CALIFORNIA – Westerners are experiencing unseasonable weather this week. A blast of cool air from the northern Pacific Ocean is expected to push into the Northwest, and expand throughout the region—bringing rain, cold air, thunderstorms, and even snow.
"The pattern coming up for this weekend into early next week in the West is like a forgotten piece of March or early April," said Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok, in an AccuWeather report. In fact, the report notes that temperatures may decrease as much as 20 to 40 degrees throughout the state as the cold front passes through.
Showers were seen not just in AndNowUKnow's home town of Sacramento, but throughout the region and down into Southern California.
The Sierra Nevadas will see temperatures drop as low as the 30s—possibly the 20s—and snow levels may dip below 5,000 feet in the Cascade Mountains and 6,500 feet in the Sierras. Many parts of the state are expected to receive several inches of snow.
The cold front is expected to push further east in the next week and may then similarly affect the Rocky Mountains. Unseasonable weather in California will be relatively short lived, though, with SFGATE reporting that warm weather will begin to return by Monday, with temperatures reaching over 90 degrees by Thursday.
Could cold and wet weather in the middle of June disrupt growing in the state? AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you updates.
ORLANDO, FL – Always keeping a sure eye on the innovations of tomorrow, and what flavors will have consumers gushing over its brand next, Naturipe has unleashed a new line to its already prodigious portfolio. Be on the lookout for Naturipe Snacks.
As Brian Jenny, Vice President and General Manager of Value-Added Fresh Division, told me, the line was developed to answer consumer demands in the buy-side sector in a unique way.
“It’s got a unique shape, it’s not square,” Brian tells me. “And we’ve also kind of rebranded ourselves. It’s called Naturipe Snacks.”
Naturipe has cultivated six new flavor combinations to its latest endeavor, the Naturipe Snacks line:
- Bold & Spicy
- Smooth & Smokey
- Sweet & Zesty
- Rich & Savory
- Classic & Sharp
- Sweet & Crunchy
The snack line draws on health and taste by pairing consumers' love for cheeses and nuts with trusted fruits from the Naturipe brand.
As shoppers look to health, convenience, and snacking when making their purchase choices, how else is this snack line sure to answer consumer cravings?
Watch our exclusive video above to learn more about Naturipe Snacks.
HAWKES BAY, NZ - What do you know about KORU® apples? If the answer is not much, we have just the man for you. Meet Tony Gilbertson, the Owner of Gilbertson Orchard and one of Hawkes Bay New Zealand’s KORU growers.
“I am very proud, along with other growers of Hawkes Bay and New Zealand, to be able to produce this wonderful apple in the consistency that we can to the United States consumer,” Tony shares in a short video.
For Gilbertson Orchard and all KORU growers, quality is of the utmost importance. Tony uses the aid of a company named Fruition, which test the apples in all of the KORU orchards in Hawkes Bay for flesh firmness, brix, and starch. This process takes place before the expected harvest date, when the valuable information goes back to each grower.
Then comes the packing process, where each apples in transported to cold storage, packed, and sorted for and defects. “Immediately after it comes off the end of the line, it is palletized in its boxes or trays and it goes back into the cold store to keep the cold chain intact, Tony adds. “So that apple is kept fresh and in the best condition for the consumer: because that’s what its all about.”
To see this process for yourself, and to hear Tony reveal more behind-the-scenes details about the KORU process, watch the full video above.
JOLIET, IL – As Central Grocers looks to auction 19 Strack & Van Til locations, a Delaware bankruptcy court has given bidders through June 26 acquire.
As we recently reported, Jewel-Osco, also known as Jewel Food Stores and a subsidiary of Albertsons, was said to be bidding a total of $100 million for Strack & Van Til’s remaining 19 stores. The offer specifically was for $70 million for the stores and $30 million for the inventory on the shelves. According to NWI Times, Jewel will get a termination fee of $500,000 if it ends up getting outbid for the stores. The court is accepting bids through June 26 on:
- Strack & Van Til stores
- Central Grocers' 930,000-square-foot warehouse in Joliet
- Ultra Foods stores in Highland, Merrillville, and Kankakee, Illinois
An auction for all the above assets will be held in a New York City law firm on June 29. The auction was initially expected to begin on June 2, if the bankruptcy court had approved the procedures.
If no other bidder steps forward, NWI Times noted that a court order has the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of Delaware slated to approve the sale to Jewel on June 28. Should at least one other qualified bid be made, a hearing to approve the sale will be pushed to July 10 and an auction will be held.
When announcing its intentions, Jewel noted that it would likely rebrand the stores, but said it plans to keep most employees.
Anyone who wishes to formally protest a sale has until June 16 to file a sale objection with the court, while those interested in submitting a bid for the remaining Strack & Van Til stores can contact the debtors' advisers at Peter J. Solomon Co. Potential buyers can email Derek Pitts at [email protected], Scott Moses at [email protected], and Gregory Grambling at [email protected].
WATSONVILLE, CA - Industry veterans are making moves at Monterey Mushrooms. The mushroom grower announced it has hired staff and promoted from within to support its sales and marketing efforts. Larissa Boyer is the new Sales Manager in the Northeast, East, and Ohio Valley regions, while Lawrence Tuck was promoted to Director of Category Management and Marketing Services.
“We are looking forward to expanding Lawrence and his team’s role as we move towards being the ultimate supplier for our retail partners,” said Mike O'Brien, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, according to a press release.
Lawrence Tuck was promoted to Director of Category Management and Marketing Services. Tuck joined Monterey Mushrooms in 2004, after 18 years with The Kroger Company.
As the Director of Category Management and Marketing Services, Tuck has been instrumental in identifying effective promotions, cost/pricing strategies, and applying category management principles to programs for the company and its retail partners. He also supervises vendor managed inventory services. Tuck is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a degree in Management Operations.
Larissa Boyer is the company’s new Sales Manager in the Northeast, East, and Ohio Valley regions. In that role, she will manage the sales territory supported by the company’s Temple, PA, operation and serve both retail and foodservice customers in 11 states.
Before joining Monterey Mushrooms, Boyer was a District Sales Manager for Fresh Del Monte Produce, managing fresh-cut and convenience products from a Maryland facility. For 16 years prior, Boyer held various produce positions at Redner’s Markets in Reading, PA.
From the entire team at AndNowUKnow, congratulations to Tuck and Boyer in your new roles!
PETERSBURG, VA – A truck carrying roughly 36,000 pounds of watermelons narrowly avoided spilling its sweet cargo when the truck was struck by another driver, overturned, and sprawled across several lanes of traffic.
The crash occurred shortly after noon on northbound I-95, when a Honda Accord struck the right front tire of the watermelon-laden truck. According to local news source The Progress-Index, the collision caused the truck to flip over the median and skid into southbound lanes.
Thankfully, the tumbling truck didn’t strike any southbound vehicles, but six people were injured in the initial collision and taken to neighboring Southside Regional Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries.
While the melons remained secure in the tractor-trailer, unable to bound and break across the road, no word was forthcoming on the fate of the fruit. And spilled fuel may have spoiled the produce’s chance at rescue, as hazardous materials crews spent several hours cleaning up the noxious and flammable substance. Traffic delays persisted into the evening, and southbound traffic was cleared shortly before nightfall.
For more on mangled melon shipments, obliterated oranges, bumped berries, and bruised bananas, AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
KINGSVILLE, ON - SUNSET® has added another batch of awards to its ever-growing collection, taking home two prestigious flavor awards from The International Taste and Quality Institute in Belgium. This marks the 8th consecutive year that the greenhouse company has been recognized for its achievements in flavor.
Aloha™ peppers, SUNSET’s newest product, took home the top honors for the company. This latest innovation is a unique, striped sweet bell pepper, with eye-catching color that SUNSET® sees as a product that will be sure to stir up some excitement in the category.
“Aloha™ peppers are our newest signature offering,” shared company CEO Paul Mastronardi. “They have an attractive striped appearance and super sweet flavor—ideal for any gourmet dish.”
The International Taste and Quality judges also awarded SUNSET® Minzano® tomatoes for their classic, aromatic flavor, according to a press release. With a balanced flavor and hearty texture ideal for sauces, Minzano® tomatoes are available in a variety of pack formats, including the new SUNSET® Minzano® Pasta Kit. The kit makes for a convenience-driven meal solution, and can help consumers whip up an authentic pasta dish in just 15 minutes.
“We congratulate Mastronardi Produce on this extraordinary achievement,” said Christian De Bauw, Managing Partner at ITQI, the International Taste and Quality Institute. “It is clear their products are of superior quality, and we applaud the greenhouse company on growing such incredible and unique flavors.”
Us at AndNowUKnow say bravo to SUNSET® for 8 years of continued flavor innovations, and look forward to more tasty offerings to come.
VIDALIA, GA – The Vidalia Onion Committee (VOC) announced today that Executive Director Susan Waters is retiring from the organization, with Bob Stafford, current Director of the Vidalia Onion Business Council, replacing her on an interim basis.
Waters served as Executive Director of the VOC since 2013. According to a VOC press release, Waters joined the organization that oversees marketing, promotion, and research for Vidalia onions seven years ago as the Executive Assistant to the former Executive Director before stepping into the role herself.
“We are very grateful and appreciative for Susan’s leadership over the past four years,” said VOC Chairman Troy Bland. “We are fortunate that Bob Stafford will be able to step in while we look for a new leader to handle the day-to-day operations of the committee.”
Stafford, Waters’ interim successor, is a veteran agriculture industry executive having spent 34 years with various state departments of agriculture. He is a member of Vidalia Onion Hall of Fame and the Georgia Agriculture Vidalia Onion Advisory panel.
The VOC also noted that it launched its 2017 season April 12, 2017, and is celebrating the silver anniversary of the State of Georgia's ownership of the Vidalia onion trademark. The committee launched a new marketing campaign entitled “Only Vidalia” to highlight the region’s signature onion and the way it has been hand crafted by grower artisans for more than 80 years in Georgia.
We at AndNowUKnow wish both Waters and Stafford the best in all their future endeavors.
DELANO, CA – As consumers demand more than just quality from their premium fruits and vegetables, fresh produce companies are putting sustainability more at the forefront of their strategies. For Vignolo Farms/Top Brass Produce this particular focus now includes a solar energy partnership with CalCom Solar, as well as high-profile tech company, Tesla.
Building off the benefits from a 1 GW solar field the company installed a couple of years ago, President Brett Dixon tells me that the partnership was a natural next step.
“Our solar field already generates around 80 percent of our coolers’ electrical needs, but by installing Tesla batteries we’re now maintaining better efficiency not only for our operations but also for the entire California energy grid system,” Brett shares.
These Tesla-made batteries store energy that is generated by the company’s solar panels, storing the energy for when Vignolo Farms needs it during peak times of usage. This arrangement makes the overall grid less taxed, and lowers overall energy demand.
“It’s more efficient for us, and for our entire system,” Brett continues. “It appears to be a win-win for everyone’s energy needs–it allows us to be better stewards of the environment, and of the land we farm.”
Top Brass Produce will start installing the batteries on its farm soon, with the process projected to continue over the next several months. Designed to work with the company’s current solar setup, Brett says that if the company adds more solar panels in the future then it will likewise add more Tesla batteries.
“We’re always looking for additional ways to reduce our carbon footprint, and better care for our land and environment,” Brett elaborates.
So, where does this sustainable focus see Vignolo Farms/Top Brass Produce headed next?
The company is increasing its acreage of certified organic land for its organic potato and grape businesses, and researching ways to ensure that continues.
With Tesla and tech making more moves into the realms of fresh produce, continue to count on AndNowUKnow for all the latest.
SACRAMENTO, CA - California is investing itself even further into helping the citrus industry combat deadly tree disease, announcing SB 243, a $9.6 million budget to spend in the fight.
“It is an honor to be a co-author and present SB 243 in the Assembly,” said Assembly member Dr. Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno). “Our state’s citrus growers are under a real threat from disease pressures and these funds will help the Department of Food and Agriculture combat destructive pests like the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) and the diseases it spreads.”
The announcement comes in addition to $25 million that has already been allocated for the program specifically to fight citrus greening, or Huanglongbing (HLB), according to The Foothills Sun Gazette.
Governor Jerry Brown authorized the additional investment by signing SB 243 on May 26.
California Citrus Mutual (CCM) told the news source the money will be spent to:
- Require more quarantines
- Expand breeding
- Releases of a parasitic wasp that is the natural enemy of the pest
- Conduct additional surveys of residential citrus trees
- Increase research to find better treatments and possibly a cure
CCM Communications Director Alyssa Houtby said psyllids have been found as far north as Solano and Placer counties, with the total number of infected trees coming to 61, having added 18 to the count in the last year.
“Fortunately, the disease has been contained to residential properties but the pest continues to spread across the state,” Houtby said. “The industry is ramping up to do more of everything to try and prevent the spread of the disease.”
Houtby continued, “Citrus growers are doing an excellent job of preventing the spread of the disease. It’s residential trees in urban areas that we have the most trouble with. It’s not likely that someone with a tree in their backyard is taking all the steps that a farmer would.”
Residential trees are the biggest threat, further complicated by the fact that pesticides cannot be applied in residential areas, the Communication Director explained. Instead, efforts must be made to contain the pest biologically, with such as with natural predators, but are a costly method and less effective than chemicals.
The CPDPP is funded by growers through an assessment on every 40-pound carton of commercial citrus produced, Houtby said, and the assessment generates an average of $18 million. Currently, California’s Central Valley and Tulare County, where the crop is a billion dollar industry, is one of the last HLB-free commercial citrus groves.