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SALINAS, CA - With the first annual Organic Produce Summit inching ever closer, Mann Packing is gearing up to exhibit its Arcadian Harvest® Organic salad blend for foodservice and Organic Veggie trays. The company will be giving attendees an even closer look at the Monterey, California, show July 13-14 at booth #308.
“Organic sales have continued to climb in both foodservice and retail, and the demand has created a great opportunity for us to bring quality organic products to market,” shared Kim St George, Director of Marketing and Brand Management at Mann’s. “The event is an ideal place for us to show off our entire line of organic products.”
While the item is already popular in its conventional format, Mann’s foodservice offering of the Arcadian Harvest Organic blend combines four lettuce varieties to create a striking mix of textures and colors in a bulk size. According to a press release, the mild flavor profile makes the blend perfect for a wide variety of prep options, with the company suggesting the new option may even upstage the classic spring mix. Even further, Arcadian Harvest boasts a long shelf-life and more portions per pound.
Mann’s 18oz Organic Veggie tray offering is both all-natural and 100% organic. Alongside broccoli, celery, and carrots is an also 100% organic creamy ranch dressing. Sold in the U.S. and Canada, samples of Mann’s Organic Veggies trays will be offered at the booth.
Need a first-hand look at both the Arcadian Harvest blend and Organic Veggie trays? Visit booth #308 next week’s Organic Produce Summit, or for those not attending, check out veggiesmadeeasy.com.
JAPAN - As videos and internet think pieces continue to pair the stoic nature of cucumbers against the instinctual wariness of our favorite domesticated felines, this lone cat has dared master his own nature in the face of a more important mission; food.
めっちゃきゅうり食うねんけどうちの猫 pic.twitter.com/GTSAaNeIH4
— ぽめしば@人走中 (@poooom4) July 4, 2016
Hokuro-kun, a cat hailing from Japan, is reportedly a shy feline who runs away from strangers and chooses to reserve his love for his owners and any vegetables in sight. According to RocketNews 24, this vegetable-obsession also includes a cat's assumed nemesis, cucumbers.
Knowing his penchant for veggies, Hokuro-kun's owners even attempt a confrontation to tempt fate, placing a cucumber on the floor in a position which for most cats, sparks a traumatic and fearful instinct. For Hokuro-kun? Just another politely laid out tasty morsel, proving cucumbers inept in this battle, as seen below.
@poooom4 飛び跳ねませんね… pic.twitter.com/FUTBl7OwAB
— ぽめしば@人走中 (@poooom4) July 5, 2016
RocketNews24 stated that although it may seem strange to our eyes, veterinarians have divulged that it’s not uncommon for cats to eat vegetables with rapture, as long as not consumed in excess.
And just as bonus, because who doesn’t love an oddball, here’s the last video of the brave veggie-forward feline showing his affections for a sweet potato.
@poooom4 先日はさつまいも食べました pic.twitter.com/88pojDKS9b
— ぽめしば@人走中 (@poooom4) July 4, 2016
Does this mark the end of cats vs cucumbers? Truthfully, probably not, as neither faction can truly be declared a “winner,” but keep up with AndNowUKnow as entertaining videos continue to surface with veggies positioned in the surprising limelight.
STELLARTON, NS - President and CEO of the Sobeys chain and its parent, Empire Co., Marc Poulin, has announced an abrupt departure.
Effective immediately, the chain has announced that Empire’s current Chief Financial Officer, Francois Vimard, will be stepping in as an interim leader in Poulin’s place.
“On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Marc for his efforts and leadership as CEO over the past four years and, prior to that, for the important role he played in developing our Quebec business,” said Rob Dexter, Chair of Empire Company Limited, according to a press release.
Vimard will also be stepping into Poulin’s place on the Empire Board of Directors. He joined the Sobeys team in 1995, bringing with him more both experience and knowledge of Empire and Sobeys, as well as more than 30 years of experience in the food retailing business.
Clinton Keay, Empire’s Executive Vice President of Finance, will step in as Interim Chief Financial Officer.
The announcement has caused a flurry of speculations as to the cause, with the company having recently reported a sizeable loss in its Q4 2016 financial report tied to its acquisition of Safeway Canada, as reported by CBC News. The company, however, did not announce an official reason for Poulin’s sudden departure.
While Dexter acknowledged that Empire faced significant challenges over the past year, he expressed confidence in the change in leadership and Vimard’s capabilities.
“The Board of Directors is unanimous in its support of François Vimard’s leadership as we undertake this succession process,” Dexter continued. “Despite the significant challenges we have faced over the past year, the Board is confident the company is pursuing the right strategy. It is our clear expectation that François and his strong and experienced leadership team will prioritize and advance the most critical elements of the company’s strategy to ensure we meet the needs and expectations of our customers and see the return of long-term profitable growth for the company.”
As we await a decision on who will become the next permanent leader for the Canada-based retailer, AndNowUKnow will continue to report on any further developments as they become available.
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WENATCHEE, WA - As the summer continues on, the Pacific Northwest cherry season is nearing its peak of harvest in Washington State, which means Stemilt cherries are coming from the famous Stemilt Hill. Starting at an elevation of around 1,000 feet, Stemilt will continue picking cherries fresh daily into parts of August as it climbs up to 2,500 feet in late July with its special high-altitude cherry program, called A Half Mile Closer to the Moon™.
“Cherry harvest had a record early start in Washington this year and was compressed. This means harvest will wrap earlier than past years. However, with our unique high-altitude cherries, called Moon Cherries, Stemilt can carry retailers further into the summer with freshly harvested premium cherries coming in late July and early August,” Brianna Shales, Communications Manager, tells me.
The company has also kicked off its Kyle’s Pick™ Program which Stemilt will be shipping until mid-July. This program is built around large sizes and top varieties with incredible firmness and dessert flavors.
“We are really taking the best-of-the-best cherries and putting them in these designated packs so that retailers can promote quality for the whole month of July and into August,” Brianna adds. “July is a huge and important month for cherry sales. Promotions should be in full effect now and should continue all the way through the month of July.”
Stemilt is encouraging retailers to promote Cherry Festivals now, by showcasing a variety of different cherries on ad at the same time. Cherries are impulse purchases and big, dynamic, and eye-catching displays of large, high-quality fruit help consumers put cherries into their cart.
“When quality comes first and cherries are well displayed, they become a destination place at retail,” Brianna tells me. “Once the consumer sees the quality and the presentation is there, then the customer will come back and repeat purchase- a goal we all strive for.”
Moving forward, Stemilt is looking to kick off its pear harvest during the second week of August which is not too far form the norm, with Gala apples following soon after that. Stemilt’s apple and pear harvests have great timing for back-to-school promotions for retailers and plenty of Lil Snappers® opportunities are available to promote the ideal kid-friendly fruit in the convenient 3-pound pouch bag. The company’s apple harvest will continue from mid-August all the way until Pink Lady apples are picked from the tree at the end of October.
Keep an eye out for Stemilt’s Artisan Organic™ Summer Fruit program on stonefruit as well, which will begin in late July and run until mid-September, and offers a great differentiation point for quality-focused retailers. This is the seventh year Stemilt’s entire crop of peaches and nectarines has been certified organic.
With the summer heat setting in, the convenience of cool, fresh, fruit is at the top of my list.
YAKIMA, WA - Produce industry veteran of more than ten years, Mike Preacher, has just been appointed as Domex Superfresh Growers’ new Director of Marketing and Customer Relations.
“I join a great team of marketing and sales professionals, and I look forward to helping them serve customer needs and continue to build the Superfresh Growers brand,” Preacher said on his new position, according to a press release.
Preacher brings a wide range of experience in marketing and leadership, having worked in various roles for Starbucks Coffee Company, including Category Manager and Business to Business Sales Manager for the Starbucks Card.
“Mike has a strong background in marketing, sales, and business development,” said Robert Kershaw, President of Domex Superfresh Growers. “He has a solid understanding of retail, food service, export, and wholesale, and is attuned to the needs of consumers. This experience will be a real asset to our customers, company and growers.”
In addition to his latest role, Preacher also serves on the board of the U.S. Apple Association.
Domex Superfresh Growers is one of the Kershaw companies, who over the years have grown into a vertically-integrated organization to include farming, warehousing, sales, marketing, and logistic services.
As the company makes additional moves for growth, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.
PELION, SC – In the company’s fourth installment of a yearly commitment towards the empowerment of young growers, WP Rawl hosted another occurrence of Katie’s Krops.
“We are so proud to support Katie’s Krops with this dedicated camp once again”, said Ashley Rawl, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Product Development at WP Rawl. “We are truly inspired by this young lady whom we’ve been watching grow year after year. It is refreshing to get to know and interact with young people who are excited to make a difference in their local communities and in the world.”
Katie’s Krops is a non-profit which gives young growers an opportunity to plant vegetable gardens, and donate the harvest to members of their communities which are in need, according to a recent press release.
The non-profit was founded by Katie Stagliano, the program’s Chief Executive Gardener. Stagliano selected 12 campers, ages 10 through 18, from a varied selection of states throughout the U.S.
Campers learned new growing techniques, and visited the WP Rawl Headquarters with private tours of the fields and plant; an addition to the event after campers from the inaugural year expressed interest in ag careers and “behind the scenes” activities.
“I am so grateful to WP Rawl and their generosity year after year,” said Stagliano. “Every time they host us, they make us feel like part of the family and we get more out of this experience than I can begin to describe. I hope they know how much this means to me and to the Katie’s Krops growers who get the opportunity to participate.”
The campers also hosted a service project to aid a Katie’s Krops grower at White Knoll Middle School in West Columbia, SC. This project included expanding the garden and adding irrigation at the site.
Campers at Katie’s Krops also were provided the opportunity to prepare a mock “Katie’s Krops Dinner,” which was modeled after the monthly charity dinners which Stagliano and her friends host for those in need in Summerville, SC.
The camp was held from June 27 through June 29 at WP Rawl’s headquarters in Pelion, SC. The opportunity provided all expenses to be paid for its attendees.
Katie’s Krops stated that it is currently working with Sub-Zero to raise funds to start 25 new gardens. The refrigeration company will donate $5 to Katie’s Krops each time the #FreshFoodMatters hastag is used on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, up to a $25,000 total. This grant from Sub-Zero will provide funding for further education of young growers to continue harvesting vegetables for those in need.
To view Katie’s story on why Fresh Food Matters, visit www.FreshFoodMatters.com.
HOUSTON, TX - The North Texas retail scene is about to add even more heat to its competitive grocery market. Houston-based grocer Fiesta Mart is growing its North Texas presence by nearly 50 percent with the acquisition of 11 RLS Supermarkets-owned stores.
The Dallas-Fort Worth area stores include nine under the Minyard Food Stores banner and two under Sun Fresh Markets. These new additions take Fiesta’s number of stores in the area from 24 to 35, and to 70 across the entirety of Texas. The Dallas Business Journal reports that the acquired stores will transition to the Fiesta brand over the next several weeks.
“We are excited to welcome Minyard Food Stores to the Fiesta family. This action reinforces the strategic growth plan we put forth early last year,” Fiesta CEO Michael Byars said in a statement, Dallas Business Journal reports. “Our entire Fiesta team has worked together to move the brand forward organically, and now through acquisition we continue on our growth plan.”
While no financial terms of the acquisition have yet been revealed, no job cuts are expected as a result of the acquisition, the company says, even hinting at possibly adding jobs in the future.
Dallas Business Journal notes that stores will continue to be supplied by Associated Wholesale Grocers, and now also be supplied by Fiesta’s supplier, Grocery Supply.
It certainly looks like the growing competition in North Texas won't stop any time soon—make sure you check back for even more developments on AndNowUKnow.
JAPAN - Fruit continues to make excitable waves in the luxury line of Japanese foods, with grapes continuing to cause an extra stir.
Most recently, one bidder fought for and won a bunch of Ruby Roman grapes for 1.1 million yen, or almost $11,000 U.S. dollars. At upwards of $350 a grape, the winner seemed to feel it was a deal worth making.
“These are truly Ruby Roman gems,” bidder Takamaru Konishi of western Japan told the press, according to The Guardian. “We will display them at our store before giving our customers a sample taste.”
This bunch beats the record of last year’s reported summer auction of Ruby Romans, which went for a hefty $8,200, and the year before’s best seller of $5,400 a bunch.
This is in line with the Ishikawa prefecture’s Ruby Roman club website, which says that the prices on the sought-after variety have been rising consistently ever since it first went on sale in 2008.
Like other luxury fruits, it is common for the victor of the auction to put the bunch on display in a storefront before they are sold or used as a delicacy. This year’s buyer reported that samples will be provided to a few lucky patrons, though it wasn’t said if there would be a price attached or not.
Roughly the size of a ping pong ball, each $350 grape must weigh at least 20g and have a sugar content of at least 18%, according to The Guardian.
The sale not only made the books, but also signaled the start of the Ruby Roman season in Japan. Safe to say that this one is starting off with a bang, and we can’t wait to see what other extravagant moves the summer brings for the fruits of the season.