BAKERSFIELD, CA - Industry giant Grimmway Farms is counting down the days till Southern Innovations Organics and Foodservice Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, next month as the company experiences heightened demand for both its foodservice and organic items.
As the industry generates more and more excitement around the event, Lisa McNeece, Vice President of Foodservice and Industrial Sales, and Bob Borda, Vice President of Organic Sales, join me to dish on the upcoming program and why attendees should consider Grimmwayand Cal-Organic Farms a destination at the show.
“We’re excited to showcase our Grimmway Farms Foodservice product line as well as the full set of Cal-Organic Farms vegetables at SEPC Southern Innovations,” Lisa shares with me in the run up to September. “Many of our customers are interested in our rainbow varieties, so we’re bringing all of our bright, colorful offerings as well.”
In addition, Bob tells me that from planting the seed to shipping the company’s finished organic products, the team passionately cultivates its crops and selects only premium quality vegetables to be packed under the Cal-Organic Farms label.
“As a family farm, we have full control of our organic operations and grow all of our produce in the USA, both attributes which have helped us build consumer trust in our brand,” Bob reflects. “Within the foodservice industry specifically, we’re beginning to see more opportunities for organics as an increasing number of restaurants are looking to promote healthy lifestyles and capitalize on the shift in consumer preferences toward organic foods.”
When I ask Lisa what she is looking forward to getting out of the show this year, she talks about continuing to build value into the company’s relationships.
“We’re greatly looking forward to seeing our customers, learning more about their current goals, and finding ways to supply them with our premium quality produce,” she says.
Grimmway’s story is one of family, evolution, as well as a commitment to stewardship of the land and to customers—something I believe is at the foundation of the company’s success.
“Our steady commitment to convert more of our farmland to be certified organic has helped us develop a consistent, premium-quality organic vegetable program,” Bob shares with me. “In addition, ongoing collaboration with our retail and foodservice partners allows us to share valuable insights and ultimately develop successful organic programs across the country.”
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for all things organic and foodservice! See you all in Nashville in a couple weeks!
CARPINTERIA, CA - The next phase of a refreshed and revamped Pete’s Living Greens has made its debut, as the team celebrates having rolled out its new, cutting-edge website.
Interactive, easy to navigate, and acting as something between a business profile and a scrapbook illustrating Pete’s Living Greens’ story, the new peteslivinggreens.com is the next step in the company-wide rebrand that launched mid-last year.
“We are moving full-steam-ahead,” Corrie Hutchens, Senior Director of Marketing, tells me. “We have already updated the consumer-facing side, and we are so excited to have the ball rolling now on our new website.”
It is a perfect complement to the ongoing social media campaign that asks consumers what they live for, inspired by the company’s living produce line. As we previously reported when it went live earlier this summer, the marketing move highlights Pete’s Living Greens’s new brand line We Live For This Stuff, giving consumers the opportunity to share photos using the hashtag #liveforthis showing the Pete’s team what activities they love to do out and about in the warm weather to tie in eating healthy living using all things Pete’s, from living lettuce, salads, and greens, to concepts new and fresh.
“We identified macro and micro influencers as potential partners,” Corrie answers when I ask about keeping current on ever-changing social media. “We reached out to a number of different influencers, whether they were more into food or anything lifestyle-related.”
It all ties into a fresh new format for the company as it answers the questions your customers might ask, such as ‘Who’s Pete? For Pete sake,” and “Our BELEAF.” Click here and explore to find out what I’m talking about.
As the industry continues to evolve with the changes technology and consumer desires have presented, AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you the latest.
WENATCHEE, WA - Who doesn’t like a good success story? CMI Orchards certainly does, as it prepares for another good year for its Daisy Girl Organics™ brand.
“For the third year in a row, Daisy Girl is the #1 selling branded organic apple in the U.S.,” Vice President of Marketing George Harter said. “It really shows how much consumers trust and are loyal to the Daisy Girl brand. Daisy Girl organic sales for last season, ending July, 2018, show an amazing success story for the brand. Nielsen data shows Daisy Girl sales increased a whopping $5.8 million or up 23% over the season prior. This growth is exceptional with the huge sales base that Daisy Girl commands in the U.S. market. This is the second year CMI’s Daisy Girl brand has generated growth upwards of 20%. Daisy Girl branded variety Kanzi® and Honeycrisp lead the way with extreme increases in distribution and sales.”
CMI Orchards introduced the Daisy Girl Ship’n’Shop display bin during the 2017 PMA. According to a press release, the display bin has proven to be a highly successful merchandising tool in driving sales.
“The pallet display bin ships with 16 cases of organic fruit and is extremely easy to build, creating an instant retail destination for organics,” Harter shared. “Our two-box Daisy Girl display is an industry favorite and has helped drive organic sales throughout our customer base.”
CMI Orchards also reported its organic production ramping up. Organic volumes are projected to increase 67 percent over last year, with plans to expand distribution during the 2018 season. In addition to its Daisy Girl brand, CMI Orchards has recently launched other campaigns to highlight its other organic apples.
“We just launched an exciting organic ad campaign to highlight premium branded organic apples, available in Ambrosia, Kanzi®, Kiku®, Envy™, and Smitten™,” Harter explained. “Visit www.cmiorganic.com to see a case study which demonstrates the effectiveness and success of merchandising using CMI’s Ship’n’Shop bins. One large U.S. retailer generated an increase in sales of 185%. We feel confident that these results can be replicated by any retailer that trials our Ship’n’Shop display.”
The press release noted that CMI’s Daisy Girl sales reflect a strong consumer response to the 2-lb organic pouch bag.
“The two-pound Daisy Girl Gala has held the position of #1 branded organic apple—across the entire U.S.—for the past three seasons, with no sign of its success slowing down,” Harter stated. “According to Nielsen data, Daisy Girl has 6 of the top 8 organic 2 lb pouch bag items in the branded organic category, providing solid footing for any customers looking to grow their organic business.”
Harter also noted that one of the often-overlooked benefits to packaged organic apples is the shelf flexibility that packages give retailers.
“In the past, co-mingling issues meant organic and conventional apples could not be displayed side by side,” he stated. “Packaging eliminates this issue and our most successful retail partners have discovered that putting a strong organic brand like Daisy Girl pouch bags in a premium up-front position is driving consumer conversions and strong sales gains.”
With striking packaging and a retail strategy, the only thing left to do is fill those bins up!
“The organic apple harvest in Washington is just getting underway with strong prospects for the coming year,” Harter said. “We have increasing organic acreage coming into production to help drive retail distribution and promotions. The number of retail stores continues to grow for the Daisy Girl brand, with Nielsen data showing 10 percent increase in store count for the 2017-2018 season bringing the store distribution total to 13,648.”
He concluded that CMI Orchards is excited for opportunities this season will afford because of the increase in organic production, organic ad campaigns, and the growing number of stores selling Daisy Girl.
“We have the tools to drive success for any retailer, and we’re eager to line up some promotions to kick-start this organic season in the best way possible,” he finished.
For the latest in fresh produce news, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
CINCINNATI, OH - Kroger is sourcing innovation from a spring outpouring with fresh ideas, as it steps into its new partnership with the University of Cincinnati (UC) to operate a creative-drive lab at the institution’s 1819 Innovation Hub. The new collaboration includes a 12,000-square-feet makerspace and micro-factory, as well as state-of-the art classrooms and multi-purpose rooms.
"Kroger's new partnership with the University of Cincinnati is one more way we are investing to create the now and future of retail," Kroger's Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer Chris Hjelm said. "This innovative collaboration is driven by Restock Kroger and provides the Kroger Technology team another creative space to partner and develop solutions to redefine the grocery customer experience."
The hub, a recently-opened state-of-the-art facility, is situated in the Uptown Innovation Corridor, symbolizing the community’s innovation and impact with higher education. The addition of this space is the region’s newest destination for thinking, making, doing, discovering, and delivering, according to a press release.
The retailer will staff the hub with resources, including R&D engineers and software developers, in addition to the working UC faculty on site. There will also be a student co-op and internship program in conjunction with the partnership.
"The 1819 Innovation Hub is a coworking community where we will build and discover the next generation of technology and talent," Hjelm said. "Our vision is to create a talent pipeline that supports our business and positions the region as a place for digital and technology students and professionals."
The creation of the 1819 Innovation Hub aims to provide a space for people and companies to come together to create advancements for the rapidly evolving economy and fast-paced industry. Through these efforts, Cincinnati will become a top choice location.
"As the anchor tenant of our burgeoning innovation district, UC's 1819 Innovation Hub is a microcosm of the bigger picture," UC’s Chief Innovation Officer David J. Adams shared. "Companies are choosing to co-locate here with us for proximity and access to the talent that a major research university provides. As the district comes to life with residential and retail options, the mix of students, faculty, industry, and community that you see in our knowledge action center today will spill out into the surrounding neighborhood, making innovation a visual place in Cincinnati."
The partnership shares a special bond because of the communities they jointly know and service on a daily basis.
"Working with a hometown company and one of the world's largest retailers gives our university an opportunity to make an impact not only locally but also globally,” Pinto expressed. “This is the kind of partnership that allows our students and faculty to work on real-world challenges in a cross-disciplinary way, while offering our corporate partners added value with access to talent, expertise, research, creativity, and specialized equipment and technology."
As students head back to school, they will head into the new hub, which opened earlier this week for the fall term. Kroger’s innovation lab sits in a 2,500-square-foot space on the third floor of the four-story building. Construction for Kroger’s lab is expected to be completed in October.
Kroger’s digital headquarters is also located in downtown Cincinnati, and it plans to double its digital team of 500 to 1,000 by 2020.
How will Kroger’s new partnership boost interest in its innovative approach to retail? AndNowUKnow will keep you updated.
VANCOUVER, BC - SEPC’s second annual Southern Innovations Organics and Foodservice Expo is fast approaching—and our industry is abuzz with fresh foodservice and organic offerings to be featured at Nashville, Tennessee’s Gaylord Opryland Resort, September 6-8.
One company uniquely positioned to offer foodservice and organic offerings across a number of fruit and veggie categories is Oppy. From popular produce sales drivers like table grapes to perennial favorites like strawberries, I spoke to Oppy’s Organics and Foodservice Category Manager Chris Ford to learn more about what one of North America’s preeminent providers of produce is bringing to Music City.
“One of our primary areas of focus for foodservice is table grapes—a very strong category that we offer year-round. We are in California right now, and soon transition into Peru and then Chile—where we are one of the largest importers in North America,” Chris tells me. “We are also currently in-season with our Oceanside Pole tomato program, which is a field-grown round and Roma program in Southern California. Oceanside Pole grows a winter crop of Brussels sprouts as well. We will also showcase our Ocean Spray® Family Farmer-Owned brand strawberries and blueberries, which we grow year-round.”
Chris notes that the Ocean Spray® Family Farmer-Owned brand also features organic berries, pointing out that berries are among the fastest-growing categories in the organic sector.
“Alongside our popular berry line, we will feature our Zespri organic green and SunGold kiwifruit,” Chris comments. “Those are very much in season and at the peak of flavor. It is a great time to promote kiwifruit, as stonefruit crops are winding down and apples are just starting.”
Once North American apple crops hit full swing, Chris says, Oppy will be there to meet the burgeoning demand for its premium organic varieties.
“We have our three premium branded apples—JAZZ™, Envy™, and Pacific Rose™—starting with fresh crops in October,” he comments. “We will feature those in 2 lb pouch bags and in count cartons in a range of sizes. We are putting a lot of energy into apples, with an exciting increase in supply this year and expand distribution for those premium brands.”
Additionally, Oppy will feature greenhouse-grown produce from Divemex—whose operations throughout Mexico are currently producing a variety of Fair Trade and organic certified hothouse items.
“Our grower partner Divemex is just starting their colored bell pepper season and will produce peppers and long English cucumbers through next spring,” Chris notes, adding that, between Divemex and BC-based grower partner OriginO, Oppy is year-round in the organic hothouse space. “We have represented Divemex for quite a long time, and they continue to grow their organic volume under their premium brand.”
To learn more, check out booth #520 at the 2018 Southern Innovations Organics and Foodservice Expo at the Gaylord Opryland Resort, September 6-8, in Nashville, Tennessee.
NASHVILLE, TN - Of the many sports that can bring together industries, football really tops the list. Between loyal college football fans to the NFL teams’ diehard supporters, the football-passionate traverse backgrounds and trades. With Southern Innovations Organics & Foodservice Expo just around the corner on September 6-8, 2018 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, I thought I would touch base with one of the keynote speakers to grace the stage.
Steve Spurrier, retired College Football Coach for the University of Florida and Coach for the 2019 Alliance of American Football’s Orlando team, joins me for a look at the upcoming event, his legacy, passion, and what he has learned along the way.
“I am excited to meet an industry that aligns with the same health and wellness goals as myself,” Spurrier shares with me as we talk about the event ahead. “For the Southern Innovations keynote, I want to share my story and how it all happened for me, from my days as a player to my first head coaching job at Duke and the positions that followed. It all came down to setting goals and dreaming and visualizing those goals. And low and behold, the successes kept on happening during my career, but not without hard work and passion. Some of the things I love to talk about are those miraculous moments, or rather ‘thank you, Lord’ moments that have happened in games. I have been incredibly fortunate, and I am looking forward to sharing my story at the event.”
Spurrier was born in Miami, Florida, and attended Science Hill High in Johnson City, Tennessee. He laughs as he tells me that he was probably a better athlete in basketball and baseball originally than football. As high school progressed, Spurrier got a little taller and a little quicker and became the team’s quarterback, lettered in three sports, and was an all-state selection in football, basketball, and baseball, as well as a high school All-American quarterback in 1962.
“My father was a Presbyterian minister and instilled a love of competition in me and my brother and sister—that desire to win, the will to win, that I have carried with me all my life. My dad told me that if it is a contest and you love competing, you should be trying your best to win,” he laughs. “I have always believed in that idea, and how it can be applied to whatever you do in life. What it comes down to is passion, and approaching each opportunity in life the way I approach the game.”
Spurrier received a scholarship to the University of Florida where he continued to play quarterback, further establishing himself as one of the best passers in SEC history on his way to winning Florida’s first Heisman Trophy in 1966.
“I think that accepting the scholarship at Florida was the best choice I could have made. Not only for the opportunities I had there, but because that is where I met my wife, Jerri Starr,” he tells me, and I can sense a smile spread across his face.
Spurrier then went onto play 10 years in the NFL—nine for the San Francisco 49ers (GO NINERS!) and one for the Tampa Bay Bucs. He was a Head Coach for 30 years. Check out these stats:
- USFL – Tampa Bay Bandits (35-19)
- Duke – Won the ACC Football Championship in 1989 - This is the only one Duke has won in 55 years.
- Florida – Won seven SEC Championships, one National Championship in 1996
- South Carolina – Finished Top 10 three years in a row and won 11 games three years in a row
In addition, Spurrier is one of the winningest coaches in Florida football history and one of the winningest coaches in South Carolina football history. Coincidentally, his record versus Nick Saban is 3-1 and against Dabo Swinney is 5-2. He is one of only four men to be inducted to the National College Football Hall of Fame as a player and coach in 2017.
“The relationship of coach to player or player to coach is an interesting one—being a coach does not necessarily have a lot to do with being a player. I may have been an All-American star player but that doesn’t necessarily make a good coach. There are no Heisman trophy winners out there coaching for example and very few All-American players that are coaches,” Spurrier shares with me. “What I learned about coaching, as I imagine most do, I learned once I became a coach. I intensely studied other coaches’ successes and business models, read all the books I could get my hands on, learned from the best and also those that had failed. It is a game where you are always learning, you must always learn—as in life.”
Next up for Spurrier? He has been announced as the coach for the Alliance of American Football’s Orlando team. The league, founded by TV and film producer Charlie Ebersol and Hall of Famer Bill Polian, features eight teams under a single entity structure, with a 12-week season kicking-off on CBS on February 9, 2019, with the championship game on April 26-28, 2019.
“We will have 10 games, and hopefully two playoff games,” Spurrier laughs and says. “What really drew me to the league was not only the chance to coach again but the league’s commitment to putting top-flight, professional football on the field and creating a true alliance between fans, players, and the game.”
When I ask him what advice he lives by, among the many things he tells me is this...
“Attitude is everything; a person can alter their lives if they can change their attitude,” he shares.
I am not sure about you, but I will be clamoring for a good seat at next month’s Southern Innovations keynote. See you all there!
NEW YORK CITY, NY - BrightFarms is bashing in more than just the bright lights from the big city this week after again spotting its name on the annual Inc. 5000 list. BrightFarms was ranked #571 among the country’s fastest growing private companies this year, solidifying the company’s position as a leader in locally grown packaged salads.
“Being named again to the list of fastest growing companies is a positive sign for our continued growth. The recognition demonstrates that our model successfully addresses consumer demand for responsibly grown, local produce,” said Paul Lightfoot, CEO. “I’m grateful to my colleagues for helping the company grow in new markets and to our national retail partners for their efforts in bringing quality, fresh produce to more consumers.”
According to a press release, Inc. 5000 ranks companies by their rate of revenue growth over the last three years. For the second year in a row, BrightFarms is the only produce company to make the list, even ranking 22nd among food and beverage brands.
BrightFarms operates four greenhouse farms in Rochelle, IL; Culpeper, VA; Bucks County, PA; and Wilmington, OH, and distributes its salad greens across major markets and in retailers like Kroger, Ahold-Delhaize, Walmart, and Albertsons.
Congratulations to BrightFarms on another year of success! For more produce companies slaying the game, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Tom Swanson, SpartanNash’s current Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing, will succeed Ted Adornato, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Corporate Retail. Adornato recently announced his plans to retire, effective October 6, 2018.
Swanson will take over Adornato's position and will become Senior Vice President and General Manager of Corporate Retail. According to a press release, Swanson has over 30 years of executive and managerial experience in grocery retail—including over six years as Vice President of SpartanNash’s corporate Retail-West operations. He currently oversees marketing and merchandising for SpartanNash’s 140 corporate owned stores. The company noted that this maximizes its expertise as a retailer and builds greater connectivity with its distribution customers.
"Ted’s expertise and leadership during his 15 years with the company have helped make our corporate retail stores more consumer-driven, competitive, and a vital part of our company and the communities we serve,” David Staples, President and Chief Executive Officer, said.
Staples continued, expressing his and SpartanNash's thanks for the outgoing EVP and General Manager's various contributions throughout his career: “On behalf of the Board of Directors, all of our associates, and me personally, I thank Ted for his many contributions and wish him all the best in retirement.”
He added, “Tom’s extensive experience leading our retail grocery business has been and will continue to be of great benefit to us as we increasingly invest in strengthening our retail operations.”
Congratulations from all of us here at AndNowUKnow to Tom Swanson on his latest position, and to Ted Adornato on his retirement!
PLANT CITY, FL - We all like a place to call home—from safety at home base to the calm of home on the range, there is nothing quite like it. Taking this sentiment to a whole new level is the family-owned international berry supplier Wish Farms, as it heads to its new, state-of-the-art headquarters in Plant City. The property is in in a prime location, sitting alongside Interstate 4 on Frontage Road and west of Park Road.
“Visibility was a major factor in the selection of the site, as that falls in line with the strategic vision for our brand,” Wish Farms Owner Gary Wishnatzki said. According to the Florida Department of Transportation, approximately 115,000 vehicles travel along the stretch of highway every day. “We want to carry on the nearly 100-year-old tradition between our company and this community, so I’m extremely pleased that we are staying in Plant City.”
Since its rebrand efforts began in 2010, the company has seen recognition spike amongst consumers, according to a press release.
“Space has been an issue for us during this growth period. The move is going to drastically increase our efficiency and scalability, while positively impacting the local economy,” COO J.C. Clinard expressed.
The 138,000-square-foot warehouse—which will include blueberry and strawberry processing, pre-cooling, materials storage, and cooler space—has been tasked to RCS Company of Tampa. The Beck Group will tackle the construction of the 36-acre site and design the 20,000-square-foot, three-story office building.
A pixie theme will sit front and center, in accordance with the company’s logo. To accomplish this, Beck’s team will work closely with Wishnatzki, who wants the new space to be unique. There will be environmentally responsible and sustainable methods employed in the creation of the new design, which will include many solar aspects.
“We have a lot of fun and unexpected things planned; this is going to be a special place,” Wishnatzski shared. “I see our new campus as a retention and recruiting tool for top talent, but I’m really excited that our new home is going to reflect our fun, family-friendly brand.”
There will also be a treehouse conference space that will be built by James “B’fer” Roth from DIY Network’s The Treehouse Guys. Prominent features in the new treehouse will be an adult-sized indoor slide and large rooftop deck. Making the scene even more magical, there will be a four-acre lake and a spring on the land, which the company will preserve to showcase the property’s natural beauty. In addition to these exciting new creations, an organic blueberry farm will be planted.
The seller of the property, Joe Kuhn, is excited to see who will be building upon it. Kuhn was the third-generation in his family to own the land. In 1929, his grandfather acquired the land as a pre-depression payment loan. In an almost serendipitous discovery, both Wishnatzski’s and Kuhn’s grandfathers immigrated to the States within a year of each other.
Proceeds from the sale will benefit Kuhn Family’s charitable trust, which shares funds with the community. Moving forward, Wish Farms expects that ground breaking will occur this fall and a ribbon cutting will occur in winter 2019.
Congratulations on this exciting next chapter in the Wish Farms story.
UNITED STATES - This week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the details of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) previously announced $12 billion ag assistance plan.
Citing “trade damage from unjustified retaliation by foreign nations,” Secretary Perdue and the Trump administration detailed the specifics of “a short-term relief strategy to protect agricultural producers while the Administration works on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals to open more markets in the long run to help American farmers compete globally.”
He detailed the care with which the governmental organization crafted the strategy.
“Early on, the President instructed me, as Secretary of Agriculture, to make sure our farmers did not bear the brunt of unfair retaliatory tariffs,” noted Secretary Perdue, in a press release. “After careful analysis by our team at USDA, we have formulated our strategy to mitigate the trade damages sustained by our farmers. Our farmers work hard, and are the most productive in the world, and we aim to protect them.”
The Secretary outlined three programs designed to meet the needs of ag producers in disrupted markets. The three programs were outlined as follows:
- USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will administer the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) to provide payments to corn, cotton, dairy, hog, sorghum, soybean, and wheat producers starting September 4, 2018
- USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will administer a Food Purchase and Distribution Program to purchase up to $1.2 billion in commodities unfairly targeted by unjustified retaliation. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will distribute these commodities through nutrition assistance programs such as The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and child nutrition programs
- Through the Foreign Agricultural Service’s (FAS) Agricultural Trade Promotion Program (ATP), $200 million will be made available to develop foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products. The program will help U.S. agricultural exporters identify and access new markets and help mitigate the adverse effects of other countries’ restrictions
“We are still analyzing the details of this plan, but at first glance it appears USDA’s mitigation efforts will fall substantially short of making fruit, vegetable, and tree nut farmers whole for the damages they have incurred, and will continue to incur, as a result of the trade war with China,” said Western Growers President & CEO Tom Nassif, in a statement following the USDA’s announcement. “Even so, our fresh produce growers never expected the mitigation plan to fully make up for lost trade revenues and market shares, which is why we submitted a series of solutions the administration could adopt to ease the burdens of its trade policies on the industry. While we are pleased with their creative approach to targeting aid to exporters, we are disappointed that many of our other ideas are not reflected in USDA’s mitigation plan.”
As part of the USDA AMS’s Food Purchase and Distribution program, a number of produce categories were earmarked for up to tens of millions in commodity buyback, including $93,400,000 in apples, $48,200,000 in grapes, and $55,600,000 in fresh oranges. But despite this, Western Growers notes, the cost of trade losses due to a slew of retaliatory tariffs leveed by the U.S. and China far exceeds the allotted funds.
“According to a study released by U.C. Davis economists, the direct trade losses for U.S. fruit, vegetable, and tree nuts growers conservatively top $2.6 billion. When the price impacts on the domestic market are considered, the magnitude of damage exceeds $3.3 billion. These figures only represent the immediate consequences; the longer term effects will be much more catastrophic, and potentially permanent. While our fresh produce is the highest quality in the world, farmers in competing countries can and will fill the vacuum created by the trade war. Once China and other export markets find replacement suppliers, it will be extremely difficult to dislodge them,” continued Nassif. “Time is of the essence, and only one outcome will preserve our family farms: a rapid and successful conclusion of our trade conflicts and the restoration of commerce between American farmers and buyers across the globe.”
To read more about the specifics of Secretary Perdue’s plan, read the USDA’s announcement in its entirety here.
And for updates as they occur, keep reading AndNowUKnow.