VINELAND, NJ - While the ANUK team was ringing the December bell—which carries the tune of Justin Bieber’s Fa La La—Trucco was ringing a different celebratory bell. After launching its new Trucco distribution facility early October, the importer cried land ho! this week as its first container of red kiwifruit arrived at its new facility.
According to a press release, this is a first for the company that has spent the last 20 years becoming one of the largest distributors of kiwifruit in the United States with its green, gold, and organic varieties. Following the arrival of its first container at its new facility, Trucco is further solidifying its efforts to provide consumers with a more diverse selection of kiwifruit.
Over the years, demand for kiwifruit has grown, with gold varieties the latest to capture consumers’ hearts and wallets in the U.S. and around the world. This has led produce purveyors to find unique ways to fulfill the growing demand and keep up with ever-changing consumer trends. One way Trucco is accomplishing both tasks is through the red kiwifruit, which was developed by growers in Italy. The importer is now betting on the success of the unusual colored fruit thanks to kiwifruits’ current place in the produce mainstream.
While the skin of a red kiwifruit resembles that of a gold kiwifruit, the similarities end there. Once sliced open, its vibrant red core gleams and its robust berry splash transforms the usual sweet kiwifruit taste into a tropical sensation. These distinct and delightful differences are also what sets Trucco apart as one of our industry’s innovation leaders as it continues to cultivate unique varieties across its categories.
And, given Trucco’s dedication to the kiwifruit category, which has included its latest modern distribution addition, Trucco is just the company to position this tropical treat as the next produce aisle star. Currently available in limited qualities, the red kiwifruit is one trend retailers and consumers won’t want to miss.
As Trucco gauges consumers' reaction of the initial red kiwifruit launch, AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the freshest industry news.
ANAHEIM, CA - After many years in this industry, you begin to recognize trends in the market, making it easier to pivot in the face of a challenge. Joe Brindle, General Manager of the Los Angeles office for the Allen Lund Company, has seen the industry through many phases of its evolution, and I had the chance to speak with him this year at PMA to find out how his experience will influence the coming year for Allen Lund.
“My career path with the Allen Lund Company started back in 2006,” he said. “After a few years as a Broker, I was promoted to Assistant Manager at the Los Angeles office, under Tracy Lewin. From there, in 2019, I was promoted to General Manager, which is my current title, at the Los Angeles office.”
With over a decade at his back, Joe is a fierce advocate for what Allen Lund has to offer. Now managing an entire office, he is well positioned to anticipate trends both good and bad as we head into 2020.
“Our office specializes in produce and perishables, and we move about 1,500 to 1,600 loads over the road per month. One of the challenges I see in the coming year in the industry is the low cost of hauling to the carrier combined with the low class-8 order of equipment, which points to an imbalance in the industry, and any imbalance in the market is something to be concerned about,” Joe explained. “As the Manager of the Los Angeles office, the outlook to me is clear: to focus on what we’re good at, and it’s providing customer service to our shipper-growers as well as our core carriers.”
With Thanksgiving now at our backs, the industry is full steam ahead as we move toward the new year. To see how others like Allen Lund are ramping up, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - As our industry continues to grow, produce pioneers have emerged to pave the way towards new avenues of profit, pushing the boundaries of promoting fresh foods. On-the-go and convenience-centric products are trending hard right now, and their popularity is expected to grow as the needs of consumers change over time. Farmer’s Fridge has sparked new progress in the produce industry, taking a sales format notorious for unhealthy eating, and turning it on its head to deliver fresh, flavorful meals. Vending machines are new territory for the industry, and like all new innovations, there are some growing pains involved, but with collaboration between food companies and regulators, this new direction can take flight.
“I think we’re doing a lot to keep people safe and to be recognized for that would be great,” said Luke Saunders, Founder of Farmer's Fridge.
The New York City Health Department is reportedly taking a closer look at prepared fresh food vending machines, particularly Farmer’s Fridge machines, according to The New York Post. Adding a fresh element to the unique vending machine format can result in challenges that need to be addressed by the industry.
“Selling certain prepared foods from a vending machine can create a risk of food-borne illness, and the New York City Health Code sets out food safety requirements for food vending machines,” a Health Department spokesperson told the news source.
New York City officials took note of Farmer’s Fridge machines and contacted Saunders in October to work together to set regulations for the machines. According to The Post, Farmer’s Fridge voluntarily shut down nearly 60 machines across the city in an effort to establish the best quality and safety standards possible for the new format. The company has already built in several safety mechanisms in its machines, including blocking sales of expired items, a device that measures the fridge’s temperature every five minutes, and a setting that automatically shuts down the machine if it gets too hot.
“The Health Department worked with Farmer’s Fridge to be sure their equipment would hold food at safe temperatures, and that foods were properly labeled and from approved sources,” the spokesperson relayed to the news source.
The scope of the new regulations have yet to be determined, but so far, the Health Department has set requirements that ingredients must derive from approved sources, packaged products need labels, and cold foods must be stored at 41 degrees. Farmer’s Fridge has welcomed the regulations as important safeguards, and has submitted the same food service application and $280 fee required by restaurants.
What will the final regulations look like in New York City, and will similar regulations emerge in other cities? AndNowUKnow will keep you posted.
MONTEREY, CA - The holiday season is a time for family, which is why, I assume, the Organic Grower Summit takes place at the beginning of December. This week, the industry’s organic family is gathering in Monterey, California, mimicking that of a traditional holiday gathering with a few exceptions: ground-breaking dialogue, educational opportunities, and only the best networking to be had with some of the industry’s brightest. Already, the Organic Produce Network is anticipating 160+ grower representatives, 600+ attendees, and a whole lot of fun to be had at the third annual must-attend event.
If you haven’t already taken a peek at the schedule, I’ll put it simply: It’s jam-packed and you’re going to love it. For those of us looking to fill our brains with as much of the latest industry findings as possible, I suggest we pack extra notebooks and pens so that we’re well prepared for the eight education sessions. This year, the topics span a variety of hard-hitting organic subjects, including food safety, ag tech, sustainability, and arguably the biggest crop on everyone’s mind, hemp.
This year’s keynote speaker, Amy Ansel, will also touch on that last rousing topic, lending her expertise and industry insight to OGS attendees. Titan Bioplastics Co-Founder will not only be taking the main stage as OGS’s keynote speaker, but will also be on-hand with her fellow Co-Founder, Tanya Hart, on the show floor to share all that they’ve gathered as it relates to the burgeoning crop category, including investment opportunities, the pros and cons of its costs, and how it can be the natural solution many growers have been looking for.
And, those attendees looking to start celebrating the December festivities earlier than the 25th should also find their way to the Keynote Session in order to congratulate this year’s Grower of the Year award recipient: Lundberg Family Farms.
Another unique event happening at this year’s show is the airing of Driscoll’s The Last Harvest documentary. Following the showing, attendees should be sure to stick around for a panel discussion that will include Soren Bjorn, Dave Puglia, Hannah Freeman, and Carmen A. Ponce, with Tonya Antle as the moderator. The discussion will help attendees walk away from the documentary with actionable solutions to solving the labor crisis.
Last, but certainly not least, OGS wouldn’t be the produce industry event we know and love without a show floor exhibition—slated to take place on both the 4th and the 5th.
Of course, this sneak peek only includes a few of the highlights the ANUK team is looking forward to, but there's much, much more going down in Monterey this week. I say we experience it together, produce industry fam, so see you there!
TRAVERSE CITY, MI - North Bay Produce continuously diversifies its commodities with different growing environments in order to bring the very best products to its customers. In doing so, the grower has found a partner in UniSpice, a beautiful Guatemalan farm that specializes in French green beans, snow peas, sugar snap peas, and Brussels sprouts. UniSpice is isolated between mountains and away from other farms, which promotes the healthiest and best growing conditions.
“This is one of the most unique farms that I have ever witnessed in the entire Western hemisphere. The strategic planning of the topography, selection of seed, and harvest capabilities were an eye-opening lesson,” says vegetable veteran John Battle, Director of Fresh Sales.
The partnership allows North Bay to bring the best tasting beans, peas, and Brussels sprouts year round to customers. UniSpice specializes in planned growing cycles which offer a unique “grown just for you” experience. Furthermore, the controlled farm only plants orders to customer specifications as a group to ensure consistency. The high altitude and cooler nights of Guatemala increases the produce’s brix for a sweeter taste before being hand packed at the farm.
According to a press release, North Bay Produce imports the products directly to its mid-America warehouse in Mascoutah, Illinois, in order to maintain the freshness of these commodities. This state-of-the-art warehouse is strategically located in the middle of the United States so that 90 percent of the population of North America can be reached within 18 hours or less by truck. Additionally, this facility has one of only twelve USDA Certified Cold Treatment Facilities in the United States and one of only two adjacent to an airport runway. North Bay’s strategic placements and transportation services allows the grower to be a competitive and advantageous partner for retailers and grocers.
For more exciting new partnerships, keep reading ANUK.
SEATTLE, WA - While the e-tail giant continues to expand stateside, Amazon is pressing forward with its growth efforts internationally as well. Earlier this year, the company took steps to ramp up its operations in Japan, and has now set its sights on the lucrative India market. Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings recently submitted a proposal to acquire just shy of a 50 percent share in Future Coupons Ltd (FCL), an Indian Future Retail promoter group company, and has just gotten approval to move ahead with its acquisition plans.
The retailer’s proposal for a 49-percent acquisition was approved by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), resulting in a stock price surge for Future Retail and Future Enterprises, which rallied over 18 percent each on the Bombay Stock Exchange, according to CNBC TV18.
Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc (ACI) and is a member of the Amazon group. According to the news source, Future Coupons is a subsidiary of Future Group, which owns 7.3 percent stock in Future Retail, which operates 295 Big Bazaar stores and around 1,600 local neighborhood grocery stores.
The combination that has been proposed consists of other constituent steps involving FCL, Future Corporate Resources Pvt Ltd (FCRPL), and Future Retail Ltd (FRL), the news source reports. FCL markets and distributes corporate gift cards, loyalty cards, and reward cards to corporate customers, while FCRPL manages consultancy services and trades in goods and services, with investments in various Future Group of companies.
As a result of the deal, it is anticipated that Future Group will see its capabilities rise in the online retail space and a significant expansion of its brick-and-mortar presence in India.
How will Amazon shape the retail space in India? AndNowUKnow will bring you updates.
WEST COAST, U.S. - Before Thanksgiving, we reported on a massive bomb cyclone expected to hit California over the holiday weekend. With Turkey Day come and gone, the state is now recuperating from more than just low temperatures and heavy rain. Communities across Southern California were particularly disrupted, as many saw roughly four feet of snow on Thanksgiving. As California and the West provides some of the most prominent growing regions for the fresh produce industry, many companies are now assessing the impact that this weather will have on their crops.
“In Yuma, Arizona, where we are growing key items including leaf lettuce, romaine, iceberg lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, and some celery, Thanksgiving brought in about a half an inch to an inch of rain, depending on the area, and delayed harvest and some planting—but the storm has not impacted the quality much, which is looking good at present,” C.R. Waters, Desert Operations Manager for Duda Farm Fresh Foods, shared. “The great thing about the rain is it has kept the ice conditions away. We do have another chance of rain on Wednesday.”
For the conditions in California, Duda had additional updates as well.
“The recent weather system that came through California did not have any effects on our Salinas operations as we no longer have any crops in the ground,” Greg Lewis, Director of Western Farming Operations for Duda Farm Fresh Foods, added. For Duda’s Oxnard, California, operations, the team reports approximately 2.5 inches of rain. “We received rain in Oxnard as well, but are fortunate because there were no strong winds which can impact the celery when the crop becomes top-heavy in rainy conditions. Currently, celery has no quality damage. The harvest was slowed down but has not stopped. There is more rain coming on Wednesday as well and despite the challenges with the inclement weather, we welcome rain here in California.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, mountain communities in SoCal experienced widespread power outages that began on Thanksgiving Day and carried on through Sunday. Temperatures over the weekend stayed consistent, remaining in the 40- to 20-degree range. The California Department of Transportation reported closures on State Route 18 and limited access via State Route 138 east of Interstate 15.
With domestic citrus coming on strong, we checked in with some additional California friends for an update as well.
“Fowler Packing is well positioned coming out of the Thanksgiving holiday with strong demand from both the east and west coasts,” Sean Nelsen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Fowler Packing, says. “We are receiving strong feedback from our customers about the quality of the Peelz mandarins being packed right now. Looking ahead, we are in good shape to withstand the current weather pattern of rain throughout California. Fowler Packing is vertically integrated, which gives us complete control of how this fruit is harvested. We have planned ahead to ensure we have enough fruit to cover all orders for our Peelz Partners. Our state of the art packinghouse allows us to continue to pack the highest quality of fruit even though wet weather offers some challenges. Supply assurance is a competitive advantage for our Peelz Partners and we are focused on keeping our customers fully stocked through this extended period of rain.”
For premium categories including California table grapes, Giumarra Vineyards gives us the deets as well.
“We only have a few grapes left to harvest but they are covered with plastic and have made it through without issue,” Randy Giumarra, Vice President of Sales, Giumarra Vineyards tells me. “As always, Giumarra Vineyards will be shipping strong California grapes through the month of December while starting the shift into Peruvian imports on the East Coast in an effort to help our customers make a smooth transition.”
Additional grape growers tell us that the recent weather comes at the end of the California grape harvest for many as well. Much of the crop was already picked prior to the rain and there are still good supplies in cold storage to ship through December as other growers wrap up the tail end of the state's program.
Additionally, communities in the high desert saw heavy snow that is extremely rare for the region. With four to five inches of snow, the desert reached the mid-40s on Sunday and began to see more moderate weather the remainder of the weekend. Low temperatures throughout the state are expected to continue well into this week, with heavy rain reaching the Bay Area as well.
With such inclement weather, how have West Coast growing operations managed to stay afloat? Stay tuned in to AndNowUKnow as we release the latest updates on the state of the winter crops.
FISHERS, NY - New York Apple Association (NYAA) is kicking off the holiday season with a variety of programs, including new poly bags, a Holiday Extravaganza Retail Display contest, 25th anniversary social media celebration, and a partnership with Simply Recipes.
The high-graphic 3 lb and 5 lb poly bag design features an image of a modern apple orchard and the Apples from New York™ logo. Colored bands stretch across the bag, giving an extra pop of color. The bags are available in red, gold, and green, and will appear in the marketplace throughout the season.
“We have had favorable comments from retailers about the poly bags, and they appreciate the color breaks provided by the different-colored bands,” stated Cynthia Haskins, President. “The bags also match the graphics on our display shippers and price signs.”
The association is also offering its second annual Holiday Extravaganza Retail Display contest. Retailers across the country are invited to participate, and cross-merchandising opportunities will abound. Examples include pairing apples with baking ingredients, building fresh cider displays, or working apples into charcuterie plates with cheese and dip pairings.
All a retailer needs to do is snap a few photos of the store’s display and submit them by email to [email protected]. Grand prizes include three 1st place $500 gift cards, five 2nd place $250 gift cards, and ten 3rd place $100 gift cards. Entries are accepted until December 31, 2019.
NYAA is also celebrating 25 years, and to mark the occasion, it is sharing 25 of the best apple recipes—highlighting the many ways in which apples can be enjoyed. These recipes will appear on social media and will be made available to retailers. How-to recipe videos will accompany these so that grocers can better engage with their shoppers.
Last, but certainly not least, the association announced its partnership with Simply Recipes. According to a press release, this partnership will help NYAA kick off a second wave of recipes for the holiday season—including ones for entertaining. Simply Recipes is a family and cooking blog with hundreds of recipes for the home cook and has been named Number One of the Top 25 Food Blogs for multiple years.
Recipes include Apple Chutney, Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Loin, Kale Waldorf Salad, Jeweled Carrot Salad with Apple and Pomegranate, and Caramel Apple Nachos. They will appear on Simply Recipes blog along with Apples from New York’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Keep reading AndNowUKnow for the latest in fresh produce.
NEW YORK, NY - When it comes to getting in shape, some people turn to a low-carb, veggie-forward diet, while others go full-on Crossfit in search of some washboard abs. Natural grocers like Whole Foods and H-E-B have capitalized on the former for years, but many are now turning to the latter in hopes of widening their target. According to CNN Business, multiple retailers have now partnered with workout studios in order to bring new exercise formats to the retail sector.
Most recently, Hy-Vee partnered with the high-intensity training studio OrangeTheory, aiming to build customized studios attached to two locations. The news source also stated that a New Jersey ShopRite location opened a new store featuring a fitness studio with yoga and zumba classes for its loyalty card holders. Whole Foods, however, may have been the first to the party, partnering with barre, spin, and yoga studios near its flagship store in Texas to offer classes on its rooftop.
Retail Analyst Diana Sheehan commented on the concept, stating that she predicts H-E-B and Meijer will be the next entities to adopt this unorthodox format, although H-E-B already sponsors free yoga classes at some locations. According to the news source, a study done by the industry trade group IHRSA found that exercise studio memberships have increased by 70 percent over the past four years, which is a big reason that retailers are jumping on this train. Combining health and convenience, this strategy is expected to attract time-strapped shoppers with their sights set on health.
Is this the future of grocery shopping? To see how other retailers are upping their game, stay tuned to ANUK.
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has filed an administrative complaint against Custom Fresh Cuts Inc.—based in California—as part of its efforts to enforce the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) and ensure fair trading practices within the U.S. produce industry. Custom Fresh Cuts Inc. allegedly failed to promptly make payment to ten produce sellers in the amount of $696,769 from November 2017 through June 2018. With this filing, the USDA continues to enforce the prompt and full payment for produce while protecting the rights of sellers and buyers in the marketplace.
Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
Custom Fresh Cuts Inc. will have an opportunity to request a hearing. Should USDA find that the company committed repeated and flagrant violations, it would be barred from the produce industry as a licensee for three years, or two years with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond. Furthermore, its principals could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for two years, or one year with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
The PACA Division, which is a part of AMS’ Fair Trade Practices Program, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to the PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 7,800 callers with issues valued at approximately $148 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
To read the USDA's press release in its entirety, click here.