WENATCHEE, WA - Grāpple® brand apples is about to be ready for its close-up, set to be spotlighted on the successful television show, Food Factory USA.
“We were delighted when Food Factory contacted us about documenting the process to make our apples,” Todd Snyder, Co-Owner of Grāpple®, said, according to a CMI press release. “It is an honor to be showcased alongside other high-profile and successful national food brands.”
Now in its fourth season, Food Factory has given foody-viewers has a look behind the curtain for edible stars such as:
- Lay’s® Potato Chips
- Tootsie Pops®
- Wonder Bread®
- Campbell’s Soup®
In a league of such names, Snyder postulated that something about Grāpple® ignites the consumer imagination and contributed to the show’s choice to add it to the list.
“The Food Factory team was totally intrigued by how we could transform ordinary apples into a delicious grape-flavored snack,” said Snyder. “We gave the Food Factory crew full access to our entire proprietary production process for the shoot.”
The Grāpple® will star in the new upcoming episode of the show which describes itself as “a mesmerizing peek behind the scenes at the wonderful processes that produce everyone's favorite foods.”
“We get comments all the time from consumers speculating on how we make Grāpple® brand apples,” said Snyder. “People want to see how products are made so it’s a great opportunity for us to show the world why we’re so proud of Grāpple®.
The behind the scenes of the Grāpple® will be featured on the episode “Crunches like an Apple. Tastes like a Grape,”™ airing this Thursday, January 21st.
Produced by Cineflix, Food Factory has regailed its audience with 66 episodes highlighting food companies across North America. It reaches a wide demographic with viewership in FYI TV and DirectTV in the U.S. and on Food Network Canada.
BAKERSFIELD, CA – Cal-Organic Farms is welcoming Zachary Wortiska as its new Organic Seed Manager.
Wortiska brings four years of seed management experience from his previous position at Sakata Seed America to his latest role.
The Cal Poly graduate was excited to join the Grimmway team, saying in a statement, “I have an appreciation for seed and a passion for developing varieties to enhance their characteristics. I hope to bring energy and experience to help provide high quality organic vegetables from the field to the table year round.”
Todd Brendlin, Grimmway Farms’ Organic Vegetable Manager, was equally as excited to bring Wortiska aboard.
“We are very excited and privileged to have Zach on our team as we continue to grow and evolve our product line. Zach’s vast knowledge of the seed industry along working aside our growers ensures us we are producing the very best varieties of vegetables in each of our growing regions,” said Brendlin.
As Zach eagerly begins his new role at Grimmway, his insights will be a valuable addition to the organic farming team.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - In response to growing competition in the Omaha, Nebraska region, SpartanNash has announced that it will be shuttering three stores in the area.
The chain will also rebrand four Bag ‘N Save stores and four No Frills stores as Family Fare locations, though the precise locations of those stores were not confirmed.
“At times, we must make the tough decision to close an underperforming store to better serve our customers at our nearby locations,” Tom Swanson, Vice President of Retail Operations in SpartanNash’s Western Division, said, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
The retailer added that changing consumer tastes also attributed to the decision. While it was not disclosed how many employees will be affected by the closures, SpartanNash did state they will be considered for open positions at other locations.
The stores slated to close are:
- No Frills at 8005 Blondo St. in Omaha
- No Frills at 1817 West Broadway in Council Bluffs
- Bag ‘N Save at 15370 Weir St. in Omaha, near 156th and Q Streets
As for the eight stores being remodeled and rebranded, SpartanNash will invest upwards of $14 million into the transition, featuring upgrades to fresh produce departments, as well as organic and natural foods.
Though estimated completion dates were not released, the report did state that all stores will remain open and operational for consumers as they undergo the remodeling.
COMMERCE, CA - As we continue to see growth across the supermarket industry’s discount formats, 99 Cents Only has welcomed a new produce player to the team. Previously with BayerCrop Science as the company’s Produce Chain Marketing Manager for the America’s, Caitlin Tierney has joined the retailer as the new Senior Produce Buyer.
“As 99 Cents Only Store’s new Sr. Produce Buyer, I will be responsible for supporting our stores with high quality fresh produce, milk and eggs at an amazing value,” Caitlin tells me. “Additionally, I will be responsible for the development of quality specifications, and enforcement of these specifications, as well as guaranteeing the stores have the best handling practices to ensure the freshest products for our customers.”
Caitlin will provide leadership and strategic direction to the 99 Cents Only’s produce team to help achieve the team’s financial plan. This comes at a time when the retailer is working to improve the customer experience, reduce shrink and scrap, enhance inventory management practices, and working to get the right products to the right stores at the right time.
In addition to her role with BayerCrop Science, Caitlin has worked as the Produce and Floral Purchasing Manager for Fresh & Easy, Senior Produce Buyer for Fresh Direct, and Produce Fruit Buyer for Spartan Stores.
Congratulations Caitlin, on your new role with 99 Cents Only!
IDAHO FALLS, ID - Potandon Produce, in support of The Arbor Day Foundation, has offered a challenge to the produce and floral industries, asking for help to heal what was damaged in the wildfires that have devastated America’s forests over the past few years, with millions of acres burned.
The stakes? To raise $50,000 before Arbor Day, which falls on Friday, April 29th. The reward? Every dollar raised goes toward replanting the trees that have been lost.
Ralph Schwartz, the company’s Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Innovation, is the man who brought this initiative to the forefront and challenged the industry to help him and Potandon take part in the effort.
“In the produce industry especially, I think, everyone realizes, maybe more than most, just how important our ecosystem is,” Ralph tells me as he explains that this is about the cause instead of the company. “This isn’t something to support Potandon, it’s to make a change that, as a society, we need. Everyone in the whole industry can be part of it if they choose to do it.”
It is a cause near and dear to his heart, Ralph explains. “As an Idaho company, we came to work all summer with the smell of smoke in the hazy air. We weren’t on the front lines, but we knew that could change with a shift in the wind. I love the outdoors and almost everyone at Potandon does, too, and replanting the trees seemed like a great cause to get involved with.”
“Potandon has a history of getting involved in important social causes; we’ve worked with the Autism Foundation on raising autism awareness and did a multi-year Breast Cancer awareness program in the past,” he says. “I pitched the idea to our ownership group and everyone unanimously agreed that it was something worth pursuing and pitched in the first $1,000.00 to get the ball rolling.”
The Arbor Day Foundation was just as, if not more, receptive, happy to receive the help to reach this goal. And for those of you that hesitate -- they are already well on their way.
“We’re looking to get $50,000 before the next Arbor Day and we’re already over 10% of the way there,” Ralph tells me.
According to Potandon, large fire activity was an ongoing issue in Idaho, Montana, Washington, California, and Oregon as recently as October of 2015, with the total number of acres burned reaching upwards of 7.1 million.
“We certainly appreciate AndNowUKnow for helping bring attention to this event. Without our partners in the trade media, we’d have a hard time getting the word out,” Ralph added.
To donate can be completely anonymous, and anything is appreciated. Those who wish to do so can go to www.arborday.org/partnerships/potandon.
VERO BEACH, FL – Seald Sweet has hired industry veteran Stu Monaghan as its new Sales Director.
Monaghan brings over 26 years of produce industry experience to the position. He is most widely recognized for his ability to manage imported citrus programs, with key retail and wholesale accounts, as well as developing Australian citrus programs for over 17 years. At Seald Sweet, he will be responsible for the category development and business growth of the company’s fresh fruit programs, including citrus, grapes, apples, and pears, according to a press release.
“Seald Sweet is recognized as having a solid, long-standing reputation in the industry,” Monaghan said in a statement. “I look forward to being part of a company with such strong global supply chains, while strengthening relationships with retailers in ways that expand their business.”
CEO Mayda Sotomayor was excited to welcome Monaghan and his years of experience to the team.
“As we grow, we are continually looking to attract the brightest and best talent,” she said. “Stu fits that bill perfectly and will be instrumental in the further development of our sales programs. We look forward to the growth he brings to our team and company.”
As Seald Sweet looks to continue implementing its five-year growth plan, Monaghan’s knowledge and expertise in the citrus category is sure to bring new depth to the company’s management team.
WENATCHEE, WA – Stemilt is offering retailers a new way to ramp up excitement and sales for the Piñata® apple with a recently unveiled consumer sweepstakes, joining other promotional activities in recent history, such as the “Meet the Growers” dinner in Seattle, New York, and Chicago, as well as Stemilt’s partnership with chef Ericka Burke.
“Reaching influencers in the food world and offering grocery shoppers a range of recipes helps inspire consumers to use Piñata apples in new ways,” said Brianna Shales, Communications Manager. “The ‘Slice of Paradise’ sweepstakes helps us raise awareness about the fruit’s availability in supermarkets and is a fun way to give back to the apple’s many fans.”
By entering the “Slice of Paradise” sweepstakes, available here, one grand prize winner will receive airfare for two to Maui, Hawaii, three nights and four days of hotel accommodations, and $500 in spending money for dining and activities, according to a press release.
Consumers can submit their entries now through February 5, 2016. A winner will be announced around February 12, 2016.
With roots that date back to Germany in the 1970s, the Piñata® apple is a cross between Golden Delicious and two heirloom varieties, Cox’s Orange Pippin and Duchess of Oldenburg. Stemilt is the exclusive marketer of this variety.
“Piñata’s parentage gives the fruit a great crisp texture, balanced sugars and acids, and hints of pineapple for that tropical finish,” Shales continued. “It’s a unique apple with a loyal consumer following that grows each year.”
Stemilt packs Piñata apples in a high-graphic, tropical-themed box with the fruit’s flavor profile, “classic apple flavors with a tropical twist,” messaged prominently.
Piñata apples are available from November to May each year, with nationwide availability starting in January.
CALIFORNIA & TEXAS - The winter weather may have been keeping pricing high for cabbage supplies out of California and Texas in recent weeks, but now the market is beginning to settle down as supplies finally start to ramp up. With the good demand and consistent quality, growers are still optimistic for the rest of the season.
“We’re just past our first phenomenal New Year’s pull and the season will go until the 10th or 15th of May so long as the weather leaves us alone,” Tonya Hill, Director of Sales at Edinburg, Texas-based Frontera Produce, tells me. “Volume-wise, we’re about halfway through. The next pull is St. Patrick’s Day, which we expect to be a good holiday if the New Year’s pull was any indication.”
California and Texas had their fair share of storms over the past couple weeks, which curtailed harvest during the rainfall and also had an effect on pricing in the past few weeks.
“Since the New Year’s pull was so heavy, pricing ramped up for the season. The cold, wet weather in Texas slowed down production, but we were able to fill what we needed. We’re starting to see the jumbo market climb in pricing now. We are seeing a few jumbos in the field, however, the market is fairly strong,” Hill continued.
Out in Oxnard, California, the cold weather and precipitation from last week’s rain slowed down the harvest and growth. Growers tell us that the reason the markets have been so high is due to the damp weather we have seen in California so far.
“The market has been extremely high - similar to many commodities - in the early part of the winter,” Russ Widerburg, Sales Manager with Boskovich Farms, said late last week. “Still, demand is very good, even with the higher prices. Processed and contract cabbages are still taking up a lot of the volume.”
Overall though, the common theme seems to be that quality has been in-line with expectations.
“Quality on cabbage has been pretty consistent this season,” Widerburg continued. “We’ve dealt with some issues in the late summer and early fall with some die outs from the bagrada beetle, but that just kept yields a little lower and didn’t affect the quality of the product in the box.”
“This year we planted enough cabbage, and we’re seeing fantastic quality on the crop,” Hill said. “The demand matched what we had in the field, if not exceeded it.”
Barring any extreme weather in the near future, growers are looking forward to St. Patrick’s Day for the next big holiday pull.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue keeping track of the cabbage market.
HAMPTON ROADS, VA - Kroger has turned its focus to the produce aisle, revamping and expanding the fresh departments at more than 50 stores.
“We’re excited to welcome shoppers to an inviting, easy-to-navigate space where they can shop for the freshest fruits and vegetables at low Kroger prices,” Noelle Motley, Public Relations Manager at Kroger Co. for the Mid-Atlantic Division, said, according to ABC13. “Capital investment in our stores is one way Kroger is constantly working to maintain the outstanding in-store experience our customers know and love.”
According to the report, the retailer has invested more than $4 million in the improvements and growth of produce departments in 51 Mid-Atlantic Division stores, allowing it to offer a wider selection of organic produce and grow its natural foods inventory.
Stores that have been or are being renovated are located in several states, including:
- North Carolina
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Tennessee
- Kentucky
- Ohio
Upgrades include, among other things, new refrigerated cases and misting systems, plus market-style slant-top tables to display the fresh produce. It's unclear at this time whether locations across other divisions will receive similar upgrades, but you can expect AndNowUKnow to report on any further updates as they come.
WASHINGTON - As commercial drone technology continues to evolve, Kevin Gould, CEO of Hawk Aerial, is looking to adapt the new resource to the world of agriculture. The company entered the drone market just over a year ago and is working to help established businesses streamline critical processes while minimizing the cost of aerial services to implement drone technology in their own work flows. While still in the education and development phases, Hawk Aerial is looking to make waves in precision ag technology.
“For agriculture, the motivation for companies should be more of an economic play for better quality and more comprehensive information. Whether it's working toward better disease or pest prevention, applying enough fertilizer or water rationing for a better application strategy, we see drones as the next big player in precision ag,” Kevin tells me.
If you are worried about the expertise Kevin brings to the table, we can definitely say that he has aviation in his blood.
Kevin is, at present, an active, instrument-rated pilot who has spent most of his career as an executive in the aircraft industry: Piper Aircraft (CEO), BendixKing/Honeywell Avionics (President), Adam Aircraft (SVP) and Boeing (Director). He holds an MBA from Harvard, an MS from Stanford and a law degree from USC.
Hawk Aerial has developed a system with multi-spectral cameras that takes imagery which is then analyzed by proprietary post-flight software to analyze the data. In the case of mapping, Hawk Aerial uses NDVI maps that use the process of measuring chlorophyll content within the leaves.
“It gives an indication of whether the plants are healthy or not with the help of the NDVI map’s top-down view. This type of mapping has not been optimal in the past because of the expense of equipment, like a helicopter, or because people who do the leg-work means more man-hours, limited availability and coverage,” Kevin adds.
In the case of those that do not want to make that initial investment in a Hawk Aerial drone, the company became FAA-certified on April 8, 2015. The FAA granted Hawk Aerial a section 333 exemption, allowing it to legally fly drones for commercial purposes... including flying drones for other companies or training staff to do so.
Hawk Aerial is currently going after a number of segments, with one project contracted to teach and certify twelve employees within the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) Power Company in how to safely fly, maintain and utilize small Unmanned Aerial Systems for crucial power line inspection. A representative from the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) also participated in that training. The program included a multiple day excursion that included classroom, group flight instruction, written test and one-on-one flight testing. The end result was the completion of Hawk Aerial’s UAS Training Course. Sophisticated drone systems will be delivered to them this month.
“JPS will now be able to equip its power line inspectors with Hawk Aerial provided drone systems to more quickly, efficiently and safely maintain its country's power grid,” Kevin says.
While Hawk Aerial may still be quite new in a very new game, the company is continuing to prospect for the right clients to fit their mold. Everything is in place to expand in agriculture and as Hawk Aerial continues to gain traction with the company brand and resources, we will keep you posted and up-to-date.