SACRAMENTO, CA - There are three categories of Super Bowl viewers: Those watching for the game, those there for the food, and those there for the commercials.
The food was delicious, the game delivered a twist ending when the Patriots came up for what is being called one of the Super Bowl’s most historic comebacks, and the commercials set the tone for a year that looks to be fraught with the flavors of millennial focus and marketing statements.
Here are five favorites that stood out amongst the crowd:
Honda
This was a unique approach to computer generated effects and a fun throwback to successful figures today back in high school when all they had were hopes and goals. Featuring yearbook faces of Tina Fey, Robert Redford, Amy Adams, Magic Johnson, and many more, this was a fun way to merge modern technology with old school images. How it relates to cars, however, I’m still not sure.
Bai
I have a soft spot for both Christopher Walken and Justin Timberlake. Put them on the couch to N’Sync’s lead hit “Bye, Bye, Bye” to play off of the name of your antioxidant infusion drinks and both the marketing and millennial sides of me are won.
Audi
As women continue to seek a stronger foothold in the working world, this commercial shows an evolving father/daughter relationship. A girl competes in a soap box derby race, bumping into sidelines with dust on her face, as her dad looks on and his voice is heard asking how he can tell her that all she is isn’t enough. They were the words I personally hope many more daughters get to hear growing up.
Ford
This particular ad played the swan song for klutz's and “why me’s” everywhere. From the poor girl stuck on a chairlift in the snow, to the cat that finally surrenders to his fate of having his head stuck in a Kleenex box, I think we can all at one point or another say we’ve been there.
Go Daddy
Congratulations Go Daddy; from the not-so-subtle reference of cats on roombas to cruising with a troll in the passenger seat of the personified version of the Internet, you successfully scored the attention and affection of millennials for your 30 second spot. Friends and I rewound this particular commercial (I will forever be grateful for Tivo) to spot any subtle viral phenomenons we might have missed the first time. Nailed it.
Overall, I think the takeaway was that car commercials are still doing it best, and it looks as though the Doritos era of Super Bowl commercials has ended. It was a solid year in ad spots and one that will hopefully set the tone for more intriguing marketing ideas to come throughout 2017.
CASTROVILLE, CA – Looking to deepen its ties with shoppers, Ocean Mist® Farms announced plans to connect directly with consumers through a year-long marketing push that will include digital and permission-based marketing, public relations, and social media content.
“At the end of the day, we want people to feel empowered to choose unique fresh vegetables like artichokes and Season & Steam Brussels sprouts, because Ocean Mist Farms will be there to help them prepare it for the table,” said Director of Marketing Diana McClean, in a press release. “The best way for us to deliver on that promise is to listen to what our consumers want and how they prefer to engage with us. This is why we’ve committed to this level of marketing.”
Ocean Mist Farms will focus on four major consumer promotions in 2017—including peak artichoke promotion seasons and holiday entertaining times. The company’s top priority for its 2017 marketing efforts will be to highlight the brand’s top-selling products—such as artichokes, Brussels sprouts, and the company’s expanding microwaveable Season & Steam product line.
Ultimately, though, the company intends to leverage intel gathered from these promotions to create smarter, more engaging content that inspires the purchase of more and more Ocean Mist Farms products. Through permission-based marketing, the company will gather information about shoppers’ preferences and develop more customized content for future outreach.
Ocean Mist Farms will partner with thefeedfeed and other nationally-recognized food influencers to support each of its promotions, while continuing to grow its own social media communities on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
The company noted that its 2017 marketing efforts are expected to grow its shopper community by tens of thousands.
For more on this and other marketing efforts in the produce industry, check in with us at AndNowUKnow.
LOS ANGELES, CA – Even in an industry with as many deep historical roots as produce, there’s always something quite special about making it to that coveted 100-year mark. This year, Agrícola Santa Teresa S.A., a longtime grower partner of the Giumarra Companies, has reached its much-awaited centennial. 2017 also marks the two companies’ 45 year anniversary of growing and marketing in cooperation.
“We are thrilled to help usher in a new chapter of continued success and quality with our partners and extended family at Santa Teresa,” shared John Corsaro, Giumarra Companies’ CEO.
Santa Teresa’s roots began when Julio Podesta Sambuceti, originally of Genoa, Italy, immigrated to San Francisco, California during a time of political unrest in his home country. From there, he found himself involved in the delivery of fruits and vegetables, quickly gaining experience selling his produce to local restaurants and hotels.
After hearing from family friends that Mexico was an ideal place to begin a produce business, he moved to the state of Sinaloa, Mexico in 1917, renting land from the Sinaloa Land Company to begin growing produce. After marrying María Natalia Reyes Medina in 1925, with whom he had four children, Julio purchased 150 hectares of his own land in 1926 and began growing tomatoes, bell peppers, cantaloupe, and watermelon.
As the company reached the early 1930s, the Mexican government expropriated all but 50 hectares of Julio’s land as part of land reform initiatives, but despite the setback, he was eventually able to purchase four lots of 100 hectares each in the newly-irrigated Batauto region. In order to evade regulations from the Mexican government, which could not confiscate anything less than 100 hectares, he put one lot under the name of each of his daughters. Soon after, Julio’s Santa Teresa label, the company’s namesake, was developed in the 1950s or 60s.
In 1968, Julio’s daughter, Elva “Vita” Carlota Podesta, took over the management of the business, making her one of Mexico’s first female business heads. She met Don Corsaro, then President of the Giumarra Companies, in 1971, capitalizing on the company’s rapidly expanding Mexican import program by forming a new business relationship.
“For a woman in Mexico to be the head of a business at that time was unheard of,” explained Don Corsaro, Chairman of the Giumarra Companies. “But Vita was tough. She aligned with some very prominent people in Culiacán who really respected her, and she worked on the packing line sorting tomatoes herself until 10 o’clock at night.”
Following Julio Podesta’s passing in 1973, Vita’s nephew, Enrique Lopez Podesta, became involved with the business in the 1980’s, along with his brothers Sergio and Jaime Lopez Podesta. According to a press release, Enrique was a key part of the company becoming involved in the movement away from vine-ripe and towards mature green tomatoes, a decision made by many growers in the 1970s and 80s to meet the demands of fast food chains.
“Switching to mature greens is probably why Santa Teresa is still in business today,” added Bill Clausen, Executive Vice President of the Giumarra Companies. “Enrique also facilitated the construction of two gassing facilities—one in Mexico and one in Nogales—to manage ripening and maintain excellent quality at a time when Mexico was competing heavily with U.S.-grown tomatoes.”
Enrique, who now runs the company, took over the management of Santa Teresa from his aunt Vita in 2006. Santa Teresa’s present-day production of mature green tomatoes is at more than 3.5 million boxes, the company says, growing from its 1980s production of 800,000 boxes annually. All of Santa Teresa’s mature green tomatoes are sold within U.S. markets.
“My grandfather came to Mexico with the dream of growing high-quality fresh produce for the American market,” said Enrique. “We consider the U.S. a very important partner.
In support of this milestone, Santa Teresa will hold a commemorative luncheon with its workers on February 25, representing a landmark occasion for the livelihood of more than 1,200 seasonal and full time employees. Each box of product sold in 2017 will feature a Santa Teresa 100 Year Anniversary seal.
“We look forward to continuing our relationship with Enrique and Giumarra as one of our most important supply chain partners in the SUBWAY® system,” finished Michael Spinazzola, President of Diversified Restaurant Systems, Inc.
Congratulations to both Santa Teresa and Giumarra from AndNowUKnow, and here’s to many more years of successful partnering!
VANCOUVER, BC - Village Farms has been announced as a recipient of the prestigious OTCQX® Best 50 for 2017. The title goes to top performing companies traded on the OTCQX Best Market last year.
“It is uncommon enough for a high-tech, agriculturally-driven consumer products company to be publicly traded while at the same time excelling to rank as one of the top performing companies traded on OTCQX,” said the company’s President & CEO, Michael A. DeGiglio, upon receiving the award. “Village Farms wishes to acknowledge with great appreciation the support of the OTCQX market for this award. We are motivated to continue to drive greater profitability and growth in revenue fueled by the reenergized business climate of 2017 as we continue to diversify our product line applications across broader international consumer markets.”
The ranking is calculated based on an equal weighting of one-year total return and average daily dollar volume growth in the previous calendar year, according to a press release. It is done annually for the top 50 U.S. and international companies that traded on the OTCQX market.
In order to qualify, companies must:
- Meet high financial standards
- Follow best practice corporate governance
- Demonstrate compliance with U.S. securities laws
- Have a professional third-party sponsor introduction
Village Farms noted that the OTCQX Best Market offers transparent and efficient trading of established, investor-focused U.S. and global companies. You can find the complete 2017 OTCQX Best 50 ranking here.
Congratulations to the Village Farms team on attaining this honor.
WASHINGTON, DC – Important news was announced this week for those in the produce industry; United Fresh 2017—with its new FreshTEC and FreshMKT Expos—has officially opened its registration, as has the concurrently-held Global Cold Chain Expo.
The three expos, along with the International Floriculture Expo, will be held in the West Hall of the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago from June 13 through 15. According to a press release, attendees will be able to experience every segment of the supply chain in one exhibit hall—with a single ticket.
“We’re excited to welcome attendees and exhibitors to experience the targeted FreshTEC and FreshMKT Expos and Conferences this June,” said President and CEO Tom Stenzel. “These new formats will address the innovative solutions we’re seeing more of in our industry in response to the challenges faced throughout the supply chain. FreshTEC showcases the latest developments in technology, robotics, and other supply chain solutions while FreshMKT will highlight the marketing and product development trends that have consumers adding fresh fruit and vegetables to their carts in grocery stores across the country.”
The four expos will be accessible through a single all-access pass that includes admission to United Fresh’s traditional Opening Night Reception on Tuesday, June 13, as well as the Retail Foodservice Celebration Dinner on Thursday, June 15—honoring outstanding retail produce managers and innovative chefs across the industry. Attendees will enjoy access to morning general sessions—including a joint United Fresh, Global Cold Chain, and International Floriculture Expo Opening General Session on Thursday, and the annual Reception Honoring Women in Produce.
In addition to these events, FreshTEC, Fresh MKT, and Global Cold Chain Expo attendees can attend a half-day education conference on Tuesday, June 13.
The Global Cold Chain Expo’s educational programming promises to educate attendees on specific business challenges and opportunities in the perishable supply chain. With four tracks—3PL Operations, Cold Chain Solutions, Engineering, and Transportation, the sessions are sure to provide a number of benefits to operations managers, engineers, plant managers, transportation directors, and those who buy or lease cold chain services, cooling equipment, cold storage or handling facilities—as well as food manufacturers, fresh processors, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers.
“We’re looking forward to the growth of the Global Cold Chain Expo, now in its second year,” added Stenzel. “Building off of the energy of the inaugural year, I’m enthused by the excitement within the fresh foods community as they understand how the Global Cold Chain Expo can truly help increase efficiency and profitability in their facility operations and distribution.”
Registration is currently open through www.unitedfresh.org, with early bird rates are available through April 25, 2017, and the association suggests registering for an All Access Package to ensure the best value and gain unlimited exposure to each Expo. For more information about the 2017 Global Cold Chain Expo and to register, visit www.globalcoldchainexpo.org.
SACRAMENTO, CA – Following weeks of rainy weather gracing the state of California, new measurements from the state’s Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) most recent survey shows all that extra wet stuff brought a significant increase in the state’s snowpack levels. As of the February 2 report, the snowpack statewide now holds 173 percent of the average for the type of year, now at 31 inches of the 18.1 inch water equivalent average.
Of course, this is good news to those involved with California ag who have been concerned with drought levels over the past through years.
Frank Gehrke, Chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program and conductor of the survey at Phillips, reported that “we’ve got a very good snowpack, a very robust snowpack on the ground right now.” According to a press release, on average, the snowpack supplies about 30 percent of California’s water needs as it melts in the spring and early summer.
Some other highlights from DWR’s February 2 press release include:
- Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada range has a snow water equivalence of 28.1 inches, up from its January 3 levels of 6 inches
- On January 1 before a series of January storms, the snow water equivalent (SWE) of the statewide snowpack was 6.5 inches, just 64 percent of the New Year’s Day average
- The northern Sierra snowpack is 26 inches, 144 percent of the multi-decade average for the date
- The central and southern Sierra readings are 32 inches (173 percent of average) and 32 inches (200 percent of average) respectively
- The San Joaquin Basin rainfall total today is 204 percent of average for the date
- Tulare Basin rainfall is 207 percent of average for the date
- Shasta Lake holds 114 percent of its historical average on today’s date
- Lake Oroville holds 121 percent of its historical average today compared to just 68 percent one year ago
It should be made clear, however, that this spell of wet weather has not ended the drought. The DWR reinforced that California’s weather often fluctuates, and to not rely on just one season’s rain to pull us out of our persistent dryness.
“In the last 10 water years, eight have been dry, one wet, one average,” added State Climatologist Mike Anderson. “Hopefully this year will end up being wet, but we cannot say whether it will be one wet year in another string of dry ones.”
With many more snowpack level measurements scheduled to take place before the season is done, ANUK will continue to share the latest developments.
NEW YORK CITY, NY - Whole Foods is notorious for its health-centric innovations, though the latest in-store service at the retailer's new Bryant Park location may raise an eyebrow or two. The store, situated in a bustling neighborhood of New York City, hosts a culinary counter offering custom cuts of fruits and vegetables.
“We couldn’t be more proud of how our team and vendor partners have continued to innovate our offerings here in New York City,” said Christina Minardi, President of Whole Foods Market’s Northeast Region, according to a press release. “Our culinary team has worked tirelessly to ensure this store is a premier dining destination that meets the needs of all the residents, office workers, daily commuters, and tourists who walk through our doors.”
According to the company, the produce butcher—situated in the produce department—is an onsite team member who will cut, slice, dice, julienne, chop, and grate any produce item at a shopper's request. Skipping the gore of traditional butchery, and bringing a new definition to fresh-cut produce, this kind of service leaves little room for customer excuses not to eat their fruits and veggies.
The Bryant Park Whole Foods, which opened on January 28, is currently the first and only Whole Foods store to offer this unique service. It's yet to be determined if this will become a fixture in future stores, though with convenience continuing to reign king, it’s easy to see how it could become ubiquitous.
An easier way to get your daily dose of fruit and veg? We’re for it.
Follow along as AndNowUKnow continues to report on the latest and greatest in fresh produce industry innovations.
YERINGTON, NV – As western regions calibrate from severe winter weather, companies throughout the industry are working through snow and ice to continue to supply the buy-side sectors with ample product. With structural and transportation difficulties, these occurrences have made for a tight market in the onion category.
Cindy Elrod, Sales & New Business Specialist at Peri & Sons Farms, took a moment to give me a few insights on the weather-based happenings within the industry at large, and for the company itself.
“At our facilities, we’ve experienced quite a bit of rain and some snow, but no actual damage. Our packing sheds continued to run through the storms, and production remained operational,” Cindy tells me.
As far as the company has heard, some packaging facilities throughout the industry dealt with various levels of collapse, with their packers subsequently adjusting. Cindy says that some storage facilities were impacted as well, causing a loss of product in the industry.
“Pricing moved higher last week, with this week starting off at higher levels as well. The market is tight due to production limitations, and customers that are trying to shift their orders to other regions,” Cindy continues. “In the long run, the higher prices on yellows will likely not last.”
As a result of this winter weather, Peri & Sons’ California crops are a couple of weeks behind schedule. However, the company is finding good news in the weather as all the rain has helped dampen the drought and provide sufficient water for the upcoming season.
“Once the land dries out, our plan is to double-down on efficiency and fully prep the fields for the upcoming season,” Cindy finishes.
With winter not yet over, count on AndNowUKnow to keep a finger to the pulse of crop conditions for a current read on the market.
SACRAMENTO, CA - Without further ado, the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons are finally going head-to-head this weekend, and we will all gather around delicious morsels and snacks to watch.
Super Bowl LI, touted as one of the biggest days for eating and marketing, has arrived, and the ANUK team can’t wait to see how you kick back off the ads and enjoy the day.
Will you be surrounded by painted faces, a variety of dips, or in matching family jerseys? We want to know!
Email in a Super Bowl Party picture of the festivities to [email protected] with the title “Super Bowl Yearbook” or post a picture on Instagram tag @andnowuknow with the hashtag #ANUKSuperBowl to be run in our yearbook next week.
Where do your loyalties lie, and who will come out on top? We’re as eager as you are to find out, so game on!
NORMAN PARK, GA – Southern Valley Fruit & Vegetable, Inc. officially turns thirty this month. The company will celebrate the close of its third decade on February 4th.
“As I look backward, I’m amazed at the obstacles we have overcome to get to where we are today,” said Kent Hamilton, one of the company’s Founders, in a press release. “Our success has been a group effort by a determined team here at Southern Valley. As I look forward, I see a thriving company achieving greater goals than any of us could imagine.”
Thirty years ago, the company’s four founders—Kent, his father, brother, and a family friend—came together with a dream and 100 acres. From those humble roots, the company has grown to span over 5,000 acres, growing year-round, in three locations.
The company’s ascent was not without hardship, though; in the first year of operation, Kirk Hamilton, the lead instigator of the operation, tragically passed away. The Hamilton family and local community rallied to support the family-owned company. Then, a couple of years later, another founding member, Benny Hamilton, passed away, as well. His wife, Wanda, inherited Benny's share of the farm and company, and she and her son went to work.
The company brought in Wanda’s sister, Valda, and Valda and her sons and husband quickly assumed an integral role in the operation. Eventually, other community members joined the team, too, and by 2000, the farm was ready to expand and become more sustainable by growing during the winter months.
The company expanded into Yucatan, Mexico, in 2003, and into Tennessee through a partnership with the Henderson family in 2009.
One thing has remained the same through the company’s extraordinary trajectory of growth; the company has remained a family-owned and operated farm with a progressive and innovative approach. Southern Valley is fully-integrated and handles all aspects of its farming operation from seed to shelf. Product begins as seed in the company’s greenhouse, is transplanted by hand in to the soil, hand-picked, then packed, sold, and shipped—all in-house, through the farm’s employees.
For more on this and other dynamic companies in the produce industry, check back with us at AndNowUKnow.