SALINAS, CA - D’Arrigo California has taken another step in its commitment to sustainability, reaching the third phase of its solar power project designed by Calcom Solar. With this third of four total steps, the company has installed an additional 1.1 MW of solar power, bringing its current total solar capacity to 3.3 MW.
"CalCom Solar has been an excellent partner in advancing our sustainability strategies to include increasing amounts of renewable energy,” explained John D’Arrigo, President/CEO, as well as Chairman of the Board for D’Arrigo California. "We have always championed sustainability as a core business practice, and it is gratifying to see the fruits of our labor generate solar power to operate our business on clean energy. We run on solar, not only because of its sustainability benefits, which are significant, but because solar energy is fundamentally a smart business decision."
In addition to being savvy for both business and economics, the company shared in a press release that the supplemental 1.1 MW will significantly reduce CO2 emissions. D’Arrigo California expects the new system in Gonzales, CA, to offset carbon emissions equivalent to removing 8,750 cars from the road over the course of 25 years. And as for the solar power, the company expects it to replace traditional electrical power on 14 of 17 ranch meters that are active on 1,139 acres.
"D’Arrigo California is building on its 97 year tradition of agricultural leadership by becoming a leader in sustainability and the global transition to clean energy," added Dylan Dupre, Chief Executive Officer of CalCom Solar. "Agricultural businesses of all sizes can go solar to substantially reduce operational costs and improve efficiency. The system will provide D’Arrigo California significant utility savings over the next 25 years and will provide significant environmental benefits as well."
When D’Arrigo California’s fourth and final phase of the project is complete in the first half of 2018, the combined solar power will reach 5.5 MW.
SANTA CRUZ, CA – The Organic Produce Network (OPN) donated $50,000 to the CCOF Foundation, a gift which OPN presented to both help advance organic agriculture and kick off the first annual Organic Growers Summit. OPN presented its gift, fittingly, at the CCOF Foundation’s “We are Organic Dinner” during the Organic Growers Summit in Monterey, California.
“The Organic Produce Network’s generous gift to the CCOF Foundation will enable us to continue supporting organic farmers, students, and teachers of organic and organic producers in need," CCOF Executive Director/CEO Cathy Calfo said of the honor. "We extend our tremendous gratitude to Tonya Antle, Matt Seeley, and the entire OPN team for their support.”
The CCOF Foundation plans to invest OPN’s donation in Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund, according to a press release. The fund distributes grants to students and teachers for studies in organic agriculture; Organic Training Institute educational events; direct financial assistance through The Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund to organic producers, processors, and handlers who have suffered losses; and educational programs aimed at consumers.
The dinner itself, at which the donation was gifted, brought together a community in support of organic agriculture, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross as the night’s speaker, and more than 100 supporters of the CCOF Foundation.
NEW YORK, NY – Chef Will Horowitz is making a splash with his cantaloupe burger at New York-based restaurant Ducks Eatery. The meat-free option taps into the sensory aspects of meat—both tasting and feeling like meat—but is a beautiful cantaloupe, halved, peeled, cured, fermented, smoked, slow-baked, dehydrated, and seared to meet any meat-eater’s expectations. The process takes two days, transforming the fruit into a burger-proportional fillet-size, roughly the size and shape of a duck breast, Thrillist reported.
After being peeled, seeded, and then cured in salt and ash from the smoker for a day-and-a-half, the fruit reacts to the lacto-fermentation from the salt, which consequently creates lactic acid. "We're using fermentation to replicate the way a muscle exercises and develops flavor," said Horowitz in the Thrillist article. "That mouth-watering quality a steak has, a lot of it comes from the lactic acid in the meat."
After this first process, the fruit is then hot-smoked for seven hours, and this stage proves to be necessary in acquiring the meat-like tastes familiar to most burger-loving restaurant patrons. "We use smoke to cheat a flavor that's commonly associated with meat," added Horowitz.
This is then followed up with a baking procedure that concentrates the flavors that have been building upon each other, while also creating new flavors, only to be improved with a dehydration process to eliminate unnecessary moisture in the fruit. The final product? A juicy, smoky, brisket-esque, peppered-to-perfection burger option that has no resemblance to its original form.
While lab-grown meat is making its way into supermarkets, plant-based burger options are making their way into consumers’ hearts. Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat are just a couple of companies seemingly thriving in the plant-based, meatless world, bringing pea proteins and the like to the forefront of food innovation.
"I really admire what they're doing," Horowitz told Thrillist of Impossible Foods and similarly focused companies. "I see [their burgers] as more of a gateway drug for people, to lure them into preparing whole vegetables the way we've prepared meats for thousands of years. The foods I'm making should be their own thing, not try to [completely] mimic meat."
While the chef is not looking to only create meat substitutes, he is making waves in the restaurant industry that he hopes will ripple into other neighboring industries like retail.
"The point is to shift the outlook on what we can eat," added Horowitz. "Let's make something new with these foods and make it as accessible to people as possible. I'd love to be able to go to the grocery store and see beef steaks and salmon steaks and watermelon steaks right next to each other."
Those looking to try Horowitz’s cantaloupe burger can find it in the Big Apple. But, looking beyond this foray into meatless options and the burger’s recent dance with fresh produce, will we see more fruit burger line-ups in our future? Stick with us at AndNowUKnow for more delicious bites into fresh produce news!
TOKYO, JAPAN – In response to Kroger’s rumored new partnership with Alibaba, Walmart pushes for global online grocery dominance with a collaboration with Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten, Inc. Yesterday, January 25th, Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon and Rakuten Chairman, President, and CEO Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani met in Tokyo to announce their new strategic alliance. Expanding consumer reach, enhancing customer service, and leveraging each company’s strengths and assets, the two are planning to launch an online grocery delivery service, Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper, in Japan in the third quarter of 2018.
“Rakuten is a strong e-commerce business, and we’re excited to collaborate with the top online shopping destination in Japan,” McMillon said in a company press release. “Here in Japan and everywhere we operate, we’re constantly exploring new ways to make every day easier for customers by offering great experiences in stores, online, via mobile—no matter how customers want to shop. We look forward to expanding our grocery footprint in Japan.”
The partnership between Rakuten and Seiyu GK, a subsidiary of Walmart also known for quality and low prices, is launching Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper to offer a more convenient shopping experience that meets the changing needs of customers in Japan. Along with fresh produce and daily consumables, the new service will deliver convenient items like cut vegetables, partially-prepared foods, and ready-meal kits, as well as popular local gourmet products from merchants on the Rakuten Ichiba marketplace.
“As global leaders in e-commerce and offline shopping, Rakuten and Walmart are uniquely positioned to empower our customers around the world with innovative services,” Mikitani said. “We are excited to partner with Walmart because of its commitment to creating the best solutions to serve customers with low prices.”
With delivery points out of Seiyu stores and plans for a fulfilment center in the works, Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper will also have a site dedicated to an optimized user experience and a more personalized merchandise offering.
Will Walmart and Kroger’s online grocery strategy of global expansion bear fruit in fresh produce delivery sectors? AndNowUKnow will continue to report with the latest.
CORONA, CA – Trends like organics and convenience are taking over the produce industry now more than ever and turning into movements. Veg-Fresh is seizing the fresh start the New Year offers and looking to make the most of 2018. With new packaging and new products rolling out now, and expansion on the horizon, I caught up with Veg-Fresh’s marketing team members Monique McLaws and Carrie Robertson to chat about the exciting things the company has in store.
“We have quite a bit of activity planned for this year,” Monique tells me. “There is such a demand for growth, we don’t want to miss out on an opportunity to supply our partners and future partners. We’ve launched every kind of packaging in every configuration, but where we have seen the most demand now is to present a package in an integral way so that consumers not only buy it, but use it too!”
Focusing in on innovative packaging that is both functional and convenient, the Veg-Fresh team has seen retail and consumer offerings marry up with resealable packaging more and more.
“We’ve been working ostensibly with a packaging company for our new resealables,” Carrie shares. “We know that there are so many options, so our question was how do we cut through that noise, and what is the appeal to the consumers for a new package design? Looking at our consumer research, it all came down to something resealable. We designed a very unique square tray with a resealable top that is stackable and appealing to consumers who want to store it. And it has taken off. At this point, we’re just trying to keep up with demand.”
With an emphasis on convenience and keeping both retailers and consumers in mind, the new resealable tray is different from what’s on the market today, they share. Available now for 1lb. organic grape tomatoes, 1lb. Brussels sprouts, and 12-ounce sweet mini peppers, the tray is here to help retailers easily stack fresh produce on grocery shelves and consumers store items at home.
Veg-Fresh’s Handy Candy brand is also receiving a packaging redesign after experiencing increased demand, particularly during the school year. The new Handy Candy design keeps grape tomatoes fresh, current, and kid-friendly, and the launch will include a new grape tomato medley option, featuring yellow, orange, and red grape varieties.
“We’ve had the Handy Candy brand for a good five years. It’s a great, kid-friendly name and the packaging has always been a grab-and-go experience, which makes parents love it because they can put it in kids’ lunches or take it to work themselves. But, moving forward, we wanted to make this brand even more kid-friendly as well as give it some new life and vibrancy. We’re hoping the new design will help the brand continue to expand,” Monique shares with me.
And packaging isn’t the only Veg-Fresh product shaking up grocery aisles. The company is also releasing a new product. Launched this January and extending through the beginning of March, Veg-Fresh is offering its Organic Minneolas, a sweet tangerine, tangelo variety with a short season and program, but great seasonal window, in 3lb Good Life organic mesh bags–the same packaging design as other Veg-Fresh citrus.
And if that wasn’t enough, Veg-Fresh is making no exceptions for organics, with plans to expand acreage for seasonal varieties coming soon.
“Obviously organics across the board are in demand year-round and continuing to increase significantly,” Monique tells me. “After meeting with our consumers, we’re looking to significantly expand our acreage for our onion program to be year-round, beginning now and expanding on red, yellow, and white varieties. For the summer, we’re expanding acreage for our organic melons, with organic cantaloupes a main focus for that commodity. Looking into fall, we’re adding a lot more acreage for hard squash, like spaghetti, acorn, and butternut.”
With lots going on, and even more to come, Veg-Fresh is one to watch in the New Year. Retailer and consumers alike should keep an eye out for new packaging and new products in stores now, and more organics to hit the market soon.
For more on what’s shaking up the produce world, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest.
OTTAWA, ON - An agreement was reached for Canada’s Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and with it comes greater access for the fresh produce industry in the Asia-Pacific region. In response to the announcement, Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) President Ron Lemaire released a statement on the association’s behalf.
“The fresh produce industry sees tremendous opportunity in increasing its trade with members of the new CPTPP,” said Lemaire. “We thank the Government of Canada for their hard work on this historic agreement and look forward to working with Ministers François-Philippe Champagne and Lawrence MacAulay on furthering our market access in other new and emerging economies around the world.”
According to a press release, CPMA is applauding in particular the provisions found in the Sanitary and Phytosanitary chapter, as well as the gains made in market access to crucial economies such as Japan. The association noted that access to these large and emerging economies is crucial for growth of the Canadian produce industry, and that CPTPP will be integral in helping the Canadian government reach its goal of reaching $75 billion annually in agri-food exports by 2025.
CPMA will continue to monitor developments on this agreement to ensure the best interests of the produce industry are preserved.
BROOKS, OR – A new partnership has been forged between Curry & Company and Umpqua, Oregon-based Norris Family Farms to expand its existing organic and conventional offerings of blueberries, as well as bring kiwiberries to the line-up.
“We’re very excited to have the Norris family as a partner. Their export-quality fruit, exceptional farm and facilities, and shared values make for an excellent fit. We’re both family owned and operated, and are committed to supporting our communities,” said Aaron Ensign, President at Curry & Company, in a recent press release.
What started out in 1976 by Paul & Sandy Norris has since blossomed into a renown for high quality blueberries for Norris Family Farms. The bursting-with-flavor snacks are picked and packed from June through September, with peak volumes usually a bit earlier in the Southern Oregon farm than in the rest of the region, consequently providing customers with a key transition from California to the Pacific Northwest.
“Curry & Company played a big role in our entering the blueberry business many years ago. We’re pleased to align with a dynamic and talented group that still appreciates family farms. We look forward to a great 2018 season,” said Dr. Paul Norris.
With offices in Los Angeles, California, and Santiago, Chile, the Curry & Co. headquarters calls Brooks, Oregon, home. The company’s determined focus on its year-round berry program is currently being shipped domestically and internationally out of Chile and Mexico, as Curry & Co. continues to pursue the highest quality, freshness, and flavor for its fruits and vegetables moving forward with this partnership and beyond.
Stick with us at AndNowUKnow for more fresh produce news!
SPRINGFIELD, MA – This month, Nicole D’Amour Schneider began work in her newly appointed position of Senior Director of Operations in which she will oversee Big Y’s five supermarket districts. These include World Class Markets, Fresh Acres, Specialty Market, and Table & Vine wine and Liquor Division.
In this position, she will report to Richard Bossie, Vice President of Store Operations, according to a recent press release from the company.
D’Amour Schneider has worked with Big Y for nearly 20 years, first joining the retailer in 1989 as a Service Clerk in the East Longmeadow, MA, supermarket. During her tenure, she has worked in Customer Services, in Employee Services, as Assistant Customer Service Manager beginning 1999, and as Customer Service Manager the following year. A company success story, she completed the Manager Training Program and quickly rose through the ranks from Assistant Store Manager to Store Manager to Customer Relations Manager. In these positions, she embraced the retailer’s customer service culture, encouraged engagement from both the community and the employees working under her, and showed great responsibility and competence.
Recently, she has served as Senior Manager of Pharmacy Services and Director of Pharmacy, in the latter of which position she had responsibility for the oversight and operation of all Big Y in-store pharmacies. D’Amour Schneider is not only an integral part of the Big Y family but also an accomplished graduate of Connecticut College and a former high school teacher at Canterbury School in New Milford, CT. She has served on the board of Trustees for Canterbury school since 2008 and currently leads as a member of the Board’s Executive Committee. We look forward to seeing D’Amour Schneider’s continued success both in her community and with Big Y.
CINCINNATI, OH - Another partnership between brick and mortar and massive e-commerce presence could be on the horizon. The New York Post reports that Kroger and Amazon competitor Alibaba are in talks for a team up.
With Kroger standing amongst the top supermarket chains in the U.S. and Alibaba being one of Amazon’s largest oppositions on a global scale, the news seems to have given the retailer’s stock a lift as of this morning.
Kroger shares jumped 5.29% to $31.04 in early trading Thursday, though the details of the partnership discussions are still unclear.
Kroger officials met with Alibaba executives in China last month, according to The NY Post, and a Chinese government press release said last week that “Alibaba has teamed up with Kroger…to speed up the integration of online and offline sales.”
This comes on the heels of several cyber moves made by Kroger, having been reported as eyeing acquisitions of both Overstock.com and Boxed this month alone.
Alibaba, too, has made big moves that have been compared to squaring off with Amazon. The company has put into play strategies to establish its own presence in brick and mortar, and recently showed interest in grocery investments.
Will this become another major partnership between major names in e-commerce and fresh produce? AndNowUknow will report as the story develops further.
ORLANDO, FL - Enjoying good food and good company is a holiday must, and during the first week of December 2017, FullTilt Marketing helped consumers with both via its social media promotion #MerryEats. Connecting nine food bloggers and four food brands, including T&G Global’s Envy Apples, Jarlsberg Cheese, NatureSweet’s Constellation tomatoes, and Rainier Fruit’s organic Bartlett pears, #MerryEats promoted holiday recipes and entertaining ideas for all in order to make holiday prep easier than ever.
“Online influencers are the new face of food promotion and word-of-mouth marketing,” Melinda Goodman, Managing Partner, said in a press release. “Multiple research studies report that consumers place high degrees of trust in these micro influencers about what to cook and what to buy.”
With daily blog content, Facebook Live, Instagram Stories, valuable giveaways exceeding $750 in prizes, and amplified content across all social platforms, the #MerryEats program scored engagement of more than 78,600 views, with impressions exceeding 1.2 million. The program also gained new fans and followers for the sponsors and opt-in signups to an email mailing address allowing for future remarketing efforts.
Throughout the weeklong event, consumers were able to access a variety of unique holiday ideas for appetizers, salads, main dishes, desserts, and cocktails featuring sponsors’ products. The blog posts also included entertaining tips and printable gift tags, place cards, décor, and more. In addition to the 78,600 views, the posts received 21,241 likes, 7,051 pins, 2,105 shares, and 597 comments, as well as nearly 3,000 registered consumers vying for the giveaways and shared opt-in contact information.
When possible, recipes incorporated multiple sponsored products to leverage the power of cross-promotion and shared amplification. One food blogger incorporated the Envy Apples #ShowUsYourStocking Instagram campaign with a unique post that featured a stocking stuffer craft project using Santa-styled Envy apples along with a jar of homemade caramel sauce decorated as a reindeer.
For 2018, FullTilt Marketing is currently planning additional food blogger amplification events, including a Back-to-School campaign this August and a similar holiday promotion for late 2018.
For more information, or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities or customized influencer programs, visit FullTilt Marketing’s website. For more on the latest happening in our industry, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.