THE DALLES, OR - With the first week of June comes Orchard View’s cherry harvest, and the company reports that all indications are pointing to another excellent season for the Oregon grower, and exclusive sales, marketing, and distribution partner, Oppy. Adding more acreage, new tech, and refreshed branding, it looks like Orchard View is poised for another busy year.
“We’re positioned for growth in 2016,” said David Nelley, Oppy's Executive Category Director for Northwest cherries. “Not only has the crop continued to recover from catastrophic frost in October 2014, more acreage is available and Orchard View has made some important operational upgrades in the packhouse that will set them apart.”
One such upgrade is Orchard View’s installation of a Unitec optical sorting lines, equipped to separate cherries by color and size, while avoiding any quality issues.
“The new sorter’s 48-line capacity will enable Orchard View to efficiently heighten the consistency of the packs,” Nelley added. “Orchard View already enjoys a reputation for excellent quality. This new equipment will make their excellent offerings even stronger and eye-catching at retail.”
Orchard View’s cherry varieties include Bing, Rainier, and Sweetheart, which Orchard View President Brenda Thomas says are grown on the best-suited elevations on the company’s orchards. “We’ve chosen them in order to extend the season as long as possible so retailers can make the most out of cherry season and consumers can enjoy our quality into August.”
Each new season, Oppy's staff relocates to Orchard View to offer on-site service to customers, and support the grower’s “Pick, Pack, Ship” goal of shipping every cherry within a day of being picked. The 2016 season is particularly notable for Orchard View, according to a press release, with the company taking up a refreshed branding approach focused on the idea, “Pick Your Moments.”
“The Pick Your Moments theme encourages our customers and cherry lovers everywhere to enjoy what Orchard View has to offer—the best and sweetest cherries available at any moment of the season,” explained James Milne, Oppy’s Executive Director of Marketing, adding that domestic cherries often signal summer days and fun moments with family and friends. “The high-quality, varietal range and strategic harvest timing at Orchard View make it possible for retailers to ‘seize the moment’ and offer excellent cherries to their customers while enjoying the benefits to their bottom line.”
Orchard View is introducing new packaging and signage that prominently features the Pick Your Moments message, as well as encourages shoppers to enjoy the company’s cherries while creating memories of good times shared.
“Orchard View’s first cherry harvest was in 1923. The many moments of hard work, learning, and perseverance since then have enabled this grower family to excel for four generations,” Milne added. “Orchard View is picking its moment to shine this season—and we invite our customers and their shoppers to do the same.”
Orchard View cherries will be packed in high-graphic, attention-grabbing pouch bags, and Oppy has plans to connect Orchard View cherry lovers in the coming months with a comprehensive social media campaign, so stay tuned for more!
KELOWNA, BC - SunRype’s food products have always been known for their natural approach and clean labels with no added sugar, artificial colors, or artificial flavors. In 2015, we made a commitment to strengthen our offering to consumers by making the entire portfolio Gluten Free, Peanut Free, Vegan, and certified Kosher.
New optimized branding on all packaging started shipping to market in April, 2016, with more prominent product and key benefit callouts to help consumers make healthier choices easier.
In addition to the optimized branding on the existing portfolios, in April we also began featuring the launch of new innovation from SunRype.
Fruit & Chia: SunRype’s new Fruit & Chia bars are fruit and whole grain bars with gluten free oats, flax and seeds and are available in two delicious flavor combinations – Apple Cinnamon and Mango Twist. Not only are these bars delicious, they are a good source of vital nutrients like phosphorus, magnesium, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids to help you feel your best every day.
Energy: The second new product line that will be in market in April is SunRype Energy. This simple and natural sustained energy bar with 7g of plant protein is targeted to the growing recreational and lifestyle users – active snackers, outdoor enthusiasts, and weekend warriors. SunRype’s new Energy bar will be available in delicious Chocolate Coconut and Raspberry Chocolate flavors.
For more information on these products, including stores they can be found in and how to order, go to www.sunrypeusa.com.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Target Corporation has released its 2016 Q1 report, and as the company denoted lower first quarter sales, its stocks have followed suit, dropping more than 8 percent in morning trading as reported by USA Today.
In the company’s initial financial release, CEO Brian Cornell said that the company was pleased with its Q1 finances and other increases within the report. However, according to USA Today, Cornell was quoted in a call with the media as saying, "We continue to see consumers spend cautiously. It's been a very wet and cold start to the year in the Northeast and it's been reflected in our sales."
Target's sales decreased 5.4 percent, falling to $16.2 billion from the $17.1 billion reported last year. Furthermore, Target expects its comparable sales of flat to go down 2 percent in its second quarter. The company also reported net earnings down 0.4 percent at $632 billion from 2015 Q1’s report of $635 billion.
USA Today said that this announcement of lower sales, and an expected comparable sales decrease for the company’s next quarter, unnerved investors enough for Target to see its stocks plunge to $67.48 at market opening, even reaching as low as $65.50, as reported by Google Finance. Previous to the 2016 Q1 announcement, Target’s stocks were at $73.59 as of the market’s close on Tuesday, May 17, 2016.
Highlights noted from Target’s 2016 Q1 report, in comparison to 2015’s first quarter, are as follows:
- Adjusted EPS of $1.29, up 16.5 percent from $1.10
- Comparable digital channel sales increased by 23 percent, on top of 38 percent growth
- Comparable sales increased 1.2 percent
- $1.2 billion return to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases
As of 11:20 AM (PST), on May 18, 2016, Target's stocks were reported at $68.03, with the company's price-earnings ratio at 12.85, according to Google Finance.
Keep following AndNowUKnow as we continue to report on Target’s sales and financials in the face of changing retail strategies in the produce industry.
REEDLEY, CA - The California stone fruit harvest is underway and Giumarra Reedley has a host of new developments and promotional programs for retail partners. Jeannine Martin, Director of Sales, took a few minutes out of her day to speak with me about Giumarra’s program and what we can expect as we move through the season.
“Our first pack date was April 21st with white peaches,” Jeannine tells me. “We have since picked yellow and white peaches; yellow and white nectarines; white donut peaches; black and red plums; apricots; and our proprietary DulceVida™ red apricots.”
In 2016, Giumarra is expanding its Nature’s Partner DulceVida line of proprietary, high-flavor stone fruit varieties. The company will have more volume of several DulceVida categories this year: red apricots, white nectarines, and yellow nectarines. In addition, the company is offering new clamshell packaging for DulceVida.
She also adds that timing on some varieties is ahead of last year by three to four days. Giumarra’s California stone fruit is grown right in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley near the Kings River and volumes have expanded this year substantially with an additional grower base.
“This gives us well-balanced diversity among our California stone fruit offering for 2016,” Jeannine adds. “This year, one of the bigger challenges has been availability of field labor and the weather has been unpredictable. But, so far the crop and quality looks great and flavor is excellent.”
Giumarra will have stone fruit until October 1st. The end of the stone fruit season will overlap slightly with the company’s California fall persimmons, which begin harvest at the end of September.
PORTLAND, OR – The contest period for the 3rd annual “Pear Up with USA Pears” display competition has come and gone, and the contest’s sponsors, Pear Bureau Northwest, have announced its list of winners and 39 cash prizes.
“Every year, Pear Bureau Northwest celebrates and rewards dedicated produce personnel who build these creative sales-boosting displays. They are the heroes of the industry,” stated Kathy Stephenson, Marketing Communications Director at Pear Bureau Northwest.
From January 1 through April 15, 2016, the displays made by produce personnel were viewed by consumers in produce departments throughout U.S. and Canada for at least one week.
Each display featured pear varieties such as Green Anjou, Red Anjou, Bosc pears, and more. Pear Bureau Northwest stated in a press release that it awarded first, second, and third place winners in three separate categories, with ten honorable mentions. The prizes were as follows in each category:
- 1st place: $1,000
- 2nd place: $750
- 3rd place: 500
- Honorable mentions: $150 each
Entries were judged on their appearance, creativity, and educational value, and received five bonus points if the display included a second, smaller-sized fruit in bulk, bags, or totes. Each contest entrant automatically received an Amazon gift card in thanks for their participation.
“We appreciate the work that goes into each entry and know participating retailers appreciate the pear category increases of as much as 300% reported during the contest,” finished Stephenson.
The list of winners for each separate category can be found below:
1 – 5 Cash Registers Category:
1st Place: Tammy McEachron, Mirbitos IGA, Hannibal, NY
2nd Place: Holly Mathis, Neighborhood Co-op Grocery, Carbondale, IL
(second year placing in top three)
3rd Place: Margie Hansen, Nilssen’s Foods, Baldwin, WI
Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical Order):
- Sheila Burt, Mike’s Food Center, St. Charles, MN
- Kathy Fleming, Hurley’s Fresh Market, Towanda, PA
- Mike Hearns, Hollywood Markets, Troy, MI
- Nancy Hoffstetter, Cortland Sparkle Market, Cortland, OH
- Kia Lapier, Tops Markets, Schroon Lake, NY
- Tracey Norton, Sumter IGA, Sumter, S.C.
- Lisa Reedy, Community Markets, Oak Harbor, OH
- Rex Titch, Tops Markets, Waterford, PA
- Marcie Zweigart, St. Helens Marketfresh, St. Helens, OR
- Teresa Lewis, Piggly Wiggly, Oak Hill, OH
6 - 9 Cash Registers Category:
1st Place: David Scarlett, KVAT Food Stores, Knoxville, TN
(second year placing in top three)
2nd Place: Casey Erlacher, Hy-Vee Food Store, Canton, IL
3rd Place: Al Poland, Chucks Produce, Vancouver, WA
Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical Order):
- Shannon Adkins, KVAT Food City, Pikeville, KY
- Dawn Beckby, Henderson's IGA, Valentine, NE
- Jose Cruz, Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Market, South Elgin, IL
- Steven Davis, Donelan’s Supermarket, Acton, MA
- Brandon Hackbarth, Tops Markets, Hamburg, NY
- Ted Koutsouliou, Haymaker Village Shop & Save, Monroeville, PA
- Tracie Newberry, Piggly Wiggly, Pinetops, NC
- Kenny Ng, Calgary Co-Op, Calgary, Alta., Canada
- Arturo Perez, Pete’s Fresh Market, Chicago, IL
- Rick Weber, Hy-Vee Food Store, Waterloo, IA
10+ Cash Registers Category:
1st Place: John Weber, Hy-Vee Food Store, Worthington, MN
2nd Place: Ken Marske, Schmitz’s Economart, Spooner, WI
(second year placing in top three)
3rd Place: Doug Van Til, Van Tils Supermarket, Hammond, IN
Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical Order):
- David A, Calgary Co-Op Association, Calgary, Alta., Canada
- Francisco Andrade, Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets, Carol Stream, IL
- Justin Fiscus, Dutch-way Farm Market, Myerstown, PA
- William Gordon, Roche Brothers, Wellesley, MA
- Billy Guidry, Rouses Supermarkets, Thibodaux, LA
- Benjamin Karlen, Hy-Vee Food Store, Owatonna, MN
- Lisa Larson, Calgary Co-Op, Strathmore, Alta., Canada
- Luke Miller, Flemington ShopRite, Flemington, NJ
- Angel Patino, Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets, Elmwood Park, IL
- Joe Costa, Red River Co-op Southdale, Winnipeg, Man., Canada
Photos of the winning entries can be viewed online here. For even more promotion and marketing inspiration, continue to follow AndNowUKnow.
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 USDA press release, the following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- K & A Produce, operating out of Staten Island, NY, for failing to pay a $5,258 award in favor of a Florida seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Rodin R. Diaz was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
- Golden Fruit Company LLC, operating out of San Diego, CA, for failing to pay a $267,982 award in favor of a Mexico seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Jose Eduardo Francis Alarcon and Marlon A. Maurasse were listed as members 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.
In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 3,700 PACA claims involving more than $66 million. Its experts also assisted more than 7,100 callers with issues valued at approximately $100 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
TURBO, COLOMBIA - In a staggering display of illicit activity and drug bust seizures by authorities, a record-breaking eight tons and $240 million worth of cocaine was pulled off of a banana plantation in Colombia.
Felicitaciones @PoliciaColombia: operativo en Turbo incautó la mayor cantidad de droga en la historia. Golpe contundente a criminales.
— Juan Manuel Santos (@JuanManSantos) May 15, 2016
This raid targeted the Clan Úsuga, or Urabeños gang, which is renowned for using means of violence and intimidation to push cocaine trafficking. In a public tweet, President Juan Manuel Santos congratulated Colombian police forces in this historic moment, and called the operation a blow to criminals.
Of the eight tons recovered, nearly 1.5 tons were already ready for export, according to a statement made by Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas to the BBC.
.@PoliciaAntiNar y #BloquedeBúsqueda @PoliciaColombia incautaron 8 toneladas de cocaína del #ClanÚsuga en #Antioquia pic.twitter.com/kiS32BwdB1
— Mindefensa Colombia (@mindefensa) May 15, 2016
This epic seizure is the largest on Colombian territory, although Villegas noted that larger have occurred at sea. During the raid, three suspects were captured and three evaded authorities. Authorities stated that over the past five years, 6,700 of the 8,700 gang members have been seized.
U.S.-trained Colombian commandos searched for a year leading up to the raid for the gang’s head, Dario Antonio Úsuga, in a campaign called Operation Agamemnon. The gang’s leader is still at large, with a $5 million reward from the U.S. State Department for information leading to his arrest.
Colombian officials said that they are currently encouraging farmers to replace their illicit crops with legal harvests to capitalize and export.
Keep an eye on AndNowUKnow as we continue to report on the changing state of Colombian agriculture, and the battle between the produce industry and the criminal underside.
IRVINE, CA - With fresh California Avocados in peak season now through early fall, what better time to educate your foodservice staff about the popular and versatile fruit. The California Avocado Commission is providing companies with a fast and easy way to get the facts with this 7-minute video, “California Avocados: a Foodservice Perspective.” The video takes you on a trip through the care and craftsmanship that California Avocado growers put into each and every piece of fruit.
“This California Avocado Commission video takes key foodservice decision makers on a virtual tour of the California Avocado industry from seed to grove to packing, and provides them with valuable, creative menu ideas”, said Jan DeLyser, Vice President of Marketing for CAC.
You can watch the Commission’s full video below.
From the sunny groves where the fruits get their start and the efficient stations where they get packed, to a busy restaurant kitchen, the video showcases both the culinary benefits and possibilities that can be gained when using locally-grown, fresh California Avocados. California Avocados are grown on nearly 4,000 family farms throughout approximately 53,000 acres in Central and Southern California, a coastal climate that provides the ideal growing conditions.
To learn more about the California Avocado difference, visit CaliforniaAvocado.com/Foodservice, where you can browse a recipe database and serving suggestions, as well as find a variety of helpful resources, including nutrition, selection, storage, and handling information for optimizing California Avocado usage.
SALINAS, CA – Capitalizing on meal possibilities and consumer interest, Mann Packing has announced the launch of a new line of Nourish Bowls™ which are microwavable and feature popular trending vegetables, grains, and sauce.
“Healthy bowl-based meals are very popular in foodservice, so it’s natural to bring a product like Nourish Bowls to retail,” said Chairman & CEO Lorri Koster. “We fully expect this new line to do for the cut-veg category what single-serve salad bowls have done for the salad category.”
The company released in a statement the following flavor profiles for the Nourish Bowls, which are as follows:
- Southwest Chipotle
- Monterey Risotto
- Sesame Sriracha
- Smokehouse Brussels
The warm meals were developed by an expert panel of chefs to appeal to younger generations while still delivering flavor, convenience, and quality of ingredients. Mann Packing suggested that the bowls can be consumed as its own meal or a side dish, and is suited for a wide array of occasions due to its trending vegetable selection of kohlrabi, butternut squash, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, kale, and sugar snap peas.
The company plans to unveil the new line at the United Fresh Show in Chicago this June, but as Koster noted, “Sales performance during our initial rollout has far exceeded our projections. Consumers are loving these products.”
Mann’s Nourish Bowls will have a 16 day shelf life, and will retail between $3.99 - $4.99.
LA JOYA, TX - Morgan & Son’s Farms is a grower, packer, importer located in south Texas along the Mexican border. Their new 85,000-sq-ft packing shed located on an 11 acre compound is now nearing completion.
President Tyler Morgan, previously the owner of Border Cold Storage in Pharr, TX, says “We are very excited about the new facility and the new operation.”
This facility will allow Morgan & Son’s import program to develop and grow faster and larger as well as offer better service to its clients. The facility will include two large force air cooling rooms as well as custom packing room for retail clients.
In addition, it will also allow the company to sell its own production off the farm too. The farming operation, which is over 700 acres, is currently growing watermelons and greens, and importing limes, pineapples, carrots, and many more items.
Morgan continued, “We know that our three keys to success: Food and Operational Safety, Honesty, and Quality makes the difference for our clients and our partners.”