1. Lakeside Organic Gardens' Dick Peixoto Discusses Iceberg Market, Quality, and Foreseeable Issues

A special alert recently cropped up on iceberg lettuce as the market has become super tight due to quality issues and lower yields. In order to get a better read on the situation and how growers are working through the issues, I spoke with Dick Peixoto, Owner of Lakeside Organic Gardens.    Read More

2. True Grace and Rodale Institute Partner to Advance Research on Regenerative Organic Agriculture

True Grace, a mission-based supplement brand created to improve the health of people and planet through nutrient-dense products, has announced a new program in partnership with Rodale Institute to support scientific research on how regenerative organic agriculture impacts nutrient density in crops and contributes to climate mitigation through sequestration of atmospheric CO2 in the soil.     Read More

3. New Seasons Market to Bring Afresh Operating System For Fresh Food to Stores

West Coast natural grocer New Seasons Market has partnered with Afresh Technologies to bring the tech company’s AI-driven Fresh Operating System into select stores in the Pacific Northwest. The partnership will help New Seasons Market reduce complexity within its stores, optimize produce operations, increase sales, and deliver fresher produce to consumers, the companies said.    Read More

4. Pure Flavor Expands Organics Program with Key Items

Pure Flavor is introducing two new fresh products to its line of sustainable greenhouse-grown organics as the grower continues expanding its category offerings to meet consumer demand. This fall, Pure Flavor is adding Organic Luna Sweets Cocktail Tomatoes and Organic Roma Tomatoes to its lineup as a response to trends that have emerged since the beginning of the pandemic. In that time, consumers have shown they are cooking more at home and are more determined than ever to prepare meals with fresh organic ingredients.      Read More

5. Shenandoah Growers Has a New Identity—Soli Organic—and a New $120MM Investment

Soli Organic, formerly known as Shenandoah Growers, the nation’s only soil-based controlled environment agriculture company delivering 100-percent USDA certified organic produce to more than 20,000 retail stores nationwide, today announced a $120 million financing arrangement with leading real estate development firm Decennial Group.     Read More