GLENVILLE, GA - Bland Farms® is introducing a new package design for its flagship Vidalia® sweet onions. The new look was developed by Bland Farms in coordination with Orlando-based consultant Super Marketing Promotions.
“For 70 years, farming has been our way of life. Our roots are in the traditional farming methods passed down from my father, but we continue to innovate and evolve to remain the leading producer of America’s favorite sweet onions,” said Delbert Bland, Owner of Bland Farms. “Many retailers know our ‘Roots to Retail’ promise, but we wanted to craft a memorable brand message that better connects directly with our consumers.”
According to the company’s press release, along with refreshing the label and special display designs, Bland Farms aims to highlight its leadership in the industry with the tagline, Rooted in Tradition. Raised to be Sweet.™ The new tagline highlights key brand messages that are sure to resonate with shoppers. The company said the clean, “easy-to-read label pays tribute to the heritage of the Bland family farming tradition.”
“They Only Make You Cry When They’re Gone!®, and vibrant green color are aimed to inspire and connect with the millennial demographic, while staying true to the Bland Farms way,” said Kevin Dunleavy, President of Super Marketing Promotions. “The package label redesign also highlights trusted health benefits of the Vidalia sweet onion, and displays on-trend recipe ideas. This label redesign needed to feel more modern and approachable to appeal to younger generations, yet still connect with the loyal consumers familiar with Bland’s legacy."
Bland Farms’ said its message delivers its position in a simple way. Shoppers will begin to see the refreshed package design and secondary displays in store starting in April and throughout Vidalia onion season.
For more news on anything fresh produce, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
CALIFORNIA - If Bravante Produce has anything to do with it, this season’s cherry crop is going to taste so good it might make grown consumers cry—no judgement! With harvest less than 15 days away, I tapped Steve Shearer, Sales Manager, to find out how the grower’s California crop—which for the first time will be marketed under the Bravante label—is faring this spring.
“We will begin our 2019 cherry harvest the first week of May with our Brooks variety and follow that with our Coral Champagne and Tulare varieties. This will be our first year marketing our own fruit since our cherries have typically been packed by other marketers. This year, we decided to take on some of the fruit ourselves and share with our grape customers. So far, we’ve had really good reception,” Steve shared with me. “Everything looks to be coming along really nicely. We anticipate there to be a good quantity of very nice cherries. Bravante will be at the front end of the California cherry harvest, and we’re really happy with how our fruit is sizing and coming along.”
Bravante Produce will have cherries for the first three weeks of May—the best way to kick off the month.
“The front end of the California cherry deal can be tough to plan for, but it looks to be a strong front end. We are having a significant amount of interest in our early cherries, so we are ready to get going,” Steve explained. “Demand looks to be really good and prices should settle in a spot for retailers to move some good volumes by the second and third weeks of May. Retailers can reach out to us to talk about how we can build a partnership together. We are looking to build our business with partners that want to have California cherries on shelf in May and our California grapes on the shelf starting in July.”
So, partner with Bravante Produce today to give consumers what they want: an absolutely, positively fantastic California cherry season!
For more market updates like this, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
SAN BERNARDINO, CA - You know that giddy feeling in your stomach whenever you hear something exciting? Well, folks, buckle up and prepare to feel some butterflies in your belly, because Stater Bros. Markets is building a new supermarket in Calimesa, California. The full service supermarket, set to be over 45,000 square feet, will feature an extensive selection of fresh and healthy offerings, including in-store cut fruit!
“Local residents will be pleased with the wide-variety of services and new product offerings we’re bringing to their community,” stated CEO Pete Van Helden in a recent press release. “This new supermarket demonstrates Stater Bros. commitment to continued growth and is a testament to our legacy of providing our loyal customers with the best shopping experience.”
That shopping experience will include full-service meat, seafood, service deli, and bakery departments; handcrafted sushi made in-house daily; customer-friendly aisles; many energy saving and environmentally friendly practices; and a decor scheme reflective of the local community. Are you crushing on this store yet?
The new site will be at the northeast corner of Cherry Valley Boulevard and Desert Lawn Drive. Stater Bros. expects to break ground on this site in the fall of 2019, with a grand opening set for the spring of 2020.
For the latest in retail news as it pertains to our industry, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
RANCHO CORDOVA, CA - Renaissance Food Group (RFG) has just welcomed a produce all-star into its ranks, recently announcing the hiring of Kim St George as the company’s new Vice President Business Development. In this new role, effective April 1, St George will focus on new growth opportunities as they align with overall company goals and initiatives, while working to develop a strategic plan to support existing business channels. St George will report to James Naaman, SVP National Sales.
“The addition of Kim to the RFG family proves our commitment and dedication to our valued customers,” said Naaman. “We look forward to the impact Kim will make as she works cross-functionally within the company to develop strategic partnerships that align with our production facilities nationwide.”
With over 25 years in the produce industry, St George brings a wealth of experience to RFG, with a background in sales and marketing, which includes brand strategy, customer engagement, communication, product development, and packaging expertise in the value-added retail and club markets. According to a press release, St George previously served as Director of Sales and Marketing at Mann Packing, where she worked with Canadian and U.S. customers to develop and manage the company’s value-added private brand and club portfolios. Having also held marketing roles at Taylor Farms Retail and River Ranch Fresh Foods, St George is a bonafide produce pro! St George also holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural & Managerial Economics from UC Davis.
An active member of the produce industry, St George gives back through involvement on various councils and planning committees. Currently, she serves as Vice Chair of United Fresh’s Produce Marketing & Merchandising Council and has previously served on the Fresh Produce & Floral Council’s Northern California Committee, multiple PMA Committees, and UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Congratulations to Kim and RFG; it sounds like a perfect fit!
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.
MAJOR HEAT WAVE OUT WEST
The next five days may be a major game changer in the produce world for product coming from California and Arizona. Today, we will see the beginning of five days of extreme heat for the growing regions of the San Joaquin Valley, the desert regions of California and Arizona, as well as Northern Sonora, Mexico. Not only will the maximum daily temperatures rise significantly, but we will also see warmer low temperatures in all regions.
We may see many crops affected by these warm temperatures. For example, oranges out of the Visalia/Fresno area and vegetables out of Yuma— which are both at the tail end of their seasons—may be adversely affected by these warm temperatures. Contrarily, bell peppers and eggplant out of Coachella and stonefruits and cherries out of the San Joaquin Valley may benefit from these temperatures and bring harvest on earlier. Please check the app for all locations and commodities that will be affected.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Bakersfield at the southern end of the valley saw a maximum temperature of 81° and a minimum of 59° yesterday and will see 92° today and 96° Wednesday and Thursday. Low temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday will rise to 67°.
Modesto at the northern end will see maximum temperatures in the 90°s and minimums in the 60°s.
DESERT REGIONS
Coachella will see highs jump 10°s today, up to 101°, along with a low of 70° tonight. Tomorrow will see a high of 103° and then 105° on Thursday. Look for bell peppers, eggplant, and green beans to come on fast out of Coachella. Look for winter crops such as broccoli to struggle under these temperatures and harvests to finish quickly.
Yuma will see high temperatures around the 100 mark through Saturday. I would assume these warm temperatures will bring an end to the lettuce and veg crops out of this area for the remaining shippers.
COASTAL REGIONS
Salinas and Santa Maria will also get in on the action. Salinas will get to 80° today, which is 8° warmer than yesterday. Santa Maria will see a high of 77° today. Both areas will see high temperatures remain in the mid- to upper 70°s through Saturday. This bodes well for their strawberry and wet veg crops that are just getting underway for the season. Look for good volumes out of both regions.
SONORA, MEXICO
The grape growing regions of Hermosillo and Caborca in the state of Sonora will both see high temperatures above 100° this week. The heat wave won’t hit these areas until Thursday, when high temperatures will be above 100° and the lows will be in the mid-60°s. The heat will remain through Sunday in these regions.
On Sunday, these temperatures will break for the California and Arizona regions. Next week, the desert regions’ high temperatures will remain in the 90°s while the SJV will drop into the 80°s and the costal regions will fall back down in the 60°s for high temperatures.
Get ready for the next five days to cause some significant changes in the produce landscape.
Thank you again for your support, and we will be back later this week with another update.
WATSONVILLE, CA - Ahead of the 60th annual Original Spring Lamb BBQ, California Giant's volunteers are hard at work behind the scenes in hopes of making a memorable event and soliciting industry support.
“The staff at California Giant along with committee members again this year are receiving strong support from friends in the produce industry as they all share the one thing they all have in common: a friend or loved one that has lost their battle with cancer,” a press release stated. “As support flows in with ticket purchases and sponsors, the group hopes to raise more than $70,000 that will be donated to support cancer prevention and support organizations.”
According to the company’s press release, the Original Spring Lamb Barbecue was established 60 years ago by John Moncovich and friends nestled in the foothills of Watsonville, CA, who simply planned a BBQ among friends and raised a few bucks for charity. 60 years later, his son, Bill Moncovich, along with family and longtime friends, are still hosting this annual event to benefit the American Cancer Society (ACS).
On Saturday, May 18, 2019, this long-standing event will celebrate 60 years at the Crosetti Ranch, just outside Watsonville, CA. California Giant expects over 750 to be in attendance and enjoy lamb barbecued several different ways on four different pits, live music, and a horseshoe tournament on the historical expansive property surrounded by oak trees. Each year hundreds of volunteers and industry members from the Pajaro Valley have been committed to participating in the Spring Lamb BBQ, which, as reported in the press release, has contributed to its longevity.
For over a decade, the American Cancer Society has acknowledged the longevity of the event and the cumulative contribution of over $1 million at the time; praising Bill Moncovich and the organizing committee for hosting the oldest, consecutively held fundraiser for the American Cancer Society in the United States. This accomplishment was also recognized in 2008 by Congressman Sam Farr.
For updates on all things fresh produce, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
SALINAS, CA - Spring marks the movement into warmer weather, more daylight hours for us in the northern hemisphere, and if you are a fresh produce company like Duda Farm Fresh Foods with operations in the Golden State, the transition back to the growing regions of California.
Martin Jefferson, Production Manager, joins me as Duda marks last week as its first harvest back in the Salinas and Hollister regions across all veg items, besides celery which harvests in June.
"For grower-shippers who operate in the Huron area, most are expecting to have product there for the remainder of this week and some into next week as well. For those with no Huron production, essentially all items have made the transition to the Salinas area," Martin shares with me. "Due to disruptions from the rain patterns this winter, matching and managing production maturity with market needs will likely remain a challenge through the month of May."
The hallmarks of the transition this year have been many including that the transition to Salinas has been roughly a week to 10 days delayed on most items.
When I ask Martin how the market is at present and if he anticipates any fluctuations in the market looking ahead during the move north, he shares that staggered supplies are hampering market conditions from strengthening. Current and continued warmer weather is expected to increase supplies of product ready for harvest.
"Product from the Salinas area has been of good to great quality, but with lighter weights being common amongst much of the early harvested head lettuce, romaine, and mixed leaf items. Expect quality to hold and weights to improve, but with some variability in the coming weeks as harvest managers seek to remove potential disruptions to supplies and the market that stems from the challenges faced during the frequently wet planting periods earlier this year," he says.
The transition seems as dynamic as ever and as Duda, and other companies like it, further gain its footing, check back with AndNowUKnow for continued updates.
VANCOUVER, BC - I can still recall the first time my father gave me a plum to eat—I couldn’t believe anything he declared good for me could be so delicious! So, when I found out that Oppy was bringing a new variety of plum to market, my excitement was tenfold. I spoke with Eric Coty, Director of South American Imports, to learn more abut the Callisto plum.
“Oppy has brought in trial volumes of the variety in the last few years to see how it would perform in the marketplace,” Eric began. “Response from retailers was quite good! Our customers appreciated having an appealing, flavorful, late season plum from Chile to put a strong finish on the imported stone fruit season and set the stage for the new plum harvest from California. This response prompted us to brand the plum and create a bit of excitement around it.”
And Callisto is certainly a plum worth getting excited over. Its amber flesh darkens to a red hue as the fruit ripens, which, as Eric told me, was the inspiration for the name.
“The name Callisto comes from Greek mythology and is also the name of one of Jupiter’s moon. It means ‘most beautiful,’ which we thought was perfectly suited to this very pretty plum,” he explained.
Not only is Callisto a particularly pretty variety, its eating experience will keep consumers buying quality plums during the shoulder season.
“We offer point-of-sale materials that describe Callisto’s features and explains how the fruit ripens from yellow to red,” he stated. “Communicating this intriguing characteristic will help shoppers know what to expect from Callisto.”
With promotions already set up with key retailers, Callisto plums are available now to Oppy customers across the United States. Oppy markets them in bulk as well as in a convenient 2 lb pouch bag, which delivers value for families and others who prefer to purchase several plums at once. (It’s like they know me!)
For the latest in new varieties, programs, and more, keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow.
RIO RICO, AZ - Everything’s better in Texas—or is it bigger? No matter the turn of phrase, Texas will be the place to be come April 25, when members of our industry gather at Texas International Produce Association’s (TIPA) Viva Fresh Expo. One such company bringing that better and bigger attitude is SunFed. I spoke with Gretchen Kreidler Austin, Director of Marketing and Business Development, to learn more about the company plans to highlight at this year’s show.
“We will focus a little more on our summer programs through Texas, including zucchini, yellow squash, grey squash, cucumbers, Roma tomatoes, hot peppers, bell peppers, and melons,” Gretchen told me. “We also continue to focus on our Perfect Organics, such as cucumbers and squash. SunFed is seeing an increased interest from our customers for over wrapped or flow wrapped packages, so we will exhibit some of our packs. SunFed uses MAMH film for our special packs extending freshness, flavor, and shelf life. We continue to seek out innovation improving the eating experience of our products.”
In addition to summer programs, SunFed will utilize the time at the show to discuss its melon machine, which was chosen for the Gateway to Innovation Showcase, as well as a new recipe and its Texas operation.
“So many messages to share, so little time! We will show off our sweet melon machine technology—in an 18x18x18 inch cube—that reads a melon’s sugar level before shipping,” she said. “We will also focus on low-carb and keto-friendly zucchini with a new recipe and naming contest that will keep people coming back for more. And finally, since Viva Fresh is in Texas and timing is near our summer season, we will focus on our Texas operations, including our Texas onion and beet programs as well as our Mexico-grown items crossing through the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.”
Having been a major supporter of Viva Fresh and TIPA over the years, SunFed appreciates the value TIPA brings to the produce industry. Gretchen let me know one of the highlights of the show is the face-to-face interaction between displaying vendors and attending buyers.
“SunFed has a reputation for quality, and we hang our hat on it. Industry veterans know about our quality but younger buyers, newer to the industry, might not know us,” Gretchen concluded. “SunFed is so focused on quality and innovations that Perfect Produce is our tagline, our registered trademark, and the cornerstone of our brand promise and mission.”
Be sure to visit SunFed at booth #60 to see what quality is all about!
PROVIDENCE, RI - Following the recent acquisition of SuperValu, United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) has made changes to its leadership team. James Muehlbauer, an experienced financial and strategic executive, was appointed to the company’s Board of Directors, effective April 22. This appointment is in line with the company’s continued efforts to expand the size of its Board and bring in additional expertise in areas that serve UNFI’s new strategic objectives. With the addition of Muehlbauer, the Board will have nine members in total.
"Jim's extensive financial background with strong commercial and leadership skills will make him a valuable addition to our Board of Directors," said Steven L. Spinner, UNFI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "His knowledge and experience in broad strategic transitions and large-scale integration efforts directly aligns with the qualifications and expertise identified through our Board refreshment process."
Muehlbauer most recently served as the Executive Vice President, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer for The Valspar Corporation, a manufacturer and distributor of paints, coatings, and related products, from 2013 to 2017. In his previous positions, Muehlbauer served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Best Buy from 2007 to 2013, and before that as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Best Buy’s domestic businesses from 2003 to 2007, according to a press release. Prior to his work with Best Buy, Muehlbauer was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Musicland from 2002 to 2003. Outside of the corporate world, Muehlbauer served on the Board of Overseer’s for the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
UNFI has also announced that SuperValu will now operate under a national UNFI leadership team, in an effort to accelerate the company’s integration. This change will advance UNFI’s execution of its long-term strategic objectives and short-term synergy, revenue, and EBITDA growth objectives.
In line with this announcement, Sean Griffin will take on the expanded role of Chief Operating Officer in addition to serving as SuperValu's CEO, effective April 22. In this expanded role, Griffin will oversee all of UNFI’s sales, operations, services, retail functions, and merchandising.
"We feel very good about the work accomplished over the last six months to integrate UNFI and SuperValu, to align our people, and to implement the necessary process and systems changes. As such, we're now well positioned to accelerate our migration to one company,” Spinner commented. “Sean is the ideal candidate to assume his previous role as our Chief Operating Officer where he'll influence and guide sales and operations across our entire organization."
In over nine years with UNFI, Griffin has held several senior leadership roles including Chief Operating Officer from 2014 to 2018 and CEO of SuperValu since October 2018. Before joining UNFI, Griffin was East Region Broadline President of Performance Food Group. Griffin has served in several leadership roles of increasing responsibility in the foodservice distribution industry with U.S. Foodservice, Alliant Foodservice, and Sysco Corporation.
For more ag and produce industry news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.