WASHINGTON, DC – After reports circulated throughout the week suggesting that President Trump would withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the White House clarified this Thursday that it would remain in the trade agreement.
"We agree with the President’s determination not to immediately withdraw from NAFTA," said Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif, in a statement issued Thursday. "The benefits of this agreement have not been uniformly felt in the United States, depending on region of the country or sector of the economy, and we agree that the solution is to better NAFTA’s terms for American companies, including the fresh produce industry."
Though the announcement represents a significant shift from the President’s tone on the campaign trail—at which time, he called NAFTA “a total disaster” and “one of the worst deals ever,” according to the Chicago Tribune—Trump did leave the door open to drop NAFTA at a later date.
And while the President reassured Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peńa Nieto that the United States would remain committed to the pact in phone calls a series of phone calls late Wednesday, according to the Chicago Tribune, Trump has not unequivocally ruled out the agreements dissolution.
“I received calls from the President of Mexico and the Prime Minister of Canada asking to renegotiate NAFTA rather than terminate. I agree…subject to the fact that if we do not reach a fair deal for all, we will then terminate NAFTA,” Trump tweeted Thursday morning.
In a conversation with press in the Oval Office later that day, on the occasion of a meeting with Argentinian President Mauricio Macri, the President made similar remarks.
"I was all set to terminate," Trump said. "I looked forward to terminating. I was going to do it…I decided rather than terminating NAFTA, which would be a pretty big, you know, shock to the system, we will renegotiate…Now, if I'm unable to make a fair deal, if I'm unable to make a fair deal for the United States, meaning a fair deal for our workers and our companies, I will terminate NAFTA. But we're going to give renegotiation a good, strong shot.”
According to Chicago Tribune, U.S law requires the nation’s trade representative to give a formal 90-day notice to Congress before negotiations can take place. If President Trump chooses to withdraw from NAFTA, the process would require a six-month notification process, after which Canada and Mexico could impose higher tariffs on U.S. imports, which could put the United States at a disadvantage given trade rules under the World Trade Organization.
"To facilitate enhanced competition for U.S. fruit and vegetable farmers, we ask the Trump Administration to work with our North American trading partners to further work on science-based standards, harmonize sanitary and phytosanitary standards, and eliminate other non-tariff trade barriers," added Nassif. "We look forward to participating in the effort to modernize NAFTA for both agriculture and the broader American economy."
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the situation as it develops
ORLANDO, FL – There’s a high-quality season in the works for the Central American Produce team, as the company looks to answer spring demand with its seasonal melons and year-round mangos.
As President and Owner Michael Warren recently told me from the Southern Exposure show floor, the company is celebrating the warmer weather by kicking off its mango program.
“We’re packing our first mangos out of Guatemala right now. Those mangos are Tommy Atkins mangos, they come in with very, very high blush,” Michael says.
The company is also packing mangos out of its Mexican program. Crops out of this region are expecting better than normal quality this season due to a very good growing season.
So, how is the company planning to further boost its high-quality offerings this season?
“We try to find out exactly what our partners want. We’re talking to folks about ripening programs,” Michael says. “If anybody is interested in that, we have lots of options for them. We have consultants that can go out and work with them.”
To answer demand for another consumer favorite, the company is also ramping up its spring melons. Michael expects its honeydew and cantaloupes to come in through the first week of May, making for the perfect addition to retailers shelves.
Find out how else the company maintains its premium offerings in the exclusive video above.
WENATCHEE, WA – Cherry season is so close we can practically taste it, and Stemilt Growers is announcing that it has exciting offerings in the works throughout California.
The company can trace its roots in the region back as far as 1918, when Anthony, James and Phillip Chinchiolo moved to the Golden State in hopes of growing and marketing their own cherries.
The Chinchiolo Fruit Company was one of the first cherry grower and shippers in California. In the 1920s, Chinchiolo expanded quickly throughout the state, building its own growing operations and assisting other growers in marketing and shipping their fruit. Throughout its almost 90-year history Chinchiolo Fruit Co. broke into the Japanese market and helped to open the region to California cherry exporters.
In 2003, Chinchiolo Fruit Co. was acquired by Stemilt Growers, becoming Chinchiolo Stemilt California (CSC), and has since been operated by the family-owned company based in Wenatchee, Washington.
The acquisition allowed Stemilt to supply cherries continuously from May to September, transitioning growing up the Pacific coast. In California, Stemilt has found success in multiple districts. Throughout three different growing areas in the state—South District, Mid-District, and Late District—Stemilt’s grows a number of varieties, including the traditional Bing, Rainier, and Lapins.
“Geographic diversity allows us to harvest daily for a continuous supply from California, which keeps cherry freshness and quality high,” noted Erick Stonebarger, General Manager of CSC, in a Stemilt press release. “Our long cherry season at Stemilt wouldn’t be possible without focusing on quality each and every day, and growing cherries with ‘world famous’ qualities is exactly what we strive for here in California.”
And always looking at new varieties and testing their abilities to perform in different locations, the company is placing a big focus on up-and-coming offerings: Coral Champagne cherries and a number of Royal varieties.
The company noted, in its press release, that it is especially excited about the potential of its cherries in the historic Patterson district. Located in central California, Patterson is quickly becoming a leading district for the Coral Champagne variety.
The variety, originally released in the early 1990s, is a low-acid, exceptionally sweet, large-sized cherry. The Coral has quickly become the second highest produced cherry variety in the state of California (following the Bing variety), and thrives in the desert-like, breezy climate of the Patterson district.
“At Stemilt, we constantly work to align the right variety with the right climate so that it can thrive and produce the dessert flavors shoppers want in cherries,” said Stonebarger. “We’ve been very happy with how Coral grows in Patterson, and all signs point to an exceptional crop this year from this locale.”
The Patterson District is only a short drive from Stemilt’s Stockton, California packing facility which allows for quick hydrocooling and packing of cherries, a must when it comes to maintaining a tight cold chain and high qualities.
In recent years, Stemilt has invested significantly in the packing side of its California operations. The company uses jet coolers to bring cherries to the ideal temperature quickly prior to shipment and operates a state-of-the-art optic sizing and defect sorting packing line that allows it to efficiently and consistently pack high-quality cherries. Recent line enhancements have allowed for increased clamshell and bag capacity, as well.
Stemilt’s emphasis on growing new varieties in heritage sites promises to pay off in extraordinary quality fruit as California enters its cherry season.
“Our goal is to create a memorable and dessert eating experience for shoppers,” said Stonebarger. “In cherries, that means doing a lot of little things right, including farming the right fruit in the right spot, harvesting it at optimal timing, and packing quickly and with care. Stemilt’s unique position in two cherry growing states not only allows for a long cherry season, but also gives us great resources to focus on quality and flavor first and foremost.”
For more on Stemilt’s offerings as cherry season progresses, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
WEST DES MOINES, IA - This year looks to be one of innovation for midwestern retailer, Hy-Vee. Following the recent restructuring of its corporate organization, the company has confirmed it is exploring a new, convenience-oriented format highlighting its Aisles Online program offering convenient drive-thru grocery pick up.
The project is currently operating under the concept name of “Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh,” according to local news source, the Des Moines Register.
“The exact store design and store concept is still being decided,” Tara Deering-Hansen, Group Vice President, Communications of Hy-Vee, told the source.
She confirmed that the store will be between 12,000- and 16,000-square-feet, including groceries and fuel pumps. According to the source, she went on to say that this is a new concept for the company, and will expand on the existing gas stations and small convenience stores the company operates.
Real estate drawings of the project depict a small Hy-Vee store with a pickup lane for online grocery orders on one side, and a drive-thru cafe on the other.
Last year, Hy-Vee rolled out online shopping for all 240 of its stores. The Aisles Online program allows consumers to order and pay online, then select pick up or delivery. Earlier in March of 2017, Hy-Vee bought an 81,936-square-foot facility for $3.6 million to turn into a fulfillment center for the online grocery ordering program, according to the Des Moines Register.
"It takes too many store personnel to fill orders when online shopping grows. It too expensive, and employees are tripping over real customers in the stores," Jim Hertel, Senior Vice President at consulting firm Willard Bishop, an Inmar Co, told the source. “Hy-Vee's relatively new online program must be successful if it is moving fulfillment operations out of stores.”
Will this new hybrid convenience format take off? Stay tuned with AndNowUKnow as we continue to report.
SACRAMENTO, CA – Yesterday, California’s chief water regulatory agency, the State Water Resources Control Board, rescinded water supply “stress test” requirements and several remaining mandatory conservation standards for urban water supplies.
The state did maintain water use reporting requirements and prohibitions against wasteful practices. According to a press release from the California Water Boards, the rescindment was made by State Water Board Director Tom Howard in response to Governor Jerry Brown’s announcement, earlier this month, that the state would end its drought state of emergency and transitioning toward a permanent framework in which the state would take a more proactive approach to water conservation.
The Governor’s executive order, issued April 7, directs the State Water Board to lift the provisions of its drought emergency regulation specifically tied to the circumstances of the state’s drought, but to keep in place temporary requirements for monthly water use reporting and prohibitions against wasteful water use practices, as the Board works to develop permanent reporting and wasteful use regulations.
Currently prohibited wasteful practices include outdoor watering during or within 48 hours after a rain event, hosing down a sidewalk instead of using a broom or a brush, and overwatering a landscape to where water is running off onto the sidewalk or into the gutter. These temporary requirements will remain in place until November 25, when emergency regulation expires.
A long-term conservation framework was also introduced on April 7, with recommendations to establish permanent water conservation standards and improved agricultural and urban water management planning to insulate against the eventuality of future drought emergencies.
According to the California Water Boards press release, these actions will help the state achieve a top priority of the California Water Action Plan—to improve long-term drought preparedness and “Make Conservation a California Way of Life.”
Additionally, the framework includes proposed legislation with the following proposed provisions:
- Requirements that the State Water Board, in consultation with the Department of Water Resources (DWR), set long-term urban water use efficiency standards by May 20, 2021
- A robust public participation process to provide the State Water Board and DWR with critical input from local agencies, tribal governments, nongovernmental organizations, the business sector, academics, and others
- Requirements that urban water suppliers to plan for droughts lasting five or more years; and establishes new drought planning and water efficiency reporting requirements for agricultural water suppliers.
For updates on the water supply in this important growing region, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
VISALIA, CA - As consumers set their eyes and dollars on seasonal fruit, Fresh Buyers Inspections (FBI) has unveiled a first glimpse at the upcoming premium offerings of table grapes, treefruit, and melons in the industry. The company is reporting an early start and good volume to some of these selections.
As Kevin Beno, Owner of the company, recently told me, FBI offers quality control and consulting services for fruit along the West Coast to keep industry members informed on the latest market expectations. Based on its research and observations, the company expects the treefruit season to kick off first with apricots, white peaches, and yellow nectarines.
“Volume and quality seem to be right on track this year, even though we had fluctuating weather this spring. The California stonefruit season started this week with a very light volume,” Kevin tells me. “The way that California growers market their fruit this year will be affected by the spring weather that was seen in the Southeast.”
Kevin tells me that Mexican table grapes will soon in be in steady supply as well, with Perlettes, Prime green seedless, early Sweet green seedless, and Flames all expected to begin before May 5. The company reported that the crop out of Coachella, CA, could also start as early as the week of May 1 with Flames, but is more likely to begin the week of May 8. Perlettes and Sugraones are expected to begin sometime during the week of May 8, though Sugraones could be extended into the week of May 15. Black grapes should start around May 15.
“These start dates areabout five to seven days later than when last year started, with peak season coming a little later than last year’s crop as well,” Kevin says. “We expect normal volume and good quality in Mexico, but Coachella volume could be down a little early as some some varieties pulled out. Cooler weather could delay things further, but we will have to see.”
Kevin says that due to better winter and pre-season weather, most shippers tell the company they are confident in quality and numbers for this year’s crop. Red grape bunch counts and sizing in both districts is expected to be normal or above, with green grapes also having better bunch counts.
“It’s still early in the season, so anything could happen! We’ll be keeping an eye on the few more California storms expected for the season, and how it will impact crops,” Kevin says.
For melons out of The Imperial Valley, California, and Arizona, FBI notes that shippers are expecting a good season and healthy crops after a mild winter. The season will most likely begin out of Brawley with cantaloupes around May 1, with honeydew and mixed melons following suit around May 10.
Contact FBI today to gain even more insights on this season's offerings as the company continues to keep a close eye on West Coast fruit.
NEW YORK CITY, NY - Attendees of the New York City Hot Sauce Festival last Sunday were witness to a rare feat. The event, hosted at the Brooklyn Expo Center, held a Carolina Reaper eating contest in which Greg Foster of Inferno Farms, the current Guinness World Record holder, defended his title against rival pepper-eater Wayne Algenio.
Foster originally took the record last November at the Arizona Hot Sauce Expo, where he consumed a whopping 120 grams of the world’s hottest peppers in sixty seconds—beating previous record holder Algenio’s record by a single gram.
According to a report by Alex Orlov for news source Mic, nine participants—five women and four men—squared off in the contest, among them the dispossessed former-record holder. One by one, participants consumed as many peppers as possible in sixty seconds, then each contestant had to stand on stage an additional sixty seconds, enduring the effects of the fiery fruit, before finally gorging themselves on milk, whipped cream, and other palliative offerings.
Foster took the stage last, wearing latex gloves and eating a stick of butter to insulate his mouth from the pepper’s intense effects. Despite his apparent confidence, though, Mic reported, Foster ended up losing the competition to rival Algenio.
Nonetheless, Foster retained his record. Algenio took the day with only 94 grams of Reaper consumed—paltry compared to his career-high 119 grams.
Where will these torrid titans square off next in their red-hot rivalry? AndNowUKnow will let you know.
AUSTIN, TX - Whole Foods Market has once again revealed the winners of its annual Supplier Awards, this time honoring industry members including Driscoll’s, Oppy, and more. But out of thousands of Whole Foods Market suppliers nationwide, only two came out as the retailer’s Supplier of the Year—Rainier Fruit Company, for a strong partnership and investment in state-of-the-art growing techniques and packing facilities; and Califia Farms, for its innovation in plant based, dairy alternatives and environmental stewardship.
“Our Supplier Award winners set the gold standard for the industry, and we’re proud to celebrate their achievements,” shared Don Clark, Whole Foods Market’s Global Vice President of Procurement for Non Perishables upon the announcement. “Each one of our supplier partners advances the character and flavor of our stores, whether they’re committed to sustainable farming methods or simply creating the best-tasting products.”
In addition to Rainier Fruit Company and Califia Farms, Whole Foods recognized its top supplier partners in several other categories that highlight areas of achievement, including product innovation, environmental stewardship, ethical sourcing, and excellence in quality standards and assurance.
According to the retailer’s press release, these include:
Outstanding Quality Assurance
Driscoll’s, for commitment to quality in each step of berry production and distribution, from the nursery to its network of independent growers, to its support of Whole Foods Market stores and shoppers.
Distinguished Service
Oppy, for its partnership in developing key programs with Whole Foods Market and for its commitment to customer service, transparency, and business planning that supports Whole Foods Market store produce companywide.
Excellence in Standards
Wholesum Harvest, for its commitment to organics, Fair Trade, sustainable, and Responsibly Grown produce.
Commodity Ingredients
Hampton Farms, for its partnership in supplying nuts and peanuts for Whole Foods Market’s in-store bulk nut butter program, and its support of small family farmers through its grower program.
To see the all the winners of each of Whole Foods’ categories, please click here, and congrats to all our friends at Rainier Fruit Company and Califia Farms!
BAKERSFIELD, CA – Organic fruits and veggies got a spotlight segment yesterday when Grimmway Farms brand Cal-Organic Farms appeared on America’s premier morning show The Balancing Act, airing on Lifetime Television®.
“Eating healthy is always important, but it’s particularly important during pregnancy,” said Kellen Stailey Martin, Senior Director of Marketing and Merchandising for Cal-Organic, emphasizing the importance of produce for moms, expectant moms, and their families. “There are distinct benefits of eating organic vegetables during pregnancy. Moms want to know they’re providing themselves and their growing babies with the best possible nutrients to encourage health and wellness during this critical time.”
She noted that carrots, with their alpha, beta carotene, and high concentration of antioxidants, can help boost immunity, promote vision development, according to a press release, and provide a healthy snack alternative to manage cravings. Other beneficial, mineral-powered veggies listed were:
- Cauliflower
- Beets
- Leafy greens
“Our organic fruits and vegetables are grown free of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and preservatives,” Martin added. “Our products hold USDA certification that upholds both food safety as well as the integrity of our products, so moms can have peace of mind knowing they are feeding their families natural, nutrition-packed vegetables.”
Watch the segment featured on The Balancing Act below:
Not only can it be accessed here, but will appear during a special encore presentation at 7:30 a.m. PDT/EDT (6:30 a.m. CDT and 5:30 a.m. MDT) on May 3rd.
Production has increased as consumer demand has risen, making organics more affordable and widely available across the U.S. Now, Martin noted, they are available at almost all food retailers.
With the segment has skyrocketing, Cal-Organic offers a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, including more than 65 different nutrient-rich options.
PALM DESERT, CA – There’s a new face to add to the hydroponic greenhouse power of North Shore Sales & Marketing in fresh living herbs and microgreens. The company has added industry vet Chris Wada to its team as its new Marketing Manager of North Shore Living Herbs.
“I am excited to start a new challenge within North Shore and look forward to working with the team to further develop their already extensive product lines, B2B support, and B2C engagement,” Chris said of his appointment. “I am fortunate to be joining such a respected company that prides itself on delivering the freshest living produce on the planet to many of the top retailers in the country. Fresher longer is a real thing here. We sell living herbs with the roots still attached so they stay alive until you cut them. I’ve been here about a month and have already adopted a new motto that applies to both life and fresh herbs. Don’t cut life short, start living!”
Chris brings a wealth of experience to the team, according to a press release. Most recently, Chris served as Business Development Manager for sustainable packaging company BiologiQ, adding to a career built upon fresh produce. Chris is joining the North Shore team in advance of the launch of a new Organic Living line of products, and the completion of a $6 million greenhouse expansion in Thermal, California.
“Chris brings a unique perspective, valuable experience, and produce industry knowledge that has already made him a key addition to the North Shore family,” Co-Founder and CFO Suzette Overgaag said. “We view his announcement as a sign of our commitment to being a leader in our industry. Our new innovations and the increasing demand from our customers led us to look for an addition to our team who will fit in with our ethos of innovation and exceptional service, and it is very fortunate that we were able to find someone of his caliber to fulfill this role. I’m confident that Chris will play a key role in providing and implementing high-quality solutions for our clients.”
Chris has also gained experience from other key roles in the industry, such as a member of industry boards like Potatoes USA. Chris also spent a majority of the past nine years at Wada Farms Marketing Group, LLC, where he was instrumental in elevating the company and product brand experiences.
Congratulations, Chris, on this new role! We can’t wait to see where you head next.