SALINAS, CA - Taylor Farms, North America's leading producer of ready-to-eat salads and healthy fresh foods, is excited to announce its acquisition of FarmWise's business, an agricultural technology robotics company specializing in precision weeding and thinning solutions. This important strategic move reinforces Taylor Farms' commitment to advancing agricultural technology and sustainable farming practices while continuing to deliver high-quality fresh foods to its customer partners.

FarmWise has been at the forefront of ag-tech innovation, recognized for its advanced automation and robotics systems that address critical farming challenges such as precision weeding and thinning. Its Vulcan technology enables farmers to efficiently reduce reliance on manual labor, optimize productivity, and adopt more sustainable farming practices.

"We believe in the FarmWise technology and think we have an important role to play with industry adoption in the specialty crop space," said Ted Taylor, President of Taylor Farms Agricultural Operations, in a recent press release. "This acquisition is another step forward in our mission to drive the future of agriculture with thoughtful and impactful innovation."

FarmWise's leadership echoed this enthusiasm in the future of ag-tech. "I'm incredibly proud of what our team has built," said Tjarko Leifer, CEO of FarmWise. "The FarmWise Vulcan delivers a strong return on investment to vegetable growers today, and this is just the beginning. I'm more bullish than ever about a future where advanced robotics plays a vital role in making farming more productive and sustainable."

This acquisition is a natural fit for Taylor Farms as the company continues to adopt advanced solutions that benefit the produce industry at large. Taylor Farms will immediately begin assisting with a seamless transition to ensure continuity of service for FarmWise Vulcan customers. This collaborative approach strengthens the transition and furthers the innovative momentum behind the Vulcan technology. This acquisition reflects Taylor Farms' commitment to driving sustainable agriculture and supporting tools that simplify farming practices for growers everywhere.

HOUSTON, TX - Bringing a gateway of fresh opportunities to the produce industry is one of the benefits the Viva Fresh Expo offers attendees each year. As the event quickly approaches April 10-12, companies from across the region and beyond are gearing up to raise the bar across fresh produce discussions and solutions. Pandol Brothers, always at the forefront of the industry’s waves of change, join me to share their Viva Fresh program, advantages, and what topics will be on the table this year.

“Viva Fresh helps highlight the vital role of the Tex-Mex corridor as a key trade route and fresh produce hub. At the 2025 event, we will be reflecting on Pandol Brothers’ focus on excellence, quality, and community,” Stefanie Pandol, Marketing and Sustainability Specialist, shares with me. “Pandol will highlight its leadership in exporting produce to markets worldwide and underscoring its strong relationships with international grower partners and customers.”

In addition to reinforcing the company’s 80-year commitment to quality, innovation, and ethical practices, Pandol will have third- and fourth-generation family members, John Pandol, Director of Special Projects, and Stefanie, at the show to communicate this dedication even more deeply.

Pandol will be showcasing its year-round offerings of premium grapes and blueberries, which are key products in its portfolio and part of its ongoing commitment to freshness and quality.

“The first days of spring are the time when Pandol forecasts its harvest flows for Georgia blueberries and Sonora grapes,” John informs me. “The shoulders of seasons are always a little different. Pandol translates boots-on-the-ground field observations into forecasts usable by retailers to navigate the gaps or overlaps that occur.”

Pandol’s supplies will be powering up in May with chances for promotions by the end of the month.

Stefanie adds that Pandol Brothers will be discussing the transition from South American grapes to Mexican grapes as well, addressing the supply chain and the impact of tariffs on the fresh produce market.

“This conversation will provide valuable insights into global sourcing, logistics, and market trends,” she details. “Continuing to advance the discussion and solutions around sustainability in produce packaging, innovation in supply chain logistics, labor challenges in agriculture, and the ongoing tariff issue will be essential.”

John notes that Viva Fresh’s insight into regional challenges and advantages is key.

Please join the Pandol Brothers team at Booth #207 to enter into these relevant discussions and discover what it means to be a Pandol partner.

WASHINGTON - Equitable Food Initiative, the workforce development and certification organization that partners with growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumer advocacy groups, is proudly celebrating its 10-year anniversary as a nonprofit committed to transforming and improving labor practices across the fresh produce industry.

Since its founding, EFI has worked with 90 farming operations across five countries, improving working conditions for at least 65,000 farmworkers. Through training programs that emphasize communication, conflict resolution and continuous improvement, nearly 5,000 workers have been equipped with critical leadership skills, building a culture of collaboration that benefits both workers and businesses.

When partners, pioneers, and advocates from across the supply chain were asked to reflect on the organization’s impact, their responses were a testament to the power of its collaborative model. “EFI has used its platform to find new ways to meet the ever-evolving needs of the industry,” shared Melinda Goodman, President of FullTilt Marketing, in a recent press release. “There are no sides, only the upside of strengthening the very fabric of our labor and supply chain systems.”

Maisie Ganzler, former EFI Board Member and sustainability author, added, “EFI truly transformed what many saw as competing interests into a collaborative model where everyone is valued and everyone wins.”

Over the past decade, EFI has helped deliver more than $25 million in worker bonuses, reinforcing its belief that safe, high-quality food begins with a skilled and empowered workforce. The organization has also elevated farmworkers’ voices at trade shows, in legislative hearings and at the design table for new industry programs.

Additional champions highlighted the transformational effect EFI has had on business culture and performance. Jane Kuhn, Director of Sustainability at Once Upon a Farm, explained, “EFI is not a ‘check box’ exercise, rather an invitation to elevate worker expertise and continuously improve year after year.”

Stemilt Growers President West Mathison added that “EFI has been an invaluable asset to us helping us improve our teamwork, engagement, and outcomes as a company, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they will continue to broaden the impact to more growers.”

In partnership with industry leaders, EFI also helped create and launch the Ethical Charter Implementation Program (ECIP), introducing the LAB (Learn, Assess and Benchmark) platform to strengthen employer engagement around labor practices. Within its first year, ECIP has reached nearly half the suppliers selling produce in North America, signaling strong demand for tools that support responsible labor practices.

EFI sees opportunities to create more stability and improve efficiencies and farmworker well-being by professionalizing the agricultural workforce and increasing worker engagement across the supply chain. As a farm labor thought leader in agriculture, EFI is helping the produce industry unlock the full value of its most essential asset – its people.

To learn more about EFI, visit equitablefood.org.

LOS ANGELES, CA - The Wonderful Company, a $6 billion agriculture, real estate, and consumer packaged goods company with a 10,000-person global workforce, has again been named one of Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For®, moving up six spots from its ranking last year to No. 85. Earning a spot on this highly coveted list is the result of candid and anonymous input from thousands of Wonderful Company employees attesting to the company’s extraordinary culture, leadership, and relationship with its workers. It is the only company culture award that honors enterprises based on employees’ own assessments of how they are treated, and The Wonderful Company is the only agriculture enterprise included out of 100 honorees.

One of the largest private enterprises in the United States, The Wonderful Company owns and produces iconic, healthy brands, including FIJI Water, POM Wonderful, Wonderful Pistachios, Wonderful Halos, Wonderful Seedless Lemons, Teleflora, and JUSTIN and Lewis Cellars wines. In compiling its list, Fortune recognized not just The Wonderful Company’s positive workplace environment, but also its unique contributions to the communities where it operates and where its employees and their families live.

“We could not be prouder that Fortune has once again recognized the dedication and passion of our workforce by naming Wonderful as one of its top workplaces in the U.S.,” said Lynda and Stewart Resnick, co-owners and vice-chairman and chairman, respectively, of The Wonderful Company, in a recent press release. “The heart of Wonderful is our people. We are grateful that our colleagues across all our businesses take great pride in the work they do to foster a supportive and high-trust environment and strive to give back. Their efforts bring our culture to life, ensuring not just that our businesses succeed but that our workplace thrives, and we leave the world a better place.”

In 2024, The Wonderful Company earned the No. 3 spot on PEOPLE magazine’s Companies That Care list and was named one of the Best Places to Work in the Central Valley. It was previously named to Fast Company’s 2023 Brands That Matter for providing free, quality health care to its workforce, local students, and their families.

To date, the Resnicks, through their foundations and The Wonderful Company, have committed more than $2.5 billion in philanthropy and corporate social responsibility efforts across education, health and wellness, community infrastructure, and environmental sustainability in California’s Central Valley, Fiji, and beyond. This includes a $10 million commitment to fire relief efforts in the L.A. area, with immediate support focused on first responders and additional matching of all L.A. fire-related donations made by employees.

Fortune magazine and Great Place To Work, the global authority on workplace culture, selected this year’s list using rigorous analytics and confidential employee feedback representing more than 8.2 million U.S. employees. Companies are assessed on their ability to create a great employee experience that cuts across race, gender, age, disability status, or any aspect of employee identity or job role.

“When you measure trust, you uncover the potential that exists in an organization,” says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work. “Employees at companies on this list have higher levels of trust in their leaders and in their organization, unlocking their creativity, passion, and resilience.”

“Fortune is happy to have collaborated with Great Place To Work for the 28th year to recognize the 100 Best Companies to Work For,” says Alyson Shontel, editor-in-chief of Fortune. “In a difficult macro environment with unprecedented challenges, these companies seemed to navigate their organizations toward steady and positive working environments for employees. Congratulations to all who were recognized.”

To qualify for the Fortune list, companies must have 1,000 or more employees in the U.S., be Great Place To Work Certified™ organizations, and have consistently high survey responses across the 60 statements that constitute the Trust Index™ survey.