Online grocery sales in May 2025 finished at $8.7 billion, a 27 percent increase compared to last year with delivery driving nearly all the gains, according to the latest Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopper Survey, sponsored by Mercatus. While this marks the first month since August 2024 when total monthly sales have fallen below $9.5 billion, a larger month-over-month decline had been expected based on seasonal patterns seen across eGrocery. Total eGrocery sales for May 2025 fell 12 percent from April 2025, compared to 16 percent and 20 percent for the same months in 2023 and 2024, respectively

Cheers, applause and a few happy tears filled the Wenatchee Valley Performing Arts Center on June 10 as the largest class of Project SEARCH Stemilt interns graduated from the transition-to-work program. This year, nine students completed the hands-on internship experience designed to help young adults with disabilities gain skills for competitive employment. New to the program this year was the opportunity for interns to be paid, and an employment partnership with Mission Vista to set them up for long-term success. “Thanks to our partners and this remarkable class, the future looks bright,”

When making purchase decisions, shoppers are considering potential health benefits and sustainability. As a result, many are opting for organic fresh produce, fueling higher demand for flavorful, high-quality, organically grown fruits and vegetables. Mastronardi Produce, a pioneer of North America’s commercial greenhouse growing industry, has remained at the forefront of innovation by implementing measures such as Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), alongside proprietary growing techniques. Under the flagship SUNSET brand, Mastronardi continues to

Established in 2004 as an organic produce distributor and rebranded in 2019, Happy Dirt has evolved as a significant North Carolina-based organic produce wholesaler that is experiencing rapid growth in the sector. Pat Bayor, vice president of sales and purchasing, revealed that the company was founded as Eastern Carolina Organics by Sandi Kronick with a limited product line, but it has since expanded its offerings and is now owned by two staff members and 16 North Carolina farmers.

US Foods Holding Corp. has unveiled programming for the most all-encompassing foodservice solutions show in the company's history: Food Fanatics 2025 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Aug. 19-20. Themed “Every Second Counts,” the event will bring together more than 5,000 foodservice operators, culinary professionals, vendors, industry experts and an exciting roster of celebrity chefs, for two days of immersive content and experiences designed to provide countess solutions to address operators’ most pressing needs. Registration is open for the highly anticipated event that will feature 180,000

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on four produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and for failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators of the businesses from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without USDA approval. The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry: Los Angeles Produce