WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has lifted employment sanctions against Yuqing (Henry) Wang of Flushing, N.Y.
According to a press release, USDA and Yuqing (Henry) Wang entered into a consent decision and order finding that Wang violated section 8(b) of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) by being employed by a PACA licensee between July 2014 and September 2015 while under employment sanctions. As a result of the consent decision and order, Yuqing (Henry) Wang’s employment sanction was extended for a one year period beginning July 12, 2017. The sanction period expired on July 11, 2018, and Yuqing (Henry) Wang is no longer under employment restrictions.
The Agricultural Marketing Service, Fair Trade Practices Program’s PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,400 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 8,500 callers with issues valued at approximately $151 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
SANTA MONICA, CA - It’s always exciting when companies decide to partner up for a fresh approach to business. FactoryMade, a Hollywood boutique incubator for television and lifestyle and consumer produce, is teaming up with Walmart and Haworth Marketing + Media. The goal for this new collaboration, referred to as Rediscovering America, is to showcase fresh, affordable, and locally grown produce to support farm-to-table efforts.
In the culinary pilot program, Walmart will work with five well-known local chefs who have been honored by the James Beard Foundation as Best Chef Award Semifinalists, as well as five farms from Charlotte, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Tampa, Florida; Houston, Texas; and Atlanta, Georgia. These exciting steps into the culinary scene will be documented by FactoryMade in a series developed and produced by the incubator, Co-Founders of El Rey Network, and Executive Producers of Lucha Underground.
To build its fan-base even more, FactoryMade has also partnered with the New York Times best-selling cookbook author and restaurateur, Ayesha Curry, who is a Charlotte native and encourages local, organic farming in her own restaurants. She is stepping into her role with this partnership to shine a light on the farm-to-table movement.
“Our main impetus in bringing together Walmart and these creative, community-minded chefs was to shine a spotlight on their dual commitment to do good and do well,” said John Fogelman and Cristina Magno Patwa, Co-CEOs of FactoryMade. “In addition to celebrating their mission to use locally grown produce and their support of local farms, we wanted to highlight their commitment to their respective communities. As change-agent chefs, they bring an incredible diversity to the culinary space in terms of their backgrounds, points of view, and cooking techniques, as well as their take on how their work impacts those in their own backyards in the Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes, South, Southeast and Southwest.”
According to a press release, Rediscovering America showcases many different kinds of restaurants, chefs, and produce:
Chef Brittanny Anderson
Metzger Bar & Butchery in Richmond, VA.
Ingredients: organic thyme from Shenandoah Growers of Harrisonburg, VA, in a unique strawberry tart with thyme shortbread, pink peppercorn, and elderflower.
Chef Anderson was a 2017 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic and was a 2018 Iron Chef America contestant.
Chef Ferrell Alvarez
Rooster & the Till in Tampa, FL.
Ingredients: white, baby bella/cremini and portabella mushroom caps from Monterey Mushrooms of Zellwood, FL, in a crafted tartine of smoked mushrooms, duxelle, bleu cheese, balsamic gel, and dressed leaves.
Chef Alvarez was a 2017 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: South and was the 2014 Best New Chef & Best New Restaurant from Creative Loafing.
Chef Anita Jaisinghani
Pondicheri Bake Lab + Shop in Houston, TX.
Ingredients: mini San Marzano tomatoes from Village Farms of Marfa, TX, in a Khichri & Soup.
Chef Jaisinghani was a 2012, 2017, and 2018 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: Southwest. Pondicheri also made it to Eater’s The 38 Essential Restaurants of Texas in 2018 list.
Chef Rui Liu
Masterpiece in Atlanta, GA.
Ingredients: Vidalia sweet onions from Bland Farms of Glennville, GA, whenever onions are featured on the menu.
Chef Liu was a 2017 and 2018 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast, and Masterpiece was 3rd in Atlanta Magazine’s 50 Best Restaurants in Atlanta in 2018.
Chef Gene Kato
Upstream in Charlotte, NC.
Ingredients: jalapeño peppers from Bailey Farms of Oxford, NC, thoughout his sushi offerings, including his Hamachi with pickled jalapeño and yuzu vinaigrette.
Chef Kato was a 2017 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes and Upstream was named by Esquire Magazine’s John Mariani as one of the best new restaurants in the U.S.
“The James Beard Awards recognize talent wherever it lies across the entire spectrum of America’s dynamic food scene, from big cities to small towns, from beloved neighborhood joints to temples of gastronomy,” said Mitchell Davis, Chief Strategy Officer of the James Beard Foundation, who will emcee a launch event in Charlotte, NC. “Chefs, restaurants, farmers, and informed eaters help make America more vibrant and delicious for everyone, supporting our organization’s mantra that we all benefit from 'good food for good.'”
What makes this partnership so exciting is that the ingredients can be found in the convenience of Walmart stores. By using the ingredients found at Walmart, the program hopes to boost consumer interest in tasting the beauty in locally grown produce at the award-winning chefs’ neighborhood restaurants. Further, these items can be found in the chefs' dishes through the end of summer. In addition to the ability to try these items in a curation from the masters, consumers can find them in their local Walmart stores for their own culinary trials at home.
Social media, a stable go-to for building excitement around a happening campaign, will be colorful with beautifully created dishes as consumers and local influencers post images on Instagram and Facebook about the dishes and where to find the locally grown produce. FactoryMade has developed an initiative focusing on local voices that are authentic to the communities in order to build a grassroots following for produce items used in the dishes. The reason for this approach, the press release explains, is because consumers look to familiar and relatable influencers who know the cultures, right down to frequented family restaurants.
“Consumers have a real connection with these chefs and restaurants, who are authentic influencers in their communities,” said Ashley Gibbs, Senior Marketing Director at Walmart U.S. “We are thrilled they are sharing the message that fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms can be bought right in their local Walmart.”
So, the only question left for me to ask you is this: which restaurant will you be visiting?
Monterey Mushrooms Walmart FactoryMade Bailey Farms Bland Farms Shenandoah Growers Village Farms
SANTA MARIA, CA - One of the best aspects of the produce industry—in my humble opinion—is how naturally gorgeous the products are. As Instagram continues to dominate the social media landscape, so too do the drool-worthy photos presented by chefs and bloggers.
I caught up with Matt Hiltner, Marketing Coordinator for Babé Farms, about how the company has been using social media to up its consumer engagement, bring more veggie lovers to customers’ tables, and showcase its newest products.
Being added to these infinitely Instagrammable photos is Babé Farms new variety of radish: its French Violet Radish. With a striking violet hue, this radish is grown in limited quantities in the heart of the Santa Maria Valley, and is slated to debut at this year’s United Fresh.
“No one is growing this radish at the scale that we are,” Matt explains to me, sharing what makes this Violet Radish unique. "The red French Breakfast radish is one of our most popular radish varieties, so when we learned about its purple counterpart, we felt it was a no-brainer adding it to our product line—especially with purple food being on trend. That’s why I like our products: they’re so colorful you just have to put them out there, and they merchandise themselves.”
With produce being some of the easiest and most Instagram-worthy content, it seems necessary to take to the social media platform to showcase how beautiful fresh food can be. For those at Babé Farms, the opportunity to highlight the beauty in their products was too good to pass up.
“Over the past year, we’ve been ramping up our social media efforts. I wanted to start bringing us into the social media realm,” Matt shares with me. “In early 2017, our efforts in connecting with chefs and bloggers kicked up. We would message them or they would message us, and we would start working together on featuring our vegetables through their photography or recipe development or featuring our items on their menus.”
Matt and the team at Babé Farms realized that using social media to highlight their product would ensure the message spread about both the beauty and the freshness of its veggies.
“It’s something that really helps us. It’s how we get to our end users and bring more value to our customer relationships,” Matt tells me. “We sell our product primarily through produce distributors, not necessarily directly to chefs. This way chefs can see our label and click on our offers, and then they’re asking our distributors for our products.”
Along with collaborating with bloggers and chefs, Babé has its own social media campaign called TGIFresh. This campaign pairs a trendy hashtag with quality, useful content that users can both enjoy and learn from.
“Every Friday, we’ll do a photoshoot for a product and write up the history of it, its applications, growing patterns, when it’s going to be available, as well as seasonal items," Matt shares. "I’ll even give some recipes. It’s kind of like a blend of social media and email marketing.”
For those attending PMA Foodservice, you too can TGIFresh, by stopping by booth #819 to snap a picture of the French Violet Radish. Your Instagram will thank you.
Stay up to date on the latest trends in our industry by sticking with us at AndNowUKnow.
WENATCHEE, WA - The main contributor to one of Stemilt’s most premium cherry programs, Kyle’s Pick®, is harvesting now and gearing up to land in consumer carts everywhere. Skeena cherries, a variety from Canada, are big, dark, and really firm—a perfect companion for the coveted Kyle’s Pick program.
“Skeena is an excellent variety to be the backbone of the Kyle’s Pick program,” states Tate Mathison, Sales Director and son of Kyle Mathison, the fourth generation cherry grower who is the inspiration behind Kyle’s Pick. “It is a beautiful cherry that comes from British Columbia that consistently meets the large size and high-quality parameters of the Kyle’s Pick program.”
According to a press release, Kyle Mathison constantly seeks out the newest and best varieties to include under the Stemilt World Famous brand, and Kyle’s Pick represents specific quality standards that cherries need to meet before they leave the company’s packing facility—standards he set himself. Those premium varieties that fit Kyle’s Pick standards include Skeena, Sweetheart, and Bing.
“Skeena is a big, dark, and really firm variety making it a top contender for Kyle’s Pick,” says Tate. “They are peaking at 9 to 9½ row and are coming off the trees with a beautiful deep, dark purple color that really pops on the shelves.”
Stemilt Hill near Wenatchee, Washington, where Kyle Mathison grows, is a climate truly unique to other cherry growing regions. The Hill has its own microclimate that entraps cool night air to offer protection from the summer heat, the company says, allowing the trees to flourish and provide plenty of sugars to the cherries. It's this unique climate that has contributed to the success of growing the Skeena variety.
“The Skeena variety acts and responds a little differently than other varieties we grow, as it does well in the heat,” says Tate. “They enjoy a dry climate that is hot, making the Hill the best place in the world to grow.”
Stemilt is currently harvesting Kyle’s Pick cherries, and retailers can load the program through early August. Kyle’s Pick is available in random-weight pouch bags as well as 1 lb and 2 lb clamshells, with every package stamped with the Kyle’s Pick emblem. Tips for merchandising at retail include promoting this program by using grower-centric cherry displays (featuring both Kyle and Tate Mathison) in heavy traffic areas and using easy-to-assemble pop-up displays in secondary locations to drive impulse sales.
Following Kyle’s Pick, Stemilt will transition into its high-elevation cherries, A Half Mile Closer to the Moon®, starting mid-August. Touting the longest cherry season in the business, Stemilt also is encouraging retailers to continue planning cherry promotions well into August to end the season strong.
“The Kyle’s Pick program is a great way to keep your sales elevated during the summer months,” says Tate. “And the Skeena variety is a great supporter of that.”
I’ll be honest, if Kyle Mathison tells me a cherry is a premium one, I will definitely take his word for it.
DELANO, CA - Can summer officially start without table grapes? In my opinion, California’s grape season sets off summer perfectly, with the promise of new varieties and dazzling retail displays that make hungry consumers say ‘Yes please’ to grape offerings.
I chatted with Jon Zaninovich, President, to learn a bit more about the company’s current grape varieties after its first day of harvest, as well as the social media campaigns that help support the program—and get people excited for the ultimate summer fruit.
The company’s most popular variety, Sweet Celebration, will be available in August, with Autumn King coming out in September and October. In addition to these varieties, Jasmine Vineyards is designing a display box for GrapesToGo™ (the new 125g single-size bag), which, Jon tells me, is sure to attract consumers’ eyes.
“Right now we're designing a display box for GrapesToGo (our new 125g single-size bag) as part of our 2018 product launch,” Jon tells me. “Since retailers have limited space for promotions, we work with the packaging and the boxes to grab attention in the produce aisle. In addition, these bags offer many merchandising opportunities beyond the produce department—in grab-and-go sections and prepared food aisles, for Back to School promotions, summer picnics, sweet treats for Halloween, and so on.”
In addition to this exciting news, the grape-growers also just celebrated the first day of harvest.
“It’s still early in the season for Jasmine, but our first variety—Flame seedless—is right on time, so harvest season has officially started,” Jon shares with me. “We’ve had a nice, cool, dormant season which usually bodes well for our crop.”
The team took to Instagram to share the good news, a tactic it’s been employing more and more.
“Our staff and crew have been getting really involved in telling Jasmine's story,” Jon says. “Fresh Alerts™ is our weekly email service that kicks off this week with the 2018 harvest. We post videos and snapshots of just-picked varieties—primarily on Instagram—throughout the season. It's as close to being in the field as you can get, without making the trip out here.”
If you want to stay in the know with what’s going on with California table grapes and Jasmine Vineyards, you can sign up here.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to hunt down some table grapes of my own.
CHICAGO AREA, IL - A new President has been named to Jewel-Osco after the recent passing of Doug Cygan on July 5th: Paul Gossett. He previously led Shaw’s and Star Market, which, likeJewel-Osco, is owned by Albertsons.
At Shaw's and Star, Gossett oversaw 153 stores throughout five states in the New England region. In his new role, Gossett will oversee 187 Jewel-Osco locations throughout the Chicago area.
With the transition comes more responsibilities and the pressure to fill Cygan’s role.
“It’s difficult. Those are big shoes to fill. I don’t look at myself as a replacement of Doug, but I hope to build on what he started,” Gossett told the Chicago Tribune.
On Wednesday, Gossett met with employees at Jewel-Osco stores for the first time.
“I just want to let them know that I’m here to serve them…Our real mission is we just want to run good grocery stores and take care of our employees,” Gossett said.
Jewel-Osco is in good hands, as Gossett recalled Cygan as a “friend and confidant” and someone that he could bounce ideas off of frequently. Cygan was named President just last year, with roots firmly planted in the chains after starting with Jewel-Osco at the age of 17. Gossett moved into his recent role for Shaw’s and Star in 2016.
Coming from stiff competition in the Boston area, Gossett is ready to approach the competitive market in Chicago, where he will face discount chains like Aldi, the news source conveys.
“The best part of this business is increasing sales,” Gossett said. “We’ll be looking to grow the business.”
The AndNowUKnow team will continue to keep you apprised of the latest influences, changes, and news in the industry.
SACRAMENTO, CA - The AndNowUKnow team and our fellow Sacramentans were treated to triple-digit temperatures this week, with the National Weather Service (NWS) issuing several Excessive Heat Warnings and advising that High to Very High Heat could result in significant risk throughout Northern California and the Western Sierra.
The Sacramento Bee reported that the NWS issued a warning on Monday of this week, effective through Wednesday, and noted temperatures in excess of 110 in communities throughout Northern California, including Chico and Redding.
The NWS warned that Northern Californians should limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, dress for the heat, and pay close attention to the elderly, to children, and to pets.
Meanwhile, in central California’s Mariposa County, AccuWeather reports, the Ferguson Fire—which has grown since July 13th to affect 17,319 acres near Yosemite National Park—continues to burn, affecting air quality throughout central and southern California. The fire is one of several fires that have flamed up throughout the month due to excessive heat and arid conditions.
Will California’s agriculture industry be affected by the excessive heat and dryness? AndNowUKnow will offer updates throughout the weeks ahead.
WATSONVILLE, CA - Tour de Fresh is almost upon us, and before looking forward to the 2018 event, the produce industry is looking back on all the successes they have achieved hand in hand in bringing more access to fresh fruits and vegetables to the next generation. Presented by The California Giant Foundation, this year’s Tour will commence with riders embarking on the four-day excursion to support Salad Bars to Schools in placing at least 50 salad bars in schools around the country.
One of those produce industry members reflecting on this journey is Cindy Jewell, United Fresh Chairwoman and Vice President of Marketing for California Giant Berry Farms. Jewell has been dedicated to helping kids get fresh food for the vast majority of her life, and from these roots, Tour de Fresh has reached its fifth year of providing a vehicle for bringing salad bars to schools.
“One of the reasons I am passionate about this cause is because of the kids in my life and how thankful I am for their good health every day. When my kids were little, I donated to charities that benefitted kids on their behalf all the time,” said Jewell. “Giving back should be personal, and working in the fresh produce industry, we have a unique opportunity to give back to a cause that we all care about dearly—and we each have kids in our lives that we would love to see impacted by this event. Whether it’s our own kids, relatives, or even kids in the neighborhood, if each of us made a donation on behalf of one or more kids we care about it would have a huge impact on this event and the cause.”
Salad bars are an effective school-based strategy to increase students’ fruit and vegetable consumption and empowers them to make a choice to try new things, the United Fresh Start program touts. It’s all about creating more access to fresh fruits and vegetables to schools through salad bars and setting the tone for a healthier future, according to a press release.
“We have absolutely loved being an official sponsor of Tour de Fresh for the past five years. This is an event where some of the top companies in the produce industry come together, in a beautiful part of our country, to ride for a cause that’s so near and dear to all of us,” explained Hilary Long, Marketing Director at Tsamma Juice. “The money raised from each rider provides a salad bar to a school who’s been on a waiting list and will be so grateful. If you stop to think about the long term impact of Tour de Fresh, we’re providing fresh fruits and vegetables to thousands of students for years to come. That is something for us to all be very proud of...and we have a lot of fun doing it!”
Since 2014, Tour de Fresh has collectively raised more than $600,000 to provide 184 salad bars to schools across the U.S. To date, the 2018 Tour de Fresh has raised $93,836 and looks to raise another $82,000 to place nearly 50 salad bars to schools.
In addition to AndNowUKnow, Tour de Fresh works with the following sponsors: Americold, Atlas Produce, California Giant Berry Farms, CHEP, Church Brothers Farms, Coosemans Worldwide, Crunch Pak, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Del Monte, DMA Solutions, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, EBX Logistics, Emerson, Fight Like a Girl Foundation, Fruit Growers Supply, Good Foods, iTrade Network, JAZZ Apple, Lipman Produce, Mann Packing, Markon, Mission Produce, Ocean Mist Farms, Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Oppenheimer, Pajaro Valley, PRO*ACT, Produce Marketing Association, Renaissance Food Group, Robinson Fresh, Sakata Seed, Sunkist, Tanimura & Antle, Taylor Farms, Tsamma, TQL, United Fresh, Valley Produce, and Western Precooling.
NEWARK, DE - The Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Fresh Summit Convention & Expo has announced that participants at this year’s event will enjoy big timers at four Forums of the Future sessions, where attendees will enjoy inspiring and collective experiences.
The Orlando, Florida-based summit, which takes place October 18-20, will feature voices from inside and outside the produce industry, while keeping the topics close to home and focused on relatable issues for attendees. Bringing fresh produce and floral professionals from all corners of the industry together, the summit’s sessions aim to inspire attendees to approach business in a newly motivated light.
The first of the Forums for the Future speakers to be revealed is Peyton Manning. The two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and five-time Most Valuable Player of the National Football League will talk leadership and adversity, with a moderator to bridge his responses with challenges facing the produce and floral industry.
“From the moment you walk in, Fresh Summit will feel different, from the convention format to the expo show floor,” Charles Olins, Concord Food’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Co-Chair of PMA’s Fresh Summit Committee, shared in a press release. “Our committee knows that Fresh Summit can’t rest on its laurels. So much in our business and the cultural marketplace in which we operate is changing, we want to ensure that Fresh Summit is in the best position to help our industry to be ready for those changes.”
The Forums for the Future will occur throughout the day on Thursday, October 18th, and will be end-capped by one final session on Friday morning, October 19th.
Much of PMA’s community-focused networking and excitement will gather in the Welcome Reception on Thursday, October 18th, while the Floral Networking Reception will be on Friday, October 19th.
“We know you come to Fresh Summit for the business connections, and these changes will help you do more of just that,” Leah Halverson, Black Gold Farms Director of Business Development and Co-Chair with Olins of the Fresh Summit Committee, said. “This year, it will be easier for the people you want to see to reach you, and for you to reach the people you want to see.”
This year’s attendance is set to break records, coming in with over 1,200 exhibitors and over 330,000 net square feet, but Fresh Summit’s well-loved Friday and Saturday expo will stay the same and will run October 19-20 this year.
“Fresh Summit has always been and now will continue to be the epitome of where you come to get the best ideas, the most innovative products and the widest selection of products available,” Debora Coleman, Vice President of Floral for Albertsons Companies and Chair of PMA’s Floral Council.
Those looking to attend can save if they register by September 14th. There is also on-site registration available in Orlando.
For more information and to register, visit www.FreshSummit.com.
For more information as the event’s details unfold, check back with us at AndNowUKnow.
SEATTLE, WA - Amazon has announced the results of its Prime Day sale—the first since completing the acquisition of Whole Foods last year. The day-and-a-half long online sale (accompanied by a week of deals at Whole Foods) boasted sales that reportedly surpassed Cyber Monday, Black Friday, and the previous Prime Day. And among the top selling Prime Day deals were organic strawberries at Whole Foods.
"Prime Day offers us a unique opportunity to thank Prime members with our best deals," said Jeff Wilke, Amazon’s CEO Worldwide Consumer, in a press release. "Extending Prime Day to a day and a half this year allowed us to further reward members with unbeatable deals, access to exclusive new products and unforgettable experiences that highlight the many benefits of a Prime membership. All of this was made possible because of our many valued associates—the global team that continues to make Prime Day bigger and better."
Amazon reported a record number of Prime members shopped, across 17 countries, and the company added more new Prime members on July 16 than any previous day in Amazon’s history. Members reported saved millions of dollars throughout the week at Whole Foods locations—with organic strawberries showing no signs of slowing and topping the list of best-selling deals.
The company also noted the success of small and medium-sized businesses selling through Amazon’s platforms—with third-party vendors netting well over $1 billion in sales.
To read more about the retailer’s Prime Day successes, including lists of top-selling items, click here.
For more fresh produce news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.