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WATSONVILLE, CA - Time is running out to donate to Tour de Fresh. With $91,000 left to raise for this year's goal of $175,000, and only two weeks before the event on July 26-28, the team is encouraging participants, sponsors, and industry members to reach out for fundraising support.
“Each year, we’ve been able to pull through for the schools where we’ve promised salad bars, and I don’t expect this year to be any different because of the tremendous industry support for this cause,” said Cindy Jewell, Vice President of Marketing for California Giant Berry Farms. “However, with only two weeks left and more than $90,000 to collect, we’re very appreciative of the friends, families, and companies who support our riders in their last leg of fundraising.”
Presented by The California Giant Foundation, Tour de Fresh is a three-day cycling event that raises funds to benefit the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign. Some ways to support friends and colleagues riding in this year’s Tour de Fresh include:
- Reaching out to friends and family by asking personally, and posting on social media using this link: http://www.tourdefresh.com/riders.php.
- Implementing company incentives. Offer raffles, prizes, team lunches, time off, etc. for those who donate.
- Utilizing industry partnerships, by asking for support from buyers, importers, retailers, etc.
- Forming business partnerships by asking local businesses to donate tax-free.
Through July 22nd, Tour de Fresh is offering multiple incentives to support these additional fundraising efforts. Any individual who donates to a rider will automatically be entered into a raffle for the chance to win one of two prizes - a Blendtec® Blender, or a baseball signed by San Francisco Giants Brandon Crawford. Additionally, the rider who raises the most money within that time period will automatically win a Blendtec® Blender.
Riders have already placed 27 salad bars in schools through this year’s fundraising efforts. These salad bars will allow students to enjoy fresh and nutritious produce as they return to school in the fall, and schools still on the waitlist are relying on Tour de Fresh riders for the same exciting opportunity.
In it’s first two years (2014-2015), Tour de Fresh received over $300,000 in donations to support the placement of more than 100 salad bars in schools across the country. At a cost of $3,125 per salad bar per school, sponsors and participants alike strongly believe that providing healthy eating opportunities for school children should be a requirement.
NEW YORK, NY - D’Arrigo Bros. of New York, Inc. is not wasting time in their pursuit of sustainability. The company has been recognized by New York City for its participation in the Mayor’s Zero Waste Challenge, part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s comprehensive OneNYC plan to send Zero Waste to landfills by 2030.
“D’Arrigo Brothers is committed to New York City’s Green Mission,” said Matthew D’Arrigo, Vice President of D’Arrigo Brothers, in a press release. “Participating in the Mayor’s Zero Waste Challenge was a natural partnership. We were able to strengthen our sustainability efforts as we strive to divert waste through reusing, donating, composting, and recycling.”
To successfully complete the challenge, D’Arrigo Bros. and more than thirty other participants committed to divert at least 50 percent of their waste from landfill and incineration. The company donated 216.13 tons of produce to NYC Parks, City Harvest, Food Bank of NYC, and others.
At the beginning of the challenge, the D’Arrigo Bros. diversion rate was roughly 85 percent, today it exceeds 95 percent. To do this it changed existing processes; the company implemented a strategy that integrates waste removal throughout all employees’ routine tasks, rather than waiting until the end of the day to have a few individuals take care of waste.
“The Zero Waste Challenge allowed D’Arrigo Brothers to help NYC meet the goal of reducing carbon emissions, producing less waste and donating food to those in need,” said Matthew D’Arrigo. “I believe that our participation can serve as a role model for others looking to comply with the city's recycling laws and help New York City achieve its zero waste goal."
This Zero Waste Challenge comes ahead of the new commercial organics law, which will require certain subsets of businesses to source separate food scraps and other organic material for beneficial use in 2017, as well as new commercial recycling rules that simplify the city’s current commercial recycling rules, making them easier for businesses to follow.
As more companies continue to focus on reducing waste, stay with AndNowUKnow as we report on their progress.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - As San Antonio, Texas, continues to grow as a retail hub, H-E-B has announced growing its own footprint in the market as well. The chain is planning two new stores in the town to open in 2017, one in the west area of the city, and one in the northeast.
The west-area location will be on a 6.27-acre plot H-E-B purchased in 2012, currently valued at $4.74 million. The second location is a retail center currently under way with local firm Fulcrum Development.
Director of Governmental and Public Affairs at H-E-B, Dya Campos, did confirm the two new locations in an email to news source My San Antonio, but the retailer declined to share too many details about the stores or confirm specific open dates.
It’s the latest in a few moves for growth from H-E-B, who recently added more land to its reach, now owning 20 pieces of land total in Texas’ Dallas, Collin, and Tarrant counties, as well as about 48 acres at a northwest corner of San Antonio valued at $9.9 million. This particular plot, however, Campos declined would become a new store, according to the report.
And the retailer has extended its e-commerce reach as well, having launched a curbside pilot several months ago to enhance its consumers’ experience.
What additional moves towards growth can we expect over the coming year? Continue to follow AndNowUKnow as we keep our finger on the pulse of the fluctuating retail market.
TAMPA, FL - Harvest CROO Robotics, the company behind the creation of a strawberry harvesting robot, has achieved its first U.S. Patent approval. The bot uses a device called “the Pitzer Wheel,” an autonomous and continuous picking wheel on the apparatus named after company Co-Founder and inventor Bob Pitzer.
“Our biggest differentiator has always been that growers will not have to change the way they currently grow strawberries,” explained Gary Wishnatzki, Co-Founder of Harvest CROO and Owner of Wish Farms. “Now, with the patent of the Pitzer Wheel, what I believe to be the heart of the invention, we have another strong distinguishing factor.”
Look below to watch a video of the Pitzer Wheel in action:
Different perhaps than some other harvest robots that you might see on the market, Harvest CROO’s picking wheel uses conservation of motion as opposed to a “pick and move” motion. According to a press release, the bot picks the initial berry, then rotates to expose the next claw to pick another berry at a rapid rate. Once a strawberry is picked by one of the six food-grade silicon claws, it is rotated to the top of the wheel. After that, the berry is carefully placed into a cup that will then be transferred to a central location on the machine, to be inspected for a second time, before being placed into consumer packs. All of these steps are done without human intervention.
“By reaching this milestone to protect the intellectual property of one of the key components of our machine, we are steps closer in our mission to revolutionizing the ag-tech industry,” added Wishnatzki.
Harvest CROO has filed a total of six patents since the company began its project, including the following:
- GPS navigation techniques
- An altitude control system
- Leaf manipulation concepts for harvest
The company noted that its vision technology, used to identify ripe berries, is being held as a trade secret, and that it is currently fundraising in preparation for the next round of prototypes.
To learn more about Harvest CROO, including investment opportunities, contact [email protected].
BANCROFT, WI - RPE, Inc. is looking to inspire consumers to capture quality moments with family, with Tasteful Selections™ holding a spot in those moments, with the launch of its #RescuedMoments campaign.
“The campaign focuses on promoting Tasteful Selections’ unique attributes including quick cook times, fantastic flavors, and consistent quality in every bag,” RPE stated in a press release, adding that retailers will be displaying Tasteful Selections bins with #RescuedMoments recipe tear pads at point of sale.
Launching now and running through September, #RescuedMoments will run both online and in-store, with select markets featuring “taste ambassadors” to engage with shoppers. At these stations, consumers will be able to receive:
- Product information
- Coupons
- Recipe cards
Digitally, 12 upcoming recipe, tip, and kitchen hack videos will be hosted on Tasteful Selection’s #RescuedMoments page here, acting as a resource for weekly meal planning and inspiration from food bloggers to create those family moments in the kitchen.
Last, but not least, RPE added that Tasteful Selections will offer a sweepstakes to top off the campaign, with a grand prize winner taking home a gift card for a kitchen makeover, as well as several giveaways available on social media.
According to the company, kitchen cookware will also be awarded to two additional winners to continue to rescue moments.
The campaign will span the U.S., reach consumers through online and mobile advertisements.
You can find out more details about this campaign to promote making potatoes a key part of family moments, as well as recipes, locations in more than 10,000 retails stores across the nation, and more, by visiting Tasteful Selections’ website here.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA – As negotiations continue between the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) over labor rights for grocery workers in the southern regions of the state, analysts say that the rumored strike could affect retailers as soon as next month.
According to Bloomberg BNA, analysts predict that if an agreement can’t be reached and workers do go on strike as the unions previously stated, the strike could hinder both sides from making a full recovery.
Greg Conger, President of UFCW Local 324 in Buena Park, CA, told Bloomberg BNA that workers are eying early August as a tentative strike date should negotiations continue to stall. The retailers currently in negotiations are the banners of Ralphs Grocery Co., Albertsons Inc., and Vons.
“It's been such a topsy-turvy, highly competitive market in San Diego, so for the unions it's a different negotiating environment,” said Miro Copic, a marketing lecturer and branding authority at San Diego State University who monitors retail trade developments, in a statement to Bloomberg BNA.
So what is prolonging the negotiations, and which issues could push the talks into an impending strike?
“We are focused on fair scheduling practices, living wages, and maintaining our pension and health-care benefits,” Ricardo Icaza, President of the Los Angeles-based UFCW Local 770, told Bloomberg BNA. Icaza continued to state that another focus for workers is to receive more work hours, with more advance notice on their schedules.
According to David Livingston, a supermarket analyst based in Wisconsin, health-care is a big negotiation issue as costs are “nearly impossible” to predict, and one of the least-controllable expenses for a company. Livingston told Bloomberg BNA that contract negotiations will most likely resolve in a great deal of haggling over health care, and how much each side should pay.
“We remain committed to negotiating a contract that is fair to all parties, including our employees, and will continue to work to achieve that,” Carlos Illingworth, a spokesman for Albertsons and Vons, said July 7 in an e-mail message to Bloomberg BNA.
Analysts have also stated that aiding in the agreement’s delay is the loss of union members which are employed in the private sector, reducing the unions bargaining power. In addition, retailers have also been experiencing bargaining issues as the competitive retail market is kept at the forefront.
Livingston stated that a crucial issue in the negotiations between the retail banners and UFCW will be getting union members “to understand that their employers are not charities that should share all the profits with the employees.”
“We look forward to reaching an agreement at the only place we can—the bargaining table,” stated Kendra Doyel, a spokeswoman for Ralphs, said July 7. “Ralphs remains committed to working out the details for a contract that rewards our associates and enables us to keep our stores competitive.”
As negotiations over these multiple issues continue, and August comes ever closer, stay with AndNowUKnow for the latest.
CHELAN, WA - Nothing says “promotable product” quite like having such a following that said product has its own national day.
On this day more than 60 years ago, Washington State University’s Harold Fogle successfully cross-bred Bing cherry and Van cherry varieties to create the sweet Rainier, now one of the better-known varieties on the market. Today, that is celebrated every year on July 11th as National Rainier Cherry Day.
In celebration of its past, and the promise of its future, Kathryn Grandy, Marketing Manager for Chelan Fresh, took the time to share both fun facts and fun uses for this naturally-sweet summer treat.
“Rainier cherries are actually named after Washington State’s tallest mountain, Mount Rainier,” Kathryn tells me, explaining that they are “super sweet" at 17-23% fruit sugar and are generally larger than red sweet cherries.
Rainiers have a thin skin and a flesh that is a thick creamy-yellow. The variety is considered a premium cherry, according to National Day Calendar, with plenty to add to the recipe book besides just snacking.
A couple of ideas Kathryn imparted on me were a gluten, dairy, refined flour, and refined sugar free, whole grain recipe, and a cool “summer in a jar” idea of preserving Rainiers in syrup to enjoy after the season is over.
"Consumers are enjoying Rainier cherries for their delciousness in recipes as well as a fresh snack!" Kathryn says.
Many more recipe ideas, which are a key strategy for many retailers in the produce aisle, can be found on Chelan’s Pinterest here, or in the recipe section of its website here.
How will you or your store celebrate fresh produce on its own calendar day? Share with us by emailing us at [email protected].
Keep checking in with AndNowUKnow for all the latest ways to promote the industry, on national days and all year long.
RIO RICO, AZ- Welcome to Behind the Greens. Dedicated to providing excellence and quality across its portfolio, Rio Rico, Arizona-based SunFed is expanding its focus on organic growth within its Perfect Produce offerings. With programs throughout Mexico’s fertile growing regions, SunFed is now shipping organic roma tomatoes and is increasing distribution of bell peppers with an eye on consistency, quality, and fresh innovations.
This most recent program expansion will support SunFed’s full line of conventional and organic produce, which currently includes colored bell peppers, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, and melons. As SunFed invests in increasing its product offerings, the company will also be expanding its distribution through both Nogales, Arizona, and its new operations in McAllen, Texas.
SunFed growers work hand-in-hand with Mother Nature each day to create a balanced relationship with the land and its natural resources. From new, state-of-the-art developments in protected agriculture and proprietary greenhouse coverings to new technologies that allow growers to utilize the individual benefits of Mexico’s micro-climates; SunFed’s family of growers is moving closer and closer to year-round production.
As much as 98% of what is grown, ends up in the company’s uniquely designed packaging and boxes. The ever-innovative team at SunFed presents retail partners with merchandising support and marketing materials to extend the story of SunFed to the produce floor.
Reports show that up to 40% of organic product is misrung at the register, and to address this challenge, SunFed is shipping bell peppers with the company’s wide, eye-catching Perfect Organic® bands as well as romas with a bright purple organic, call-out label.
These new organic bands ensure the produce is rung-up correctly and with ease at the register and the bands also help to add value to the organic programs for retail partners. Thank you for watching Behind the Greens.
ORLANDO, FL - The weeks ahead look to bring more mango-mania, the National Mango Board (NMB) reports, with the next four weeks projected to bring close to or above 4 million boxes per week.
The Mexico harvest is currently transitioning from the central pacific coast states, such as Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit, and Sinaloa, into the Northern Sinaloa region, which kicked off its harvest at the end of June.
The mango season started later than usual, bringing strong volumes later into the summer months that the NMB advises retailers take advantage of with promotions to help keep supplies moving.
As we reported previously, NMB offers a wide selection of tools and resources to help retailers educate consumers on proper mango-eating techniques. Aside from Point of Sale materials, mango recipes, and nutritional facts, the board also has its Mango Mania Display Contest, which offers more than $10,000 in prizes and incentives.
Mango shipments from Mexico are expected to hit from 66 to 70 million boxes, with upwards of 10 million boxes projected from the Northern Sinaloa region alone.
According to NMB, Tommy Atkins are currently peaking on 10s, 12s, and 9s, while Kents are also entering the market with larger fruit peaking on 9s and 10s.
Ataulfo volumes will end their season at the beginning of August, with expectations of supplies dropping steadily through then.
As we near Brazil’s mango season, starting the first week of August and arriving in the U.S. around mid-August to start, AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you up to date on the market throughout the year.