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WENATCHEE, WA - After increasing its share of Artisan Organics™ cherries in June, Wenatchee, Washington-based Stemilt Growers is pulling out all the stops to make a continuous supply of organic dark-sweet cherries a hit for a pre-July 4th organic promotion.
Beginning in July, Stemilt’s organic cherry harvest will kick off on the Stemilt Hill locale above Wenatchee, with growers like Kyle Mathison, fourth generation cherry grower and past Organic Trade Association Organic Grower of the Year, gearing up to grow large, firm, and dessert-flavored Artisan Organics™ cherries like the Skeena, a dark-sweet cherry variety.
“Our organic dark-sweet cherry crop is up 25 percent year-over-year. This intentional increase will help retailers carry Artisan Organics dark-sweet cherries continuously for two months this summer to help grow their organic category,” said Communications Manager Brianna Shales. “Harvest is happening daily now in Washington State, and the quality of this year’s Artisan Organics cherries is impressive. We’re seeing high colors on both organic dark-sweets and organic Rainiers, with good sizing and excellent flavors. Retailers will be able to impress shoppers with quality and flavor in this first promotion to drive repeat purchases as the season progresses.”
Stemilt recommends four promotion weeks with back-to-back ads for Artisan Organics dark-sweet cherries this season, including the first two weeks available for loading now for the weeks of June 18th and June 25th, and then plan to load again the weeks of July 9th and 16th. Stemilt offers organic Chelan and Bing varieties in June as well.
“The second promotional push for organic, dark-sweet cherries, follows the big July 4th ad run and will allow retailers to meet their organic shoppers’ demands for high-quality organic summer fruits, and also drive impulse sales with the occasional organic shopper,” said Shales. “Skeena is known for its large size, beautiful dark coloring, and incredible high sugar and acid levels.”
According to a press release, a Stemilt Fruit Tracker™ analysis of Nielsen scan data of the entire cherry season from 2015-2017 shows that organic cherries make up a small but growing percentage of cherry volume sold in the U.S.
“The organic category is growing, and organic cherry availability is growing right with it,” Shales shared. “Taking advantage of extra promotion opportunities on Artisan Organics cherries with competitive ads is in line with many retail plans this summer. It’s a great year to go bigger on promotions to grow your cherry and organic categories.”
While Stemilt is pushing Artisan Organics dark-sweet cherries this season, Stemilt also suggests retailers feature organic Rainier cherries in July ads, as National Rainier Cherry Day is July 11th.
Specifically, Stemilt packs organic Rainier cherries on an electronic line engineered to handle the yellow-hued fruit, while organic dark sweet cherries are packed on an optical line, and offered in pouch bags, clamshells, and more.
“Organic shoppers are paying a premium for products, and have come to expect a great eating experience,” concluded Shales. “Flavor and quality is exactly what they will find in this year’s Artisan Organics™ cherry crop, so retailers should promote with confidence."
After converting its first orchards to organic back in 1989, Stemilt continues to expand its organic roots by focusing on growing different organic fruits.
For more ways to seize perfect promotional opportunities, stick with us at AndNowUKnow for the latest produce happenings.
VADO, NM - Onions tumbling across the road might not be something commuters expect on their way home, but that’s exactly what New Mexican residents encountered this last Monday.
According to Las Cruces Sun News, a semi-truck carrying onions flipped on Las Alturas Drive near Vado, New Mexico. New Mexico’s Department of Transportation and State Police worked alongside a towing crew to clean up the scene of the rollover. The crash occurred shortly before 3 PM, and the road was blocked for hours afterward.
I can’t help but imagine a Shrek-like monologue lamenting the layers of onions strewn across the road.
For more on upturned vegetables, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
WENATCHEE, WA - The summer season of nature’s candy, a.k.a. cherries, isn’t slowing anytime soon, and CMI Orchards revealed that Rainier cherries from the Pacific Northwest are a true crowd-pleaser this season thanks to chart-topping sugar levels and full-flavored experiences.
“This year seems to be better than anyone can remember,” said Vice President of Marketing George Harter. “We’ve had reports from the field and packing facilities that our cherries are the best they’ve seen in years. It is so important to promote Red, Rainier, and organic cherries to maximize category results and customer satisfaction. CMI Orchards is well-equipped to supply our customers with the variety needed to maximize their results. The outstanding eating quality this year will generate those much sought after repeat sales. We are looking for this to be an amazing year for retailers and consumers.”
Harter also reported that rave reviews are rolling in from retail customers who are pleased with the quality, sweetness, and texture, according to a press release. Specifically, the warm days and cool nights—optimal weather conditions—have helped this season’s cherries develop the high sugar, great flavor, and vibrant colors that are pleasing CMI’s customers.
And, for retailers looking to take advantage of National Rainier Cherry Day on July 11th will be happy to know that Harter expects ample supplies to continue.
“Any retailer looking to get a jump on sales to kick off the summer months should talk to us about running promotions,” Harter said, noting that harvest timing aligns perfectly with retailers’ drives in summer sales. “There will be ample opportunity for promotions including the July 4th holiday and through the month of July. We have great tools such as 2-box shipper displays and point-of-sale materials that can help drive interest and capture those impulse purchases that cherries bring to category sales.”
With packages to match any and all retailer needs, including 6 oz snack-sized cherry pouch bags for snack displays, convenience store formats, and grab-and-go snack sections, retailers won’t want to skip out on having this season’s CMI Orchards’ Rainier cherries in stores this summer.
PARIS, FRANCE - Another tech player has entered into the metaphorical grocery arena. Google today announced a joint venture with French retail chain Carrefour, in a move to sell groceries online to French shoppers. By early 2019, these shoppers will be able to buy Carrefour’s products through Google platforms such as Google Home, or via the Google Assistant on their mobile phone, or on the Web through the new Google shopping destination in France. Items will then be delivered to their homes or available for pick up in-store.
"I would like to thank the Google teams, both in France and the United States for this strategic partnership for our two groups,” said Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard in a recent press release. “This alliance makes Carrefour the first partner of Google on grocery e-commerce in Europe, creating a strong bond between the two companies. It also marks an important step in the new story written by Carrefour since the announcement of the Carrefour 2022 plan. It allows us to accelerate our digital evolution and get a head start in deploying the omni-channel approach we want to offer our customers.”
In addition to offering shoppers online grocery services, Google and Carrefour will be opening an innovation lab in Paris this summer, where Carrefour engineers will work side-by-side with Google Cloud AI experts to learn about creating new consumer experiences.
"Shoppers today are saddled with disconnected experiences through the shopping journey, which often lead to abandoned shopping carts and low customer satisfaction and loyalty," said Sébastien Missoffe, VP and Managing Director of Google France. "Customers want assistive, simple, and personalized experiences that help them make decisions on what to buy, assist with easily building baskets across surfaces, and provide a seamless checkout. With Alexandre Bompard and his team, we wanted to explore new distribution models and e-commerce technologies to deliver simple, frictionless and deeply relevant experiences for shoppers in France. I’m happy we’re contributing to Carrefour’s digital transformation through the deployment Google Cloud Platform and G Suite's collaboration tools."
As Fortune reported, when Alexandre Bompard came on board, he vowed to improve the company’s e-commerce investments while pledging to reduce France’s dependence on suburban big box retailers. In a telephone interview with Bloomberg, Marie Cheval, Carrefour’s Head of Digital Transformation, said that this deal was a “transformative measure” in the company’s step to becoming an e-commerce leader in France.
Carrefour will also adopt Google tools such as Gmail for more than 160,000 of its staff, the retailer said in its press release. The tech company will provide digital training for more than 1,000 employees over the next six months to help prepare for the switch.
Will this venture into the online grocery market pay off for Google? AndNowUKnow will keep you updated with the latest.
DELANO, CA - California table grapes are a fruit staple. Whether they’re wrapped in a child’s lunchbox, or taken to work as an afternoon snack, table grapes remain in consumers’ hearts and minds through summer and fall. For third-generation grape growers, Jasmine Vineyards, providing fresh grapes and exciting consumers with updated varieties, has been at the forefront of the company’s business model since its inception in 1947. The Delano-based company continues to expand its program and packaging line, looking to connect with both trade and consumer audiences.
Jasmine Vineyards is kicking off the 2018 California table grape season with new varieties Alison, Sweet Globe, and Summer Crunch. In addition, the company is debuting its GrapesToGo™, a single-serve, resealable bag, along with They’re Not Just Cute campaign—calling attention to increased demand for fresh fruit snacks in the convenience store and retail market space, a trend that President Jon Zaninovich anticipated early.
“The U.K. convenience stores were carrying these little bags and they were flying off the shelves,” Jon shared. “With millennials driving demand for quality whole fruit snacks in the U.S. and abroad, the trend isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. It’s an exciting and promising addition to our line of bags, punnets, and clamshells.”
The 125-gram GrapesToGo™ bag features grapes on-the-vine for a longer shelf life, and are available in red, black, or green.
“Our goal is to strike a balance between consumer preference for big, crunchy seedless grapes with brilliant, shatter-resistant varieties,” said Jon.
Retailers looking to be kept abreast of news in packaging and new varieties can follow updates from Jasmine Vineyards through its Fresh Alerts™ email service. In its second year, Fresh Alerts™ delivered a new video every week to produce buyers. Videos showcased the company’s latest crop, with commentary and measuring of grape size, sugar brix content, and more.
“Our trade customers can then order from their device of choice, making the buying process that much easier,” Jon continued.
Along with this email service program, social media is another tool the company has been using with success in recent years, particularly Instagram.
“We’re proud to show the world where Jasmine Vineyards grapes come from,” Jon said. “We have an incredibly hard-working crew, and social media has allowed us to publicly recognize our employees for their skill and dedication.”
At the end of the day, Jasmine Vineyards is about quality. “Our job extends way beyond the field, but nothing deters us from quality,” Jon concluded. “Every season we are striving to deliver on our promise of quality grapes with personalized service. That’s why people write to us—not just because of the pretty packaging.”
I don’t know about you, but I want my hands on some of those California grapes!
SANTA PAULA, CA - Limoneira has finished off its second quarter for fiscal year 2018 with a bang, boasting record lemon sales, a 50 percent increase in operating income, and promises to keep on expanding its fresh citrus programs. Harold Edwards, the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, was happy to chime in about Limoneira’s progress over Q2.
"Record lemon sales combined with strong orange sales and leverage from our packing house drove a 50 percent increase in operating income,” he shared in a news release. “We have built a tremendous platform at Limoneira and are very well positioned to dramatically expand our fresh citrus offering nationally and globally for many years to come.”
Digging deeper into what helped push Limoneira’s results upward, the company reported:
- Agribusiness revenue for the quarter was $41.9 million, compared to $35.4 million in the second quarter last year, which, as Edwards mentioned, is primarily due to stronger lemon sales.
- $33.6 million of that revenue was in lemon sales, up from $26.2 million of lemon sales during the same period of fiscal year 2017.
- The company credits revenue increase primarily to higher volume of fresh lemons and higher prices compared to the same period in fiscal year 2017.
- In total, approximately 1,157,000 cartons of fresh lemons were sold during the second quarter of fiscal year 2018 at a $23.42 average price per carton, compared to approximately 958,000 cartons sold at a $21.50 average price per carton during the second quarter of fiscal year 2017.
"As we enter the third quarter of fiscal 2018, we remain confident the key drivers of our agribusiness that drove our record first half performance will remain in place in the second half,” Edwards continued. “Even with lower avocado pricing compared to last year, we are confident we will achieve our full year fiscal 2018 guidance targets.”
As for Limoneira’s continued goals in the near-term and long-term, the company shared it expects to sell between 3.1 million and 3.3 million cartons of fresh lemons at an average price of approximately $24.50 per carton, and expects to sell approximately 6.0 to 6.5 million pounds of avocados at approximately $1.30 per pound.
Keep an eye out for 1,600 acres that are currently non-bearing lemons and become full-bearing over the next four years, the company added. Beyond these 1,600 acres, Limoneira also intends to plant an additional 500 acres of lemons in the next two years that will further build its long-term pipeline of productive acreage. The company anticipates this additional acreage will increase annual lemon supply from its current level by approximately 30 percent.
The horizon is looking bright for this citrus and avocado provider, so stay tuned for continued updates.
MEXICO - While just last week, Hurricane Aletta kicked off the hurricane season, Hurricane Bud is already strengthening and brewing off the coast of western Mexico, according to an AccuWeather report.
“Bud is moving within an environment of low wind shear, moist air, and warm ocean water,” said AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski. “[Its current] track will take Bud over cooler waters, causing it to begin weakening on Tuesday.”
AccuWeather experts expect Bud, the second major hurricane of the season, to continue towards the northwest over the next couple of days, which will keep the tropical system off the coast of Mexico, but bring heavy rainfall—anywhere from 4 to 12 inches—thunderstorms, winds, and possible mudslides and flooding across southern Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco through midweek.
Instead of curving westward like Aletta, AccuWeather predicts Bud will head towards Baja California, passing over cooler waters and weakening into a tropical storm that will hit the region with showers and thunderstorms beginning Thursday and carrying on into the weekend. Despite weakening, Bud still could make landfall later this week as well as bring some locally damaging winds.
While the drought-stricken areas in the southwestern United States could benefit from the moisture of this storm, the region could also experience flash flooding if rain develops too quickly.
And Bud will probably not be the last hurricane of the season, with AccuWeather meteorologists anticipating the East Pacific basin remaining active as an above-normal number of tropical cyclones remain in the forecast.
During this time of the year, asparagus, avocados, blueberries, garlic, and mangos are grown in Mexico, but no reports have surfaced regarding the hurricane season's effect on these crops.
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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX - The boots on the ground and the partners we work with are the lifeblood of our industry. Lone Star Citrus Growers acknowledges this in spades with an annual company dinner, treating associates to fishing and golf tournaments at South Padre Island.
“This is such a fun week because it allows us to unwind and celebrate a successful season with our employees, vendors and customers, all who contribute to our success as a company,” April Flowers, Marketing Director, tells me. “We have around eight sponsors and over 60 employees, vendors, customers, and other business associates that join us for the event.”
The festivities kicked off early Thursday, May 31, with 24 golfers playing in a four-man scramble at South Padre Island Golf Club. Lone Star then had an award ceremony that included four individual prizes awarded for longest drive and closest to the pin, as well as team prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
On Thursday evening, the company hosted a dinner for about 60 people, complete with plenty of door prizes and fun, at Louie's Backyard, overlooking the Laguna Madre Bay.
“For several years now, we've had a large group migrate to a local karaoke bar after the dinner, so the fun always continues late into the night!” T.J. Flowers, VP of Operations, regales. “As for the fishing tournament, we had 33 anglers divided among 11 guided fishing boats that left at sunrise and returned at noon. We wrapped up everything with a cook-your-catch lunch back at Louie's Backyard on Friday afternoon.”
Prizes were awarded for Longest Trout, Longest Red Fish, Longest Flounder, and Heaviest Stringer.
Jealous yet? So was I. When I ask how such an event began, April shares that it is practically as old as the company itself.
“It actually has its roots in our first season when our three partners took a celebratory fishing trip following the season wrap-up. From there it grew to include employees, customers, and vendors, becoming a fishing tournament and dinner. Then, eventually, we added on golf and Friday's lunch,” she explains.
Sponsors for the event included Fox Packaging, Volm Companies, International Paper, Pratt Industries, Shippers Supply and JR Supply, Pace, TIPA, IFCO, Palogix, and Griffith Truck Brokerage.
What a way to kick off summer and herald another season!