IRVINE, CA - Good morning, AndNowUKnow readers!
Today, I am bringing you some of the category and weather news from around the industry. Check back twice weekly to see where the rain is falling, the sun is shining, and everything in between.
COLD WINTER STORM COMING TO CHILE
Starting next Monday, many growing regions in Chile will experience at least four days of cold wet weather. The storm will affect regions in the middle of the country. High temperatures in these regions are currently in the mid-70°s and lows in the mid-40°s. Come Sunday, temperatures will begin to drop and by Tuesday, June 25, maximum temperatures will only be in the mid-40°s and minimum temperatures will be in the mid-30°s. The rain will start Monday, June 24, with daily rain fall totals between .50” to .80” through Thursday.
Citrus is currently coming from these areas.
ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES COMING TO SOUTH
Starting tomorrow, the state of South Carolina and a section of northeastern Georgia will experience about eight days of above average temperatures with Sunday and Monday, June 23rd and 24th, being the hottest days with maximum temperatures around 97°. These predicted temperatures are about 10° above current high temperatures. Nightly lows will remain the same in the low 70°s.
Peaches currently coming from these areas.
CALIFORNIA, SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, AND DESERT REGIONS TO COOL THROUGHOUT THE WEEK
Interior regions of California are currently experiencing above average temperatures, with maximum temperatures in the San Joaquin Valley around 105° and desert regions around 107°. Starting this Friday, temperatures will begin to cool a bit with maximum temperatures in the San Joaquin Valley staying in the 90°s and desert regions cooling a few degrees, with maximum temperatures of 103°. These cooler temperatures will continue through at least next Thursday, June 27.
MEXICAN RAINY SEASON HAS BEGUN
Central and southern Mexico are experiencing their typical summer weather pattern, with the daily possibility of afternoon thunderstorms. Please check the app for specific locations and commodities that may be affected.
TYPICAL WEATHER THROUGHOUT MOST OF COUNTRY
The vast majority of the country is experiencing normal weather conditions for this time of year. Temperatures and possibilities of rain are within the average range for most growing regions. Please check the app for specific commodities and growing locations.
NO HURRICANE ACTIVITY
According to the National Hurricane Center there is no tropical cyclone activity expected for at least the next 48 hours.
Thanks again, and we'll be back later this week with another weather report!
CHICAGO, IL - You expect to meet amazing food when you’re visiting the Windy City, and I was not at all disappointed. My tummy and taste buds left more than satisfied both from what the restaurant scene had to offer as well as the show floor, but here is what I hope to continue to enjoy even when I get home!
Fresh Del Monte Film Sealed Fruit Cups
We all know fruit cups are among the top tiers of value-added offering, with nostalgia and convenience tied together. But Fresh Del Monte has taken a known concept and launched it anew with this latest packaging debut, making the Top Seal 100-percent leak-proof so that consumers can truly take it anywhere, while meeting sustainability requirements with up to 30 percent less plastic compared to its sibling fresh-cut film seal containers. Fashion and function!
Wonderful Pistachios New Flavors
I saw a lot of Wonderful Pistachio bags being snacked on while exploring the United Fresh show floor, a tell-tale sign that something’s a hit. So I had to check out the new flavors that joined the brand’s line. Honey Roasted? Chili Roasted? Personally, I didn’t see why I had to choose. I mixed them together and had no regrets about it, but you follow your taste buds.
BrightFarms Sunny Crunch and Happy Beet
I’ve been previously teased for my love of salad, needing no dressing to appreciate a good crisp blend of fruits and veggies, but BrightFarms latest launches might have more joining my club. Sunny Crunch celebrates, and even adds to, traditional iceberg offerings, while Happy Beet lives up to its name. Add to that the freshness you can guarantee your shoppers of product being more hours than days old upon purchase, and watch the produce ring rack up.
Mastronardi Produce WOW™ Berry Line
There’s just something about reaching into the foil that would house a chocolate and pulling out a berry that makes me glad it wasn’t chocolate. Yes, I’m very susceptible to presentation, and so are my fellow millennial consumers (or so I’m told), so I hope you got to bite into any one of Mastronardi Produce’s new WOW™ berries! Believe me, there was something for everyone to indulge in.
Pearson Foods Fresh Ramen Soup
Let me preface by saying that I absolutely love ramen, so I was already excited to sample this when following the delicious smell on the show floor. But I didn’t see how it could be produce-specific until learning that this particular offering was made with produce in mind. Touting itself as the “only fresh ramen line on the market,” Pearson’s team shared that this fast yet fresh line of ramen was developed specifically for the produce and deli industries, and should be sold as such. Ginger and Miso seemed to be the show floor favorites, but honestly, my shopping cart would have the whole line if I encountered these in-store.
United Fresh treated us to so many good products, packaging options, and memories. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to San Diego, California’s turn in 2020.
SALINAS, CA - The one-stop-shop for all of our industry’s food safety needs is officially underway, with many of produce’s leaders, category frontrunners, and experts mind melding over research, ideas, and initiatives in Austin, Texas, this week. Representing Naturipe Farms is Donna Lynn Browne, Director of Food Safety and Social Responsibility, who clued me into why she’s been looking forward to the CPS Symposium for a while.
“The CPS Symposium brings together our industry with government and scientific communities. This is powerful and encourages our industry to leverage these communities and partner to increase our efforts for food safety,” Donna Lynn shared with me. “It is also where all of the researchers present their most current findings, and we have an opportunity to speak with them directly.”
A few of these opportunities are presenting themselves in the way of information-packed panels, featuring food safety experts from the retail sector, including Walmart, Wegmans, and Sysco, and from the science and research sector. All in all, the panels aim to create conversations between everyone along the supply chain, which Donna Lynn explained is a unique aspect of the symposium that the Naturipe Farms team is especially excited about.
“Naturipe Farms is excited to learn about the latest information and collaborate with others. This event provides us the opportunity to speak with the researchers themselves to see how their current projects might be able to enhance our food safety protocols, not only at our processing facilities but also on the farm,” Donna Lynn continued.
Whether you’re part of the dialogue this week in Austin, or waiting patiently to hear all about the ways CPS attendees pushed the food safety envelope forward, stay right here with AndNowUKnow for the latest coverage.
SHERIDAN, IL - Hy-Vee is doubling down on its new Fast & Fresh banner, opening a new Fast & Fresh Express in Sheridan, Illinois. The new store format is designed to appeal to on-the-go consumers, offering ready-made meals, snacks, and various convenience items. The new store will open in early 2020 and will accompany the existing Hy-Vee location at the same shopping center, according to Central Illinois Proud.
The retailer previously debuted the new concept in Davenport, and Des Moines, Iowa, where the company opened Fast & Fresh locations that served busy shoppers looking for convenience. Hy-Vee is planning to continue its Fast & Fresh presence in Iowa throughout this year as well.
Hy-Vee is one of many retailers testing out new store concepts designed to appeal to different types of consumers. GIANT Food Stores opened its first GIANT Heirloom Market in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, geared towards urban neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Ahold Delhaize-owned Hannaford tested out a new concept in Portland, Maine, earlier this year to push natural and organic foods, and Publix began development on its own community-centric concept stores last fall.
Will the retail market be dominated by new concept stores to appeal to a new audience? AndNowUKnow will keep reporting.
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - The Allen Lund Company has revealed that long-time Operations Manager Morgan Underwood will be promoted to Assistant Manager of the ALC San Francisco office.
"I want to thank my manager Wendy Adan, the executive team, as well as all the members of the ALC San Francisco office,” Underwood said. “We plan on continuing our strong momentum through hard work and excellent customer service. I am very excited about this opportunity and look forward to a successful future."
According to the company’s press release, this July, Underwood has been with ALC San Francisco for 11 years. Last year, he was promoted to Operations Manager and now to Assistant Manager of the San Francisco office. Underwood obtained a Bachelor's in Communication Studies at California State University Northridge.
"Morgan has been a great asset to our office,” said Wendy Adan, Manager of ALC San Francisco. “I know that through his hard work and dedication, along with his ability to develop great relationships with our team, customers, and carriers, he will be a great Assistant Manager. Morgan has been essential to the success of the San Francisco office, and I am confident he will continue to thrive in this position."
VP of Produce Sales Bob Rose also expressed his excitement about the promotion.
"We could not be happier to have Morgan Underwood move up through the ranks to become Assistant Manager of the San Francisco office," said Rose. "Over the years, Morgan has proven himself as a leader with his customers and the office. Morgan's last duties include working closely with the 'extra mile' teams that handle important customer calls after hours to facilitate complete coverage for our growing client base. Congratulations on a well-deserved promotion."
Congratulations on the promotion to Morgan Underwood from the ANUK team!
LOWELL, OR - Fall Creek Farm & Nursery welcomes Micah Jacob Weiss as the newest member of the sales and grower support team. Weiss will be focusing on blueberry growers in the Pacific Northwest and be based in Lowell, Oregon.
“It’ll be great to meet all the customers we have shipped plants to,” said Weiss. “I’m excited about the opportunity to find new ways to serve growers and help them succeed, to learn more about their challenges and help to work through them. Coming from a production background in a different region, I can bring a fresh set of eyes and share different techniques.”
According to the company’s press release, in 2017, Weiss joined Fall Creek as Manager of the Windy Flat Farm production facility in Oregon’s mid-Willamette Valley. Before that, he was a customer of Fall Creek as the Manager of Production Operations at Frogmore Fresh, a 145-acre blueberry farm in central Florida.
“Business acumen and general business knowledge are increasingly important in all positions at Fall Creek, particularly in positions that work directly with customers. We need to understand our customers’ bottom line for cost of production as well as agronomy and horticulture involved in growing blueberries commercially,” said Dick Mombell, Commercial Manager for the U.S. and Canada. “Micah has a background in both, as well as a passion for this industry. He’s excited and ‘gets it,’ as a former grower himself. We all look forward to his collaboration with our customer-growers.”
Weiss attended the University of Florida obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Horticultural Science and then went to the University of Florida’s Hough Graduate School of Business earning a Master of Science in Management.
Congratulations to Micah Jacob Weiss from the ANUK team!
LOS ANGELES, CA - The sale of Bolthouse Farms from Campbell Soup Company is officially closed. In April of this year, the company made an announcement that it was under a new company: Butterfly, a Los Angeles-based firm specializing in the food sector. That sale cost $510 million.
“Today we are excited to formally join Bolthouse Farms on its mission of providing fresh, healthy plant-based products to consumers around the country,” stated Butterfly Co-Founder Adam Waglay.
Jeff Dunn, one of Butterfly’s Operating Partners, previously served as President and CEO from 2008 and 2012, when it was acquired by Campbell Soup Company. He continued to lead the business for Campbell Soup Company from 2012 until his departure from the company in 2016.
“Now begins the work of reinforcing Bolthouse Farms’ position as a leader and innovator in produce and plant-based products,” said Jeff Dunn, CEO of Bolthouse Farms. “Today we begin the next chapter in Bolthouse Farms’ long and successful history.”
According to a press release, Bolthouse Farms is Butterfly’s most recent investment within its “seed to fork” approach to investing in food across agriculture, aquaculture, food and beverage products, food distribution, and foodservice. With this acquisition, Butterfly will have access to over 65,000 acres of growing land, nationwide fresh distribution capabilities, and a state-of-the-art carrot and beverage processing facility. The company has approximately 2,200 employees and operates facilities in Bakersfield, California; Hodgkins, Illinois; Wheatley, Ontario; and Prosser, Washington.
For the latest on acquisitions, sales, and more, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
LEAMINGTON, ONTARIO, CANADA - Around this time each year, the team at AndNowUKnow checks our calendars and waits in joyful anticipation for the results of the annual Leamington Fair R.E.A.CH. International Greenhouse Competitions. Now in its 12th year, this series of competitions hosts categories including “The Hottest Tomato”, “The Perfect Pepper”, “The Coolest Cucumber,” and the “Sweetest Strawberry.”
Not only does this event recognize the best of the best, but the proceeds raised provide funds to sponsor over 50 children in Uganda, Africa, annually. The sponsorships give the children food, school supplies, medicine, and everything else they need to get an education and break the cycle of poverty.
So, we thought, what better way to kick off the week than with some of those pioneering companies who rose the award ranks at the Leamington event.
“This competition is focused on flavor, which is the driving force behind everything we do,” Paul Mastronardi, President and CEO, and the fourth-generation family member to lead Mastronardi Produce, said. “We’re proud to support and be recognized by our local community.”
SUNSET® took the competitions by storm, earning top honors in nine categories. In addition to receiving Best Overall Strawberry for the perfectly sweet dreamberry™, part of the new WOW™ berry line, and the SUNSET® new two-bite cucumber, Qukes™, was named Best Cocktail Cucumber with Cloud Cukes taking the awards for People’s and Kid’s Choice Cucumber. The ALOHA™ pepper won Kids’ Choice Pepper and Best Specialty Bell Pepper; SUNSET® orange bell pepper also received first place in its category. On top of those accolades, Campari® won Best Cocktail Tomato and red Sweet Twister™ won Best Specialty Long Pepper, according to a press release.
Fiona McLean, Marketing Manager for DelFrescoPure also shared her excitement on the recent event, including the award for the company’s YES!Berries Your Everyday Snack® strawberries.
"We are thrilled to win the People’s Choice Strawberry award for our YES!Berries. This competition brings together some of the greatest, leading-edge companies in greenhouse innovation and we are honored to be a part of this year's honored recipients," Fiona shared with me.
The company also won an accolade in the Perfect Pepper Competition with the DelFrescoPure’s Yellow Bell Pepper.
Mucci Farms, once again, did what the team does best and brought crowd pleasers across the board. The company was awarded Best Bite-Size Tomato with its ChertoTM Gourmet Cherry Tomato variety and tied for first place for the Best Specialty Mini Pepper with Sweet to the PointTM. The company also tied for Overall Best Pepper for its Sweet to the PointTM and won the Kid's Choice Strawberry Award for its SmucciesTM Sweet Strawberries. 
“We’re very grateful to be recognized, once again, at the Leamington Fair for multiple items," Director of Marketing Emily Murracas shares. "As big supporters of our local community, we’re particularly thankful to receive the Kid’s Choice Award that went to our Smuccies Sweet Strawberries! This competition is a testament to the impact our region has on the greenhouse category in North America and beyond."
Pure Flavor also took to the award rankings, as Chris Veillon, Chief Marketing Officer of the company shares.
“At this years event, Pure Flavor took home awards for Best Red Bell Pepper with our Pure Flavor® Sweet Red Bell Pepper and Best Roma Tomato our Pure Flavor® Roma Tomatoes. Congratulations to all the growers who submitted a record number of entries this year,” Chris tells me. “We are happy to support R.E.A.CH. International each year during Leamington’s Greenhouse Vegetable Competition. The funds raised from the entries go to a very worthwhile cause. With literally hundreds of varieties being tasted during the competition, we take great pride in our family of growers commitment to producing the most flavorful vegetables each season, regardless of growing region.”
NatureFresh™ Farms came ready to impress as well and was recognized with honors including Best Overall Tomato, Cucumber, and tied for the Overall Best Pepper.
NatureFresh™ Farms took home top awards in the following categories: Best English Cucumber, tied for Best Speciality Mini Pepper, Best Beefsteak Tomato, Best Cluster Tomato, Best Speciality Tomato for its TOMZ Orange Cherry Tomato, People’s Choice Tomato for its TOMZ Tomberry® Tomato, Kid’s Choice Tomato for the TOMZ Tomberry® Tomato, Overall Best Cucumber for the Long English Cucumber, Overall Best Tomato for the TOMZ Orange Cherry Tomato, and Overall Best Pepper for the team’s Red Mini Pepper, according to a press release.
“We have an amazing team who works very hard to ensure our produce has top-notch flavor paired with consistency,” Executive Retail Sales Account Manager Matt Quiring, who accepted the awards on behalf of NatureFresh™ Farms. “Winning the highest overall honors across the board is a great testament to what our team can accomplish; it is more than just about showcasing the best that we grow, it is about our commitment to continuing to push our categories in the right direction.”
The annual R.E.A.CH. International Greenhouse Competitions are presented in part by NatureFresh™ Farms, Red Sun Farms, QU Truck Bodies, and UCB Canada. The events happen in two stages. First, on Friday evening, expert judges from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), grocery store produce managers, Culinary Guild of Windsor Chefs, and many others, judge entries with a specialized list of criteria. Second, the organizers poled the public for their favourite Tomato, Pepper, Cucumber, and Strawberry for the “People’s Choice” awards throughout Friday and Saturday.
The competitions culminated on Saturday evening with an awards ceremony, which awarded coveted crystal trophies to some of the best producers in North America.
Congrats to all the award winners on your greenhouse innovations!
SUNSET® Produce DelFrescoPure Mucci Farms Pure Flavor NatureFresh Farms
KETTLEMAN CITY, CA - Keenan Farms has revealed the new hire of Mitchell Keenan, son of President and CEO Robert Keenan. He will be joining the sales team and focusing on domestic and export sales. By joining the family-owned business, Mitchell ushers in the third generation of Keenans to work for Keenan Farms. The company was founded in 1972 by his grandfather Charles Keenan.
“I have been fortunate to be around this dynamic business all my life and I have to say, I knew early on pistachios were in my DNA,” Mitchell Keenan expressed.
According to the company’s press release, he graduated from Fresno State University with a degree in Agricultural Business in 2019.
Keenan Farms was one of the first commercial pistachio processors in California. In the $4 billion industry, it is one of the longest-running processors.
“It gives me great pleasure to welcome my son, Mitchell, to the Keenan Farms Team,” Robert Keenan said. “He has worked for us during the past few summers, gaining hands-on experience in various departments and an understanding of the overall operation. His focus will be on domestic and export sales.”
Congratulations to Mitchell Keenan from the AndNowUKnow team!
KEASBEY, NJ - New Jersey-based retailer ShopRite is encouraging consumers to go local this summer with a comprehensive marketing campaign aiming to educate shoppers on health and wellness and increase fresh produce sales. The campaign features dietitian-backed information and tips that consumers can use to inform their purchasing decisions.
“Our locally grown produce is handpicked at the peak of freshness and delivered from farms within our market area,” said Derrick Jenkins, Vice President of Floral and Produce, in a statement. “This supports the local economy and also reduces the carbon footprint of deliveries to our stores.”
The campaign will be promoted in the store’s circulars, as well as on highway billboards, television commercials, and on social media. According to Long Island Business News, more than 100 in-store retail dietitians will be on hand to oversee demonstrations, community-based workshops, and social media videos.
“This year’s locally grown program is going to be bigger than ever before,” Jenkins said.
In-store displays will showcase local farms, including information on blackboards that features the names and addresses of the farms where the produce was sourced, according to the news source. Farms will also be promoted in marketing materials and weekend “farm stands” at the front of some ShopRite stores.
The campaign materials are designed “to educate our shoppers and teach them delicious and easy ways to incorporate seasonal fruits and vegetables into their menus,” said Natalie Menza-Crowe, Director of Health and Wellness, in a statement.
Will this ambitious campaign get shoppers on the locally-sourced train? AndNowUKnow will report.