SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – Hortau, the company behind an innovative, proprietary irrigation management system, has been named to the Global Cleantech 100 Companies to Watch list.
“It’s a nice feather in our cap, being recognized by the cleantech community for our work,” said CEO and Co-Founder Jocelyn Boudreau. “We have built an amazing team of people that is passionate about precision agriculture, and helping the farming industry use the latest technology to combat the challenges of climate change and dwindling water resources.”
The Global Cleantech list highlights upcoming companies that are best positioned to solve tomorrow’s clean technology challenges and have the greatest impact on the market.
Hortau’s smart irrigation management system, combined with its easy-to-use mobile software, reports to growers how crops are faring in real time – before stresses such as drought or lack of aeration can have a negative impact on the crop, according to a press release.
This technology is truly making a difference at a time when more and more companies in the produce industry are looking for ways to minimize water usage, especially in California. Hortau’s irrigation management system also offers businesses the ability to access real-time data on their employees’ smart devices, giving them information on soil tension, soil temperature, and humidity on the go.
Boudreau also spoke at the VerdeXchange Conference, which recently recognized Hortau’s efforts in helping agriculture businesses reduce water and energy consumption and environmental impacts, such as fertilizer leaching.
“Agriculture is currently in the early stage of a technological revolution in terms of innovating, and leveraging the information-age tools to grow more food with less inputs and strain on the environment,” said Boudreau. “We’re fortunate in that we see innovation making a difference in the field every day, and we look forward to moving our agricultural Internet of Things platform into the mainstream.”
To see the full Global Cleantech list, click here.
CALIFORNIA - Both Homegrown Organic and California Giant are anticipating a strong California blueberry season once it kicks off in the spring.
The rain that California had been experiencing in the past couple of weeks is expected to continue into late spring, which will largely dictate the early season, but with good demand and growing programs, both companies remain optimistic.
Homegrown Organic's blueberry program begins in the San Joaquin Valley and moves north into Oregon as the season progresses. Chad Hansen, Blueberry Category Manager with Homegrown Organic, recently shared what's on the horizon for the upcoming West Coast season.
“Overall, our California and northwest programs have been growing and we will have additional volume throughout our overall program for the season once it gets rolling,” said Hansen.
California Giant is gearing up for its season in the Golden State by focusing its attention on promoting the versatility of blueberries as consumers switch their eating habits after the holidays.
"We are focusing a lot of our consumer communications this time of year on helping our shoppers to find ways to eat fresh without giving up on flavor so our social media channels are full of recipe ideas and ways to incorporate blueberries and blackberries into everyday menus bringing in color, nutrition and flavor," Cindy Jewell, Vice President of Marketing at California Giant Berry Farms, tells me.
As we approach the highly anticipated California season, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for any further updates.
WATSONVILLE, CA & RAVENHALL, VIC, AUS - Driscoll’s and Costa Group have signed a shareholder agreement to formalize a new joint venture that will see the two companies starting a berry production company out of China.
As per the agreement, Costa will own 70 percent of the new company, while Driscoll’s takes up the remaining 30 percent. With blueberry and raspberry farms already up and running in Yunnan province, both companies see this as a way to enter the market for “the rapidly expanding Asian appetite for high quality berries,” according to a press release.
“This builds on the successful equally owned JV in Australia, which over the last six years has grown to be the number one marketer of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries in the country,” Costa Managing Director and CEO Harry Debney said in a statement, mentioning that Driscoll’s has an expansion program in the Americas utilizing Costa blueberry varieties, and the parties have also agreed to work together to investigate growth opportunities on a global basis as well.
Driscoll’s CEO Kevin Murphy is also welcoming the new Chinese venture with Costa, mentioning the country as one of his major areas in which he plans to expand the company.
“We have been delighted by progress of the Costa - Driscoll relationship over the past six years,” a statement by Murphy explained. “Costa has established the premier berry production business in Australia and also has a proven track record with blueberries in Morocco. We believe that combining our resources where it makes sense on a global basis will make for a formidable partnership.”
For more on Driscoll’s and Costa Group’s developing partnerships, check back in with AndNowUKnow.
CHESHUNT, U.K. - Tesco CEO Dave Lewis is stepping out in a new interview this week after a report by Grocery Code Adjudicator (GCA) found that the retailer was using its position as one of the U.K.’s biggest retailers to pressure suppliers into accepting delayed or unmade payments.
Addressing the scandal, Lewis made his apology public in an interview with the Belfast Telegraph.
“We accept everything that’s in the report,” he admitted during the interview. “Since January of last year we’ve drawn a line under some of our practices that were referred to in the report. And we’ve set about changing this business—for the last 15 months that's what we’ve been doing.”
Watch the Belfast Telegraph's full interview with Lewis below:
Since the revelation of the report, Tesco has implemented fourteen new initiatives that the company says will improve the way it works with suppliers, according to a press release.
A few notable new initiatives include:
- Carried out a comprehensive review of how we work with all our 3,000 supplier partners across the UK.
- Established a Supplier Network of over 2,500 suppliers to improve communication, share ideas and address common challenges.
- Started an independent Supplier Protector Line and Colleague Protector Line to encourage a 'speak up culture.’
- Retrained all Product colleagues in the UK on the Groceries Supply Code of Practice.
- Changed the way it buys and sells as a business, to focus on the cost price of products wherever possible rather than commercial income.
- Reduced the number of ways it calculates commercial income – from 24 to five this year, and targeting three next year.
“I’ve personally visited and spoken to a large number of both our large and small suppliers since I’ve started with the business,” Dave concluded in the interview. “As we’ve set about reenergizing that relationship, we’ve apologized privately and publicly for the behavior that was going on in our business at that time and we’ve set out a completely different way of wanting to work together and I’m delighted by the way our supplier have engaged with that.”
Keep returning to AndNowUKnow for more on this story as it develops.
MONTEREY, CA - Greener Fields Together™, the sustainability and local produce initiative created by PRO*ACT, has announced the winners of the first Cultivating Change grant program. I spoke with PRO*ACT’s Supply Chain Sustainability Manager Kathleen Weaver about what the program does, and how it affects the produce industry.
“Essentially what we’re doing is putting money back into the pockets of local farmers throughout the United States,” Kathleen tells me during our audio interview. “We are giving away funds this year in a total of $60,000 in fund increments of $3,000, 5,000, and 10,000 dollars, and we’re funding projects that focus on infrastructure improvements, capacity building, sustainability—it’s really a myriad of projects we’re funding.”
Kathleen explains to me that there are two ways to be chosen as a winner of a grant—being chosen by an industry panel, or being selected via peer review.
The industry panel included the following members:
- Nova Sayers | NSF | Business Development - Global Food Division
- Johnna Hepner | PMA | Director Food Safety & Technology
- James Barham, Ph.D | USDA Rural Development | Agricultural Economist
- Jim Ebersold CSW CSS| Purchasing Manager | Ted’s Montana Grill
- JoAnne Berkenkamp | Tomorrow’s Table LLC | President
- Glenda Yoder | Associate Director | Farm Aid
The peer review process takes place entirely on social media, Kathleen says. “That same application is publicly available and its shareable through social media,” she says. “The farmer who has the most votes, wins. So the folks in that $3,000 and $5,000 bracket—thats where the online voting comes into play.”
The winners of each type of grant include the following:
“As a local farm friend, we’re going beyond just buying product, but we want you to be able to expand to that second acre, or buy that farm implement that’s been out of reach, or get that truck that you need so that you can service more customers,” she adds. “We really are making investments.”
The 2016 grant program will be open from September 1st first through October 31st, with even more money on the line, Kathleen concluded.
For more information about the Cultivating Change program, listen to my full interview with Kathleen Weaver at the top of the page.
SALINAS, CA – It is never too soon to mark your calendars for a not-to-be-missed, produce industry event. Kicking off July 13-14 in Monterey, California is the inaugural Organic Produce Summit, a first-ever gathering for producers, handlers and other members of the organic produce community.
Registration is now open for exhibitors, retailers and attendees and can be accessed through the new event website www.organicproducesummit.com. The event will be held at the Monterey Hyatt where the views, sites, and restaurants only add to the Organic Produce Summit’s draw.
This Summit will showcase the booming $11 billion organic fresh produce marketplace with a series of educational sessions, and featured speakers, including former New York Times columnist and co-founder of Purple Carrot, Mark Bittman. Bittman will be one of the event’s featured speakers, according to a press release. So, stay tuned for more to come on the program highlights and activities.
A little background for you - The Purple Carrot is a company that is seeking to make the new American diet more accessible, and to get more plant-based meals onto the dinner plates of more Americans. With The Purple Carrot, you select your plan, and every week the team will send you all of the pre-measured ingredients you need to create spectacular vegan meals, made with fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients.
Other presenters will be announced in the coming weeks, giving attendees the opportunity to hear from recognized leaders and experts in the growing organic food business. Networking opportunities and exhibits from leading organic fresh fruit and vegetable producers will also keep the crowd engaged and informed. The educational component of the show will begin with a series of breakout sessions hosted by the Organic Trade Association (OTA). The sessions will be followed by featured addresses from innovative and inspirational presenters.
Mark your calendars and we will see you all there!
Organic Produce Summit Purple Carrot Organic Trade Association
CINCINNATI, OH – Following Kroger’s $800 million acquisition of Roundy’s, the company has issued $1 billion in debt to help cover the purchase.
The move comes as no surprise to analysts who have followed the deal since November, when Kroger CFO Mike Schlotman said that Kroger would issue debt to pay for the acquisition.
This latest debt was rated as Baa2, which is the ninth highest rating in Moody’s Long-term Corporate Obligation Rating.
“We expect to maintain our current investment grade credit rating,” company spokesman Keith Dailey told the Cincinnati Business Courier. “All three rating agencies confirmed Kroger’s credit rating after we announced this bond offering.”
In Kroger’s Securities and Exchange Commission filing on January 15, the company said that it raised $300 million by issuing debt at 2 percent that’s due in 2019, then another $300 million at 2.6 percent due in 2021, and lastly, $500 million in debt at 3.5 percent due in 2026, the Cincinnati Business Courier reports.
At first glance, $1 billion may seem like a big enough number to put a dent in Kroger’s credit profile, but analysts don’t seem to be too worried.
In a report, credit analyst Carol Levenson wrote that Kroger should be able to rebuild its debt ratios with strong cash flow within the next couple of years.
“…We view the Roundy’s acquisition favorably, and note Kroger’s conservative financial policies, consistently positive identical store sales (excluding fuel) results, strong private-label sales and brand innovation, and scale and regional diversification, which all bolster its credit profile,” Levenson said in her report, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier.
The deal adds 151 stores, 101 pharmacies, plus two Wisconsin-based distribution centers to Kroger’s massive portfolio of over 2,400 stores nationwide. In 2014, Roundy’s reported sales of $4 billion, while Kroger had $108 billion in sales last year.
MCCLELLAN, CA - After three years of piloting with West Sacramento supermarkets, California Safe Soil (CSS) has developed a patent-pending technology that converts food waste into liquid fertilizer for farms—Harvest to Harvest (H2H).
The drought-friendly product only takes three hours to produce, CSS says. Farmers can use H2H in their fields to restore organic matter to the soil and grow the next crop, while consumers can reap the benefits of a sustainably grown section at their local produce department.
Now, in a partnership with Save Mart Supermarkets, CSS is moving from pilot to full-scale commercialization by announcing a long-term lease at McClellan Business Park. There the company says it will construct a new facility designed to recycle up to 32,000 tons of organics per year, with Save Mart providing the food products.
“We began composting in the 1990s, but the CSS technology is ‘Compost 2.0,’ converting our organic residuals into a valuable liquid fertilizer so that our local farm partners can grow their next crop for us to bring to market,” said Steve Gaines, Director of Retail Services for Save Mart. “Save Mart is proud to play a key role in making that happen.”
CSS plans to open the 80,000-square-foot facility in Spring of 2016, and expects it to generate 38 “green collar” jobs while producing enough H2H for 128,000 acres of sustainable local California agriculture.
Other stats for the facility, according to a press release, include:
- Will produce 3,200 tons of feed for sustainably-raised local California livestock
- Reduces Greenhouse Gas emissions by 74,000 MTCO2e
- The equivalent to taking 15,000 cars off the road
- No significant air emissions, liquid effluent, solid wastes, or nuisance odors
- Will recycle essentially 100% of the organics it takes in
“Not only is Sacramento the ‘Farm to Fork’ capital, but with CSS’s new technology, we’re now the ‘Fork to Farm’ capital,” Larry Kelley, President of McClellan Park, commented. “We’re committed to playing a constructive role in the sustainable development of our community. This agreement is a further affirmation of McClellan’s attraction as a premier regional business park.”
CSS Founder Dan Morash also commented on the new H2H plan, commending his company’s partnerships with both Save Mart and McClellan Park.
“Save Mart is a leader in resource management and recycling in the retail industry—and was among the first to compost its unsalable food waste,” Morash added. “For their part, McClellan Park has done an exemplary job recycling a Cold War-era U.S. Air force base into a thriving business community. They are a perfect fit to host our new Facility.”
CSS was represented in the McClellan transaction by Tom Tyer, SIOR, and Bing Hickman of Colliers, who represented CSS in the transaction also commented on the plan. Tom himself observed, “This was certainly one of the more interesting deals I’ve had the privilege of working on. The science and processing aspects coupled with the brick and mortar requirements, made the CSS assignment one for which Colliers is ideally suited.”
AndNowUKnow, for one, is excited to see how this partnership pans out. Stay tuned for more!
IRVING, TX – Knowing about the power of public relations may seem like Marketing 101, but you would be surprised to find that one of the most frequently asked questions still is, “What can PR really do for me?”
DMA Solutions’ PR Manager Beth Atkinson recently wrote a compelling blog post on “4 Common Public Relations Questions & Answers,” helping fresh produce brands understand how PR can keep your brand relevant and on everyone’s minds.
The post answers the following questions:
- What is PR?
- Why do we need PR?
- Does PR drive Marketing, or does Marketing drive PR?
- How can we effectively measure PR?
To read the full post from DMA Solutions, click the green button below or continue reading for a brief summary.
4 Common Public Relations Questions & Answers
Put simply, Atkinson describes PR in the fresh produce industry as “forming relationships with key media influencers to increase awareness about the industry and drive content that supports the need for increased demand of fresh fruits and vegetables.” But the concept is a bit more complicated than that, as you’ll quickly see in the post.
Good PR should go beyond simply promoting new products or publicizing recalls or lawsuits. Instead, DMA Solutions says that a company’s PR efforts should tell stories about the farmers or “any philanthropic outreach by the brand, ways that the brand helps its consumers through content, produce in food service, food trends, and why we’re a key player,” and so on.
By utilizing these good PR practices to drive marketing and vice-versa, you will find that PR can be an effective tool to increase awareness, and subsequently, sales.
To find out more, be sure to check out this latest post from DMA Solutions.
LEAMINGTON, ON & PA, USA - Westmoreland-TopLine Farms is growing its offerings and increasing product volume this year with a new seedless cucumber expansion in the U.S. The first harvest recently kicked off in Pennsylvania, and as Jimmy Coppola, Account Marketing Manager tells me, quality has been top notch.
“Our USA Grown Seedless Cucumbers complement our current production and give retailers on the East Coast an opportunity to take advantage of the Grown Close to Home message,” Jimmy says.
As Westmoreland-TopLine Farms continues to build on this project, the company hopes to be able to provide year-round availability for retail partners. In addition, this expansion aligns nicely with the company’s growing business model to create a well-rounded program with offerings from Canada, Mexico and now the U.S.
“Demand in the USA is strong for cucumbers and we feel there is still great growth potential in seedless cucumbers within the USA,” he adds. “So, to choose this category was a given.”
Westmoreland-TopLine Farms’ USA Grown Seedless Cucumbers will be marketed under the company’s premium TopLine Farms brand. The packaging will be very similar to Westmoreland-TopLine Farms’ existing look but will be emblazoned with the company’s “Grown in the USA” stamp logo.