WASHINGTON, DC - After months of impasse over the infamous Farm Bill, a compromise was reached last night, moving the legislation one step closer to the House, Senate, and being signed into law by President Trump.

Many from across our industry applauded the milestone reached, particularly for the organic and specialty crop industries, and celebrated the forward movement of the bill.

“We are pleased that the farm bill negotiators have completed their task as the 2018 Farm Bill acknowledges the growing importance of the specialty crop industry to American agriculture and offers real progress on many of our top priorities, including funding for mechanization research and development, as well as improved access to crop insurance tools,” said Tom Nassif, Western Growers’ President and CEO in a statement. “All in all, we applaud the committee leaders, conferees, and staff for their diligence in producing a strong, bi-partisan farm bill, and we urge swift passage and enactment before the end of the year.”

Nassif also pointed to the following achievements the latest Farm Bill included:

• Funding increases for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative
• The continuation of funding for vital citrus greening research
• The creation of an Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority pilot program, an innovative, private sector-modeled approach to funding high-priority research needs
• Positive reforms to the National Organics Standards Board
• Improved access to rural water infrastructure funds for our local communities
• A waiver of the adjusted gross income limit for conservation program eligibility, ensuring our growers will not be excluded from smart stewardship efforts simply because of their financial viability

In addition to the aforementioned accomplishments, the Organic Trade Association, which has been involved in the shaping of the Farm Bill since 2016, lauded the following organic industry priorities included in the Farm Bill:

• Essential tools and funding for the improved oversight of trade to ensure the integrity of organic throughout the global supply chain
• The largest increase in funding for the flagship Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) program in over a decade to achieve stable, baseline mandatory funding for the program
• Funding for the organic certification cost-share program that helps to incentivize small and beginning farmers to transition to organic by relieving some of the associated costs with annual organic certification fees
• Full funding for the Organic Data Initiative, USDA's organic data collection program that provides accurate market and production information for the organic industry

“This Farm Bill marks a key milestone for organic with $50 million in annual funding for the flagship Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) program by 2023, more than double the current funding level,” Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association said in a statement. “This will ensure stable, baseline mandatory funding for the program, and will enable organic farmers to meet the unique challenges they face. The bill also includes important steps to modernize and speed up federal efforts to prevent organic fraud, to create a transparent marketplace, and to ensure that every stakeholder in the organic chain is playing by the rules.”

California Fresh Fruit Association's President George Radanovich added, “We are encouraged to see that the Conferees were able to come to an agreement and that U.S. Agriculture will again have a long-term plan laid out in the Farm Bill. We hope for swift and robust approval in both the House and Senate. Thank you to Chairman Roberts, Ranking Member Stabenow, Chairman Conaway and Ranking Member Peterson for all of your work.”

"TIPA is pleased with the progress being made on the 2018 Farm Bill. After the challenges in September, it felt like the bill was destined to be a piece of 2019 legislation. It'll be a relief to finally see the 2018 Farm Bill get approved," said Dante Galeazzi, TIPA President. "For the region, we are especially grateful to see the additions made in the bill to further citrus disease research and continuing foreign market access programs."

PMA’s Vice President of Global Membership and Engagement Richard Owen added, "After many months of work, PMA is pleased to see the leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees release the conference report for the 2018 Farm Bill. We’re particularly pleased to see increased specialty crop funding in the areas of research, technical assistance, and inspection services. Funding for programs that provide access to new markets is also key, considering the importance of exports to the livelihood of so many U.S. fruit and vegetable producers. We look forward to the Farm Bill quickly moving through Congress and on to the President for signature."

Robert Guenther, Senior Vice President of Public Policy at United Fresh, likewise applauded the approval of the Farm Bill conference report.

“United Fresh commends the House and the Senate Farm Bill Conference Committee for approving a Farm Bill conference report that includes the priorities of United Fresh and our members,” said Guenther, in a statement. “We are proud to be part of the leadership team of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance which has focused its efforts over the last three Farm Bills to ensure that our critical segment of agriculture is a vital partner in developing farm and agriculture legislation for the United States…The fresh produce industry has much at stake in this legislation and we are grateful for the recognition of the role our industry plays in providing nutritious foods for Americans and those around the world. We look forward to continuing to work in a bipartisan manner to ensure Congressional passage of this legislation so that it reaches the President’s desk before the conclusion of the 115^th Congress.”

Will the compromise be enough to push the Farm Bill through the House and the Senate? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the latest legislation affecting our industry.

DAVENPORT, IOWA - The world of grocery stores is rapidly changing, as retailers across the country attempt to entice consumers in novel ways. Customers are looking for more than just standard grocery store fare these days, and the market is responding accordingly. Now, Hy-Vee has taken a leap forward with its new and innovative Fast & Fresh location in Davenport.

Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh stores operate on a smaller scale and include a comprehensive selection of fresh produce, dairy, meat, bakery items, as well as pantry and frozen items, reports news outlet WQAD. According to the company, the new store will be the first-of-its-kind in the country, offering up wood-oven pizza, sushi, a craft beer station, wine and spirits, as well as services like Hy-Vee Aisles Online pickup and a gas station. Also available are made-to-order meals for carrying out or dining in, take and heat meal options, Hy-Vee Mealtime Kits, and an in-store Starbucks.

Hy-Vee’s Fast & Fresh stores are, reportedly, an entirelynew concept aimed at serving the busy customer who is interested in a more convenient grocery and meal experience while on the go.

Hy-Vee plans to open a second Fast & Fresh location in Altoona, Iowa, in 2019.

To stay up to date on new grocery store innovation, keep up with AndNowUKnow.

Hy-Vee

YAKIMA, WA - Houston, we have a launch date! The Cosmic Crisp® launch has been announced, with a marketing campaign led by Proprietary Variety Management (PVM). With prior successes like the Pink Lady® apple campaign under its belt, the company is ready to give Cosmic Crisp the liftoff it needs with a $10 million dollar plus budget for the launch.

Coming to consumers and retailers in fall of 2019, the Cosmic Crisp is a “large, juicy, red apple [that] has a firm and crisp texture that provides ample sweetness and tartness, making it an excellent eating and baking apple." It is naturally slow to brown when cut and maintains its texture and flavor in storage for more than a year,” according to a recent press release.

The theme for the launch has also been announced: “Imagine the Possibilities.” This theme represents the strides that the apple will make in flavor, presentation, and storage, as well as its inspiration of chefs, families, and apple lovers.

“Our goal is to inspire and educate people of all ages by using Cosmic Crisp as a perfect example of big dreams becoming a reality,” explained Kathryn Grandy, Director of Marketing for Proprietary Variety Management. “We’re long overdue for a campaign that highlights fresh produce and farming direct to the consumer in a way that excites the dreamer inside all of us."

In addition to PVM, the Cosmic Crisp launch will include partnerships with arts and sciences organizations that help the “big dreams” of consumers come true. The first of these partners are The Good Housekeeping Nutritionist Approved Emblem, Missoula Children’s Theatre, and The Produce Moms®. More partnerships will be announced as the campaign progresses, and the launch of this new apple variety draws near.

Tasting events will join digital and traditional media efforts to entice consumers to crunch into a Cosmic Crisp this coming autumn, and the company expects that 2.2 million boxes will be on the market by 2020.

For continual coverage of produce variety development, keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow

The Cosmic Crisp®

TOKYO, JAPAN - If you haven’t yet heard, the latest word is e-commerce, and it isn’t going anywhere any time soon. If anything, interest in e-commerce is only ramping up, as Walmart and Rakuten, Inc. officially opened the first Walmart e-commerce store in Japan. Titled the “Walmart Rakuten Ichiba Store,” the flagship store delivers Walmart’s U.S. branded products to Japanese consumers. It will initially offer approximately 1,200 products from a range of brands—orders will be fulfilled in the United States and air freighted to Japan.

“Walmart is committed to providing a trusted retail experience in Japan and we are always looking for new ways to better serve consumers here as their lifestyles and needs change,” said Nathan Kring, Senior Vice President of Walmart International, in a press release. “Through Seiyu, we have an in-depth understanding of this fast-changing market. The carefully curated assortment being offered on our flagship store reflects this insight and our ongoing dedication to Japanese shoppers.”

According to that press release, the digital store is part of a partnership between Walmart and Rakuten announced in January of this year. By leveraging both of their strengths, the two companies seek to expand consumer reach in both Japan and the United States. Walmart plans to expand its product range and add new product categories from its international assortment to the Rakuten Ichiba store. Walmart’s Japanese subsidiary, Seiyu GK, will provide customer support for the store.

“We are very excited to be working with Walmart to bring a diverse product lineup of American brands at affordable prices to Rakuten Ichiba users in Japan,” commented Shunsuke Yazawa, Executive Officer and Vice President of Marketplace Business at Rakuten, Inc. “Through the opening of the Walmart Rakuten Ichiba Store, we hope to make Rakuten Ichiba an even more attractive destination for online shoppers in Japan.”

How will this latest e-commerce expansion stack up against other competitors? AndNowUKnow will be here with the latest.

Walmart

OXNARD, CA - While we’re still waiting patiently to find out which teams will be competing in this year’s big game, Mission Produce is anticipating Emeralds in the Rough will be the true winner of 2019’s biggest eating day of the year. To get consumers to bet on the green fruit, Mission Produce is launching its Emeralds in the End Zone retail campaign, a strategic promotion that offers retailers and shoppers a winning game day value.

“Mission Produce’s Emeralds in the End Zone program provides retailers and consumers the best value for their dollar,” said Patrick Cortes, Senior Director of Business Development. “The grade 2 fruit is equal in taste and internal quality to the grade 1 fruit but is a little rougher around the edges. As a result, it can be merchandised with a lower retail price point.”

To kickoff this campaign, Mission Produce is encouraging retailers to spotlight Emeralds in the Rough avocados during the two weeks leading up to The Big Game, according to a press release. Then, Mission Produce is suggesting retailers transition to promoting ripe bulk avocados during game week and cross-merchandising the popular fruit with other game day provisions.

The campaign also includes point-of-sale materials to draw consumers’ eyes to the big display and showcase the value of avocados.

“This promotion was designed with the consumer in mind,” said Director of Marketing Denise Junqueiro. “Emeralds in the Rough is the ideal avocado party pack for shoppers who are looking to win with their Big Game menu. With the rising consumption of imperfect fruit, an interest in sustainable foods, clever design, and average lower prices, we have no doubt that consumers are going to tackle this product as soon as it hits the stores.”

The Emeralds in the Rough line includes two- and three-pound bags of grade 2, “beautifully-blemished” avocados, ripe and ready to take game day spreads to the next level.

For more game plans pushing fresh produce over the line of scrimmage, keep snapping, hiking, and tossing AndNowUKnow.

Mission Produce

WENATCHEE, WA - Once bitten, forever smitten is the motto of Smitten™—a signature apple variety lighting up the apple landscape with its outsized crunch and well-balanced flavor.

I spoke to Don Zornes, Marketing Director for Smitten Apple, USA, to learn more about this crisp and crunchy new variety that is propelling apple sales and bewitching apple eaters around the globe.

“Smitten apple comes to us from New Zealand,” Don explained. “It’s a cross-pollination of the Gala, Braeburn, Fiesta, and Fallstaff. It’s an apple that’s got an incredible crunch, and its flavor profile is sweet with a hint of tart.”

Now in its first year offering organic Washington-grown Smitten apples and its fourth year of commercial production, the variety is fast becoming a favorite with consumers throughout North America.

“The response from our customers has just been overwhelming,” said Don.

To learn more, watch our brief video interview above.

Smitten®

DAVIS, CA - The bane of every fruit producer's existence is spoilage—no one likes to waste food, or money—but the results of a UC Davis trial focused on Hazel Technologies’ new shelf-life extending product may offer a solution.

The Hazel Technologies product in question is an in-box sachet that aims to inhibit the action of ethylene, a substance that speeds the decay of fruit. To test the product, late-season Patterson apricots—grown near Yakima, Washington—were packed up with the Hazel Technologies shelf-life extending sachets and then shipped to California and held in retail-like conditions at UC Davis.

“We are extremely pleased to report that UC Davis researchers saw significant increases in apricot firmness, even after release from 20 days in cold storage,” Adam Preslar, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Hazel, said in the release. “Stone fruits have their own unique challenges in the fresh supply chain, and we are thrilled to offer the apricot and larger stone fruit industry a technology that can help growers and shippers provide top-quality fruit to the market. We look forward to partnering with UC Davis on more stone fruit trials.”

“We were able to show conclusively that apricot firmness was preserved by approximately 30-50% in apricots subjected to retail conditions when Hazel Apricot was used in the supply chain,” Angelos Deltsidis, Associate Director of the Postharvest Technology Center at UC Davis, said in the release. “Furthermore, there is some indication that skin reddening and red spotting can be reduced in the mature fruit when Hazel Apricot is applied.

“Our research center is committed to finding new post harvest solutions for crops with challenging shelf life, and we are pleased to be working with Hazel on this interesting addition to apricot shelf life technology,” Deltsidis continued.

AndNowUKnow has you covered for all the latest and greatest in produce-saving innovations.

Hazel Technologies Patterson Fruit Farms