WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA - Dole is celebrating female superheroes who wage their battles close to home in a move that would make Carol Danvers—Captain Marvel—proud. Its ‘Powering the Hero Within’ is a 10-week empowered-living alliance between Dole and Marvel’s Captain Marvel. Taking its cue from Danvers, Dole is showcasing influential women in food, health, and wellness, as well as female-focused non-profit groups that are working toward a healthier, more heroic world.
According to a press release, Dole is inspired by these health-related female superheroes: Abigail Adams, the first American First Lady to farm; Christine Moseley, Founder and CEO of Full Harvest; Peggy Shriver, Chief Development Officer of Rise Against Hunger; Johanna Sylvester and Jessi Greenlee, Executive Director and Director of Operations of Movement Foundation; and Elizabeth Kunz, CEO of Girls on the Run International.
“We’re applauding the women everywhere who use their powers, whether supernatural or every day, to fight for a healthier and more equitable planet,” stated Lisa Overman, Dole’s Director of Marketing. “At the top of this list are all the female farmers, chefs, doctors, nurses, dietitians, scientists, engineers, philanthropists, and others who have sacrificed over the years to give us a more fulfilling, nutritious life.”
The program launches February 25 and will feature blogger and influencer partnerships alongside special recipes and original content created by Dole’s registered dietitians (RDs) to address universal female health and wellness needs. According to a press release, Captain Marvel character images will appear on tens of millions of DOLE® bananas and pineapples in U.S. and Canadian supermarkets. Dole will also have Captain Marvel-inspired DOLE banana stickers and DOLE Pineapple hang tags featuring Captain Marvel, Nick Fury, Mar-Vell, Talos, and Goose the Cat.
“In honor of both Captain Marvel and March’s designation as Women’s History Month, Dole salutes these past and present champions of nutrition, health, and wellness whose accomplishments allow us to do the work we do today,” said Melanie Marcus, MA, RD, Dole’s Nutrition and Health Communications Manager.
Superheroes in training will be directed to nine Dole fruit and vegetable recipes selected by Marcus for specific nutrient and health benefits important to women. These include Dole’s Coconut Acai Bowl, packed with 10 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber to break the overnight fast; the antioxidant-rich Berried Treasure Yogurt Cups, which can be prepared in advance to keep blood sugar levels steady throughout the day; Lemon Ginger Spring Vegetable Stir Fry as part of a fiber-rich, heart-healthy diet; and the Power Punch Smoothie, created by Dole specifically for Marvel as a satisfying, nutritious way to support bone health.
To help superheroes at all ages and stages in life boost their iron levels, Marcus recommends Dole’s Wake Up Oats, an iron-rich cereal topped with vitamin C-rich berries, and Sweet Apple Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Lentils, which capitalizes on the iron-absorption powers of lentils and green vegetables. Citing a study published in the American Psychological Association that found that women who ate five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day had a 23% lower risk of stress, she also pointed to Dole’s popular Fruit Salad Smoothie, delivering close to two full servings of seven fruits and vegetables, and the veggie-packed Veggie Lasagna and Spicy Sweet Potato and Banana Chili in Tortilla Bowls.
For the latest in superhero-worthy produce news, keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow.
LAKELAND, FL - Publix has made a move toward retail supremacy, revealing three new cities as locations for its new format, GreenWise Markets. The locations will be in Odessa, FL; Nocatee (Ponte Vedra Beach), FL; and Lexington, SC.
“We’re creating a community gathering place where high-quality natural and organic products are the center of what we offer,” said President Kevin Murphy in a press release. “And we’re helping our customers support their healthy lifestyle with convenient in-house prepared meals and grab and go options made from organic and antibiotic-free ingredients.”
A specialty, natural, and organic store, GreenWise Market offers shoppers fresh products and a unique experience. The store features a beverage bar including kombucha, locally-roasted coffee, wine, local beer, and smoothies. The store will also offer local products, indulgent gourmet treats, body care, and bulk items. Customers can receive personalized offers by signing up for the GreenWise Market REWARDS program.
Publix is betting big on its GreenWise Market, as several more locations are in operation or planned to open. The first GreenWise Market was opened in October, 2018 in Tallahassee, FL. The company has announced additional store locations in Mount Pleasant, SC; Lakeland, FL; Boca Raton, FL; Marietta, GA; Mountain Brook, AL; and Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The Mount Pleasant and Mountain Brook stores are set to open this summer, while the Lakeland and Boca Raton locations are expected to open later in 2019. Still, the company continues to search for additional GreenWise Market locations throughout its operating area.
Will the company’s rapid GreenWise Market expansion pay off? Keep reading AndNowUKnow for more updates.
WASHINGTON, DC - According to sources familiar with current negotiations, China and the United States are working to come to an agreement to end the seven-month trade war, Reuters reported. After the two countries have retaliated by slapping tariffs on what has become billions of dollars of goods, global economic growth has slowed, skewing supply chains and disrupting manufacturing, leaving many hoping for an end to the tariff dispute.
Chinese and American officials met last week in Beijing to begin discussions; as the process became even more of a trade negotiation, they agreed to reconvene in Washington, DC, today and Friday. Sources reported that, although they disagree with core demands made by President Donald Trump’s administration for structural changes to China’s economy, the general tone of the talks is one of reconciliation. Both sides are pushing for an agreement by March 1, the date that marks the end of a 90-day truce President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to when they met in Argentina at the end of 2018.
Two sources familiar with the talks told Reuters that negotiators are drawing up six memorandums on structural issues: forced technology transfer and cyber theft, intellectual property rights, services, currency, agriculture, and non-tariff barriers to trade.
Although one source exercised caution and stated that the talks could come to nothing, others were optimistic. Several Chinese government sources relayed to Reuters that the two countries have essentially reached a consensus on alleviating trade imbalances.
AndNowUKnow will keep you updated on the latest in trade negotiations.
HOUSTON, TX - Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I feel as if this notion could be widely applied to many in an industry like ours, and now more than ever as the changing tides require our leaders to strive even harder and more passionately for excellence. When I speak of Sysco’s Julie Olivarria, this sentiment comes to mind as she assumes the role of Vice President of Produce for Sysco, bringing more than 25 years of produce industry expertise under her belt.
With Rich Dachman retiring from the role this summer, Julie is looking to this next evolution of Sysco and the role she will play on an exciting road ahead.
“I’ve been entrusted to lead the Sysco produce team across the business and am extremely excited for the incredible opportunity,” Julie shares with me. “I am responsible for continued growth in the category and to maintain our position as the industry leader. Under Rich’s leadership, we changed the way we procure and bring product to market. I feel a tremendous responsibility to carry on his legacy and continue to grow our business into the future.”
Julie started her produce career with Fresh Choice more than 26 years ago in an entry level position that inspired her to work her way into sales. In 1999, she was recruited by Sysco to be a produce buyer and, since then, has held several roles with Sysco in the produce procurement office, including the last five years as Senior Director, overseeing the accounting and procurement teams.
Over the last five years, Rich Dachman has accelerated Julie’s leadership growth and prepared her for her new role as Vice President of Produce with his continued guidance and mentorship.
“A wise man once told me that your legacy is defined after you leave; in my case, it could not be in better hands than with Julie,” Rich warmly tells me. “She has such a great reputation for integrity and perfectly walking the fine line of being a highly-effective, assertive leader, while simultaneously treating people fairly and with respect. Additionally, her deep relationships with our suppliers are a great asset. I have no doubt she will take Sysco’s produce team and FreshPoint to the next level.”
And Julie’s passion for the industry can truly be seen in her approach to the industry and her drive to succeed.
“When I started in 1999 as a produce buyer, I had a hunger for knowledge and a passion to learn all that I could about the business. I sought out every opportunity to learn and grow,” Julie says. “I built relationships and made connections across the country, and when an opportunity presented itself for career development, I was ready for it. The industry has changed dramatically from 20 years ago. There used to be very few roles in produce—you were in sales or you supported sales. Today the opportunities are countless. I’ve seen the industry evolve and roles expand, for both men and women.”
While Julie officially assumes the role on March 1st, she has already begun taking on the responsibilities and trying to absorb all she can from Rich during this transition period.
“I am blessed that my home office will remain in Salinas, California,” Julie shares, “but as Sysco is a global company, I have the opportunity to impact the industry in unlimited geographies.”
Please join me in congratulating Julie on her exciting promotion to Vice President of Produce for Sysco! Sure, when one door closes another opens—but for Julie, I feel like she only dreams in open doors.
LONDON and LEEDS, U.K. - After Walmart announced the sale of its Asda banner and stores to Sainsbury’s in April of last year, the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued the findings of its Phase 2 investigation—noting that the deal could “could lead to a worse experience for in-store and online shoppers across the UK” and outlining ways in which the U.K. authority could potentially scuttle or enervate the deal on anti-trust grounds.
The deal, originally valued at roughly $10.1 billion, is now being reported as “a proposed…$17 billion…mega-merger.”
“These are [two] of the biggest supermarkets in the U.K., with millions of people purchasing their products and services every day,” noted Stuart McIntosh, Chair of the CMA’s independent inquiry group, in a press release. “We have provisionally found that, should the two merge, shoppers could face higher prices, reduced quality and choice, and a poorer overall shopping experience across the U.K. We also have concerns that prices could rise at a large number of their petrol stations.”
Sainsbury’s and Asda released a joint statement disputing the CMA’s findings.
“These findings fundamentally misunderstand how people shop in the U.K. today and the intensity of competition in the grocery market. The CMA has moved the goalposts, and its analysis is inconsistent with comparable cases,” said an unnamed spokesperson, in the joint statement. “Combining Sainsbury’s and Asda would create significant cost savings, which would allow us to lower prices. Despite the savings being independently reviewed by two separate industry specialists, the CMA has chosen to discount them as benefits. We are surprised that the CMA would choose to reject the opportunity to put money directly into customers’ pockets, particularly at this time of economic uncertainty. We will be working to understand the rationale behind these findings and will continue to press our case in the coming weeks.”
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The CMA noted that it has set out a number of options for addressing its anticompetitive concerns, noting: “[t]hese include blocking the deal or requiring the merging companies to sell off a significant number of stores and other assets—potentially including one of the Sainsbury’s or Asda brands—to recreate the competitive rivalry lost through the merger.”
Details of the CMA’s investigation can be found on the Authority’s website.
For more as the situation develops, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
IRVINGTON, NY - Changes are in the works over at BrightFarms, a supplier of local produce to supermarkets, as the company has recently appointed finance veteran Steve Campione as its Chief Financial Officer.
“Steve is a world class business leader,” said Paul Lightfoot, Chief Executive Officer in a press release. “We look forward to benefiting from his expertise in creating the tools, systems, and culture to enable the company to smoothly scale nationally.”
With over 20 years of experience in finance, operations, and investment banking, Campione is more than qualified for the position. Campione began his career with a decade on Wall Street, raising capital for growth companies and advising clients on strategic mergers and acquisitions. His most recent position was as CFO and COO at Rural Media Group, Inc., where he led the company through multiple capital raises and acquisitions that quadrupled its employee base and operating profits.
“I’m thrilled to join the BrightFarms team and to continue the company’s terrific momentum,” said Campione. "And I’m particularly excited to contribute my capital raising and mergers and acquisitions experience as we look to accelerate the expansion of BrightFarms’ footprint nationally and to further increase our rate of growth and market leadership.”
Campione joins BrightFarms at a crucial time: after a successful Series D funding round in 2018, where the company raised $55 million with Cox Enterprises as the lead investor. The financing has allowed for continued rapid national expansion of the company’s network of local and sustainable farms.
Keep reading AndNowUKnow to stay up-to-date on our industry's executive management.
PLEASANT PRAIRIE, WI - Eating good while eating well is sometimes a desperate balancing act. You know what I’m talking about—we all want to have our cake and eat it too! But you can’t have cake for every meal. Dips, however, might be another story. Answering my call for products that are healthy and tasty is Good Foods, the better-for-you foods company. The health food purveyor has launched a line of plant-based dips that follow the company’s philosophy of delicious products with simple ingredients. A guilt-free snack packed with flavor? I’ll take ten.
“We believe in the power of simple and delicious good foods,” said Danyel O’Connor, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “That is why when we decided to expand our plant-based line we didn’t want to just bring another option to the market, but one with a clean label and superior taste.”
The line includes five plant-based dip flavors: queso, tzatziki, avocado pesto, creamy cilantro, and buffalo. All of the dips are created from pure plant sources like cauliflower and almonds, giving the dips a creamy texture and powerful flavor. The dips contain no artificial color or flavors, zero grams of added sugar, only three grams of carbs or less, and best of all they clock in at about 30 to 50 calories per serving, making them the perfect addition to today’s trendy diets.
“Dairy free, gluten free, and generally low in carbs, this line of plant-based dips is a solution that appeals to a broad audience,” said Mandy Bottomlee, Director of Marketing. “From those seeking keto-friendly foods with more specific requirements or those just generally seeking more nutritional and healthier options, these dips are a win for everyone.”
After investing in an intensive product development and trial stage, Good Foods debuted the dips at tradeshows in 2018 and soft launched the dips in December. The company trialed with multiple blog partners, and received incredible feedback. The line of dips has been growing in popularity, securing mentions from actress Camille Guaty and popular vegan publication, VegNews.
“We put a lot of love into this line, and it has been incredibly rewarding to have received such amazing feedback and media attention so far,” said O’Connor. “According to Future Market Insights, the plant-based snacking sector is expected to grow to more than $73,000,000 by 2028, and we’re proud to be pioneers in this space.”
For those looking to learn more about the dips, SEPC is the place to be. Good Foods will be featuring the line at booth #1320 from March 7-9.
For more in vegtastic news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
PORT HUENEME, CA - In what officials are calling the Port of Hueneme’s "biggest drug bust in twenty-five years," federal authorities seized roughly 221 pounds of cocaine that were hidden in the floorboards of two produce ships. The seizures were due to a joint effort on the parts of Border Patrol Agents and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“This normally doesn’t happen in Port Hueneme,” stated Jaime Ruiz, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
According to news source VC Star, Ruiz did not disclose how authorities knew there would be illicit substances on the ships carrying produce from Central and South America. The Los Angeles Times reported that the first stash of cocaine, found on January 22, 2019, was discovered on a ship that had arrived from Ecuador. 80 bundles of the drug were wrapped and hidden underneath the floorboards. The second stash, found on January 28, 2019, was concealed under the floor of a cargo ship from Guatemala.
Officials did not specify what kind of produce was on the ships that contained the cocaine.
“I’m extremely proud of the results of this joint effort; it shows the professionalism, vigilance, and keen focus of both agencies in preventing dangerous drugs into our communities,” said LaFonda Sutton-Burke, CBP Port Director of the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport and Port Hueneme, in a press release.
For the latest in how innocent produce is being used for nefarious deeds, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
MISSION, TX - For those of you rushing to enter your Gateway to Innovations submission, it’s all good! The deadline has been extended to February 28, 2019. That’s eight extra days to put your best foot—or produce—forward and show the industry exactly what you’ve got (which is obviously greatness, I mean you work in produce)!
This year marks Viva Fresh’s second annual Gateway to Innovations Awards, and in honor of its return, all types of innovations hailing from the great Tex-Mex corridor are now welcome to join the running. This includes packaging designs, point-of-sale materials, seed varieties, production advancements, machinery, packing facilities and greenhouses, technology and application software, food safety, traceability, and sustainability efforts. Are any of those in your wheelhouse? Yes? Then what are you waiting for?! Submit your innovation now thanks to the extended deadline!
Out of the submissions, 24 top tier finalists will be selected by a panel of judges. The finalists will be showcased before and during the Viva Fresh Expo on Saturday, April 27. Expo attendees will be encouraged to vote for their fave innovation live from the show floor via their mobile devices. And, the winner will receive the Best of Show Award that same day! Trust me when I say, you’re going to want to be the one hefting that trophy home!
Those interested in entering a submission can find the official application webpage here: http://vivafreshexpo.com/viva-fresh-gateway-to-innovation-awards/. All applications are due February 28 and the finalists will be notified by March 25.
The 2019 Viva Fresh Expo will take place on April 25-27 at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort in San Antonio, Texas. Bring your best, but more importantly bring you! See you there, produce people!
VANCOUVER, BC - A week ago, Village Farms announced that its common shares were approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “VFF.” And only yesterday, the company released a statement noting that its common shares will commence trading Thursday, February 21, 2019.
According to a press release, Village Farms will voluntarily delist its common shares from the OTCQX. Shareholders who previously traded Village Farms common shares through the OTCQX will now be able to trade those shares through Nasdaq. In conjunction with this Nasdaq listing, Village Farms’ common shares will become Direct Registration System (DRS) eligible for U.S. shareholders.
The company noted that it expects to report its fourth quarter and year-end 2018 results after markets close on March 13, 2019. Village Farms will issue another press release confirming this date, so stay tuned!
For the latest in all fresh produce news, keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow.