CITRUSDAL, SOUTH AFRICA -As Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA) approaches the end of its strong growing season, the company continues to supply steady volumes of both Navels and Midknights, available until the end of October. Retailers can expect SCSA’s last conventional vessel of the season to arrive at the Port of Philadelphia the week of September 26.
“Each year, our goal is to provide superior quality citrus to the U.S. market that compliments local production and availability,” explained Suhanra Conradie, CEO of Summer Citrus from South Africa. “The market has been unique this year with local production running later than expected and other Southern Hemisphere shippers coming on strong, but we’ve stayed the course on our shipping volumes and have been successful in continuing to grow our customer relationships.”
This has been a summer of giant leaps of growth for SCSA. In addition to its rebrand, new retail partners, and new vessels in the Port of Houston, the company unveiled its first ever consumer campaign in support of this strong growing season. From a digital promotion and influencer partnerships, to social media outreach focusing on raising brand awareness and promoting in-season citrus options, the campaign has reportedly resulted in the addition of 5,300 new contacts to the brand’s database. According to a press release, SCSA now plans to advance the process of turning new consumers into brand advocates while continuing to instill brand loyalty that will last for future growing seasons.
Those who wish to learn more from CEO Suhanra Conradie herself can schedule an appointment for the upcoming PMA Fresh Summit. Either email Conradie at [email protected], or visit the Global Connections Reception, sponsored by SCSA, on October 15 from 5:15 PM to 7 PM.
CHICAGO, IL – Furthering its commitment to benefit businesses by helping them grow profit margins and streamline efficiency, Produce Pro has added Ryeco, LLC to the ranks of those using its software system.
“Our goal is to provide an all-inclusive software solution for our customers to take full advantage of from inventory management to mobile applications and EDI integration,” said Tony Zuccato, VP of Operations at Produce Pro Software. “Produce Pro allows our customers to streamline their operations by eliminating duplicate work and manual processes to focus on the total customer experience.”
Ryeco has been a leading presence in the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market for decades, according to a press release, and sought out the services of Produce Pro to enhance its operations and continue its mission of offering an extensive product line with excellent quality and pricing. The company began utilizing Produce Pro’s ERP software solution in May of this year.
“As a business, we wanted to gain knowledge and visibility of our data more quickly to make better decisions, improve the bottom line and increase productivity,” explained Filindo Colace, Vice President of Operations, Ryeco. “We originally heard about Produce Pro Software through a referral from one of their existing customers.”
By implementing Produce Pro software in its operations, Ryeco stated that it expects to take its sense of service to a new level of production, specifically through the following ERP capabilities:
- Real-time Inventory Management and Traceability
- Mobile Applications
- Pricing, Sales Order Entry, and E-commerce
Produce Pro’s software will now help Ryeco deliver on its more than three decades-old mission to help grow the business and profit margins of its customers, and receive and deliver a full line of fruit and vegetables throughout the East Coast.
“The more the Ryeco team learns about the capabilities of the system including robust reporting and document imaging, the more excited we are to keep learning the program and enhancing our operation. The expeditious response to making program changes to fit our needs has also been exceptional,” concluded Colace.
As businesses throughout the industry continue to invest in new technology and methods of streamline software, stay with AndNowUKnow as we report on the leading innivators in the industry.
GREENSBORO, NC – Teri Miller is making moves. The former Category Manager for Food Lion/Delhaize joined The Fresh Market this week as the Senior Category Manager for Produce, as the company looks to elevate its “fresh” impact.
I was able to steal a few minutes of Teri’s time as she moves through her third day at The Fresh Market, to talk about her new role and the company.
“The leadership and culture at The Fresh Market is truly what inspired me to join the team,” Teri tells me. “The company has a unique, boutique aesthetic, spread out over 21 states. Although The Fresh Market has a smaller footprint than my previous company, the blueprint is really what differentiates the format in the competitive retail market.”
As we all know, Teri holds a unique combination of characteristics for a retail executive. Along with the title she held as Category Manager for Food Lion, she is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). For a produce concept that is positioning to evolve, Teri’s combination is a recipe for success.
“Produce really is a combination of art and science, refining time and time again, that balance between the creativity you need to build atmosphere, and the logistics and numbers behind each category to ensure continued success,” Teri told me when I interviewed her this year when she was still with Food Lion. But I believe she will bring this incredible perspective with her to The Fresh Market.
“Honestly, I knew that I couldn’t stay away from produce,” she says. When I tell her that I am surprised that she could stay away at all, she laughs.
Now with The Fresh Market, Teri joins the leadership created by President and CEO Rick Anicetti, who Teri admires, as well the likes of Jim Corby, previously Director of Produce at Save Mart Supermarkets, and a mentor to Teri.
From the team here at AndNowUKnow, congratulations on your new role with The Fresh Market! We are excited to see all the great things you and the team will accomplish.
WESTERN U.S. - This morning I woke to find that my boss had shared impossible news: scattered raindrops on her windshield.
While it is technically the last day of California’s summer, the northern part of the state definitely woke up to scattered showers and wind, as though it actually knows what autumn is supposed to look like.
KCRA 3 Meteorologist Tamara Berg reported light hit-and-miss showers in the Sacramento, California area, as well as steady rain around Lake Tahoe, leaving roads wet.
While our encounter with precipitation will likely dry up by end of day, the rest of the west could see more lasting effects thanks to a powerful storm due to lend soaking rain, as well as mountain snow, to evenmore of the western U.S. today through Friday.
Heavy rain and mountain snow will likely cause travel hazards in several western states including:
- Elko, Nevada
- Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah
- Colorado
- Pocatello, Idaho
- Wyoming
- Billings, Great Falls, and Bozeman, Montana
According to AccuWeather, it’s a weather pattern more typical of November than September, and some roadways could be closed or washed out across the region, as well as encounter delays and disruptions during the second half of the week.
"There may be enough snow in the highest passes Friday night to make roads snow covered and icy," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Michael LeSeney.
Snow levels will lower as the storm progresses, from 8,000 feet in the mountains of northwestern Wyoming to 10,000 feet in the mountains of Utah and northern Colorado, LeSeney said, while rainfall could surpass the average in the month for many of the areas affected.
While it looks like scattered sprinkles and showers is all we Californians will get for this round, it is a promising start as we hope for a wetter winter for 2016/17.
NEWPORT BEACH, CA - After two years of proven success in increasing fresh produce sales, eat brighter! will now be making its debut on GreenFruit Avocado’s new bag packaging. The new bags sporting Sesame Street characters will be making their debut at PMA Fresh Summit in Orlando, FL, on October 15, 2016. The company cites category data from the Hass Avocado Board that shows bagged avocados now account for 17 percent of total sales for the category.
“Avocados sales have experienced tremendous growth over the last decade but we still have more work to do and it starts with kids,” explained Brian Gomez, Vice President of GreenFruit. “Sesame Street was a natural partnership that will help us develop programs and messaging that focus on avocados as a perfect food for young kids.”
With Sesame Street’s Big Bird in tow, the packaging is specially designed just for kids, using easy to understand messaging about the health benefits of avocados. As research mounts on the health benefits of avocados, their vitamin, mineral, and folate content, as well the fruit’s monounsaturated fats helping to develop healthy brain and neuro function, many pediatricians have begun recommending avocados as one of the first foods for babies.
“As a new dad, my first thought is always how can I make the best decisions for my family and what information do I trust,” added Gomez. “We believe the ability to partner with an iconic and trusted branded like Sesame Street can have lasting impact on the consumption of not just avocados, but fruits and vegetables in general.”
Research from multiple organizations is continually showing that children develop connections with characters and mascots early in life and look to them for some of their earliest role modeling behaviors including healthy eating, says GreenFruit in a press release. The same research indicates that products featuring characters often experience a 2 percent increase in sales.
“Dozens of industry organizations are already experiencing double-digit sales increases thanks to the eat brighter! campaign,” Gomez closed by noting. “With the support of many national retailers this is a win-win for our industry.”
GreenFruit’s new Sesame Street branded packaging will be available mid-October in a variety of bag counts and case packs. Additional tools will also be available, including merchandisers, point-of-sale and kids recipes, and activities on the website.
Check out the new packaging for yourself at GreenFruit Avocado’s booth #4457 at the upcoming PMA Fresh Summit.
THAILAND – U.K. activist Andy Hall was found guilty yesterday by a Thai court, and sentenced for defamation and computer crimes in a case involving Natural Fruit. Hall was given a three-year suspended jail term and fined 150,000 baht ($4,300).
The sentence comes after a nearly four-year-long court battle in Bangkok for Hall’s role in publically announcing the alleged abuse which occurred at pineapple-processing plant Natural Fruit in Thailand.
Hall initially contributed to a report called “Cheap Has a High Price” by Finnish watchdog group Finnwatch, and named the fruit company as one who confiscated its workers passports, and placed them in unfavorable conditions with low wages.
The court handed down the sentence in Natural Fruit’s favor after the company denied Hall’s allegations and presented evidence that government inspectors had performed routine visits to the factory and found no serious issues.
The BBC reported that despite exhibiting research notes, photos, and witnesses to the court, Hall was still sentenced with a guilty verdict for Defamation, as well as violating the Computer Crimes Act as the report was posted online. Hall was living in Thailand when charged by Natural Fruit, giving Thai courts jurisdiction.
The BBC stated that this was not Natural Fruit’s first time being criticized over labor conditions for its migrant workers. Additionally, Hall told the publication that he believed the ruling to be unjust, but was grateful for the international attention the case brought the issue.
A British embassy spokesman told BBC that it would raise the matter with Thai authorities. Hall’s jail term was suspended for two years, so he will not need to immediately serve his sentence.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report as this and other relevant industry issues unfold.
BOSTON, MA - Backyard Farms, a Maine-based greenhouse tomato grower, is reaching the culmination of its summertime “Savor the Summer” campaign, bringing together one lucky customer and several social media influencers from the New England area. The final event, an interactive culinary experience slated for September 24, will be held at the Seaport Hotel with cuisine by Chef Richard Rayment and feature Backyard Farms tomatoes in every course–even dessert.
“This campaign enabled us to collaborate with a valued marketing partner on an initiative that will increase awareness about the flavor and versatility of our tomatoes. It’s a win for us as well as the influencers who value access to ‘exclusive’ innovative events like this,” said Jim Darroch, Director of Marketing for Backyard Farms.
Attendees include the winner of the company’s Savor the Summer sweepstakes along with:
- Instagrammer Boston Bites (@Boston_Bites)
- Instagrammer Eating Boston (@EatingBoston)
- Instagrammer Only In Boston (@OnlyInBos)
- Instagrammer and Food Blogger Boston Foodies (@BostonFoodies)
- Jen Che, Blogger at Tiny Urban Kitchen
During the event, the guests will be documenting their experience as Chef Rayment prepares innovative tomato recipes in the Seaport Hotel’s “Action Kitchen,” just a few feet away from the diners. Sharing the surprising, inspiring, and delicious dishes with their cumulative 100,000+ Boston followers, the influencers will be in for a culinary treat.
“Recipes are a huge part of how we engage our customers,” Darroch explained. “We’re always looking to share new ideas for how they can use our tomatoes and this campaign enabled our Facebook fans to be a part of the recipe development process.”
In addition to tomatoes, Chef Rayment will use corn as a featured ingredient in one of the recipes, a choice made by Backyard Farms customers. Casting a vote for the seasonal ingredient they wanted to see paired with tomatoes entered the customer into a drawing to win two seats at the influencer table. Adding a customer-facing element to the influencer campaign encouraged further awareness and engagement.
Backyard Farms has executed influencer campaigns prior to Savor the Summer, but this is the first time it has combined a social media contest with an invitation-only event. Darroch continued, “It was great to see over 600 customers enter a contest where they had to travel to Boston on a specific date. The winner is traveling all the way from Rochester, NY, and flying her sister up from Florida at her own expense. That’s some serious dedication that we are extremely flattered by.”
At the conclusion of the event, Backyard Farms will post the recipes to its website: backyardfarms.com/recipes.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Target is broadening its fresh focus with 30 remodels to the competitive Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, market.
With an eye on keeping things even more fresh, the Dallas area remodels will continue into 2017, and new or additional remodels by the retailer will also include the grocery boosts, according to news source Dallas Morning News.
With its grocery business representing $18 to $20 billion of its $73.8 billion total in annual sales last year, it is a category significant enough that CEO Brian Cornell said it is getting much-needed attention, but will not push Target into becoming a full-service grocer.
Cornell told the Wall Street Journal recently that instead of going full-service in grocery, it is training some employees to only work on the grocery side, with some individual markets having food directors to oversee the localization of grocery aisles and ensure the overall food strategy is being followed.
Vice President Communications Katie Boylan said that while shoppers may not use the store as a full-service supermarket, they still want the quality and freshness of one. "If a mom is there to pick up new shoes for her child, Tide detergent, a few other things and chicken to cook for dinner that night, she can feel confident about the fresh chicken she's going to find in our stores," Boylan said, according to Dallas Morning News.
Target tested formats with a stronger grocery approach in 25 Los Angeles stores to begin with, and looks to now be widening that to the next metropolitan.
In the past year, the retailer has expanded on its grocery offerings not just in format, but with hundreds of new items to meet consumer demand for more fresh, organic, natural produce, as well as specialty products.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on any additional moves the retailer makes within the fresh produce industry.
CASTROVILLE, CA – As the industry gears up for another year of innovation and leading displays at the upcoming PMA Fresh Summit, Ocean Mist Farms has its own offerings to debut at the event. Ocean Mist Farms will unveil the newest addition to its Season & Steam line, Sweet Baby Broccoli.
“Our Season & Steam bag addresses multiple culinary and consumer trends,” stated Diana McClean, Director of Marketing. “We want to meet consumer demand and make Sweet Baby Broccoli easy and convenient to cook at home.”
In addition to answering that demand for convenient and healthy vegetable options, the company stated in a press release that Ocean Mist Farms is looking to shake up the broccoli category with value-added success, as it previously did with the Brussels sprouts category.
The newest extension to the value-added fresh vegetable line is packaged in the innovative Steamfast microwavable pack. This packaging provides consumers with a convenient option to pre-season the broccoli right in its packaging, reseal the lock, and steam in the microwave.
The SteamFast packaging is also designed for ideal stand-up, face-forward presentation on the shelf. The 8 oz package is bilingual, in French and English, for export opportunities, and also includes cooking instructions and usage ideas on the bottom gusset.
That’s not the only highlight Ocean Mist Farms has planned for the event, as the company will host retail registered dieticians, through the Produce for Better Health Foundation, at its booth for a portion of the show, to demonstrate the fast and easy ways consumers can prepare fresh artichokes.
“We are looking forward to educating these important group of influencers about artichokes so they in turn can educate their shoppers,” McClean finished.
The new Sweet Baby Broccoli Season & Steam will be on display at Ocean Mist Farms booth at PMA Fresh Summit, and is also a finalist for the annual packaging innovation awards. Ocean Mist Farms also intends to showcase its more than 30 freshly grown vegetables and organic line, Ocean Mist Organic, at the event as well.
Need to see the new Sweet Baby Broccoli product for yourself? Stop by Ocean Mist Farms booth 642 at PMA.
SALINAS, CA – Taylor Farms is keeping its eyes to the future as the company utilizes leading technology and partnerships to further invest in renewable energy, and the growth of its company. Taylor Farms has most recently helped REC Solar surpass 100 installations for the agriculture sector with its latest installation at one of its facilities.
“Taylor Farms is a leader in the agriculture industry, and now in sustainability, because we know it’s the right thing to do,” said Nicole Flewell, Director of Sustainability at Taylor Farms. “Not only are we taking care of the environment but we’re also providing ourselves with reliable and cost effective energy sources.”
The installation to push REC Solar over the milestone mark was a 1 megawatt (MW) project at the Taylor Farms facility in Gonzales, California. As the company stated in a recent press release, this latest addition, combined with the energy generated from the company’s wind turbines, enables Taylor Farms to offset more than 25 percent of its energy consumption during peak periods.
Previous to this installment, REC Solar had also completed solar projects for Taylor Farms in its Salinas, California, location and is working on additional projects for the company’s facilities in Tracy, California, and Dallas, Texas.
“Over the last 15 years, some of our most innovative solar solutions have been developed for members of the agriculture community. Farmers were some of the earliest adopters of solar because they quickly saw the business and environmental benefits,” said Alan Russo, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at REC Solar. “We are proud of the work we are doing to help such a critically important industry thrive in California, Hawaii, and across the nation.”
REC Solar’s installations in the agriculture sector now account for 45 MW of the total 200 MW that the company has installed. REC Solar has helped around 70 agricultural businesses within the past 19 years manage energy costs and improve the stability of their business with clean solar energy. The company has worked with growers, vineyards, nurseries, food and beverage processors, and cold storage facilities.
As Taylor Farms keeps pushing for innovation, both in its products and its energy use, AndNowUKnow will continue to update you with the latest in forward-thinking announcements.