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BAKERSFIELD, CA - Every time I pass by the Mazzei-Franconi label, I can’t help but smile. That little farmer could get me to eat grapes any day of the year! For this company, inspiring people to eat grapes has been in its blood since 1972—and it's only gaining momentum.
I had a chance to catch up with Tom Franconi to learn a bit more about the current table grape season and what varieties will be hitting shelves soon. Currently just over halfway in harvesting its grape crop, Tom tells me that Scarlet Royal, Krissy, Timco, Allison, Autumn King, and Autumn Royals are all being harvested.
“It has been a great season as far as quality goes,” Tom shares with me. “The sizing and yield has been excellent this year.”
With promising quality comes promising volume, or so I can conclude from Tom’s explanation.
“With the newer varieties and larger size profile, we will have increased volume from last season,” he says. “Movement seems to be picking up. We have some ads lined up for this next month, and we will also have promotable volume on all colors for October and November.”
You’ll soon be just as grapeful (I had to go for at least one grape pun!) to spot Mazzei-Franconi’s farmer as I am! For the latest in what’s happening crop-side, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
SACRAMENTO, CA - As October rolls in, does anyone else get a little bit spook-tacular? I used to think it was just me, but the players on our Bay Baby Quiz certainly know their way around a pumpkin patch. And now I’m positively shaking with jack-o-lantern-esque glee to announce the two winners of our most recent Quiz Quix opportunity.
The buy-side winner, John Contesso from Get Fresh Produce, is going home with $100 cash, thanks to his quick-thinking and speedy clicks.
“My daughter and I both celebrate our birthdays in the month of October so we will definitely be using the money to buy pumpkins at our favorite farm!” John expressed.
Supply-side winner Francesca Marchini Fordice from J. Marchini Farms is also walking away from this quiz with the coveted prize.
“Pumpkin Patch Pals are my favorite; once I see them in the stores I know fall has arrived!” Francesca said.
Check out who came in the top spots in the leaderboard below to see the stiff competition for this Bay Baby quiz…
We all know that when the pressure is on, we can tense up and miss a beat. Here is the most missed question from the Pumpkin Patch Pals quiz.
Most Missed Question
Bay Baby’s FREE Pumpkin Patch Pals® online resources include which of the following:
Correct Answer
All of the above
Missed out on this round? You can practice for the next by checking out the link below.
Bay Bay Produce: Pumpkin Patch Pals
There are more opportunities to jump on the prize-winning train if you missed out on this Bay Baby quiz. You can take this one to practice your quickness for the next round of quiz wiz fun by checking out the link above, or you can subscribe, if you’re not already, to stay in-the-know on our next quiz opportunity and chance to win a $100 cash prize —just click the link here.
Congratulations, John and Francesca!
LONDON, ENGLAND - The withdrawal of Great Britain from the European Union is set to take place March 29, 2019. As the date draws nearer, many are speculating what this will mean for food retailers and suppliers. According to a study commissioned by Barclays, these retailers and suppliers could stand to lose $12.2 billion as a result of new tariffs, should Britain leave the EU without a deal.
Reuters reported that the prospect of a “no-deal” Brexit loomed larger after Prime Minister Theresa May expressed last week that talks with EU leaders were at an impasse.
The Barclays report stated that food and drink entering the UK from the EU would be subject to an average tariff of 27 percent—significantly higher than the 3-4 percent levy that would be applied to non-food products.
“Some products would avoid tariffs, even in a no-deal scenario, but for most goods the effect of an increased tariff burden would be extremely damaging, and cheaper goods would be the hardest hit,” said Ian Gilmartin, Head of Retail at Barclays Corporate Banking. “A positive agreement on trade is essential if we are to protect UK exporters and avoid significant price rises for UK consumers.”
As the Brexit date gets closer, AndNowUKnow will be on the lookout for how this and other world happenings will affect our industry.
SOLEDAD, CA - Braga Fresh continues to expand its team by adding top industry talent, this time in new Logistics Manager Sergio Torres.
“I’m very excited to come aboard the Braga team. I see a fast-paced, fun, and family environment,” Torres stated. “The Braga family’s passion for farming and people is very evident in how they conduct their business.”
Torres brings with him over nine years of Transportation and Logistics experience, most recently as Transportation Analyst for a prominent Watsonville, CA-based grower-shipper, according to a press release.
“As we celebrate our 90th year in business, we continue to focus on our vision and growth objectives. Sergio’s wealth of experience, particularly with Transportation, is an advantage,” said Rod Braga, President and CEO. “Sergio will help make sure service and quality remain high as the distribution of Josie’s Organics continues to expand.
Torres has a wealth of freight knowledge and experience to apply his new responsibilities at Braga Fresh. Among them is managing the delivered freight program and directing all transportation activities.
“As our business continues to evolve into a higher percentage of delivered sales, we are able to provide our partners with an additional value-added delivered service,” Peter Cling, VP of Operations, commented on the growth.
Congratulations to the company and to its new Logistics Manager on this latest step!
SANTA MARIA, CA - Celery root was originally cultivated in the Mediterranean Basin, but the root has crossed continents and is now grown in North America. It’s a lesser known root vegetable, but those who do know it recognize it for its snaggly, rough appearance. But let’s not judge a book by its cover just yet.
I caught up with Matt Hiltner, Marketing Coordinator, Babé Farms, to learn more about this diamond in the rough.
“Celery root is one of Babé Farms’ most underrated and misunderstood vegetables,” he begins. “It may not have the color and visual appeal of other root vegetables, but trust me, you’re missing out if you overlook this versatile gift from Mother Nature.”
Celery root and celery are essentially the same plant, he explains to me, but different varieties of were cultivated to favor either the stalk or the root. The stalk variety is the traditional celery you’d find at any retailer, while the root variety produces the bulbous head of snaggly rootlets we know as celery root—may I just say how much I love the phrase snaggly rootlets?
Available at retail with a twist-tie tag that includes UPC code and is bilingual—English as well as French for use in Canada—I think that celery root is about to hit big. But I had to ask Matt: what can one do with celery root?
“Folks often tell me that they’ve seen it before but have no idea what to do with it,” Matt tells me. “This needs to change, and retailers can facilitate that by providing visual aids. Appealing to consumers’ senses (sight, smell, and taste) plays a huge role in their decision to buy. For example, hold cooking demos in store so customers can see smell and taste cooked celery root for themselves. Also, providing recipe cards can help show customers that cooking delicious meals with celery root can be done with relative ease.”
With its earthy flavor profile, the vegetable has multiple applications. It can be used in soups, stews, slaws, vegetable hash, gratins; you name it, you can probably put celery root in it. Given that it has so many uses, it’s a good thing that Babé Farms offers celery root year-round. Its peak season comes in the winter months, making it a healthy option for holiday cuisine.
Matt shares with me one of his own recipes for baked celery root chips, and I’m already dying to give it a try: Thinly slice it on a mandolin, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper; bake until golden and crisp; and then enjoy with your choice of dipping sauce. Doesn’t get much easier than that!
To see for yourself, be sure to stop and see Babé Farms at booth #835 at PMA Fresh Summit.
For the latest in lesser known veggies that are about to jump onto center stage, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
CALIFORNIA - This November, voters from the Golden State will have the opportunity to vote on a nearly $9 billion investment in the state’s water conservation infrastructure. The Proposition—titled California Proposition 3, Water Infrastructure and Watershed Conservation Bond Initiative—will support a number of water projects—from groundwater storage to water treatment to restoring protected habitats. Despite this, though, the proposition has provoked controversy within conservation groups—dividing a number of the states advocates for a cleaner environment.
“It provides more than $3 billion for state agencies and local conservancies to acquire and restore watersheds and wetlands, from the Sierras to the coast, throughout the Central Valley,” David Lewis, Executive Director of Save the Bay, wrote on a forum reported on by PBS affiliate KQED. "And protecting the watersheds is one of the great ways to improve the security and safety of our water supply…Leaving infrastructure to decay because a local agency can't afford to fix it; that's not a sustainable practice.”
Environmentalists in support of the Proposition argue that California’s water infrastructure is in need of immediate action. Detractors, however, claim that the bond is both deleterious to the environment and allocates resources in such a way as to "subsidize" powerful agricultural interests.
Friends of the River Senior Policy Analyst Ron Stork has characterized the measure as a collection of “general taxpayer subsidies for wealthy farmers and agribusiness in the San Joaquin valley,” and the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board published an op-ed calling Proposition 3 a “scheme [that] was devised as an initiative that is being funded, in part, by individuals and entities that are going to be receiving a share of the bond money.”
For more on this story as it develops, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
- Read more about Wednesday, Afternoon, October 3rd 2018
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BROCKTON, MA - 50 years is no small measure, and Concord Foods is celebrating the golden anniversary of producing its signature lemon and lime juices with the launch of renovated branding.
“While we have brought a more vibrant look to our newer products, our very first product—the lemon and lime juice bottles—remained classic,” said Charles Olins, Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “After 50 years, we decided it was time to rebrand and repackage the beloved juices.”
The new approach replaces the tags traditionally placed on the fruit-shaped bottles with a modern shrink-wrap design. The bright and modern design looks to speak to today’s shoppers and increase product visibility as the company aims to launch the brand into a new era.
“Our mission is to provide products that enhance the shopper’s eating experience and promote greater consumption of fresh foods,” added Olins. “Our research shows that people believe fruits and vegetables benefit from the flavor boost our items provide.”
Concord’s fruit-shaped citrus juice bottles have been a shopper favorite for boosting the flavor of fresh fruits and vegetables since they first hit produce department shelves in 1968, according to a press release. In fact, the company noted its citrus juices have become its most recognizable product, owning 64 percent of units sold in the category as of 2017. Most recently, it expanded its offerings to also include freeze-dried veggie snacks and caramel apple M&M’S® kits just in time for fall-eating occasions.
Concord is debuting the new products and branded juices at this month’s PMA Fresh Summit, October 19-20, at booth #2049, so come thirsty!
RICHMOND, VA - Aldi is continuing to expand in the Chesapeake-area and throughout the South; the company opened a new state-of-the-art facility distribution center and division headquarters in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, this week. The 562,500-square-foot facility will service 70 to 80 Aldi stores in the Richmond-Petersburg, Hampton Roads, and eastern North Carolina regions.
The $57 million project was first announced two years ago.
“The access to qualified and capable employees and transportation options first attracted us to this location, but it was the integrity and positive attitude of the Dinwiddie County leaders that truly won us over,” said Aldi US CEO Jason Hart, at that time, and the company projected that the project would eventually employ 400 people.
The new facility, built by construction firm A M King, includes an ammonia refrigeration system powered largely by a 1.66 MW solar array, racking for 25,000 pallet positions, and 35,000 square feet of Class A office space, according to a press release.
The new facility sits on an 80 acre parcel purchased for $3.6 million in 2017, according to local news source RichmondBizSense.
For more fresh-focused news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.