AUSTIN, TX – Whole Foods is starting 2018 on a high note, as it jumps into action to support every health-focused resolution. It has partnered with Whole30’s Melissa Hartwig and Nom Nom Paleo’s Michelle Tam; in addition, it will be offering health-focused in-store promotions throughout the store. This is an effort from the retailer to maintain customers' New Year resolutions focused on healthier living. Feed Your Resolution, as the campaign is being called, will offer options and programs supporting plant-based, Whole30, paleo, and gluten-free special diets.
"We are excited to provide support to those shoppers interested in focusing on a healthier lifestyle, be it our flexitarian fanbase trying out a new diet, to those with special dietary needs," said Karen Christensen, Global Vice President of Merchandising for Perishables at Whole Foods Market, in a recent press release. "The meal solutions and products our partners have selected offer convenient and delicious ways to eat healthier in the New Year, and our knowledgeable team members are always here to provide support along the way."
Wondering what Whole Foods has in store for customers looking to start 2018 on the right foot? Well, the retailer is tapping into consumers’ plant-based wants and needs by featuring its projected top trends for 2018 in exciting ways! This includes advertising vegan-friendly products like the Engine 2 brand. It is also helping to use this “New Year, New You” season to promote educational resources like The Whole Foods Diet: The Lifesaving Plan for Health and Longevity, co-written by Whole Foods Market Co-Founder and CEO John Mackey, which shows consumers how to make the best food choices that will support their health goals.
The retailer is implementing a full-on approach to engage customers by featuring top product picks from Whole 30’s Hartwig that work alongside her 30-day program that supports stress-free navigation in the store. Hartwig’s picks are not the only headliners Whole Foods is celebrating; Nom Nom Paleo’s Tam will also highlight her top choices and will feature her Magic Mushroom Power. Several of Tam’s recipes from her Ready or Not cookbook will be showcased at the retailer’s hot bars throughout the U.S. in January.
The company seemingly has something for everyone, with various gluten-free products for those with Celiac disease or gluten intolerances. These come in the form of pre-packaged snacks for on-the-go needs, baking staples, cooking marinades, and more.
How will the promotion of the Feed Your Resolution campaign assist in the retailer’s sales and customer engagement? AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you up-to-date with the latest!
PHARR, TX – On January 9th, Index Fresh will open a new 60,000-square-foot, temperature-controlled state-of-the-art distribution center to package and ripen avocados.
“It is strategically located right at the Pharr, TX, international bridge which will reduce transit time by an hour or more on our Mexico shipments from our current third-party logistics locations,” said Manrique Palacios, Distribution Center Manager, Index Fresh at Pharr, TX, in a recent press release.
The facility will contain 2,600 pallet positions, 10 ripening rooms, and three bagging machines; it will create 15-full time jobs and 10 temporary/seasonal jobs, boosting the expanding agricultural industry in Pharr and providing career growth opportunities to its employees.
“We did a study on trucking patterns and costs, and our customers told us where we needed to be—Pharr was the most favorable. We’ve worked in that area for the last 15 years, and we were comfortable with it. It has been a great experience working with the City of Pharr on this,” said Dana Thomas, President and CEO.
The new facility will allow for greater efficiency of operations and a larger capacity—meeting Index Fresh’s extensive customer demand.
“The pre-conditioning ability enables us to expand ripening programs to the southern region, benefiting our national retailers and food service distributors,” said Todd Elder, Vice President of Sales.
To keep abreast with all produce industry innovations and growth, stay tuned to AndKnowUKnow.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - New rumors have sparked that Amazon may be looking to Target as its next big physical retail acquisition after a popular analyst predicted the potential match. Gene Munster of Loup Ventures wrote in a post earlier this week that the move may come as soon as before the year is out.
"Amazon will acquire Target," Munster wrote on the Loup website in a post detailing his predictions for 2018. "Amazon believes the future of retail is a mix of mostly online and some offline. Target is the ideal offline partner for Amazon for two reasons, shared demographic and manageable but comprehensive store count.”
Munster also noted that as far as the demographics at play, the acquisition makes sense. Target has been focused on moms, he said, a demographic which is also central to Amazon’s approach to expanding its market share. Amazon has spent campaign dollars targeting the demographic through promotions around Prime along with loading Prime Video with kid-friendly content over the past several years.
As far-fetched as this might seem, Munster has plenty of clout in the financial and analyst industries. According to CNBC, he spent 21 years as an influential technology analyst with Piper Jaffray, then co-founded his venture capital firm Loup at the beginning of 2017.
“As for retail stores, Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods 470 stores along with testing of the Amazon Go retail concept is evidence that Amazon sees the future of retail as a combination of mostly online and some offline. Despite gaining Whole Foods, Amazon’s ~470 store presence still dwarf’s Walmart at 11,695 (global). If Amazon acquires Target’s that would jump its store count to about 2,300.”
CNBC also reported that Target shares rose 3.7 percent Tuesday following the post’s debut. As of the time of writing, Amazon and Target have yet to comment on the speculation. AndNowUKnow will be ready to report the latest as this story continues to develop.
HIDALGO, TX – The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) seized 2,350 pounds of alleged marijuana in a shipment of vegetables. CBP officers found the alleged marijuana in a 1996 utility tractor, which was referred for a secondary inspection at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility.
In a press release on the U.S. CBD website, Acting Port Director for the Hidalgo, Pharr, and Anzalduas ports of entry, Carlos Rodriguez said, “These are remarkable interceptions by our CBP officers in the cargo and passenger environments. They continue to make significant narcotic seizures by combining their experience with the use of technology and other available tools to accomplish the CBP mission.”
Through the use of non-intrusive imaging (NII) x-ray systems and a canine team, the officers discovered and extracted 197 packages of the alleged narcotics, which are estimated to have a collective street value of $470,021. The CBD OFO has seized the drugs and the case will remain under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents.
To keep up-to-date with news on vegetable-related drug busts, stay tuned to AndKnowUKnow.
SALINAS, CA – With a new partnership, new deals, and a new campaign aimed at revolutionizing the way consumers approach fresh veggies, Mann Packing is starting the year off with a bang. The company has introduced its New Year, New You promotional campaign complete with a new IRC (instantly redeemable coupon) on its award-winning Veggie Slaw Blend and newly-formed partnerships with Registered Dieticians across the U.S. and Canada.
“We’re passionate about providing consumers with better-for-you veggie options, and we recognize that people are especially mindful of their diets around the New Year,” said Gina Nucci, Director of Corporate Marketing. “Our New Year, New You campaign empowers consumers to easily identify and use our products, taking full advantage of the health benefits and convenience Mann’s is known for.”
According to a company press release, Mann Packing’s new campaign aims to shine the spotlight on its fresh vegetable products by promoting healthy eating with great ideas and delicious products. The new IRC offers $1.50 off when consumers purchase any two Mann’s Veggie Slaw Blends, and specially marked packages will be available on shelf mid-January through early-February in the U.S.
And to further support the campaign, Mann’s has partnered with Registered Dietitians across social media and RD networks—including RD Blogger Influencers—to reach up to five million followers.
As part of the campaign, Mann’s products will also be featured in TV segments focused on healthy eating, wellness magazines, and social media channels throughout January. Additionally, the company noted that it has secured an exclusive sponsorship of the Fit Foodie Run in San Diego, as well as three other Fit Foodie Festival events across the U.S.
For more information on Mann’s, including where to find its products, visit veggiesmadeeasy.com. And for recipes, images, and more, interested parties can visit the company’s social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
For more breaking produce news, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
LOS ANGELES, CA – In the States, there’s no other place like Times Square–where about two million people gather to celebrate New Year’s Eve each year–in New York City to ring in the New Year. And this year, adding to the festivities and fun, The Wonderful Company debuted its first-ever consumer-facing campaign via its Times Square digital billboard.
With 3.5 billion servings of Wonderful products enjoyed each year, The Wonderful Company’s first-ever consumer campaign creates a powerful synergy amongst the Wonderful brands while helping to establish a strong connection to the Wonderful Name among customers.
Highlighting what everyone loves about New Year's, like party accessories, fireworks, confetti, and bubbly drinks but with fun produce-themed twists to encourage a healthy 2018, The Wonderful Company’s consumer campaign features Wonderful Halos noisemaker blowouts via the peel of its skin, bright almond and pistachio fireworks, flowing POM Wonderful drinks, and POM POMS Wonderful confetti.
Here’s to rooting for a healthy 2018 with The Wonderful Company!
For more on what’s new this New Year, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
MODESTO, CA - Greg Calistro, industry veteran of four decades, passed away recently at the age of 59.
Following a sudden illness, Greg was called to his heavenly home leaving a legacy as a loving and devoted husband, father, son, brother, brother-in-law, cousin, and friend, according to an obituary in The Modesto Bee.
Greg worked in the grocery industry for 43 years, with the last 29 employed by The Save Mart Companies, mostly in the corporate office. He was a passionate, hard worker and made many special friendships while at Save Mart, as well as with the vendor community. He was highly respected for his kind manner, his positive disposition, and his ability to be a great role model and mentor.
Throughout his career, Greg served on many industry and charitable boards including the Produce Marketing Association, Produce for Better Health, and the City of Hope. He devoted his time to running and cycling to raise money for cancer research. He was also involved with the Boy Scouts where he made new friendships while helping young boys reach their goals.
He loved spending time with family which included vacations to the beach, barbecuing, relaxing by the pool, and listening to old music. He also enjoyed mountain trips to his cabin in Long Barn and annual trips to Dardanelles. Greg was active in many sports and was an avid San Francisco Giants fan.
He is survived by his loving wife Joni Calistro of Turlock, sons, Andrew Calistro of Turlock, Ryan (Holliday) Calistro of Ripon, daughter Erica (Robb) Burns of Rochester, MI, and four grandchildren. He is also survived by his parents, Alfred and Candida Calistro of Redding, brothers, Gary (Toni) Calistro of Roseville and Chris (Sonia) Calistro of Roseville, and loving nieces and nephews. Greg also leaves behind an extended loving family and many close friends.
He was a very loving and compassionate friend to all and he will be greatly missed by many.
A celebration of life will be held at 11:00 on Friday, January 5th at New Life Christian Center in Turlock. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given in Greg's name to "City of Hope" at 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010 or a charity of your choice.
The AndNowUKnow team would like to offer its deepest condolences to Greg's family, friends, and all affected by this loss.
DINUBA, CA - Cultivated in the fertile soils of California's Central Valley, Suntreat’s family of citrus varieties are as unique and as deeply cared for, as they are “enormously” good to eat. And no Suntreat item speaks more truthfully to these distinctive attributes, than the exclusive new citrus varietal Sumo Citrus®. Naturally seedless, exceptionally juicy, super sweet, and easy-to-peel, paired with the fruit’s rare shape, bumpy rind, and knob on the top that Suntreat likes to call the Sumo Citrus top-knot, this variety promises to bring differentiation and diversity to the winter spread from now through March.
“There is no better way to kick off 2018 than with this season’s launch of our Sumo Citrus program. This large mandarin with a trace of navel orange parentage, has been a hit in recent years as consumers are drawn to its aesthetic as well as its flavor,” Brett Burdsal, Director of Marketing, shares with me. “Consumers eat with their eyes first and the bright and bold Sumo Citrus with its fun shape are hard to miss in the produce department.”
With added acreage this year, the Suntreat team is looking forward to meeting the demands of its retail partners and its dynamic fan following. Sizing and quality are looking great across the program with fruit size peaking in the 6’s and 7’s, as well as a full gamut of fruit ranging from 5’s to 9’s.
“Sumo Citrus is a premium citrus product that offers that unique eating experience retailers are looking to bring to their programs, and the variety is really different from anything else out there in the marketplace, and in the industry today,” Daniel Kass, Vice President of Sales and Business Development, shares with me. “The window for Sumo Citrus’s availability is limited and we believe that getting on-board with us early, can help retailers truly take advantage of this specialty citrus item. There is no better time than now!”
One of the added benefits of this program is the care the team takes in managing the Sumo Citrus program. From hand harvesting and placing Sumo Citrus in very small totes to avoid inducing bruising, to maintaining the most ideal temperatures with good air circulation – each piece of fruit feels the love of the Suntreat team and its family of growers.
In terms of merchandising, Suntreat offers retailers a consumer box that features five to seven pieces and a display box that features 16-17 pieces, as well as additional stand-alone displays, signage, and merchandising support available upon request. Built with the busy produce buyer or department manager in mind, Suntreat offers its stackable open-top, flip-boxes that most retailers use as display units.
“The longer range build up of the Sumo Citrus plan will be a big focus in 2018, so our efforts are really tailored to getting ahead and building a strong sales and marketing plan that will bring more value to our company and allow us to extend that value to our retailer partners,” President Darren Filkins shares with me. “Markets have been strong for specialty citrus and we only foresee the demand growing. It is a two-prong strategy: this year we want to highlight the uniqueness of Sumo Citrus and getting it out into the market the best and most effective way, and then the second part is to strategically build the program for future growth.”
In 2018, Suntreat will also bring Gold Nugget mandarins to market with increased volumes of the company’s Blood Oranges, Cara Caras, and Minneolas this season as well.
New packaging and pack styles will also help retailers build big bright citrus destinations in their produce departments.
In addition, the Suntreat team flipped the switch on its new AC Foods Legacy citrus line automation project in 2017. This project further aligns with the company’s goals to bring an excellent piece of fruit to market that has gone through rigorous quality and food safety processes and standards.
This new state-of-the-art sorting and packaging technology makes AC Foods Legacy a premier packing and shipping facility in the fresh produce industry. Between the stainless steel construction, automated DIR line, fumigation chambers, degreening rooms, and optical sizers that take 80 pictures of each piece of fruit as they pass under the equipment–the facility is a picture of precision and synchronization.
“We are really trying to help lead the charge from a food safety and traceability standpoint, and our AC Foods Legacy citrus line automation project is helping us deliver on those goals,” Dan says. “It is our vision of excellence that drives our Suntreat program, and AC Foods family, forward.”
Add in three control rooms with HMI screens to provide a complete line of sight into each aspect of the operation, 100% traceability for every bin received, and a vision to have every piece of citrus assigned a home by the time in reaches packaging, and the AC Foods line automation project could not have come at a more ideal time for the company’s growth initiatives.
AC Foods, a regenerative food family of farms, nurseries, packing houses, and marketing and sales companies that includes Suntreat, is looking to continue to build its family of growers, buying new and developed ground, with the goal of doubling the business in the next five years.
“There are many pieces to this process in its infancy that we will continue to build around from a growing, branding, and sales and marketing perspective. It is going to be an amazing year,” Darren tells me. “As a vertically integrated company, we are primed to evolve our programs, and raise the bar across all of our growing categories.”
With a passionate vision to execute incredible growth in 2018 and beyond, Suntreat is ramping up its program and taking the new year in stride.
For the latest and greatest on our friends in the industry, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow and, of course, happy New Year!
WENATCHEE, WA – As we reign in a new year, CMI Orchards is reigning in new number in organic distribution. Standing at one of the largest organic growers in the Pacific North West, VP of Marketing George Harter took some time to tell me about the team's approach.
“20% of all of our trees in the ground, the fruit that we grow, is organic,” said Harter. “We know our customers want that and we’re proud to supply that to them. Our Daisy Girl brand of organics has been received well by our customers, retail, and consumers. At CMI Orchards, we worked hard at developing high-flavor apples to satisfy as many customers as we possibly can.”
And, with 6 of the top 8 high-flavored varieties, CMI Orchards is touting top customer satisfaction goals.
“We’re proud to grow them [the high-flavored varieties]. We’ve also been moving those varieties into the organic part of the manifest,” Harter continued. “So, we have high-flavored organic apples, conventional, and organic.”
CMI Orchard plans to continue to grow both their high flavored and organic apples in the near future, anticipating a 5% increase in organics. Over 60% of the brands offerings are already high flavored, organic items.
To keep up to date with future movement on both the high-flavor and organics fronts, stay tuned to AndKnowUKnow.
CABOT, AR – John-Michael Farthing, a third-grade student at Mountain Springs Elementary in Cabot, Arkansas, has grown a cabbage weighing 17.5 pounds. According to Arkansas Matters, Farthing grew this cabbage as part of the nation-wide “Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program,” organized by Bonnie Plants.
The program, which runs annually, encourages teachers to sign up their class to participate in growing O.S. Cross cabbages, commonly known as oversized cabbages.
Stan Cope, President of Bonnie Plants, said, “The Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is a wonderful way to engage children’s interest in agriculture, while teaching them not only the basics of gardening, but the importance of our food systems and growing our own. This unique, innovative program exposes children to agriculture and demonstrates, through hands-on experience, where food comes from. The program also affords our youth with some valuable life lessons in nurture, nature, responsibility, self-confidence, and accomplishment.
Farthing participated in this program alongside nearly 25,000 other students across the country. For his massive success, Farthing received a $1,000 savings bond towards his future education. The program which began in 1996, stretches across the 48 contiguous states; participants have grown cabbages up to 75 pounds!
To achieve such weighty figures, the “Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program’s” young participants make sure their cabbages receive six hours of full sunlight each day, nutrient-rich soil, at least an inch of water each week, protection from pesky weeds, moths, and worms, and are harvested in a timely manner.