BAKERSFIELD, CA - Sun World International LLC has announced that it is looking to drive growth with the launch of its new entity Sun World Innovations.
Chief Executive Officer Merrill Dibble stated in a press release that Sun World Innovations will look to drive, in particular, the company’s fruit breeding/variety development, licensing, international investments and agriculture technology pursuits.
According to Sun World, Executive Vice President David Marguleas will also serve as President of the new entity.
“Crop input, water, harvest and labor efficiencies, along with fruit and vegetable breeding, are among the opportunities that Sun World Innovations will explore,” Marguleas stated. "Sun World Innovations will harness its deep, hands-on horticultural knowledge and expertise in existing and new ag technologies, and the international licensee platform we’ve built with growers and marketers around the world, to provide innovative solutions to real challenges faced by the ag sector worldwide. Sun World's industry-leading agronomic skills, coupled with our owner’s expertise in the sustainable water, agriculture and energy sectors, make for a powerful combination to achieve this."
In addition to guiding its own Intellectual Property and licensing activities, Sun World Innovations will reportedly guide the Los Angeles-based firm Renewable Resources Group’s (RRG) broader agricultural, technology, and international interests.
"The opportunities in agriculture today are both exciting and promising," Cole Frates and Ari Swiller, RRG’s Co-Founders, said. "In creating Sun World Innovations, the company is focusing a talented, dedicated team on initiatives crucial to making the most of them, just as Sun World has for decades."
This is the latest chapter in a long history for Sun World, which has become a longstanding U.S.-based producer and marketer of fresh fruit since its inception in the mid-1970s. In addition to its own California properties, Sun World and/or its licensees grow table grapes and stonefruit all over, with proprietary varieties in Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe, South America, Israel, and South Africa.
PARSIPPANY, NJ – Kings Food Markets has appointed long-time company veteran Rich Durante as its new President and Chief Operating Officer.
He began his career with Kings starting in 1988 as a Store Manager. From then on, he quickly rose up the ranks and gained invaluable experience leading the merchandising, operations, marketing, and engineering teams in the strategic positioning of the company for growth and innovation, according to a press release.
Durante succeeds Kings’ Judy Spires as President, though Spires will retain her title as CEO and, more recently, Chairman.
“At Kings, we place great value in our leadership,” said Spires. “We are so excited to recognize these leaders for their contributions and look forward to their success in driving the company’s key strategic initiatives.”
The New Jersey-based retailer also named 18-year company veteran Jessica Gasser as its new Senior Vice President of Talent and Technology. Throughout her time at Kings, Gasser progressed through various HR positions and recently took on the responsibility of overseeing the Information Technology group, providing strategic leadership to maximize company goals.
Kings Food Markets operates 25 stores in the New Jersey region and will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2016.
WENATCHEE, WA - The time has come where consumers will be doing their holiday shopping with children in tow as schools begin rolling out breaks and gap days, and few things seem to capture their attention like that of Stemilt Growers' Lil Snappers.
With upwards of 4,500 stores across the nation as of September carrying the brand that was a little more than a whisper just a few years ago, Stemilt’s Lil Snappers are making waves and quickly gaining traction within the retail sector.
“In the past four or five years since introducing the brand, we’ve gone from nobody knowing what Lil Snappers were to everybody in the industry knowing,” Marketing Director Roger Pepperl tells me on the leaps and bounds the program has made. “We were the first to do pouch bag apples, now they are everywhere. Our competitors have now followed suit, but no one has gone after a brand specifically for the kids.”
And that, Stemilt is very sure, is where Lil Snappers will be able to help retailers reach millennial parents.
Lil Snappers pouch bags, which come approved by the PBH Foundation for its "More Matters" logo, contain compact apples, pears, and citrus that are especially easy and appealing to children, not only because of their size but because that’s already what the data shows they want.
As we reported previously, whole fruits like Stemilt’s Lil Snappers® kid-sized apples accounted for 53% of fruit intake for children, according to Pediatrics, a crucial tidbit as retailers continue to look for the key to breeding good fresh produce consumers for the present and future markets.
Likewise, the PBH Foundation reports that the increase in the last year of children across the board consuming fruits as is are mostly driven by apples and oranges, as well as bananas and berries.
Last, but certainly not least as the numbers show, are pears.
“In analyzing last year’s pear crop, Lil Snappers Anjou was the #1 bagged pear by a long shot,” Roger tells me, adding that the Lil Snapper bagged pear program was in over 5,000 supermarkets in the U.S., Canada, and Caribbean Island regions. “It was the only bagged product in the top 10 pear sku’s (all other being bulk items) and showing up at #7 of all pear sku’s.”
Not only are the items themselves a statistical win for what produce kids want to snack on, but Lil Snappers come in a three pound bag instead of the standard two pound, allowing retailers to build consumption without driving down purchase size.
When I ask Roger what's Stemilt’s goal for its proprietary snack line, his response is simple. “We’re not selling a bag, we’re selling a brand. We are looking to be parents’ go-to for giving their children snacks and packing their lunches.”
So retailers take note - like Smuckers for jam, Legos for blocks, and Fisher Price for play sets, Stemilt is pushing strongly to make Lil Snappers the brand kids ask for and parents' go-to while in the store.
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - Allen Lund Company has signed on to participate in Navidad en el Barrio for its 10th consecutive year.
This year, the company worked with a number of others to help Navidad provide over 15,000 families with food baskets, including:
- Wada Farms
- Dayka+Hackett
- Rainier Fruit Company
- Wonderful Citrus
- Grimmway Farms
Navidad works with growers, shippers, and carriers to achieve this kind act during the holiday season.
"We are thrilled with the great response our customers and shippers have given to Navidad this year," Nora Trueblood, Director of Marketing and Communications for Allen Lund Company, said, according to a press release. "Adding fresh produce to the dinner baskets is of huge value to the families."
In addition to the food baskets, Allen Lund also had the privilege of running a shoe drive in its Corporate office. As a result of these efforts, the company was able to collect 130 pairs of brand new shoes of all sizes, from toddlers to teens.
The shoes that were collected will be handed out at St. Vincent de Paul's annual shoe and toy drive on December 12th to hundreds of families, where Allen Lund Company also coordinated Navidad Christmas dinners to be handed out to 500 families for the second year in a row.
Thanks to these efforts, hundreds of those that have limited or no access to necessities from shoes to fresh produce will have them during the holidays.
VALENCIA, CA - “We are heading into peak citrus season right now, and quality is fantastic. We’re very optimistic about the season ahead,” Joan Wickham, Manager, Advertising and Public Relations, for Sunkist Growers tells me as we talk about the array of citrus offerings for the retail and foodservice community.
Sunkist is looking at a strong season this coming year, with increased organic acreage coming into production and a larger Meyer lemon and Cara Cara crop – varieties that are quickly growing in consumer demand.
Currently, the company is harvesting citrus in all three of its growing districts from the San Joaquin Valley and Ventura County to the desert region/Coachella Valley.
“We are harvesting all our full lemon portfolio right now, including conventional, organic, seedless, Meyer and Zebra pink variegated. We’re also shipping Navel oranges, a holiday favorite, as well as Satsuma mandarins, Fairchild tangerines, pummelos and Oro Blancos a.k.a. Sweeties,” Joan adds.
In addition to those California-Arizona crops, Sunkist is offering Texas Rio Red grapefruit and Florida Red and Dark Red Grapefruit.
Education is key when it comes to promoting newer citrus varieties that consumers may not be familiar with. Joan tells me, “Sunkist offers retailers many tools to promote the unique attributes of citrus varieties, along with usage ideas and recipes. Sunkist is able to provide this valuable educational information on its point-of-sale materials and now, due to new printing capabilities, we can customize bins and other point-of-sale materials with a one week lead-time, allowing retailers to quickly execute promotional programs in a way that fits their store’s unique formats and needs.”
Sampling is another great way to excite consumers about each variety, allowing them to actually taste what makes that type of citrus so unique while also engaging consumers with someone in-store, who can offer recipe and usage ideas.
Cara Cara Navel oranges, blood oranges and Orlando tangelos will begin shipping in the next couple weeks and presenting great flavor profiles for the company.
“Citrus is on trend and in-demand, and what’s particularly exciting for us at Sunkist is the growing demand for specialty varieties such as Cara Cara Navel oranges, Meyer lemons, blood oranges and pummelos,” Joan says. “And of course, easy-peelers continue to build in demand due to their convenience and great taste.”
When I ask Joan what Sunkist expects as we move further into the holiday season, she shares that citrus has always been a quintessential holiday item – just think of the classic orange in stockings.
However, in the foodie, Pinterest-influenced culture we live in, Sunkist is also currently promoting the versatility of citrus when it comes to holiday entertaining – from décor, DIY beauty, cooking, mixology, healthy snacking and even cleaning.
“There is truly a place for citrus throughout holiday preparation and festivities,” Joan says.
Sunkist continues to grow its market share across multiple citrus categories, and as the season moves into the New Year, stay tuned for more news and updates from AndNowUKnow.
LEAMINGTON, ON - The Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) is entering a new era of leadership, having elected its new Board of Directors for the 2015-2016 growing season.
The new Board met for the first time on November 25th in London, according to a press release, where it elected Chairs for the OGVG committees, as well as Vice Chairs of the respective districts.
The new members elected James Cornies and Jan VanderHout as Vice-Chairs of OGVG. Committee Directors that were elected include:
- Energy & Environmental Committee – Hilco Tamminga (Truly Green)
- Finance Committee – Naunihal Gill (eNature Farms)
- Food Safety Committee – James Cornies (Cornies Farms)
- Marketing Committee – Jim Slater (Sunsation Acres)
- Research Committee – Marco Hoogenboom (Hoogenboom Farms)
To see inside Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, including produce, inside the greenhouse, and more, watch this artistic introductory video:
The complete list of newly-elected members and respective their districts can be found below:
Two-Year Term
- Kevin Safrance (Envirofresh Produce Ltd.) – District 1
- Hilco Tamminga (Truly Green Farms) – District 1
- Naunihal Gill (eNature Greenhouses) – District 2
- Marco Hoogenboom (Hoogenboom Farms) – District 2
- James Neven (Neven Produce) – District 2
Directors whose terms go through October 31, 2016
- James Cornies (Cornies Farms) – District 1
- Paul Mastronardi (Mastron Enterprises Ltd.) – District 1
- Jim Slater (Sunsation Acres) – District 1
- Mike Vanderzwet (St. David’s Hydroponics) – District 2
New members were elected on October 27th during the Annual General Meeting in Brantford, with Jan VanderHout of Beverly Greenhouses being elected as a Director for a one-year term on November 13th by the District 2 Greenhouse Vegetable Producers’ Committee.
Congratulations to all the new Board Members on their election.
CALIFORNIA - Two winter storms are on the horizon for California’s Sierra Nevada region, the NOAA reports, showing potential to bring multiple feet of snow throughout the mountains.
"The storm will put down 1-2 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada, including ski resorts with the greatest amounts in the northern areas," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Ken Clark.
Between the two systems, the Sierra and Klamath mountains will reportedly see between 4 to 8 inches of rain, on top of “multiple feet” of snow, NOAA Sacramento says. NOAA’s long range forecasts are also showing “heavy precipitation” for Lake Tahoe in the next 3 to 14 days, specifically December 7th through 11th and December 12th, which could make some dents in alleviating California’s lowering reservoirs.
"The cumulative effect of the snow from this storm, earlier events this fall and what is anticipated through the winter should go at least part way toward raising stream levels and refilling lakes and reservoirs," explained AccuWeather Chief Long Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
While the extra moisture will bring another dose of much-needed snowfall to the Sierra Nevada, forecasters do not believe this will be enough to solve California’s drought issues long-term. Through this winter, the precipitation should be enough to be beneficial for summer of 2016, however, with rainfall deficits reaching over 20 inches in some parts of Southern California, it will take more than a few major storms and one winter to break the drought.
"In many cases it may take a few above-average rain seasons in a row to erase the drought," Pastelok said. "We remain highly skeptical that this will be the start of a multiple-year, above-average rainfall pattern.”
For more on this winter’s upcoming storm systems and their potential effects on California’s drought, AndNowUKnow will continue to update you.
BELLINGHAM, WA – Haggen has received the green light to sell off 33 of its remaining “core stores” in an upcoming auction early next year.
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Robert Drain approved the bidding procedures for the auction last Friday. The auction will take place on Friday, February 5, 2016, about a month later than was originally announced in early November.
Unlike Haggen’s non-core store auction in November, this group of stores will be sold in one block. Haggen must establish and negotiate a deal with a stalking-horse bidder before Thursday, January 21. After the initial bid, other interested and qualified buyers can submit an offer for the stores.
These 33 stores, located in Washington and Oregon, represent Haggen’s most valuable locations and include at least 16 of its original stores. According to the Bellingham Herald, the retailer announced in a statement that it expects these stores to attract many interested buyers.
“The Haggen group of core stores is well run with great staff and is located in great communities,” the company said. “As a group they are profitable. Because of this, we know there will be strong interest in our stores as a group. Our stores are staffed and stocked to high standards and we are well prepared to offer a great store experience for our guests during this time.”
Below is a list of the core stores that Haggen said it would put up for auction, including the newly added Eugene, Oregon store.
So, does this mean Haggen is no more? Not necessarily. Until a buyer has been announced, it is unknown whether or not the Haggen name will remain. An investor or buyer could purchase these core stores with the intention of keeping the brand, or they could convert the stores and effectively bring an end to Haggen.
WESTLAKE, CA - Crunchies Natural Food Company has taken a new approach to offer a fresh fruit snack that offers prolonged shelf-life, no need to refrigerate, and still holds as close to the same nutrients to whole fruits as possible.
The company’s new all-natural, freeze-dried fruit snacks retain almost the same nutritional value as whole fruits through bypassing the liquid state when freezing its fresh fruits almost instantly.
Undergoing a low-pressure drying process, the practice actually removes frozen water like steam from the fruit.
With 1.2 ounce portable packages that are resealable for consumer convenience, as well as single serve bags, flavors in the new snack line include:
- Strawberries
- Mango, Pineapple
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Grapes
- Cinnamon Apple
- Strawberry Banana
- Mixed Fruit
With no added sugar, artificial flavors, or coloring, the snack is 100% natural and available in stores nationwide. The line is non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, kosher, and halal certified to fit into all special requirements and food sensitivities.
The single-serve bags sell at a suggested retail price of $1.25, while the resealable pouches (1.2 oz) sell for a suggested retail price of $4.99 – 5.99. To find out more about this new fruit snack line, visit Crunchies Natural Food Company at www.crunchiesfood.com.
FOWLER, CA - Organic citrus lovers rejoice—Jim Marderosian, President of Bee Sweet Citrus has announced a big expansion to the company’s organic citrus line.
“As time progresses, more and more people are beginning to take a greater interest in their health and food choices,” Marderosian shared in a press release. “We want to make sure that we can provide all consumers various citrus commodities that fit their lifestyle.”
Bee Sweet Citrus has already been providing its consumers organic lemons for around five years now, but the company will now be including organic Navel Oranges, grapefruit, and mandarins in its line. The company said in a press release that the hope here for the new organic varieties is to attract a new customer base.
“From foodies to athletes, there are many people who much prefer organic citrus to conventional citrus,” explained Bee Sweet Citrus Director of Communications Monique Bienvenue. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to provide citrus to a new niche market.”
Organic Navel oranges and lemons are currently available at Bee Sweet Citrus, but retailers can expect organic mandarins to be available at beginning of January, and organic grapefruit to be available in spring.
For more information regarding Bee Sweet’s organic line, the company advises calling a sales representative at (559)834-4200.