UNITED STATES - Much to my delight, Beyoncé has graced me with yet another reason to talk about her involvement with the produce industry. While last week, the artist and entrepreneur invested in produce-based startup, WTRMLN WTR, it seems that Beyoncé inadvertently got herself involved in another category—lemonade.
When Beyoncé released her visual album “Lemonade” at the end of April, consumers were bombarded by a slew of reviews, articles, and gossip, but they were also bombarded by thirst. It seems, by just merely uttering the title, “Lemonade,” Beyoncé suddenly motivated hundreds to go out and quench their cravings with the refreshing, citrus-filled beverage.
The Huffington Post spoke with Natalie Sexton, Director of Marketing at Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company and fresh juice industry expert, who said that since Queen Bey’s album was released, the company has doubled its sales of natural lemonade, lemonade tea, and strawberry lemonade.
“People are drinking lemonade and posting pictures with #Beyoncé,” Sexton explained to the website. “You can’t drink lemonade these days without thinking of her.”
HuffPo also rounded up Matt McLean, CEO of Uncle Matt’s Juice, to comment on the recent Bey-inspired boost in business. “Sales are increasing,” he told the source. “We’re up about 20 percent. I don’t know if that’s due to Beyoncé or the heat. Maybe it’s Beyoncé.”
As reported by Market Watch, lemonade sales have been less-than-stellar since 2004, falling about 24 percent due to consumer awareness about overly sweetened drinks. But Matt Barry, a researcher at Euromonitor International, says the star may just have the power to bring the industry back into the spotlight. “Beyoncé has done it before, and she could do it again,“ he’s quoted as saying.
As I think fondly on the lemonade that’s currently occupying my refrigerator and my iTunes library, I can’t help but think Barry may be on to something with that theory.
IRVINE, CA - Urban Produce, a Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) grower, will begin licensing its patented High Density Vertical Growing System (HDVGS).
“The interest in licensing our growing technology has been encouraging and a blessing,” Ed Horton, President & CEO of Urban Produce, commented in a release. “In the past six months, we’ve had agricultural leaders from three different countries visit our facility.”
The company’s flagship vertical farm in Irvine, CA, which it assures is the first of many, was founded in 2013 and efficiently grows organic produce in a controlled environment. Urban Produce said that its unique technology allows organic produce to be grown year-round, while conserving water by creating its own filtered water through atmospheric water generation (AWG).
“The demand for organic, locally-grown, non-GMO produce has never been greater. Our patented High Density Vertical Growing System presents a sustainable solution for urban cities worldwide by radically changing the way produce is grown, transported, and consumed,” Horton added. “Imagine cities, corporate campuses, master-planned communities, cruise ships, and military bases growing their own local, organic, non-GMO produce in the dead of winter.”
Named one of the industry’s leading innovators by USA Today, Urban Produce’s new licensing model will have a footprint of approximately 3,800-square-feet. With each growing unit synced with an AWG producing ample water daily, the company said it can produce thousands of pounds annually, depending on what is grown.
With rising possibilities and assurances of more growth in the works, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow as we watch them unfold.
CHICAGO, IL - The United Fresh Produce Association’s annual trade show is fast-approaching, where it touts the start of innovation in the produce industry.
“United Fresh is a great opportunity to see what’s new and different,” Bill Pool, Manager of Produce Safety at Wegmans Food Markets, commented on the show, according to the association’s website.
And now the finalists have been chosen for the show’s 2016 Produce Innovation Awards, effectively placing them in the running to hold a title as a leader in “new and different” for the industry.
The award is available in five categories, naming a record total of 48 finalists:
- Best New Fruit Product
- Best New Vegetable Product
- Best New Packing/Processing Equipment
- Best New Food Safety Solution
- Best New Packaging
“New products and innovations contribute substantially to the fresh and fresh-cut produce industry’s success,” United Fresh said on its site. “Leading companies contribute to the industry’s economic growth through the development, manufacturing, and marketing of new and innovative products.”
And soon you will have a say as to who gets the coveted title. To see the complete list of finalists, click here.
The show takes place June 21st and 22nd in Chicago, IL, where all 49 products, packaging, and innovations will be on display. Who will you choose?
The AndNowUKnow team will see you there!
GILROY, CA - An unlikely new contender has just entered into the locally-sourced produce arena. McDonald’s has started using garlic from Gilroy, CA, for a new item in four of its San Jose-area locations in the state—“Gilroy Garlic Fries.” Not only that, McDonald’s also announced it had entirely sold out of the garlicky new menu item in the first week it was made available.
Our #WorldFamousFries meet #GilroyGarlic only in the Bay Area! Try them at four South Bay restaurants today! pic.twitter.com/J7O4PSdEXJ
— McDonald's Bay Area (@McD_BayArea) May 3, 2016
So how did the fast food giant become an advocate of the now-trending farm-to-table food culture? “The garlic fries are part of a trend at McDonald’s to experiment with regional flavors and food on its menu,” the company explained in a press release.
The company continued, “The new fries are made-to-order in McDonald’s kitchens where restaurant employees toss French fries in stainless steel bowls with a purée mix that includes ingredients, such as chopped Gilroy garlic and olive oil, parmesan cheese, parsley, and a pinch of salt.”
Gilroy, as many Californians and garlic growers are probably familiar with, is known as the “The Garlic Capital of the World,” and is about two hours south of San Francisco. McDonald's has previously said if the Gilroy Garlic Fries succeeded in their trial, the item may be rolled out into all of the chain's Bay Area locations.
Our #GilroyGarlicFries were such a hit that we have a temporary shortage of supplies. We'll keep you updated on their return in a few weeks!
— McDonald's Bay Area (@McD_BayArea) May 7, 2016
Will McDonald’s be venturing into even more locally-grown produce opportunities? Santa Clara Strawberry Shakes, anyone? Rest assured, AndNowUKnow will be the first to alert you if it does.
LEAMINGTON, ON - “Consumers like options, and we are giving them the opportunity to make their own choices through our innovative designs and products at the store level,” Chris Veillon, Director of Marketing at NatureFresh, tells me as we discuss the company’s newest innovations for retail produce departments.
Over the past year, NatureFresh has been fine-tuning and differentiating how the company goes to market, as well as what it means to offer consumers new experiences in fresh produce. And this year, for the United Fresh 2016 show in Chicago on June 20-22, the company has been named a finalist in the Produce Innovation Awards competition in the Best New Packaging category for NatureFresh’s The TomBar™ and The TomBox™.
“For retailers looking to provide a unique and interactive shopping experience, The TomBar™ allows shoppers to hand select their greenhouse grown tomatoes,” Chris says. “And pack them in our proprietary TomBox™.”
The TomBar™ creates a destination in the produce department through its mobility while the access it provides consumers creates a more memorable and fun grocery shopping experience. The TomBox™ also aligns with NatureFresh’s sustainability goals and is made from 100% recycled paperboard. It may look like a Chinese take-out box, but I assure you that its contents will not impact your waistline!
TomBar™, designed by South Essex Fabricating & NatureFresh™, provides shoppers with up to 13 different snacking tomato varieties.
NatureFresh is also a finalist for Best New Vegetable for its OhioRed™ Tomatoes. Grown exclusively in Delta, Ohio, NatureFresh’s OhioRed™ tomatoes are produced year-round in NatureFresh’s new state-of-the-art greenhouse complex. The product was 100% sold out before the first crop was picked, Chris adds.
Congrats, NatureFresh, on becoming a finalist for not two, but three innovative packaging offerings!
CALIFORNIA – After rain continued to trickle through California during recent months, reservoirs in the northern region are brimming near capacity. As the Shasta and Oroville dams near 96 percent capacity, California’s Water Resources Control Board prepares to meet on May 18 to discuss the termination of California’s emergency drought order although officials remain cautious.
“This is not a time to start using water like it's 1999… this year could simply be a punctuation mark in a mega-drought,” said Felicia Marcus, Water Resources Control Board Chair, in a statement, according to The Washington Post.
The current drought order demands at least 25 percent total water conservation from the state’s water districts. Since being instituted in June of last year by Governor Jerry Brown, the state and its 39 million residents have achieved a combined water use savings of 23.9 percent.
According to BreitBart.com, Marcus stated that the water saved during the 11 month emergency restriction period was enough to supply water to 5.9 million Californians for one year. That populace would be roughly equal to the populations for San Diego, Riverside, and Tulare counties.
Weather authorities credit the El Niño precipitation conditions in the Pacific for California’s moves towards ending water restrictions. This weather has caused the reservoir water levels to rise by 140 feet which makes them 11.24 feet away from brimming over the top.
As we previously reported, state officials have been moving towards a final discussion of lifting restrictions since last month, and Northern Californian counties have voted to remove their own restrictions. However, the Control Board’s meeting next week will come shortly after Governor Brown instituted an executive order on Monday to ban certain water-wasting practices.
Unless late rains fall, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported that Southern California will likely head into its fifth year of drought. BeitBart.com also stated that nearly 90 percent of California remains in a moderate drought or worse despite the filling of the Northern California reservoirs.
As state officials continue to strive to find a balance between water restrictions and needs for citizens and farmers across the state, AndNowUKnow will keep you updated as the summer progresses.
WENATCHEE, WA – The latest Nielsen scan data results are in, and Ambrosia™ apples are still topping consumer charts. For a four week period, ending on April 2, Nielson FreshFacts® showed that Ambrosia’s retail volume sales jumped by 93 percent, which CMI emphasized is the fastest growth rate of any apple variety in the top 25.
The results? CMI says its Ambrosia™ apples are virtually sold out for the 2015 season after strong sales in April and May. “CMI has import Ambrosia™ available from Chile but supplies are expected to remain tight,” stated Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing, in a press release. “We are really excited about the 2016 season. We are expecting our biggest crop yet and look forward to getting more consumers hooked on what we believe is America’s favorite everyday apple.”
Lutz said that Ambrosia™ apples sales have been so high that the Nielson data reflects the apples sales as the 8th highest selling apple for April, and generated the largest volume increase of any major apple variety.
“The success retailers are having with Ambrosia™ this year is tremendous,” said Lutz. “But even more amazing is that while Ambrosia™ apples are one of the hottest sellers in the category only about 60 percent of supermarkets had them on the shelf.”
Lutz said that these results and jump of Ambrosia™ apples reminds him of when Honeycrisp apples were just debuting a few years ago, and experienced spotty distribution. CMI cited the Nielsen data which showed that the apple category volume for the season is down nearly five percent, but Ambrosia™ apples have continued to be a top performer in the category.
“A lot of our retailers are using Ambrosia™ to boost performance while many others simply don’t understand there is a huge missed sales opportunity,” continued Lutz. “It’s really clear that American consumers love Ambrosia™. Honeycrisp is the only apple in the top ten with an average retail selling price higher than Ambrosia™.”
Continue to keep up with AndNowUKnow as we report on the ongoing apple season, and retail volumes in the industry.
WHITESBOG, NJ - Much of our ability today to domestically grow one of America’s most popular berries can be traced to one woman who was determined to, essentially, create an industry.
“In the early 20th century, people didn’t think blueberries could be domesticated,” Mark Villata, Executive Director for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, tells me.
But the daughter of a New Jersey farmer, Mark says, was determined to grow a flourishing industry for cultivated blueberries.
Elizabeth White could possibly be called the mother of the modern blueberry, having teamed up with USDA botanist Frederick Coville to do what others didn't think possible.
“When I was a girl, I used to hunt the largest and best flavored berries and dream of a field full of bushes as great,” Elizabeth was once quoted saying as she described the passion that drove her.
“Elizabeth was a woman ahead of her time – a marketer, businesswoman, and horticulturalist who preferred joining business meetings to spending time in the kitchen,” Joe Darlington, Elizabeth’s great nephew, explains of her.
Together, Elizabeth and Frederick worked to identify wild plants with the most desirable properties, crossbreeding the bushes and creating vibrant new blueberry varieties. In 1916, after just five years of working together, the two harvested and sold the first commercial crop of blueberries out of Whitesbog, NJ, in 1916.
Joe recalls, “Her family often worried that she worked too hard, and got annoyed with her for missing Thanksgiving dinner because she was out with the locals collecting blueberry plants.” A story many founders and leaders in the industry can probably relate to, but unheard of for women of Elizabeth’s time.
Her determination, however, led to a category that defied even one of the hardest hits America’s economy had to endure, Joe explains.
“Elizabeth was very proud that the blueberry industry grew during the Depression, when very little else was growing,” he describes as one of Elizabeth’s great achievements. “She was known for her work ethic and business/horticulture savvy.”
Her determination formed an industry that, today, thrives as one of America’s favorite berries. Not only was Elizabeth the first to even conceptualize such an idea, but also the first to use innovative ag techniques.
“She was also very proud of being the first to sell blueberries under a cellophane cover instead of paper,” Mark adds to the already impressive list of her achievements.
From a little girl who favored plants as Christmas gifts and dreamed of blueberry fields before they really existed, to one of the produce industry’s first women leaders of agriculture, Elizabeth’s legacy continues to have a strong foothold in the industry she helped imagine.
Mark tells me that not only does her name live on in a varietal blueberry name, but also that her family continues to maintain what she started.
“Elizabeth’s great-nephew, Joe Darlington, and his wife Brenda operate a farm at Whitesbog Village in Pemberton Township, N. J. where they actively cultivate the oldest field of ‘Elizabeth’ variety blueberries,” Mark says of Joe’s keeping Elizabeth’s legacy alive and active in the industry.
From a girl dreaming of fields of blueberries to taming them to become one of America’s favorites, Elizabeth White serves as a strong reminder for me of what women can do in this industry.
RIDGE SPRING, SC – Titan Farms has announced the addition of two new sales members as the company expands its force just in time for the start of South Carolina’s peach season. With 27 years of combined experience, Sandra White and Michael Lacey have joined Titan Farms as Account Sales Managers.
“Sandra and Michael each bring broad experience to our team, having worked with both wholesale and retail accounts, as well as having worked alongside growers,” said Daryl Johnston, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, in a press release. “They are already great fits to our team and we know they will help us take our business to the next level.”
Sandra White brings 11 years in the industry to the Titan Farms team. Most recently, White managed the berry and carrot programs at Curry & Company as the Senior Sales Account Manager. In this position, White increased sales by over 50 percent.
White possesses a Food and Resource Economics degree from the University of Florida, where she specialized in agricultural business. White’s industry beginnings originated at Del Monte Fresh, and then Brooks Tropicals where she became a sales representative.
Michael Lacey is a 16-year veteran of the fresh produce business, and possesses twice the amount of experience in the food and beverage industry. Lacey entered produce with Pinecrest Farms as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and has also worked for Coosemans Worldwide and Tomato Thyme. Lacey is an alumni of The Dale Carnegie Management Course, and Marriott’s Impact to Leadership program.
Most recently, Lacey worked as the National Director of Business Development at Market Fresh Produce. In this position, Lacey developed and put into action a program to grow the brand at a retail level, while also cultivating customer relationships.
White has joined the Titan Farms’ headquarters in Ridge Spring, SC, from Salem, OR. Lacey relocated from Tampa, FL, to join the Lexington, SC, office.
Congratulations to both new members, and AndNowUKnow will continue to cover new hirings and team expansions in the industry.
ISSAQUAH, WA – Costco has made moves to enter the Dallas, Texas, market, with the filing of a new building permit that seeks a $3 million economic development grant from the city.
The permit is for a 146,000-square-foot warehouse-style retail building, the Dallas Morning News reports, and would be built on a 13-acre site. This would be Costco's first store in the city, and it projects 225 jobs will be created.
In total, the box store would be an investment of about $22.6 million, and the retailer will hear from Dallas’ City Council today if it will receive $3 million to help develop it. Despite not having yet received confirmation, Costco has already filed the permit and looks to have every intention of moving forward.
This would grow an already existing presence for Costco in Texas, though it shopped carefully before it decided to enter this particular hub. The retailer searched for years for alternative store locations before picking the North Dallas site, according to the report.
Costco currently has locations in:
- Duncanville
- Fort Worth
- Arlington
- Southlake
- Lewisville
- West and East Plano
- Frisco
- Rockwall
Keep checking in with AndNowUKnow as we report on the Texas and other retail markets that continue to heat up.