The Southeast Produce Council launched its 2025 Next Generation Leadership Academy with an inspiring and immersive retreat at the historic Stone Mountain, GA. This retreat marked the official beginning of the academy’s learning year, gathering a dynamic group of rising stars from across the fresh produce industry. The cohort includes a balanced roster from notable retail and foodservice organizations to influential grower-shippers — intentionally investing in a better future. Class members engaged in powerful discussions, strategic leadership sessions and team-building experiences designed to

Avocados are among the most popular commodities in the produce department, yet for all their popularity the category has remained essentially flat for the last five years despite tens of millions of dollars invested in promoting the fruit. Why? For many, the feeling is that category growth is largely dependent on the diversification of supply to meet rising demand. Xavier Equihua, president and chief executive officer of the Peruvian Avocado Commission, said Peru is expected to have an “on” year in 2025 and could potentially export up to 260 million pounds of avocados to the U.S. market in

Wada Farms is looking forward to participating in this year’s Organic Produce Summit and is excited to showcase its expanded organic program, which is a key growth area for the company. “Our primary goal is to connect with organic retailers and buyers, discuss consumer trends and highlight our commitment to providing high-quality organic produce,” said Eric Beck, director of marketing for the company. “We also aim to stay ahead of industry innovations and strengthen our position as a trusted supplier in the organic produce category.” At Booth No. 1110, Wada Farms will be represented by Ben

The calendars of florists and event professionals intensify with the arrival of summer. The peak wedding season marks a key time for nurseries, floral designers, landscapers, and distributors of floral art products, who find a significant increase in demand for their services and products during the warmer months of the year. In recent years, there has been a clear trend toward a less seasonal adjustment in weddings—driven by post-pandemic organizational flexibility and an increasingly segmented market— good weather remains a determining factor when choosing a date. Summer and early fall still

Divine Flavor has made a commitment to its retail partners to offer a consistent, year-round supply of organic options for its lineup — and it’s getting closer and closer to achieving that each year. Chief Marketing Officer Alan Aguirre Camou said the addition and expansion of new production areas over the last few years is closing the gaps on supplies with the expectation that they will reach that goal sooner than later. Aguirre Camou said that is the message that he and other representatives will deliver to Organic Produce Summit convention goers in Monterey, CA in mid-July.

Harold Albinder, a pioneering figure in New York’s apple industry, died peacefully June 21. He was 87. Known for his work ethic, humility and deep love for the land, Mr. Albinder leaves behind a legacy rooted in family, farming, and relationships. Mr. Albinder was born April 6, 1938, in Brooklyn, NY, to Isadore and Ida Albinder. From an early age he developed a love for growing things, beginning with his windowsill garden. That passion blossomed, and following his service in the U.S. Marine Corps in the late 1950s, Mr. Albinder and his wife, Lucila, moved to the Hudson Valley to pursue a life