WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Monarch Fresh Produce LLC satisfied a reparation order issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
According to a USDA press release, the Pharr, Texas-based company can continue operating in the produce industry upon applying for and being issued a PACA license. Jason N. Stros, who was listed as a member of the business, may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.
As we had previously reported, Monarch Fresh Produce recieved sanctions for allegedly failing to pay a $6,574 award in favor of an Illinois seller.
USDA is required to impose sanctions on a business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. 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.
NOGALES, AZ - In an age where conscious consumers demand fresh produce year-round, Kaliroy Fresh has announced significant investments in improved practices and technology to answer that call. As one of Mexico’s largest 365-day tomato importers to the United States, I sat down with Kaliroy to discuss its 52-week production and focus on social responsibility.
“We are continually innovating to stay ahead of the curve, and ahead of industry expectations. Our customers have come to expect this level of service, and rely upon us to be attentive to new best practices while maintaining the highest level of social responsibility,” said Eduardo De La Vega, President and CEO of Kaliroy Fresh. “Our brand is more than just tomatoes. We embrace our role as leaders in the industry and measure our own success not just through the quality of tomatoes we produce, but also by the families we employ, and the steps we are taking to improve every day.”
Kaliroy Fresh produces Round, Roma, and Grape tomato varieties that consumers prefer for their consistency, color, and flavor. Using fully-automated hydroponic greenhouse and mesh houses gives Kaliroy Fresh complete control over the growing conditions of the tomatoes; down to the shade, wind, and temperature.
Other new technology Kaliroy Fresh has implemented to achieve efficient production, and maintain its socially responsible focus, includes:
- Automated irrigation and filtration systems ensure efficient water usage and quality, and retention ponds capture rainwater and runoff usage.
- On-site automated packing facilities to shorten the time it takes the tomatoes to reach store shelves.
- Utilizing bleach-free recyclable corrugated cardboard boxes when packing and shipping loose produce. Bagged produce (poly, net, and mesh), and clamshell plastic packages are all “blue bin” recyclable containers.
"At Kaliroy Fresh, we are extremely proud to produce the highest quality greenhouse tomatoes, 365-days a year. What makes us most proud however, is the way we do it,” De La Vega added. “Our workers are our family, and together we look to provide the highest quality tomatoes, while cultivating innovation and providing resources for our workers."
Kaliroy Fresh intends to further its role in the communities in which it operates, while continuing to innovate operationally to provide consistently high-quality, competitively priced products to customers.
MEXICO - Want an update on the Mexican cantaloupe and watermelon season in just 60 seconds? In this short new video from Mas Melons and Grapes, President Miguel A. Suarez takes us on a tour of the company’s operations in Caborca and Hermosillo, and shows an inside look from field to facility.
“Honeydews are off to a great start this season,” the video’s narrator says as Miguel inspects the Caborca melons firsthand. “Crops are looking very healthy this season—no damage from the nearby hurricane in early September.”
After a quick look at the company’s sorting facility, the viewer is then whisked away to Hermosillo, where Miguel is ready to check out the company’s watermelon operation, just planted in the first week of October.
What else did Miguel have to show us as we look towards this winter season and beyond? Watch Mas Melon’s 60 second video above for even more details on the company’s latest happenings.
PLEASANTON, CA – The Safeway banner is continuing to expand its California footprint, this time with a Northern California focus. The Albertsons banner announced that it will be purchasing G&G Supermarkets in Sonoma County, California.
“We are very excited about this opportunity and look forward to bringing these locations into the Northern California Safeway family,” said Safeway in a statement according to the North Bay Business Journal. “[We] are working together to ensure a smooth transition for store employees and customers.”
Safeway has reportedly agreed to hire 250 G&G employees at the stores, which will be converted to the Safeway name. G&G CEO Teejay Lowe stated that Safeway has also agreed to employ G&G’s team at the same compensation or better, and also will provide team members with new opportunities.
G&G Supermarkets have been a family-owned grocery business noted in Sonoma County since 1963, with a 96,000-square-foot store in Santa Rosa, and 55,000-square-foot store in Petaluma. Lowe stated that the sale of the local chain was due in part to the age of the owners, which includes his father Robert Gong and three uncles.
“It’s a good time for them to retire,” Lowe said, according to the North Bay Business Journal. “They’ve been serving Sonoma County for 53 years. It’s a good time for them to enjoy the holidays.”
Safeway asserted that the two locations will each close for a short period of time once the deal has been finalized in order to make the transition. The company expects this to be sometime in December. G&G Supermarkets workers were informed on Thursday of the sale.
Lowe also indicated that the deal met all the company’s requirements and is one that his entire family supports. Lowe did not state what part he would play in the new ownership.
The terms of the sale have not been disclosed by either party. Safeway has two pre-existing locations in both Santa Rosa and Petaluma. As we recently reported, Safeway has been making moves in the competitive Bay Area market with plans for three new stores.
As Safeway and other buy-side banners continue to take new locations under their wings, AndNowUKnow will continue to have the latest on acquisitions and their impact.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Cold-pressed juicing system company Juicero just moved up Jeff Dunn, former President of Coca-Cola North America, to lead the business as CEO.
Dunn has been involved with the company since its inception, having been a member of the board from the get-go. Aside from his leadership experience with Coca-Cola, he has also served as President of Campbell Soup Company’s Campbell Fresh division.
"In a short period of time, Juicero has poised itself to reinvent not only the premium juice category, but more broadly the future of fresh food," Dunn said, according to San Francisco Business Times. "Since launching a mere six months ago, Doug and his senior executive team have built a strong foundation and are on the cusp of significant growth."
Doug Evans, Founder of the company, will remain Chairman of the Board, with Dunn stepping in as CEO officially on Oct. 31.
"Because of his deep experience building fresh produce and beverage businesses, Jeff is the ideal leader to execute the next phase of our ambitious vision," Evans said in a statement.
Evans, who has previously stated that a core passion of his is to help drive demand for organic produce, was recently a keynote speaker for the inaugural Organic Produce Summit in Monterey, CA, where he spoke on advocating not only organics, but raw foods in general.
The presentation came shortly after Juicero’s own public debut earlier this year after operating quietly for several years. Business Times reports that over this time, the company raised $100 million in capital to produce its high-end, wifi-connected juicer. Dunn stated that, at present, the company is doing well and showing "strong early revenue and monthly growth."
We at AndNowUKnow can’t wait to see where this latest move takes the company next.
YAKIMA, WA – Bringing its appreciation for hard work and commitment to a new realm, Domex Superfresh Growers has announced that it has undertaken a new sponsorship. The company will be sponsoring Alpine Ski Racer Virginia Wade in the upcoming Special Olympics World Winter Games.
“Sponsoring Virginia on her Olympic journey aligns with the Superfresh culture, which is about working hard, and being the best you can be,” said Robert Kershaw, President of Domex Superfresh Growers. “We prioritize healthy employees, encouraging lunch-hour exercise with trained fitness professionals. The Kershaw family also has a deep history of supporting children through Children’s Village, meeting the needs of children who require special health care needs, and Madison House Youth Center, which offers an after-school and summer safe haven for Yakima youth.”
The company described the accomplished skier as vivacious, bubbly, and a determined athelete. Virginia will turn 16 this week on October 27, 2016, and is a younger athlete in the games. Virginia will represent one of two Washington women competing for the U.S. in this World Game, and will compete in the giant slalom and super-G courses.
Virginia has won multiple medals for the Skihawks Racing Team in Snoqualmie Pass in Washington, and was ultimately chosen to join the U.S. Women’s Alpine Racing Team for the World Special Olympics for her noted accomplishments. According to a press release, the next Special Olympics World Winter Games will take place in Austria in 2017.
“I will ski on the high mountains. I take the chair lift to the top of the race. My type of skiing is downhill, slalom, and giant slalom. I don’t really know the difference between them,” wrote Virginia in an article she penned about what she is looking forward to the most at the World Games. “I start at the top of the mountain and race around poles to the finish lines at the bottom of the mountain. If I do really well, I’ll win a gold medal. I have a bunch of medals from competing in Special Olympics events. Wish me luck!"
Domex will follow Virginia on her world journey and help her prepare for the World Games from purchasing new gear, to Virginia’s practices with the team this December, through to the final competition of March next year.
“Virginia has always worked hard to do her best, but ultimately, her goal is to have a good time,” said Catherine Gipe-Stewart, Marketing Coordinator for Domex Superfresh Growers. “I’ve known Virginia for over ten-years, and it’s been a true joy watching her grow into the smart, strong, and beautiful young woman she is today. I remember skiing with her when she was just seven-years old. If she made a mistake she would just laugh it off and keep going. The glass is always half-full for Virginia.”
Virginia is currently a freshman at Roosevelt High School in Seattle, WA. You can join Domex in following Virginia’s journey to the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017 by watching the official trailer here, or checking out Facebook.
Good luck and speedy racing, Virginia!
SEATTLE, WA - You’ve probably been hearing plenty of buzz from analysts watching Amazon slowly roll-out plans for its takeover of the brick and mortar grocery business, but little has been revealed about the company’s long-term plans. Now, new documents uncovered by Business Insider reveal the e-commerce giant is planning an attack on the U.S. market with as many as 2,000 AmazonFresh-branded stores over the next ten years.
Amazon plans to start slow, operating a 20-location pilot program for its brick and mortar locations. The documents reveal that by the end of 2018, we could see stores pop up in places like Seattle, Las Vegas, New York, Miami, and the Bay Area.
If successful, Amazon will then begin rolling out a possible 2,000 "multifunction" stores across the U.S., with the company proposing an aggressive launch schedule of 200 stores per year. Also on the company’s radar, Business Insider suggests, is a new generation of distribution centers to aid in store growth.
“Multifunction” likely refers to the company’s penchant for experimenting in both "click-and-collect" drive-up spots, as well as traditional stores. The 20-store pilot will involve ten of each, pitting AmazonFresh against both e-commerce type shopping services, as well as rivals like Walmart.
Although it hasn’t been made public what an Amazon grocery store will look like exactly, Bloomberg compares its drive-through spots as "gas station” types, while The Wall Street Journal makes a "convenience stores” comparison for the more traditional locations. Business Insider revealed that the documents say the drive-through spots will be 10,000-square-feet in size, while physical stores could go up to 30,000-square-feet.
AndNowUKnow will continue to keep our eyes out for even more details on what these locations will look like and where they will arrive, so keep following us for updates.
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on two produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
According to a recent USDA press release, the following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- Bonert’s Incorporated, doing business as Bonert’s Slice of Pie, operating out of Santa Ana, CA, for failing to pay a $641,672 award in favor of a Washington seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Michael Bonert was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
- Empire Produce Int. LLC, operating out of Hialeah, FL, for failing to pay a $28,090 award in favor of a Georgia seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Anthony R. Haile was listed as a member of the business.
The USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. 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.
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA, which includes buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry. All oversight of actions related to PACA are conducted by the AMS, an agency within USDA.
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.
SACRAMENTO, CA - State and local elected officials, ag industry members, and managers of regional water, labor, and business gathered to mark several milestones in California’s Sites Reservoir water storage project.
“Sites is a local project with statewide benefits,” said Kim Dolbow Vann, Colusa County Supervisor and the Sites Project Authority’s Chair, according to news source Daily Democrat. “The project will be owned, managed, and operated locally, but in a way that integrates with—and relieves stress on—the state’s burdened water system.”
Milestones the group gathered to honor included:
- AB 2551 signed into law, giving flexibility in construction methods to help ensure the project gets done on time and on budget.
- Some 34 agencies now participating in the project.
- Sites Project moving into a new office in Maxwell, near where the reservoir would be built.
Republican Senator Jim Nielsen, a co-author of AB 2551, said that many worked hard to write and pass the Proposition 1 Water Bond.
“The people are promised the first significant surface water storage since the State Water Project was initiated with the building of the Oroville Dam and conveyance systems,” Nielsen continued. “Now we can take the next step to assure an ample and quality supply of water for the generations to come by building Sites Reservoir.”
Only about 500,000 acre-feet of water held in the reservoir is expected to be available for use, the report noted, with rules of the bond mandating half the water go towards public benefits like the environment, recreation, and flood control.
“Family Water Alliance, Inc. and their Sacramento Valley Fish Screen Program have worked to protect and save California fish species for over 20 years,” said Nadine Bailey with Family Water Alliance. “Our organization supports the Sites Project because it is a solution that will protect California family farms and our fishery resources.”
About 250,000 acre-feet of water will be available for investors, and Sacramento Valley has already signed on to purchase about 128,000 acre-feet of water annually for its water districts.
Investors have been asked to offer upwards of $60 per acre-foot of water they pledge to receive in order to move the project forward, with a deadline in place to ask the state Water Commission to pay half the estimated construction cost of $4.4 billion by June of 2017.
Jim Watson, manager of the Sites JPA, told the source it will provide that request once the Water Commission has made some important decisions this coming December.
NOGALES, AZ – Veg-Fresh Farms is doubling down on its commitment to growing its Good Life Organic™ offerings from the newly-built Nogales location with a new team leader.
The company has hired 10-year produce sales veteran, Mario Yubeta, as Sales Manager, who will lead a new Sales Assistant, as well as two QC team members to receive, perform QC functions, and ship product. Yubeta’s sales team is expected to work seamlessly with Veg-Fresh’s Good Life Organic™ sales team in its Corona, CA, headquarters. Yubeta will report to Good Life Organic™ Category Manager, Anthony Innocenti.
“Not only does Mario possess a solid background in produce, he was also born and raised in Nogales and brings exceptional local knowledge and expertise to the table,” Randy Cancellieri, a Partner at Veg-Fresh Farms. “He has a full understanding of all aspects of the Nogales produce season.”
According to a press release, the Nogales location provides convenience to customers throughout the Midwest, East Coast, and the South, who will now have better access to loading organic veg from October through June.
Cancellieri continued, “As our Good Life Organic™ program continues to expand and offer more products and services, our customers became more vocal that they wanted to load organic vegetables in Nogales and save both time and money on transportation.”
To learn more about the company’s Nogales facility from the company themselves, check out the company’s website, https://vegfresh.com/nogales-facility/.