YAKIMA, WA - Domex Superfresh Growers® cherry season has started, and harvesting in early districts in Central Washington will begin this week.
Spring has been kind to the Superfresh orchards and fruit quality is good. According to a press release, warmer spring temperatures prevented frost, which created good quality, size, and shape for the Northwest cherry crop. Two-Bite Cherries™ are returning this season, showcasing the largest and juiciest cherries on the tree.
“The air is fresh, clean, and clear," commented Dave Gleason, Chief Horticulturist. "This is my favorite time to be out around the trees; it feels good. It’s a quiet time, and you can almost hear the fruit on the trees growing."
See for yourself in the video below.
As Superfresh Growers looks ahead to the fall harvest, it noted that an excellent looking crop is underway. Due to pruning and good orchard practices, along with the warmer spring, Superfresh Growers expects larger sized apples than last year. It will be a great crop for bulk promotions. The earlier apple and pear varieties will begin harvest in August.
In addition to apples, apricots are not far off from harvest, with expectations to start harvesting in mid-June.
For the latest on orchard updates, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
MONTEREY, CA - Steinbeck's works explored the region and depicted its beautiful scenery with vivid imagery, but Monterey, California, is more than the literary icon's muse seen in his treasure trove of words. Held in Monterey, Organic Grower Summit is set for December 12 to 13 and will offer an ocean of knowledge at the educational sessions and a series of broader, grower-related discussions.
Covering a wide array of topics—including information that will engage organic growers, farmers, producers, and their service and supply chain partners—the summit is hosted by Organic Produce Network (OPN) and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). Attendees will learn about farm soil management, advances in agricultural technology, healthy soil practices, investing in organic farming future, and organic cannabis. As the planning process makes headway, organizers are huddling up to build off last year’s event’s booming success to plant this year’s event—all with the goal of bringing organic fresh food producers and their service and supply chain partner together for educational and networking opportunities.
“Following the overwhelming success of last year’s OGS, we are thrilled to again work with OPN in providing the organic growing community with up-to-date resources, education, and information to support the continued success of organic producers in California and across the globe,” Cathy Calfo, CCOF Executive Director and CEO, said in a press release. “From seed to soil to harvest, our goal is to present the most relevant information on the most important subjects and issues facing organic production.”
Participants in the event will gain insight into healthy organic soil practices and investing opportunities in organic farming’s future. Technology, plant health, organic beverages, and safeguarding the organic brand will also be explored at the event.
Among 50+ companies that have already signed up to exhibit at this coming event, soil amendment, bio-pesticide, seed, packaging, food safety, ag technology, and equipment manufacturers will be exhibiting to connect with organic field production staff, supply chain manager's pest management advisors, and food safety experts. 
“The organic community truly sees the benefit of an event connecting organic growers and farmers with those in the supply and service chain. As organic continues to grow, the need for expanded education and information is paramount to its continued success,” Tonya Antle, Co-Founder of the Organic Produce Network said. “Working together with CCOF, OGS is designed to bring all components of the trade together under one roof to exchange ideas and information as it relates to organic production.”
Those wanting to exhibit can sign up now. General registration is open in July. Keep your eyes peeled as more information on educational opportunities and speakers is released in the coming weeks. You can also check out www.organicgrowersummit.com.
For more fresh produce news, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
Organic Grower Summit Organic Produce Network California Certified Organic Farmers
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - I like to eat eat eat broccoli and coffee, and now we all can drink drink drink broccoli in our coffee. Wait, what?
Well, Australian coffee shop goers can drink broccoli coffee; for now, Americans are safe from seeing the Breve Broccoli Frappuccino on Starbucks menus and beyond.
According to The Guardian, the Australian government science agency CSIRO, in partnership with agriculture group Hort Innovation, is taking imperfect broccoli bunches, grinding them up, and turning them into a powder that one Melbourne café has started stirring into its coffee drinks.
CSIRO first revealed what it dubbed the Broccolatte in a tweet, touting an easy way to squeeze healthy eating into consumers’ busy days as two tablespoons of powder is equivalent to one serving of veggies. In fact, CSIRO initially designed the powder to get those who run the opposite direction screaming at the sight of green veg to get all the necessary nutrients easily and on-the-go.
“Research shows the average Australian is still not eating the recommended daily intake of vegetables a day, and options such as broccoli powder will help address this,” said John Lloyd, Chief Executive of Hort Innovation, according to The Guardian.
And our morning cup of joe isn’t the only, or even best, culinary choice CSIRO was hoping consumers could toss broccoli powder into, listing smoothies, soups, and baked goods as potential options as well. Along with powder, CSIRO is in the process of developing a range of snacks with the goal of reducing vegetable waste and the loss of “ugly” produce.
While the Internet is insisting broccoli stay a source of inspiration for latte art, will vegetable powder appear on more coffee shop menus around the world? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the versatility of fresh fruit and vegetables.
REEDLEY, CA - Family Tree Farms has hired Kiah Ruvalcaba as their new Marketing Manager. With 10 years of experience in marketing, communication, and sales—and a specialty in agricultural marketing—Ruvalcaba is the first hire in a strategic expansion of the company’s marketing department. As its international footprint continues to grow, Family Tree Farms is making this move to fit the needs of growers and consumers.
"I am thrilled to join the Family Tree Farms family," Ruvalcaba said in a recent press release. "I look forward to sharing our story with consumers around the world."
Ruvalcaba most recently worked as an account manager at JP Marketing, a Fresno-based advertising agency where she led the agriculture initiative, Farm to Shelf. She recently graduated from Leadership Fresno, a professional leadership program of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce. She has also been a member of the California Women for Agriculture and served as the Central Valley Chapter's Vice President in 2016. Ruvalcaba earned her degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fresno.
"Great people, in the field, packinghouse and office are vital to delivering high-quality and great-tasting fruit,” Don Goforth, Director of Marketing, added. “As Family Tree Farms continues to grow its blueberry production and diversify its tree fruit varieties, the individuals who are part of our team will be critical to realizing new milestones as a company. Kiah brings to the company new abilities to connect the consumer to our companies uniquely wonderful products through our retail partners."
Family Tree Farms has spent the last decade developing the most flavorful varieties of stone fruit and blueberries. As new varieties are integrated into the company's line-up, there is a growing need to tell the story about the unique characteristics of each variety, as well as the people involved in bringing the fruit to market.
For the latest in fresh produce news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
BOISE, ID - Nearly five months later and the Albertsons-Rite Aid merger has yet to be finalized, which, according to Forbes, has allowed dissension amongst shareholders to continue to fester and some to rally support for a better deal. Specifically, Chris Komatinsky, an individual shareholder from Los Angeles who claims to own about 1.5 million Rite Aid shares, released a press release this week calling for the merger to halt and an independent investigation of issues like senior executives’ retention bonuses, the value of the company, and Albertsons’ debt to be completed in the meantime.
“Personally, I would like to see an independent investigation of CEO and BOD actions from just before the termination of the WBA merger agreement to present to make sure prior actions weren’t contrary to the benefit of stockholders but that can be discussed/decided as a larger stockholder group,” Komatinsky wrote in his press release. “Small shareholders own a large percentage of Rite Aid shares but often have a difficult time getting organized to have a large enough total of shares owned to have a voice.”
Komatinsky is not the first shareholder to protest the merger; major Rite Aid shareholders revealed plans to oppose the merger in April because they believed Rite Aid would be better off overhauling its pharmacies on its own.
This week, Rite Aid released a statement asserting its merger with Albertsons will “deliver compelling long-term value for Rite Aid shareholders and its customers,” according to Forbes, as well as create a differentiated brand in the U.S. retail market that bolsters food, health, and wellness.
“In the face of a consolidating and evolving marketplace, Rite Aid’s board and management team evaluated a range of strategic options with the assistance of outside advisors,” Rite Aid said in its statement. “After conducting rigorous due diligence and engaging in extensive negotiations with Albertsons, Rite Aid, with the unanimous approval of its board, agreed to terms for the merger that it believes will provide significant value for its shareholders.”
In its latest filing last week with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Rite Aid said the merger “is expected to close in the early part of the second half of calendar 2018.”
AndNowUKnow will continue to report as details of the Albertsons-Rite Aid merger continue to arise.
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on three produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
According to a press release, the following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- Abdullah Morceli, doing business as Morceli Produce, operating out of La Verne, California, for failing to pay an $11,292 award in favor of an Arizona seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Abdullah Morceli was listed as the sole proprietor of the business.
- Teofilo Gaspar, doing business as Gaspar Produce, operating out of McAllen, Texas, for failing to pay a $68,765 award in favor of a Massachusetts seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Teofilo Gaspar was listed as the sole proprietor of the business.
- Heart of Texas Produce Inc., operating out of Waco, Texas, for failing to pay an $18,735 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Harold R. Knight was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in a reparation order being issued that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACAlicensee without USDA approval.
The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, 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.
WATSONVILLE, CA - With a focus on an appealing aesthetic that makes shopping easier than ever, Monterey Mushrooms® is launching a refreshed look for its labels. The new labels are making their way into stores soon, and to help the company’s goods stand out on the shelf, it has opted for a look that highlights important features with vibrant hues to draw consumers in and promote seasonal dishes.
“We’re excited to launch a complete redesign on our package labels for all fresh mushroom SKUs. The process provided an opportunity to bring a consistent look and feel to our entire fresh mushroom line,” Marketing Manager Lindsey Roberts shares with me. “The new labels feature fresh, bright colors, a vitamin D icon, and a pre-washed icon where appropriate. For the vitamin D products, there is an easy-to-read nutrition label, too.”
The company carefully considered what consumers want to know most—exactly what is in the product they are taking home with them. To clarify what is offered, while also making the company’s mushrooms stand out on the shelf, Monterey Mushrooms used strategy for its packaging refresh.
“We undertook this process because shoppers want to see fresh produce clearly and understand what is inside the package,” Lindsey expands on the purpose behind this label refresh. “We know mushroom products can be hard to distinguish from each other at a few feet away, so we wanted to make it easier for shoppers to distinguish sliced from whole mushrooms, and brown from white.”
The new labels will begin shipping mid-June. To create excitement around the brand's offerings during the labels' launch into stores, the company will provide recipes featuring its mushrooms, which will be highlighted on all of its social media channels and its website.
Keep your eyes peeled for the new label in stores to see how retailers are capitalizing on Monterey Mushrooms’ strategized efforts.
STELLARTON, NOVA SCOTIA - As Empire Company Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sobeys Inc., move forward with the next phases of a three-year transformation plan, key leadership appointments have been in the works. Some candidates have moved up the ranks, while others are bringing outside perspective as they join the team.
“It has been a year of solid progress in rewiring the fundamentals of our business—stabilizing margins, creating a lower-cost national structure, and setting clear strategies in areas such as e-commerce and discount,” Michael Medline, Empire President & CEO, said in a recent press release. “We are now sharpening our leadership focus as we rally the team for stronger growth.”
The leadership changes reflect Empire’s efforts to create a national merchandising team, cultivate strong operations and merchandising roles, and build e-commerce and discount leadership for the long haul.
The following will assume new roles, effective immediately:
Lyne Castonguay, Executive Vice President of Store Experience
Castonguay will be responsible for store operations, distribution centers, and building excitement around Empire’s non-Quebec grocery banners nationally. She has shown a unique passion for retail experience, as can be seen in her time spent as Executive Vice President of Merchandising at Empire. There, she helped to create the company’s national merchandising structure, strategized Sobeys stabilized margins and sales over the past year, and assisted the designing of Ocado’s e-commerce partnership. She has done well in both the Candian and international markets in operations and merchandising roles.
Pierre St-Laurent, Executive Vice President of Merchandising and Quebec
St-Laurent has been a results-oriented leader dedicated to Empire’s Quebec business. In his new role, he will nurture innovation and partnerships. With St-Laurent’s new role, Luc L’Archeveque will step into the General Manager of Quebec position, and he retains his accountability as Vice President of Grocery for the Quebec business.
Mike Venton, General Manager of Discount
One of the most experienced discount leaders in Canada, Venton brings a thorough understanding of business to the table. As part of a succession plan, Venton was hired by Rob Adams earlier this year, and they will be working together throughout the transition to focus on expansion efforts for the company’s discount business, which includes the conversion of up to 25 percent of Sobeys and Safeway locations in Western Canada. In Adams's new role, he will leverage his lengthy and impressive experience and leadership experience in his new role.
Sarah Joyce, Senior Vice President of Ecommerce, effective June 25
Joyce will be responsible for end-to-end accountability for Sobeys e-commerce strategy, as well as the company’s offers with its Ocado partnership. She will work alongside merchandising efforts to build business with supplier partners in major growth areas. Joyce is joining Sobeys from HBC, where she served as General Manager for Saksoff5th.com and Gilt.com and was responsible for strategy and all day-to-day operations.
While these executives join the team, Jason Potter is bidding Sobeys adieu after working with the company for the past 26 years. He is leaving his role as Executive Vice President of Operations. Deirdre Horgan, Senior Vice President of Marketing, will also be leaving the company.
We wish Dierdre and Jason the best on this next chapter, and we look forward to reporting on what the promotions and new hires mean for Sobeys' success moving forward. Congratulations to Lyne, Pierre, Mike, and Sarah!
PLANT CITY, FL - Wish Farms welcomed the start of domestic blueberry season with a berry special treat for influencers and bloggers interested in sneaking a peek at what Wish Farms does best. This event, which included a tour of its packing operations and newest organic blueberry farm, Misty Organics, was a part of Wish Farms ongoing efforts to ramp up consumer excitement for Southeast blueberries by collaborating with social media influencers.
“Whether it’s the world of fashion, family, fitness, or food, influencers are trending across the board. Consumers listen to influencers because they are tapped into the trends,” said Wish Farms’ Director of Marketing Amber Maloney. “From a marketing perspective, we like to collaborate with these bloggers and Instagrammers because they convey our brand message in a subtle, organic way.”
According to a press release, the event kicked off at a local restaurant where the group dined on customized dishes and cocktails that featured Wish Farms’ blueberries in creative ways. Not only did the group get to taste the menu, they were also able to learn new ways to incorporate blueberries into their own recipes, network, and learn the history of Wish Farms’ farming operations. The following day, Wish Farms’ Director of Blueberry Operations and part-Owner of Misty Organics Teddy Koukoulis walked the group through the company’s innovative farming practices, led an informative Q&A session, and offered a taste test of seven blueberry varieties. The tasting also featured a yogurt parfait station to complement the berry varietals with organic granola, cinnamon, and local honey. The event concluded with a tour of Wish Farms’ blueberry packing operation.
“It was an honor to visit and learn how blueberry farming is changing the needs and palates of today's consumers,” said Isabel Reis Lessig, Founder of the Sunday Supper Movement and part of the visiting group. “We all loved spending the day in the field and processing plant learning about the different varieties of blueberries and how they go from the farm to their family tables.”
Lessig was a part of Wish Farms efforts to coordinate with the blogger community. She also helped the berry company reach a larger audience through social media for the #BerryFunny Contest, which included a new joke each week for consumers to enjoy and tag their friends in to win a grand prize.
“The partnership was a resounding success. Along with the boost from the contest, influencers flooded social media with stories, posts, and live videos. Our Facebook page achieved the milestone of over 200,000 page likes, and we increased Instagram followers by over 20 percent,” Maloney continued. “We are pleased that we are reaching our goal to engage with a large national audience of berry lovers.”
For more of the berry best produce news, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
WENATCHEE, WA - After five years in leadership at CMI Orchards, Steve Lutz is leaving the company, taking his breadth of industry knowledge to a new venture with the Produce Marketing Association (PMA).
“It’s been my personal and professional pleasure to have the opportunity to work at CMI with some of the very best growers, warehouses, and sales and marketing professionals in the industry,” said Lutz, in a CMI press release. “I’m extremely proud of the accomplishments of our CMI team including building the #1 selling apple brand in the US, the #1 selling organic apple brand in US, the #1 selling branded apple in America, and the best-selling apple and pear pouch bag lineup.”
Prior to joining CMI Orchards, Lutz served as President of the Washington Apple Commission, and in 2000, he became a founding Partner and Executive Vice President of the Perishables Group, a Chicago-based research firm. Lutz and his partners would eventually sell the Perishables Group to Nielsen in 2012, and at the completion of the sale, Lutz left Nielsen Perishables Group to join CMI Orchards.
Lutz joined CMI in 2013 as Vice President of Marketing, eventually transitioning to Senior Strategist in 2017 and focusing on strategy development, category management, and data analysis.
In his new role with PMA, as we previously reported, Lutz will serve as Regional Vice President – U.S. and Canada West.
“It has been a true pleasure working with Steve,” said George Harter, Vice President of Marketing. “With the growing volume of successful branded and organic varieties at CMI, Steve helped develop impactful selling solutions and drive category growth for many of our customers. While we still have an exceptionally strong team at CMI, Steve will be greatly missed, and we wish him only the best at PMA.”
Lutz also reflected on his time at CMI, in the company’s press release, and expressed how grateful he was for the opportunity to be part of a successful vertically integrated operation, working with outstanding retail customers.
“While I’m very excited about this next chapter in my career with the Produce Marketing Association, I will definitely miss working alongside my many friends at CMI,” Lutz added. “I would like to express my thanks and appreciation for a wonderful five years to Bob Mast, Steve Castleman, George Harter, the talented and dedicated marketing team, and the entire CMI family.”
From all of us at AndNowUKnow, congratulations on your new position, Steve, and we wish you the best going forward.