WATSONVILLE, CA – With the next instance of the Viva Fresh Produce Expo just a couple of weeks away, the industry’s eyes are set on Austin and the possibilities the show holds. Monterey Mushrooms is gearing up for the event with plans to showcase fresh mushrooms grown at nine of its farms.
“Our production capacity spans the U.S. and Mexico,” Lindsay Roberts, Marketing Specialist, said. “Viva Fresh is our opportunity to showcase the production of conventional and organic mushrooms; old favorites and specialty mushrooms, from Mexico and Texas.”
The company’s premium offerings will be displayed from its farms both in the U.S. and San Miguel, Mexico, to emphasize the company’s span. In order to avoid gaps in supply, according to a press release, Monterey Mushrooms® San Miguel de Allende facility serves its high-quality offerings to facilities in California and Texas to better supplement the company’s program.
The facility is located in the Eastern part of the state of Guanajuato. The company stated that the 220-acre farm is the largest mushroom growing facility in Mexico, and grows more than 30 million pounds of mushrooms annually.
Monterey Mushrooms also noted that in order to cultivate more organic and conventional mushrooms, the company has increased the capacity of its Madisonville, TX, location. The facility has more than 600 employees, and farms 225 acres.
The Madisonville facility harvests more than 710,000 pounds per week. The company noted that 24 percent of its total footage is devoted to organic production.
Going to Viva Fresh Produce Expo? Stop by booth #212 from April 20-22 to see Monterey Mushrooms’ high-quality selections and learn more about its operations.
STOCKTON, CA – As consumers and retailers alike gear up for spring and early summer holidays ripe with flavor-filled cherries, Grower Direct Marketing is prepping for another successful year of highly demanded treefruit.
Domestic and Export Account Manager Matt Nowak recently told me, the company will be starting its California cherry harvest around April 24 with its Brooks variety, and anticipates wrapping up the season around mid-June.
“We will have a slightly later start this year than what we’ve seen the past couple of seasons as growers had a limited window to apply rest breaking agents,” Matt tells me. “But we’re expecting an excellent crop to supply our customers with.”
After kicking things off with Brooks, Grower Direct will follow with Corals and Tulares from its southern districts of Bakersfield, Arvin, and Fresno, before continuing northward to Lodi, Linden, and Stockton with its Bing variety to finish out its California offerings.
“As far as we can tell right now, we expect April volumes will be slightly limited in the market, with peak volumes coming in early May and lasting through Memorial Day,” Matt continues. “Volumes will tighten up in June as the California season winds down.”
Though Grower Direct expects the market to start off high as usual this season, and adjusting downward as peak volumes approach, the company expects promotable volumes in time for retailers to push Mother’s Day and Memorial Day promotions.
“Ample amounts of rain and dormancy this winter are making for a great crop, so hopefully Mother Nature continues to cooperate,” Matt finishes.
As California cherry season winds up, AndNowUKnow will continue to report on all the latest.
GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA – Last weekend, Guatemala’s Volcán de Fuego erupted for the third time this year, spewing ash 16,000 feet—more than three miles—into the air. The eruption reportedly finished Sunday morning after a paroxysm lasting 16 hours, leaving behind lava flows and loads of volcanic ash.
According to news source teleSUR, ash fell as far as 50 miles away from Fuego—blanketing Atitlan Lake, Chacacao, Mazatenango, Retalhuleu, El Palmar, and other many other locations as far as the nation’s capital Guatemala City, located some thirty miles East of the Volcano.
This was Volcán Fuego last Friday night. Notice the stars in the background, and imagine the sound these eruptions make! pic.twitter.com/gCMyS6wOsK
— Simon Dunbavand (@SimonDunbavand) April 1, 2017
The country’s national institute monitoring volcanic, seismic, and meteorological data, INSIVUMEH, reported that volcanic activity had calmed down by Sunday morning but noted that emergency responders should continue to take precautions in light of the risk of debris and volcanic matter flowing down the volcano.
The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History’s Global Volcanism Program has described Volcán de Fuego as “one of Central America’s most active volcanoes” with “frequent vigorous historical eruptions” recorded since before Spanish colonization.
So far, there have been no reports of ash affecting growers in the region. AndNowUKnow will keep you up to date with the latest news as it occurs.
LAKELAND, FL - Publix Super Markets is continuing its growth trajectory, this time by revisiting its GreenWise store concept.
“We are committed to being the retailer of choice for consumers who are looking for specialty, natural, and organic products,” said Kevin Murphy, Senior Vice President of Retail Operations. “Over the past several years, we have gained valuable insights from our existing GreenWise locations. By combining these learnings with customer feedback and market trends, we are better positioned to deliver on our vision of being the best at serving the evolving lifestyles of today’s consumer.”
The first of the revamped pilot is anticipated for late 2018, according to a press release, in Tallahassee, Florida. The retailer said that it also is continuing to look for additional GreenWise locations aggressively throughout its operating areas.
As for additional details, Publix plans to share more on the new format closer to the opening of the debut store.
As we recently reported, the retailer has been on the hunt for a deeper foothold in the southeast as it looks to grow its presence. As more news of this and other expansions in the buy-side break, AndNowUKnow will look to keep you up on the latest.
DUBLIN, GA - Polymer Logistics, a big name in reusable plastic containers (RPCs), is celebrating a major milestone in the company’s growth. On March 30th, the company held a grand opening event for its new $5 million dollar Service Center in Dublin, GA, marking the first in the Southeastern region for the company. In honor of this exciting occasion, I connected with Fred Heptinstall, CEO of North America, for the company.
“Polymer Logistics is the industry innovator and a global leader in retail-ready reusable packaging to all retailers in North America that use RPCs in their fresh supply chain,” Fred tells me. “For example, we pioneered the design and launch of wood grain RPC and display units, which have been recognized for their point of sale ability to increase fresh produce sales. In addition, we provide a full line of RPC solutions that support profitable retail growth across a broad range of categories and channels. The Dublin Service Center enhances our network capability in North America to meet the continued growth of our business.”
The strategically located facility, close to major thoroughfares Interstate 16 and 75, will support the rapidly growing Southeast and Mid-Atlantic customer bases. The Service Center will offer pooling, sanitizing, and redistribution logistics for Polymer Logistics customers. This cutting edge facility incorporates the latest technology in energy conservation, product handling, and high-capacity reusable transport container processing. Additional specs for the facility include:
- State-of-the-art tunnel washer provides advanced spin-drying and collapsing capabilities, as well as the latest Worker and Food Safety features for customers and employees.
- High efficiency lighting.
- Variable frequency drives to manage energy consumption.
- Variable frequency compressors to conserve energy.
- Thermal insulation on water and stem pipes to maintain temperature and reduce energy use.
“The Dublin Service Center is the first step of the final phase, providing improved coverage for the produce heavy region in the Southeast, giving us the basic network we need to provide the highest quality service to all of our North American customers,” Fred says. “This is a very exciting phase to be in; in the next few years we anticipate adding more locations to make that supply chain even more robust.”
This facility, which broke ground on July 26, 2016, is the fifth Polymer Logistics service center in the United States; alongside operations in Salinas and Riverside, CA, San Antonio, TX, and Portage, IN. Fred tells me that the company has received glowing support from the local government on this ground-up initiative, and cites that the project is bringing 110 jobs to the local economy.
What else is on the horizon for RPCs and supply chain solutions? Check back with AndNowUKnow to find out.
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited Southern Melon Distributors Inc., Atlanta, GA, for failure to pay for produce.
According to a USDA press release, the company failed to pay $252,495 to three sellers for 34 lots of produce. This is in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). As a result of these actions, Southern Melon Distributors Inc. cannot operate in the produce industry until March 4, 2019, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license.
The company’s principal, Jonathan D. Letsinger, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until March 4, 2018, and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
USDA is required to publish the finding that a business has committed willful, repeated, and flagrant violations of PACA as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business during the violation period. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. Its experts also assisted more than 8,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $140 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
ORLANDO, FL - Spring may have finally arrived for the U.S., but for grower/shippers like Gourmet Trading Co., domestic production is only one part of its extensive high-quality program. With premium offerings of blueberries and asparagus year-round, Senior Sales Associate Ben Martin joined me to talk key regions and packs for the company.
“It’s a great time of year for availability and a combination of price, volume, and quality,” Ben tells me from the bustling Southern Exposure floor show, stating that the company is in the middle of peak asparagus season out of Mexico.
Gourmet Trading Company is prepping for its blueberries to start its domestic season, as the company finishes up its off-shore production.
“In the next couple of weeks, we’ll start with Florida and work our way up the East Coast,” Ben continues.
With specific packs and film wraps to lengthen the shelf-life of its products, Gourmet Trading Company is planning another year of high-quality produce for its customers.
Want to learn more about what the company has to offer? Watch my exclusive interview with Ben above.
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – SuperValu is consolidating operations and merchandising for two of the company’s banners, laying off nearly half of the company’s staff between its Farm Fresh and Shoppers stores.
“Everything will look and feel the same” to customers, Jeff Swanson, Vice President, Communications and Enterprise Learning, told The Virginia-Pilot. Swanson noted that Mickey Nye, President of Farm Fresh, would stay at the company’s Virginia Beach headquarters and become Regional Vice President of Operations for SuperValu—overseeing Farm Fresh, Shoppers, and Shop ‘n Save stores.
SuperValu will eliminate 21 of 44 merchandising and operations jobs in Virginia Beach. Meanwhile, buying decisions for Farm Fresh and Shoppers stores will be made at Shoppers’ Bowie, Maryland headquarters—which will hire an additional 14 employees.
The company noted no plans to rebrand or close Farm Fresh or Shoppers stores.
As we reported last week, SuperValu’s increasing focus on distribution and efforts to consolidate operations may be signals that the company is looking for suitors to potentially acquire the business. Reports that SpartanNash or United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) could be preparing to purchase the retailers’ parent have been swirling.
Is this latest move part of a strategic effort to court suitors? AndNowUKnow will keep you up to date with the latest developments.
SANTA PAULA, CA - April brings not just spring flowers and produce transitions, but also a focus on sustainability and fresh with the fast-approaching Earth Day. Limoneira is playing its part in the national holiday by reminding audiences on all sides the role lemons can play in cutting back on waste.
“I’m going to share with you five really easy ways that we can be more eco-friendly at home,” says Spokesperson and Healthy Grocery Girl Founder Megan Roosevelt, preluding to Limoneira’s sustainability practices further in her latest video.
Watch the full April edition below:
Megan’s 2017 Earth Day tips include:
Don’t discard the stems of your produce.
The ends of your veggies can be chopped up and added into soups, stews, and sauces.
Make sure you’re using all of your citrus fruits.
Zesting the peel is a great way to add flavor to every meal.
Use reusable shopping bags when you buy groceries.
Keeping a stockpile in your car is a surefire way to make sure you don’t forget them at home! (We’ve all been there.)
Use more glassware.
Unlike disposable plastic containers, glassware can be used over and over again for all kinds of things.
Cut down on paper and plastic waste.
Switching to reusable cloth towels, facial rounds, and snack bags is an easy and great way to cut back on how much paper and plastic you go through.
Megan has been producing videos weekly since January to demonstrate fun, easy, healthy tips for consumers to make the most out of the year using lemons in every aspect of daily life. She will continue to do so throughout the year; subscribe here to keep up on Megan’s latest lemon-fueled tips and tricks.
Limoneira noted in a recent release that it has committed to doing its part to be eco-friendly, including:
- Having six solar arrays that produce 2 megawatts of electricity.
- Its green waste facility processes an average of 1,000 tons of waste per week.
- The Limoneira 24,000-sq.-ft. gravity-powered water treatment system that processes 180,000 gallons of water every single day. The result? California Title 22-grade water is created from what was once considered unusable waste water.
- Limoneira Citrus Misfits™–perfectly good “ugly” fruit that have minor scarring or defects from orchard winds that would otherwise be discarded, but instead are offered to retailers at consumer-friendly prices.
Limoneira has also linked up with additional global cleaning experts, whose biographies can be found on its website, that share knowledge with its customers of grocery and foodservice partners around the world.
SALINAS, CA – The first annual THRIVE Young Innovators Challenge convenes in downtown Salinas at the CSUMB @ Salinas City Center, today, March 31st. Sponsored by industry leaders like Taylor Farms, the event is being hosted by the THRIVE Innovation Foundation (formerly the Steinbeck Innovation Foundation), a non-profit dedicated to empowering local youth and usher forward the next generation of AgTech innovators and entrepreneurs.
“The THRIVE Young Innovators Challenge is key to building the innovation pillar of our strategy to inspire young kids into STEM and entrepreneurship at an early age,” said John Hartnett, Founder and CEO of SVG Partners. “In, our short four-year history, we have built a Global AgTech ecosystem that has positioned Salinas as an AgTech hub recognized across the world.”
Both the foundation and challenge are the two latest strategy initiatives to build a sustainable Global AgTech ecosystem for the region in partnership with the City of Salinas and leading industry partners like Taylor Farms.
“Taylor Farms believes it is of the utmost importance to inspire innovation in local youth and give them outlets to explore technology and science,” said Margaret D’Arrigo, VP, Community Development, Taylor Farms and THRIVE Innovation Foundation Board Member. “This is why we sponsor events like Thrive Young Innovators Challenge where the next generation of leaders are encouraged to develop key skills for the future.”
The challenge involves over 125 students, with teams from ten middle and high schools throughout Monterey County, competing to create technology-driven solutions addressing the theme of “Feeding 9 Billion People by the Year 2030.” Each team will be provided with a mentor to assist in brainstorming, product development, and presentation. A panel of judges will evaluate each team’s project at the end of the day, and top teams will be awarded cash prizes and a day trip to Silicon Valley to visit the Google and Intel headquarters.
Sponsors of the challenge include Taylor Farms, the City of Salinas, SVG Partners, Hartnell College, The California Endowment, CSUMB @ Salinas City Center, and Alvarez Technology.