WATSONVILLE, CA – With another summer, comes the beloved annual summer barbecue at California Giant Berry Farms. Looking to give back to the very community that enriches it, the company put on its 11th event with great success.
“We are all humbled by just how supportive the community of Watsonville is when 1,000 people all take the time to share in the opportunity to give back,” said Bill Moncovich, CEO/President.
Held on July 18, California Giant staff served lunch to its friends throughout the community, offering up over 1,000 lunches to those in attendance. According to a press release, the barbecue was lit by 8 a.m. with lunches leaving the door by 11 a.m., as community members gathering the parking lot for their freshly prepared meal.
The main dish of the lunch was skirt steak, with salad, fruit, garlic bread, and homemade dessert to round out the delicious event. The lunches cost $12 per guest and were either eaten on the premises or taken back to attendees offices in town. Over the years, California Giant noted, donations have increased during the event, in addition to food donations for the lunch, allowing almost 100 percent of the proceeds to go directly to local charities.
The company’s friends who donated to offset the costs of the lunches, were as follows:
- Markon
- Watsonville Coast Produce
- Custom Produce
- Titan
- Norcal/Planasa
- Pacific Cookie Company
Even more neighborhood customers were drawn to the event by the alluring smell of the barbecue, due in part to fire wood provided by Community Tree Service.
California Giant said that this annual event continues to amaze its staff with how the community comes together each year to support this cause. Many that were not able to attend the event bought lunches and asked for them to be donated, allowing the staff to deliver over 200 meals to Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes.
Recipients of the proceeds were CASA of Santa Cruz County, Digital Nest, Grind out Hunger, Jacob’s Heart, Monarch Services, Pajaro Valley Shelter Services, Teen Kitchen Project, and the Watsonville Senior Center. Each of these organizations was on hand to help with the event, visit with guests, and enjoy lunch at the picnic tables throughout the parking lot.
California Giant owners will match the total proceeds generated, passing them along to the eight non-profits.
As California Giant and other industry companies continue to invest in the health and wealth of their communities, stick with AndNowUKnow for the latest.
SACRAMENTO, CA – In the latest installment of AndNowUKnow’s series of cover contests, we asked the industry who could spot the ANUK apple logo hidden on the cover of the July issue of The Snack. Many submitted responses, and this month we have two winners claiming our grand prize—a cool $100.
It was a tight race, with a ton of timely submissions, but ultimately, Molly Edenfield, Member Relations for the Southeast Produce Council, proved to have the keenest eye on the supply side of our industry, claiming the prize a mere minute after the contest was announced.
In addition to Molly’s victory, this month, ANUK is announcing a second $100 prize—awarded to the quickest competitor from the retail side of the produce industry. This month’s retail prize went to Monina Knox, Produce Sourcing Specialist for Sobeys, who picked our logo out with alacrity.
"I am ecstatic that I am the winner," Monina told me. "I am having an ANUK kind of week!"
Kudos go to several of our quickest submissions, a number of sharp-eyed produce luminaries including:
- John Higgins of Costco
- Soren Bjorn of Driscoll’s
- Adriana Palombit of To-Jo Mushrooms
- Avery LeFils of Village Farms
- Mike Downey of Military Produce Group
If you missed the logo challenge, make sure to subscribe to The Snack Magazine here (subscription is valued at $129 per year), and keep an eye out for future contest announcements on ANUK.
Contest rules stipulate that submissions include the entrant pointing out the logo on the cover of the appropriate issue of The Snack Magazine. Once we announce the contest (and only then), the countdown begins.
July, 2017 Snack Magazine—Volume 26
Best of luck to all our future participants, and congratulations to those who found our logo!
WENATCHEE, WA – Cherries are one of those key categories that have consumer’s rushing to the produce department in hopes of catching the latest shipment. And with late season cherries from Stemilt, the season is far from over. Data shows that late-season cherries account for more than one-third of a total season’s cherry sales, which makes Stemilt’s A Half Mile Closer to the Moon™ program a great choice for the company's retail partners, and a crowd-pleaser.
Kyle Mathison is the visionary behind this high-altitude cherry brand, as he continues to aim higher in order to grow cherries even later into the year. Harvested fresh daily in August from the unique Amigos Orchard in Wenatchee, these premium cherries are grown 2,640 feet above sea level or higher, literally a half mile closer to the moon than most.
“For every 100 feet in elevation you go up, it pushes cherry harvest back one day,” said Mathison. “It’s always been my dream to provide shoppers with World Famous Stemilt cherries as long as possible. This year, we’re looking at harvesting until Labor Day, and hopefully in future years, we can go even later.”
Late-ripening varieties combined with the high-altitude climate allow Stemilt to lengthen its cherry season to differentiate themselves in the cherry category and offer retail partners more value for their shoppers.
Never slowing, Mathison’s goal of taking cherry harvest even later will become a reality once the new Amigos Orchard cherry plantings come into production, and he surpasses the height of 4,000 feet above sea level, according to a press release. Until then, Kyle relishes in the opportunity to share his special “Moon cherries” and deliver a great finale to the 2017 season.
Beginning around August 10th, Stemilt’s “Moon cherries” are set to pack in specially marked bags and clamshells, just as the company wraps up its Kyle’s Pick™ cherry program. Three key varieties, Sweetheart, Skeena, and Staccato®, are grown for large sizes and dessert flavors at Amigos.
Talk about timing; as an added benefit, the full moon slated for August 7th will mark the beginning of harvest at Amigos. For Mathison, that is a good omen for cherry quality.
“One of the reasons these are called Moon cherries is because of my belief that harvesting cherries just before a full moon results in fruit with higher sugars and flavor complexity,” said Mathison. “The extra gravitational pull from the full moon seems to energize the tree and its ability to build up and store carbohydrates, which is passed onto the fruit in the form of higher sugars.”
According to Stemilt, another attribute that makes Moon cherries stand out is the unique locale they call home. Amigos, the Spanish word for friends, overlooks the Columbia River and town of Wenatchee, Washington, not too far from the Mathison family’s original homestead on Stemilt Hill. High altitudes allow Amigos orchard cherries to remain cooler during the hot summer, with the benefit of cool nights.
It is important to remember that there is still more than a month of cherry harvest to go, and Marketing Director Roger Pepperl recommends that retailers continue to have good display space and size dedicated to cherries. A final promotion should be in August plans, and driving impulse sales through quality and freshness is a must.
“Cherries are a huge contributor to annual produce department dollars, even though they aren’t available all year long,” said Pepperl. “August can and should be a big month for cherry sales, and bringing in fresh and high-quality cherries through our A Half Mile Closer to the Moon program is a great way to ensure late-season success.”
Retailers can use A Half Mile Closer to the Moon boxes to build displays, and Stemilt can provide signage or digital content to help tell the special Moon cherry story to shoppers both in and out of store.
It is cherry fever at Stemilt and cherry heaven for consumers. Time to keep those cherry destinations stocked.
DALLAS, TX – The company committed to pushing fresh produce forward through the marketing services it provides, DMA Solutions, Inc., now in its thirteenth year, is celebrating two major milestones signaling continued growth within the company and the industry that it serves; the tenth anniversary of The Core Blog and the promotion of Mackenzie Wortham, editor of The Core blog, to Account Director.
“For ten years we’ve shared our knowledge and expertise about fresh produce marketing as via The Core Blog. Over that time, readership and subscriptions to The Core blog have grown significantly indicating a need for an elevated approach to marketing, branding, and differentiation in our industry,” said Dan’l Mackey Almy, President and CEO, according to a press release. “At DMA Solutions, we remain committed to the industry that we serve and intend to continue to provide unbiased content that is relevant and supports marketers as they work to elevate their brands to trade customers and end consumers.”
DMA Solutions has shown an unparalleled commitment to fresh produce marketers by providing relevant content on a consistent basis via The Core blog over the last decade. Lead by Mackenzie Wortham and authored by the DMA Solutions team, the Core serves as DMA’s primary marketing medium for sharing subject matter and thought leadership while measuring content that is most important to fresh produce marketers today. The way the blog is designed and the information presented is intentional and built to cater to the needs of The Core’s readers.
The success of the blog’s content is measured by the number of views each post receives on any given day, week, month, or year. The blog’s most read posts include the series titled “What Blew Us Away” and features the DMA Solutions’ teams’ highlights from various industry events throughout the year. In addition, readers most respond to blog posts featuring topics including social media marketing, branding, and leadership.
Mackenzie Wortham has led publishing for The Core three out of the five years she has worked at DMA Solutions.
“Mackenzie’s contribution to the growth of our blog and our company is significant, and I couldn’t be more proud of the marketer and leader she has become during her five-year tenure at the company,” said Almy. “One of the attributes I value most about Mackenzie is the way she leads with the ‘why’ when shaping blog content for The Core and when strategizing on behalf of our brand partners.”
Her promotion to Account Director, the company said, is a result of her ongoing dedication to evolving The Core blog, managing fresh produce brands and achieving measurable marketing results on behalf of her clients.
“I look forward to continuing to evolve The Core blog and shaping its content using the input we receive from our subscribers and the industry at large,” said Mackenzie Wortham, Account Director. “When I think about my promotion at DMA Solutions, I think about the companies that have trusted me and the DMA Solutions team to manage their brands’ growth over the years, and I am grateful for the experience. I look forward to working closely with Dan’l and the leadership team to continue to challenge the norm in fresh produce marketing and pave the way for growth that results in an increase in demand and consumption of fresh produce.”
In addition to the blog, the DMA Solutions team offers free downloadable resources like their most recent website and social media ebooks.
Congratulations to DMA Solutions and Mackenzie on these milestones! Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to offer the latest news in the fresh produce industry.
SACRAMENTO, CA – One, two, three—GO! It’s that time again. Time to race your produce peers for a $100 prize. Will you be the first to find the ANUK apple logo on the cover of our latest issue of The Snack?
Here’s how it works:
Find the hidden AndNowUKnow logo, as seen below, on the cover of the July issue of The Snack Magazine—featuring Windset Farms. Then, race your friends across the industry to be the first to email [email protected] a picture of yourself pointing to the logo.
The first to find the logo and send us a qualifying picture pointing out its location wins. In order to qualify, participants must send a picture of themselves pointing to the logo; please, let us see your face! No disembodied fingers or circled logos.
Who couldn’t use an extra hundred dollars? And bringing those bragging rights to bear at the next industry event might make your victory all the more sweet.
Previous winners include:
- Jennifer Velasquez of Golden Sun Marketing
- Kate Reeb of Veg-Fresh Farms
- Mimmo Franzone of Longo’s
- Scott Hakes of Ciruli Brothers
- Daniela Ferro of SUNSET®
So, grab your camera and your copy of The Snack; time is of the essence!
Interested in receiving a copy of The Snack to give you a leg up in future challenges? Subscriptions are valued at $129 per year, click here to subscribe.
WASHINGTON, DC – A banana farmer based in Belize has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury Department, claiming that the Department caused the closure of his farm in its pursuit of Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
In the lawsuit filed this Tuesday in DC federal court, The National Law Journal stated that John Zabaneh claimed his unjust designation as a narcotics trafficker by the Department led to the direct closure of his farm, and impacted Belize’s industry.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a statement in 2012 naming John Zabaneh amongst “key associates” of El Chapo and the Sinaloa Cartel, who played a “prominent role” in the trafficking organization. The Department placed a sanction on Zabaneh and five of his organizations under the Kingpin Act. The action effectively “prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these individuals and companies, and also freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction,” according to the press release issued by the Department at the time.
Zabaneh, for his part, stated in the lawsuit filed this week that the designation was “arbitrary and capricious,” and in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. Zabaneh is asking the DC court to revoke his designation, and consider other forms of “relief” that seem just or proper to the case.
Zabaneh stated that after the sanctions were placed against him he had to close his banana and citrus farms in Belize. The sanctions, he claims, also caused companies outside of the U.S. to not work with him, in addition to causing obstacles in his family’s and own lives. Reuters also reported last year that the sanctions placed against Zabaneh impacted the country’s exports and labor. Bananas, according to Reuters, make up a fifth of Belize’s exports.
Over the years, Zabaneh has given interviews in Belize denying any involvement with El Chapo. According to The National Law Journal, the Treasury Department or Zabaneh’s legal representation have yet to comment since the lawsuit’s filing.
As the lawsuit continues further, AndNowUKnow will keep an eye out for updates and their impact on the global industry.
LOS ANGELES, CA - Summer citrus is proving once again, to be an in-demand destination in the produce department. At least a couple times a week, you can find me circling the citrus section at retail, looking for the latest and greatest in the category while eyeing my go-to staples.
One of the items generating excitement this summer is Giumarra’s new Bright Bites™ brand mandarins. As an exciting new bag option that emphasizes the fun, playful nature of this easy-peel fruit, this is a win for the produce department.
“Mandarins are a top-seller in the citrus category, and an incredibly popular healthy snacking item with consumers,” Megan Schulz, Director of Communications, shares with me. “Retailers can promote mandarins during back-to-school shopping for maximum impact.”
Bright Bites are currently available in both 2-lb. or 3-lb. bags, ideal for grab-and-go merchandising displays. The bag features orange mesh and a bright green wrap with the signature Bright Bites monster graphic.
“We will be offering Bright Bites from three different countries of origin this summer: Australia, Peru, and Chile,” Megan says. “In addition to Bright Bites, we just started our imports of navel oranges and lemons grown in Chile. It is an exciting time.”
Navels and lemons will be available in a bulk 16kg (35 lb.) box. Giumarra’s minneolas and murcotts from Peru will be arriving in mid-August. From New Zealand, Giumarra is continuing its popular Meyer lemon program that began in 2012. Meyer lemons are a fun culinary item for consumers, and the convenient 2-lb. bag is the perfect size for everyone to keep a constant supply of Meyer lemons in the refrigerator all summer long.
One of my favorite uses for the flavor Meyer lemon is slicing them into refreshing beverages whether it be sparkling water, lemonade, or a tasty Greyhound (only if you are of age, please). Have you tried squeezing them on avocado toast with salt and pepper? Megan has, and she says they are delicious.
From Australia, Giumarra is now shipping Bright Bites as well as navel oranges, minneolas, and Daisy mandarins.
“We are excited to be working with Australia in the citrus category, a first for Giumarra this year,” Megan shares. “Overall, we’ve seen a strong start to the import season and will continue promoting our citrus offerings now through the month of September. Summer is the perfect time to get consumers excited about juicy citrus!”
Now that Megan has “peeled” back the layers on the latest and greatest, stay tuned for more from the company and the exciting citrus season ahead.
WATSONVILLE, CA – With a family farming pedigree that dates back to the 1800s, Lakeside Organic Gardens’ Owner and Founder Dick Peixoto has farming in his blood. And as an early adopter of organic and one of the largest organic-only family farms in the country, the company that he has created has an impressive slate of accomplishments—and produce offerings. Boasting more than 45 organic vegetables, the company is a one-stop shop for many organic retailers up and down the California coast, throughout the United States and Western Canada.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Dick about the company’s values, its vision, and the pioneering work Dick and his team have done in the organic category.
“I started farming conventionally when I was in high school—on my own—on forty acres in the Pajaro Valley, growing beans, cucumbers, and squash—and just basically built that up over the course of the next twenty years to be one of the largest lettuce growers in that area,” Dick told me.
After becoming frustrated with the limitations of being a conventional grower in the mid-90s, Dick made the forward-thinking decision to enter shipping and to begin investing in organic operations.
“Our margins were shrinking, and it seemed like the shippers were getting a bigger piece of the pie and growers were getting the smaller piece,” Dick explained. “So, I started looking at the future, where I thought the industry would grow, and everything that I looked at seemed to be pointing at organic.”
In 1996, Dick founded what was then known as Lakeside Organics—on a 50-acre plot dwarfed by his preexisting 2,500-acre conventional growing operation. And despite some initial hurdles, the company’s organic program would grow rapidly, quickly becoming the focal point of Dick’s family-owned and operated business.
“We dropped out of conventional within five years, and we’ve been farming organic ever since,” said Dick. “Now we have over 45 different items. We have grown from 50 acres to about 2500 acres growing organically and about 500 more in transition to organic.”
Dick explained to me that perhaps the biggest challenge the company faced, initially, was negotiating supply and demand; despite higher margins, the 1990s’ niche organics market meant it was easy to oversaturate the market.
“When we first started it was almost like we were ahead of the deal. We figured we would just grow it, and there would be people standing in line to buy organic,” Dick said. “As we got into it, we found out…the market wasn’t growing with us. Initially, we outpaced the market in our growth. In the first three or four years, it was kind of frustrating, because we were growing more than the market was able to absorb.”
But burgeoning demand would soon mean that Lakeside Organic Gardens was perfectly positioned to address its customers’ growing need for more organic supply.
“About four or five years into it, we reached a point where more people were converting to organics,” noted Dick. “More and more companies were featuring organic. And at that point, there became a real shortage in the industry in terms of organic supply, and it became more popular and stayed that way for another ten or 12 years.”
After more than 20 years in the industry, Lakeside Organic Gardens is primed to provide retailers with more than two decades of organic growing experience and the expansive slate of offerings that consumers increasingly demand.
“A lot of the chain stores over the years thought they would get into organic with five to seven items and thought that would satisfy the need of organic buyers and keep those customers happy,” said Dick. “But I think they’ve come to the realization that customers don’t just buy seven organic items. And if they don’t have a full line of organic products, these customers basically walk out the store and go to a Whole Foods or a Sprouts Farmers Market where they can buy their crackers organic, their juice organic, and everything down the line.”
Now in its 21st year, the family-owned farm is primed to grow and meet even more consumers’ needs with a facility expansion in the works—a new cooler that will take the company’s cooling capacity from 17,000 square feet to 55,000 square feet of cold space in a nearly 100,000-square-foot facility. And the company is also in the process of developing a sustainable and organic learning center in the Pajaro Valley—designed to educate the next generation of organic farmers, and the public in general, about organic farming practices, where our food comes from, and how consumers and growers alike can positively impact the future of farming.
For more on all things produce, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
WEST DES MOINES, IA - The ready-to-go food sector is ramping up, and Hy-Vee is upping its stakes in the game with plans to invest more than $86 million.
Tossing its hat in a ring of players like Amazon, who has just filed to trademark its own meal kits, and newly-public Blue Apron, the Des Moines Register reports that the Iowa-based retailer is expanding an Ankeny warehouse and building a $64 million facility, all focusing on providing prepared foods for consumers.
This is a considerable move for the company; while it does offer meal kits at some locations, it is not an initiative it has adapted throughout all of its stores. But this step, the report notes, is a clear one towards looking for a bigger stake in the meal kit industry, a market value of about $2.2 billion.
The retailer did not respond to the Des Moines Register at the time of the report for comment.
As we previously reported, the retailer expanded its Chef in a Box program to new markets last May, around the same time that Publix too made moves to strengthen its meal kit presense. Kroger, too, has worked to over a ready-to-eat option, and Hello Fresh, much like Blue Apron, offers ready-to-prep fresh ingredients delivered to consumers to be become the chefs.
As this and other sectors opening new doors to produce heat up, AndNowUKnow will keep you up on the latest.
MONTEREY, CA - Between sold-out exhibitor spaces and more than 115 different companies sharing their organic offerings with over 900 attendees, the Organic Produce Summit has again become one of the top tier regional shows to rival.
Add in more than 200 retailers, representing 70 different buying organizations in attendance which, in turn, represent over 60,000 stores, and you have yourself a hit. So, what are some of the great products that caught my eye on the incredible show floor? Find out here...
SUNSET® Organic Campari Tomatoes
Vibrant red, certified organic, and a blast of flavor with every bite–the Campari, dubbed The Tomato Lover’s Tomato®, offers an ideal balance of sweetness and acidity. Just the way I like it. And with a tomato that good, SUNSET® has the packaging to match. This presentation utilizes Top Seal technology, which has become the industry standard with pioneering efforts from companies like SUNSET®, and is completely recyclable and made from recycled materials. In addition, the company has added the voice of Chef Roger Mooking to the design, as he offers a recipe fit for the tomato, and the consumer palate.
4Earth Farms Organic Green Beans
This is one produce item that is truly versatile, creating tasty components for appetizers and sides, warm or cold entrees, and, as always, as an on-the-go snack. As the demand for organics continues its upward trajectory, 4Earth Farms is responding to the call for clean and cut organic green beans to suit both foodservice and retail buyers' needs. The packaging only elevates the item by letting the fresh produce speak for itself with a unique poly film laminate and eye-catching graphics, that extends shelf-life and freshness as well.
Ippolito’s New Queen Victoria Brand Organic Line
While green is my favorite color, these six on-trend organic products reinvigorate my love for the soft but energetic shade. From Baby Kale and Arugula, to a 50/50 blend of Organic Spinach, Baby Lettuces, Greens, and Chicories, this new line is built to expand with plans for additional packs, varieties, and blends as demand dictates. Branded under Queen Victoria, this line features retail offerings in three different sizes–5 oz, 11 oz, and 16 oz–as well as providing foodservice options that are currently in the works. The possibilities are endless for this line, and I am ready to test that theory.
Bako Sweet Organic Single Sweets
Now, this item is a “sweet” deal. Sometimes I’m cooking for a party, and sometimes I am simply prepping for myself–and there in lies the rub. In a world where you can buy everything in bulk, sometimes you just simply want a single-serving of something healthy and tasty. Enter Bako Sweet with the company’snew organic SingleSweets line. Designed to accommodate the individual on the go, Bako Sweet launched the Newly Single microwaveable sweet potato this year. Nutritious, earthy, and delicious, these singles can complement any dish throughout the day or offer a snack in itself.
Mann Packing’s Organic Super Blend
When I walk into the produce department I can’t help but immediately shop with my eyes first. I truly believe color, quality, and presentation affect the way that we perceive flavor and satisfaction. Walking the floor at OPS, what do I spy, but Mann Packing’s Organic Super Blend. This new creation is packed with crunchy veggies including kale, colored carrots, green cabbage and broccoli, and offers a unique combo of flavors and textures. Organic and delicious? I’m in.
Next up, PMA Foodservice which will return our team to Monterey, California. See you all there!
SUNSET® 4Earth Farms Ippolito International Country Sweet Produce Mann Packing