reigning Most Valuable Player with America’s #1 Nut brand. A native of California’s Central Valley, where Wonderful Pistachios are grown and processed, Allen is part of a fourth-generation farming family whose crops include pistachios, and Wonderful Pistachios is the world’s largest pistachios producer and brand.

As part of the partnership, Allen will be featured in a national advertising campaign, set to launch this fall at the start of the upcoming football season. The details of the campaign will not be unveiled until its debut, but it will include comedic television commercials that will roll out across TV, digital, and social media platforms. The commercials will showcase the quarterback’s iconic presence and promote Wonderful Pistachios as a powerhouse snack for athletes, football fans, and families alike.

Beyond the spotlight, the collaboration also brings together the brand and Allen’s shared commitment to giving back to the Central Valley community that raised Allen and where the majority of the world’s pistachios are grown. Wonderful Pistachios and Allen are establishing a college scholarship fund for high school students in California’s Central Valley, supporting local youth in their pursuit of higher education and continued success, which will be unveiled this fall.

“Agriculture has always been part of my life on our family farm, and pistachios have been a smart, protein-forward snack to fuel my training,” said Allen in the recent release. “Partnering with Wonderful Pistachios feels like coming full circle. We’re both built on strong roots, and I’m excited to help spotlight a product that’s as real and hardworking as the people in California’s Central Valley.”

A fourth-generation farmer who grew up in Firebaugh, CA, Josh Allen knows firsthand the value of hard work and the role pistachios play in healthy, active lifestyles. Allen’s family farm grows pistachios that supply Wonderful Pistachios, making this partnership a natural fit rooted in shared values, local pride, and a commitment to wellness.

“This partnership marks a homegrown alliance that starts where both our stories began, in the Central Valley of California, which grows 95% of the pistachios in America,” said Andy Anzaldo, who leads grower relations at Wonderful Pistachios and is chief operating officer of corporate social responsibility for its parent company, The Wonderful Company. “Josh’s authenticity, work ethic, and deep ties to pistachio farming make him a true ambassador for our brand. Together, we’re investing in the future of the region we both proudly call home.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Josh Allen to the Wonderful Pistachios family and work together to inspire healthier snacking,” shared Michael Perdigao, president of The Wonderful Agency. “One in three people who snack on Wonderful Pistachios do so while watching sports, with football being the most popular, making this partnership a real touchdown.”

For more information about Wonderful Pistachios, visit wonderfulpistachios.com, or Get Crackin’ with @wonderfulpistachios on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

WASHINGTON, DC - The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) will convene the foodservice industry’s most influential leaders at The Foodservice Conference, taking place July 31 to August 1 in Monterey, CA. As the leading event for fresh produce in foodservice, the conference will gather key decision-makers, innovators, and top buyers for a dynamic three day line-up that includes Buyer Sourcing Meetings, the Fresh Ideas Showcase, the Foodservice Expo Floor, Networking Receptions, a General Session by Technomic on major health food trends, and more.

“With leading produce suppliers, retailers, operators/chefs, K-12 and College/University nutrition operators, and distributors all in one place, The Foodservice Conference is an unparalleled opportunity to connect with those driving the industry forward,” said Joe Watson, Vice President of Retail, Foodservice & Wholesale at IFPA, in the recent release. ;“Attendees will walk away with valuable insights, new partnerships, and a competitive edge.”

 This year will see one of the largest groups of new buyers in attendance, with representatives from highly sought-after banners and high-volume segments heading to Monterey. Top foodservice buyers confirmed to attend include:

• Chick-fil-A
• Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and more)
• Cava
• Baldor
• Charlie’s Produce
• Anthony Marano Company, Inc.
• Hardie’s Fresh Foods
• Fresh Edge
• DNO Produce
• Ben B. Schwartz & Sons Inc
• Fresh Alliance
• Gibson Produce
• Major school districts and universities nationwide

View all buyers: Here.

For more information and to view the full schedule, please visit: https://www.freshproduce.com/events/the-foodservice-conference/