REDWOOD SHORES, CA – With grilling season in full effect, the Mushroom Council has been hard at work educating consumers on the benefits of “The Blend”— the culinary technique of blending fresh mushrooms into ground meat to create a dish that is more delicious, nutritious, and sustainable. Most recently, the Mushroom Council took on a new frontier of burger lovers last week when it served The Blend to hundreds of bikers attending the 77th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.

Bikers stepped off Sturgis’ Main Street drag to sample a 70/30 meat-mushroom blend at a fundraiser for the Sturgis Museum and Hall of Fame—an event was hosted by Thunder Press magazine as part of its 25th anniversary celebration. And Mushroom Council President Bart Minor was on hand, serving up blended burgers and talking with attendees.

“I wanted to know first-hand how blended burgers would be accepted by meat eaters and burger fans who hold nothing back in their opinions,” said Minor. “It’s safe to say we’ve recruited hundreds of new Blenditarians – they gave it resounding accolades and came back for seconds. The event was an excellent demonstration of The Blend’s universal appeal.”

“It’s the best burger I’ve had all week,” the Mushroom Council noted in a press release, was the familiar refrain offered up by rally-goers.

The Mushroom Council recently concluded the third year of its Blended Burger Project™ competition held in conjunction with the James Beard Foundation. The competition included 414 restaurants from 45 different states with over 400,000 consumer votes for the best blended burgers in the country. And the company has a follow up with the Blended Burger Project: Campus Edition slated to begin in September.

And with the Council’s partnerships with the James Beard Foundation and with meal delivery company Chef’d on a blended burger meal kit, and plans by quick service chain Sonic to trial a “Sonic Slinger” blended burger, the Blenditarian message is taking hold.

Interested retailers, foodservice professionals, and consumers can learn more at www.blenditarian.com, and through the Council’s social media content on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Mushroom Council

UNITED STATES, CANADA, and MEXICO – Some of the U.S. and Canada’s largest produce companies have joined together to support efforts to modernize NAFTA and maintain duty-free access for produce within NAFTA countries.

“NAFTA has been overwhelmingly successful for the fresh produce industry, including tomato companies,” said Paul Mastronardi, President, Mastronardi Produce. “By participating in the Produce Coalition for NAFTA, we will come together with other industry leaders to ensure our voice is heard when it comes to modernizing NAFTA.”

The Produce Coalition for NAFTA consists of the following companies: 

• Driscoll’s® 
• Fall Creek Farm & Nursery, Inc
• Growers Express
• JV Smith Companies
• Mission Produce, Inc.
• NatureSweet
• Red Sun Farms
• Star Produce
• Sunset® Mastronardi Produce®
• Taylor Farms
• Wonderful Citrus

According to a press release, the Produce Coalition for NAFTA believes important issues like border procedures, harmonization of regulations, and the protection of intellectual property offer opportunities for real improvements in free trade. The group also expressed concerns that NAFTA negotiations could be used to impose new trade barriers instead of eliminating them.

On Wednesday, August 30, 2017, Coalition members, including the CEOs of six companies, signed a letter to members of Congress, including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, expressing support for modernizing NAFTA.

“Coalition members believe issues like border procedures, harmonization of regulations and the protection of intellectual property offer opportunities for real improvements in free trade,” the letter noted. “As well, Coalition members are concerned that the NAFTA negotiations could be used to impose new trade barriers instead of eliminating them. Proposals to make it easier to impose anti-dumping duties on produce, for example, threaten the success of the cross-border fruit and vegetable trade and could result in increased tariffs that negatively impact growers in all three countries as well as U.S. consumers.”

The new organization noted that, since its inception in 1994, NAFTA has eliminated tariffs and resulted in more year-round availability for the U.S. consumer. Under NAFTA, U.S. per capital consumption of fresh vegetables reaching 145.1 pounds per year, a 14 percent increase from the 126.8 pounds per year in 1993 before NAFTA was enacted. 

“U.S. consumption of avocados has increased by nearly five times since the U.S. border opened to Mexican imports,” noted Steve Barnard, President and CEO, Mission Produce, in a press release. “All growers have benefited from securing long-term partnerships with major foodservice operators who now have enough supply to put avocados on the menu. Regardless of growing regions, it’s a win/win for everyone who has contributed to increasing demand driven by a consistent twelve-month supply.”

Considerable increases in both produce import and U.S. domestic production value followed the legislation as well.

“Since 1993 to 2016, the U.S. fresh strawberry production has increased more than 80 percent and provides almost 90 percent of the U.S. supply” noted Kevin Murphy, CEO, Driscoll’s. “The 52 week supply of high quality strawberries has been at the heart of the growth and allowed for stability and consistency of the category.”

The Coalition also noted the benefits of the trade in meeting and encouraging year-round market demand for fresh fruits and vegetables, explaining that the total value of agricultural trade among all three NAFTA countries reached about $82.0 billion in 2013, compared with $16.7 billion in the year prior to NAFTA’s implementation.

Industry leaders expressed their support for NAFTA modernization and for continued trade cooperation and noted that they hoped for the continued success of the agreement and continued involvement in efforts to reshape trade policies.

“With our participation in the Produce Coalition for NAFTA, we are joining many other leading produce companies in magnifying our voice as the three governments discuss changes to the free trade agreement,” Soren Bjorn, President, Driscoll’s of the Americas. “We all support modernization of NAFTA while we are also clear that NAFTA to date has been an overwhelming success for the fresh produce industry.”

For more on important developments in NAFTA negotiation and news in the produce industry, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.

Driscoll's Fall Creek Farm & Nursery Growers Express JV Smith Companies Mission Produce NatureSweet Tomatoes Red Sun Farms Star Produce SUNSET® Taylor Farms Wonderful Citrus

SACRAMENTO, CA – Continuing to ramp up growth since opening earlier this year, Farmers Communication Exchange is bringing on Mackenzie Bressler as its new Digital Media Coordinator. Bressler is a recent Agricultural Communications graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and a native of Colusa, CA.

“I hope to utilize my passion for the industry, experiences growing up in the livestock and grain industries, and knowledge from the Agricultural Education and Communications Department to join the Farmers Communication Exchange to continue sharing the stories of farmers through creative communication,” said Bressler. 

Farmers Communication Exchange, the new public relations and social media firm from Marilyn Freeman Dolan, a former Executive Director of the Alliance for Food & Farming, specializes in working with California-based commodity groups and associations. According to a press release, the company offers a wide array of services, including strategic messaging, issues management, digital media, and content development for websites and social media.

“Our firm continues to grow since opening its doors in January. We welcome Mackenzie to our team of experienced and talented employees,” said Dolan. “I’m especially pleased to be bringing on a graduate from the Ag Communications Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, since I’m a graduate from there as well.”

In her new role, Bressler will be tasked with aiding commodity groups and associations with their weekly newsletters, as well as assisting with social media activities and monitoring media channels on behalf of clients. Bressler will also be developing blog and website content by creating ‘Meet the Farmer” profiles, which tell stories about the firm's various clients.

MONTEREY, CA - The produce department is changing, and one of the ways we have been watching it evolve is the accelerating growth of the organic sector. Organic fresh produce just this year alone, has increased by 8 percent in dollars and accounted for $1.25 billion in sales at the end of the second quarter 2017. The segment also experiences a 10 percent rise in volume from the previous year, according to the Organic Produce Network (OPN) who has partnered with Nielsen on the data.

“Looking at these trends, it is clear that there is a continued interest in organic produce and a movement toward transparency in general,” Matt Lally, Client Manager for Nielsen Fresh, stated. “Today’s consumer is interested in eating simpler, cleaner products and this is reflected in the continued growth we are seeing with organic fresh produce.”

After a review of second quarter organic fresh produce sales at retail stores across the country, OPN notes that dollar sales of organic fresh vegetables were $608 million while organic fresh fruit sales were $425 million. And together, organic fresh fruits and vegetables represented nearly 10 percent of all produce dollars at the end of the second quarter. Sales of organic fruit were up 12.3 percent, while sales of organic vegetables rose 5.7 percent, overall, from the previous 12-month period.

“It’s clear growers and shippers are clearly responding to continued interest in organic fresh produce by increasing production and availability of key commodities," said Matt Seeley, CEO of the Organic Produce Network. “For their part, it appears retailers are working harder as well to ensure that in-demand organic produce items are represented on their shelves.”

Now for one of my favorite categories: packaged salads. The $234 million-dollar organic packaged salad category led the pack in terms of sales during the second quarter this year, accounting for 19.5 percent of organic produce sales. With of 5.6 percent volume growth compared to a year ago, OPN shares that this could be an indication that lower retail prices are helping to boost sales in the category.

Representing baby peeled carrots, green beans and vegetable trays and medleys, and more, the $47.5 million value-added organic produce category saw a 2.7 percent increase in dollar sales and a 4.5 percent jump in volume during the second quarter of 2017 compared to last year, with overall retail prices about two percent lower than the same period last year. Consumers love their value-added vegetables, while value-add fruit was down close to 6 percent in volume at the end of the second quarter.

OPN reports that more than likely, higher retail prices in this category segment, some 4 percent on average for organic fruit vs. a year ago, curtailed consumer interest. The impact was noticeable in watermelons which saw a 13 percent rise in average retail price but a 67 percent decline in volume compared to a year ago. Honeydew melons which had a 47 percent jump in price and saw a 60 percent decline in volume during the same period.

“Retailers we spoke with concurred that cost has been one of the biggest hurdles in growing sales of value-added organic fresh produce and fruit in particular. They point out that future growth will be dependent on finding the sweet spot between offering convenience-based organic fresh produce and fair pricing,” Seeley said.

So, how are berries faring as they see unprecedented growth and demand? During the second quarter, the $175 million-dollar berry category accounted for the second highest share of organic sales and had an average retail price of $4.19, the release notes. Berries, which represented 14.6 percent of organic produce sales in the second quarter, saw a 22.1 percent jump in dollars and 16.6 percent increase in volume compared to a year ago. Organic berry growth continues to be at a faster pace than its conventional counterparts, while berries as a whole have been on a strong upward trend for some time.

As a staple in the produce department, we knew bananas had to weigh in. The $59 million-dollar banana category, the third largest fruit segment behind berries and apples, experienced a 25 percent increase in volume over 2016. For the delectable pineapple, this category saw a 35 percent jump in volume during the same period.

OPN adds that 10 organic commodities account for nearly three-quarters of all organic produce dollars: packaged salads and berries, herbs, spices and seasonings, apples, beverages, carrots, bananas, lettuce, tomatoes and citrus.

Organic Produce Network

HOUSTON, TX - Members from all sides of the industry are coming together to help Houston, and the surrounding areas of Texas affected by Harvey, pull out of some of the most significant damages seen in the U.S. Sysco, too, has joined the ranks, announcing it will donate a minimum of $1 million for relief efforts in Houston and the Gulf Coast Region. This includes and immediate donation to the American Cross of $500,000.

“Our valued communities, customers and associates are the heart of Sysco,” said Bill DeLaney, Chief Executive Officer. “We have a long history of providing aid in times of disasters, helping communities prepare and recover by delivering food, water, and emergency supplies. Our $500,000 donation to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Harvey relief will allow us to provide additional assistance to the communities, customers, and associates we are committed to.”

In addition to the donation to the American Red Cross, the company said in a press release that it has established the Sysco Disaster Relief Foundation to provide funds directly to Sysco associates to help with the storm’s aftermath. Through this, it will match dollar-for-dollar each donation made by associates and business partners to this foundation.

“One of Sysco’s top priorities continues to be making deliveries to critical customer locations. We have been working diligently to get water, food, and other supplies to our valued customers in Houston and other areas along the Texas Gulf Coast,” DeLaney continued. “More than 10 percent of our 3,000 Houston-area associates have already been directly impacted by Harvey, and as the storm’s aftermath continues to be assessed, this number could rise. Over $350,000 has already been collected for the Sysco Disaster Relief Foundation, which Sysco is matching, dollar-for-dollar. We established this foundation to support associates who incur significant financial and personal hardships as a result of natural disasters.”

Funds will be used for shelter, food, clothing, transportation, and other items needed by affected associates.

Sysco

CINCINNATI, OH - After the May launch of a meal kit pilot in four of its stores, Kroger has announced it will now be expanding the  Prep+Pared line to 37 additional stores and increase the number of recipe options available, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier. The move comes amidst news of a tumultuous series of months for major meal kit provider, Blue Apron.

“Customers tell us that they love the convenience of the kits and how easy it is to make a fresh and delicious, restaurant-quality meal at home in no time,” Margaret McClure, Vice President of Merchandising at Kroger’s Cincinnati/Dayton division, said in a news release.

The company will be targeting additional stores around Ohio in the expansion throughout the month of September.

The program debuted with five different chef-crafted recipes with ingredients to make dinner for two. The company will now offer two new recipes in the lineup for a total of seven.

• Vietnamese-Inspired Spicy Lemongrass Pork
• Athena’s Lemon Chicken Sauté
• Peruvian-Inspired Salmon
• Crispy Fish Tacos
• Moroccan-Inspired Vegetables
• Chimichurri Steak
• Chicken Enchiladas Rojas

There is an eighth offering in the works, Stuffed Poblano Peppers.

As brick and mortar stores continue to innovate beyond traditional models as consumers call for convenience, how will the meal kit movement fare? Follow along with AndNowUKnow as we continue to report.

Kroger

IRWINDALE, CA – If a company’s success is directly linked to the quality of its team, then Ready Pac Foods has it in spades. The company recently honored Derek Bogard, Vice President of Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S), and Theresa Davis, Director of Customer Service, with the Difference Maker Award.

“Both Derek and Theresa represent the best of Ready Pac Foods leadership team, and it was my pleasure to recognize them with this highest honor,” Tony Sarsam, Chief Executive Officer, shared. “The past year of unprecedented growth and change for the company was made possible in part by their contributions. They will continue to be key leaders as we look to further grow the company in the new fiscal year.”

This prestigious award is given to upper management level employees who make significant impacts companywide through processes improvements, outstanding leadership, and increased revenue or decreased costs, according to a press release. These two high-performing leaders were honored at its Annual Management Conference (AMC) in Southern California last month.

At the Ready Pac Foods AMC, the company brings nearly 200 company leaders together from across the United States for a three-day offsite to celebrate achievements from the previous fiscal year and to focus on goals and strategies for the future. The conference also provides an opportunity for team building, inspiration, awards, recognition, and some old-fashioned fun as well as the values and vision of Ready Pac Foods’ new parent company, Bonduelle, through presentations and workshops designed to begin integration of the two companies.

Each of these leaders has contributed greatly to the team and Ready Pac Foods program. Bogard has led a complete transformation of the culture and results of EH&S at Ready Pac Foods during a three-year period, and by establishing “Rules to Live By” standards across the workforce, his team was able to help reduce accidents to record low rates in each of its four facilities. Bogard also implemented several environmental system and process improvements, including new training programs for associates/employees in overall safety and quality practices, as well as food safety.

As a 12-year Associate of Ready Pac Foods, Davis has greatly impacted key customer relationships while positively influencing both service and costs. Also resulting in cost savings and efficiencies for customers, Davis’ cross-functional work including the redesign of the No Touch Order Processing and Vendor Managed Inventory programs, has been integral to the success at Ready Pac.

She also has collaborated with customers on supply programs for new customers and navigated difficult crop transitions, all the while finding a way to deliver the highest level of service.

In addition to the coveted Difference Maker Award, more than 20 individual leaders and six teams received recognition in key areas including plant performance, sales performance, new product development, and outstanding leadership.

Congratulations to Derek and Theresa on the wonderful honor and to the entire Ready Pac Foods team on your continued growth and evolution!

Ready Pac Foods

SANTA PAULA, CA - While we may be experiencing triple digits up here in Northern California, Summer is actually winding down. With the beginning of September comes—fingers-crossed—cooler temps and of course, more back-to-school meal planning. Limoneira spokesperson Megan Roosevelt is rising to the occasion and has pulled together some of her best tips and methods to provide a welcomed assist to meal time as we move towards the holidays.

“Happy September, it’s back-to-school season and in this video we are sharing with you meal prep and recipe ideas to help you have a more nutritious week,” Megan shares in the latest clip. She also welcomes a guest to the screen, Natasha Red, who has created a blog and Seasonal Meal Planning journal to offer even more insights into healthy meal Prep. Check it all out in the video below. 

Here is a breakdown of the recipes shared in this latest program:

Homemade Lemon Hummus

Perfect for lunches, snacking, and beyond, this homemade lemon hummus is sure to be a hit during the hustle and bustle of the new school year.

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas
• ¼ cup tahini
• Juice of 2 Limoneira lemons
• 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
• Pinch sea salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Directions: Add ingredients to a food processor and blend. Serve with fresh veggies, chips, crackers – the sky is the limit!

Lemon-Herb Zucchini Noodles

Next up, try this perfect make-ahead-of-time option that will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup parsley
• ½ cup cilantro
• 2 zucchini
• 1 Limoneira lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions: If a spiralizer is on hand, process the zucchini through one. If one is not available, using a julienning technique on the zucchini will work. Add lemon juice, sea salt, and olive oil to “noodles” in a bowl. Top with parsley and mix together. Garnish with lemon slices and serve–or, put it in the refrigerator to keep for later!

Hot Tip: Create a meal plan–This month’s guest blogger and meal planner, Natasha Red, recommends making a meal plan ahead of time to cut down on energy spent in the kitchen.

"Eat seasonally, and use a recipe rotation," Natasha suggests. She chooses 16 recipes that her family looks forward to eating every season–spring, summer, fall, winter. This can cut down meal prep and execution by almost 20 minutes by avoiding having to reinvent the wheel every week. Simply look at the menu plan for that season, and choose the meals for the week from it.

For even more tasty ideas, Limoneira has connected with global chefs and mixologists, nutritionists, and beauty lifestyle and green cleaning experts that share their knowledge with the customers of its grocery and foodservice partners around the world. 

Hello September and happy Friday all!

Limoneira

GOODLETTSVILLE, TN – Coming off a year of growth, Dollar General is seeing some tangible return from its investments. The company released its second-quarter results for the year, citing some sizeable growth in several areas and beating Wall Street expectations for its sales. 

"I am pleased with our results at this point in the year. For the quarter, same-store sales grew 2.6%, driven by an increase in our average transaction amount and, importantly, positive customer traffic. In a dynamic retail and consumer landscape, we continue to make targeted investments in our business to execute on our focused strategic and operating initiatives which we believe will contribute to sustainable improvement over time," said Todd Vasos, CEO. 

One of the most noted aspects of the report is the company’s jump in net sales. Dollar General stated in a press release that its net sales grew around 8.1%. This revenue of $5.83 billion, Seeking Alpha reported, beat expectations by $30 million.

Dollar General also noted a rise to its comparable same-store sales, which increased 2.6% and beat analysts initial estimations of a 1.6% reporting. The discount retailer noted that this boosted result was driven by positive results in the consumables category, amongst contributions from its other categories as well. 

Other aspects to the company’s 2017 Q2 are as follows, when compared to results from this time last year:

• Consumables sales increased 8.9%
• Growth rate (in square footage) of 7.2%, up from 6.4%
• Earnings per share remained $1.08
• Gross profit as a percentage of net sales down to 30.72% from 31.19%
• Net income decreased from $306.5 million to $294.8 million
• Fiscal 2017 Diluted Earnings per Share Guidance updated to $4.35-$4.50, from $4.25-$4.50

Business Insider reported that Dollar General’s boosted comparable sales came from increased foot traffic to its stores, from consumers who spent more on average. Furthermore, the source cited, the small format of the chain allows the chain to boost revenue growth while its bigger competitors such as Walmart and Kroger are slashing grocery prices. 

“We’re well priced today and I don’t see us having to do anything that is very dramatic,” Vasos said on a call with analysts, according to Reuters. 

Analysts are already expecting more growth from Dollar General in the future. Seeking Alpha also noted that the company’s returns are solid for one that is “high growth,” also emphasizing that Dollar General’s report delivered on better than estimated comparable sales rather than just earnings as the market is “keen to see.”

Will Dollar General continue to grow, and see boosted revenues and foot traffic along the way? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the competitive status of the buy-side.

Dollar General

JAPAN - Kanako Inomata, Head of Marketing for Zespri in Japan, is being recognized for the innovative marketing approach that places Zespri Kiwifruit as "a hero to the Japanese market," taking on the challenge of putting fruit at the forefront of consumers’ minds.

Kanako has been awarded the first New Zealand Kiwifruit Industry Innovation Trophy, set up in 2015 by former Chairman of Kiwifruit New Zealand Sir Brian Elwood to recognize outstanding innovation achievements.

The trophy was awarded by a panel of judges, including Zespri Chairman Peter McBride, industry regulator Kiwifruit New Zealand Chair Kristy McDonald, and NZ Kiwifruit Growers Inc. President Doug Brown.

“Whether the innovation involves science and technology, investment models, marketing, or other initiatives, the application of new ideas underpins the long-term viability of our industry,” said McBride, who commented that the panel reviewed some excellent nominations, showcasing a wide variety of innovation across the industry. “We are delighted to recognise Kanako for her excellent contribution which can create enduring value and we thank all those who have been nominated for the trophy this year.”

Despite being regarded as a mature market and being Zespri’s longstanding number one market globally, the company was able to grow sales by 30 percent in this important market between 2015 and 2017. Zespri said this shows that innovative marketing approaches based on consumer insights can unlock further growth potential.

“For many years, our marketing relied on using well-known celebrities to promote the product,” commented General Manager Global Marketing Jiunn Shih. “Through her work in consumer research and insights, Kanako recognised while this had positive short-term impact, it failed to build the Zespri brand toward its potential, with consumers remembering the celebrity more than the product they’re promoting.”

The celebrity strategy is also costly, Zespri noted in a press release. As an alternative approach, Kanako introduced two mascots called the ‘Kiwifruit Brothers’ that have proved popular with consumers and helped increase brand awareness and resonance for Zespri in Japan. She has also managed to bring sales partners on board, involving:

• In-store displays across Japan using 13,000 sets of the mascots
• An integrated animation-based TV commercial
• Communication through digital media
• Fruit sampling and packaging

“The execution of the programme has been excellent, supported by new ways of understanding consumer insights that we are now sharing with other Zespri markets. Through breaking a long-standing marketing approach, Kanako has found a way to engage with younger consumers in Japan and opened up significant new potential to grow Zespri sales,” said Shih.

The company plans to continue to further increase sales by 25 percent over the next five years.

Zespri