COLUSA, CA - PMA Fresh Summit is now less than two weeks away, and Sakata has one item in particular it wants you to have on your must-see list—Infinite Gold melons.
This long-shelf-life (LSL) melon has been quickly gaining popularity for its ability to last on the shelf without sacrificing full flavor. In an effort to educate about the benefits of this revolutionary LSL melon, Sakata Seed America has released a new Infinite Gold video that highlights the features and benefits of the melon not only for growers, but for retail, food service, and consumers alike. You can watch the video for yourself below!
On top of Sakata’s new video, the company is also announcing a new website, InfiniteCantaloupe.com, where retailers and consumers both can become educated about Infinite Gold and the entire LSL melon revolution. Even more hands on, interested parties can stop by Sakata’s booth #1535 at PMA Fresh Summit, where the entire Infinite Gold team will be on-site ready to answer questions and provide the full Infinite Gold experience, according to a release.
Last, but not least, Infinite Gold by Sakata is also announcing its sponsorship of Tour de Fresh rider, DMA’s own Brock Nemecek, for this year’s race. Along with the goal of raising $6,000 for the induction of two salad bars to schools across America, Infinite Gold will be at the finish line to greet riders with champagne upon completion of their charitable journey. According to the company, anyone who donates $10 or more to team Infinite Gold by October 15th will automatically be entered to win the Ultimate Infinite Gold Margarita Basket (valued at over $100).
To donate, you can visit the Riders page on the Tour de Fresh website here, and find Infinite Gold and Brock Nemecek.
SALINAS, CA - Haven’t you heard of BroccoLeaf™ yet?
If not, you’re about to. According to Foxy Fresh Produce, what is rapidly becoming known as the new “it” superfood is becoming increasingly recognized on restaurant and juice menus.
“As we continue to grow BroccoLeaf sales at retail, there has been steady movement from restaurants looking to incorporate BroccoLeaf™ into their menus and juicing companies using BroccoLeaf as an ingredient in their juice recipes," Matt Seeley, Vice President of Marketing, tells me. "This proves the versatility of the product as well as its growing consumer acceptance."
As we previously reported, some have been asking if this would be the next hot trend in the leafy green category since its introduction. Now BroccoLeaf™ is featured in varying dishes for the following food outlets:
- Chopt Creative Salad Company
- Jrink, a Washington, D.C. based juice company.
- Organic Gemini, a New York based health food company.
BroccoLeaf™ by Foxy Produce only hit the national grocery market last year, but the packaged broccoli leaves that are the only organic, non-GMO product of its kind can be found across the nation on menus for both restaurants and juicing companies.
To watch Foxy Fresh Produce’s Vice President of Operations, Tom Nunes, talk about the serendipitous discovery of BroccoLeaf™, see the 90 second video below.
Chopt Creative Salad, a fast food salad chain based on the East Coast, currently features the product in its “Destination Bowl.” This rotating two month special is inspired by a specific destination looks to introduce consumers to unique ingredients and menu items, according to a press release.
For this rotation, the superfood is featured in the destination “Berkley Bowl,” which is available in all 30 of the chain’s stores through late November. Among ingredients like kale, avocado, charred red onion, chickpeas, celery, a blend of rye berry and quinoa, and lemon tahini, the dish highlights marinated BroccoLeaf™.
In Washington D.C., juice company Jrink incorporates BroccoLeaf™ in its “Stateside Superfood.” Made to be a “bone builder,” this composition is available both in stores and online. Along with the leaf, the item uses wheatgrass, coconut cream, coconut water, vanilla bean, cucumber, pear, and lime to keep consumer’s PH in check.
Foxy’s new superfood star is also a key ingredient in Organic Gemini’s TigerNut Horchata + Green. Also available in store and online alike, this item uses TigerNuts, which are naturally sweet and nutrient dense, cold press in biodynamically filtered water that is then married with BroccoLeaf™.
“As more people become familiar with BroccoLeaf, its nutritional and flavor profile and versatility, we continue to grow sales in all distribution channels," Matt said. "We’ve built and excellent foundation with our core users and plan to grow BroccoLeaf sales significantly in 2016.”
You can learn more about Foxy Fresh Produce’s BroccoLeaf™ by visiting http://thebroccoleaf.com.
NIWOT, CO - The Charleston grocery market is heating up, with Lucky’s looking to break into the area for its first South Carolina location.
“We are looking in the Charleston area, but don’t have a lease signed or any official news to share at this point,” the chain’s Public Relations Consultant, Krista Torvik, said, according to The Post and Courier.
While nothing has been finalized, Lucky’s is eyeing a former Food Lion location in West Ashley, according to the report.
As we previously reported, the retail chain is one that has expanded rapidly and looks forward to pushing that further.
“We’re looking to compete with the premium markets in terms of quality and merchandising, and to compete with conventional markets on price," Peter Gialantzis, Lucky’s Vice President of Purchasing, told our sister publication, The Snack Magazine. "Lucky’s is a young, local company. We aspire to grow decade-long partnerships and foster partnerships that are sustainable. We’ve grown quickly, and we will continue to grow quickly.”
If the deal goes through, South Carolina will be the 12th state on Lucky’s location list, including its home base of Colorado. Other markets the chain currently resides in include:
- Florida
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Monyana
- Ohio
- Wyoming
Lucky’s Market has prided itself on favoring locally grown, natural products since its inception in 2003, meaning the brand’s intentions to crack into yet another market could extend not only the specialty grocery category for the Charleston area, but its produce offerings as well.
AndNowUKnow will follow this and other developing retail moves as they continue to impact the produce industry.
SOUTHWESTERN U.S. - With new evidence of El Niño being at a 95% chance of lasting through the winter, many meteorologists are beginning to bank on the system bringing serious drought relief to California this season.
The next week or so in particular is expected to bring more substantial drought relief to the entire Southwest region, as an El Niño-fueled weather pattern begins to take shape on Wednesday and into the weekend, AccuWeather reports.
"This is as close as you're going to get to a sure thing," said Bill Patzert, a Climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, saying this El Niño is now, "too big to fail," at relieving some of California's drought.
Initially, just a few showers and thunderstorms will hit southern California on Wednesday, but the number will both increase and move farther inland on Thursday. For this weekend, most of the shower and thunderstorm activity will be across Arizona and into Mexico, but a new storm is expected to move off of the Pacific Ocean and increase moisture across California once again. According to AccuWeather, Sunday may give California its most widespread and beneficial rain, but added that this chance will continue to be monitored as the week continues.
Depending on where the storm moves now, this new storm could bring wet weather to San Diego, Los Angeles and all the way through to San Francisco. Rainfall will continue to be come increasingly common throughout the winter months due to El Niño, AccuWeather says, bringing even more chances of drought-combatting rain.
"A pattern of increased cloud cover and greater chances for rainfall will spring to life in the last week or two of October as an El Niño-dominated weather regime springs to life across the United States," AccuWeather Meteorologist Ben Noll said. "Meaningful rain will stretch from the Southwest into Texas and the southern Plains, and, in some instances, bring the risk for flooding.”
AccuWeather Expert Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok also chimed in on El Niño’s potential effects on California’s climate, confirming that the 2015-2016 season may yield triple the amount of snow than last year and could fill reservoirs into spring and early summer.
For more on El Niño and California’s drought, keep tuning in to AndNowUKnow’s weather coverage.
CAROL STREAM, IL – Blue Book Services is bringing its up-to-the-minute business information to the new age with the release of its new mobile app, now available for iPhone or Android smartphones.
Members can now access Blue Book information directly on their mobile device. The app offers several in-demand features for suppliers, buyers, brokers, and transporters, including the capability to search for companies by location, rating, commodity, and business classification; direct-dial from a phone number; link to a map or business location; and much more.
Check out the app for yourself by clicking one of the buttons below.
Download Blue Book Services for iPhone
Download Blue Book Services for Android
Jim Carr, President and CEO of Blue Book Services, expressed his excitement for the launch of the mobile app, stating in a press release that having access to real-time business information 24/7 allows members to “make better decisions to grow sales and effectively manage business risk.”
“Our mission is to provide businesses in the global fresh produce industry with the best resources to succeed,” Carr added. “The new mobile app answers this pledge.”
Users can search for companies by name, location, their trade practices and/or credit worth ratings, commodity, and more.
The app also provides members an easier way to streamline a trip to visit a group of customers by creating “Watchdog Groups.” A “Watchdog Group” organizes the companies that a user will be visiting and allows them to find the most direct route to their location, as well as find prospective customers near their location.
Mark Erickson, Blue Book’s CIO and Senior Vice President, said in a press release that the mobile app is a "valuable tool" included with Blue Book membership.
“Whether a sales person needs a buyer’s contact information or a credit manager needs to check a rating before finalizing a sale, the app provides this information quickly,” he said.
That’s not all Blue Book has in store. The company invites PMA Fresh Summit expo attendees to visit booth #2735 to see all the new and exciting innovations the company has to share this year.
DONNA, TX - Kingdom Fresh has announced the addition of 8-year produce industry member Steven Garza to its Senior Sales team.
“I am very excited to come to Kingdom Fresh, with my experience and Kingdom’s focus on direct business, I know we can build a great sales program together,” Garza said.
Garza will now report to Guillermo Martinez, the company’s General Manager.
Martinez commended the new hire on his impressive record and dynamism in a company press release.
“Steven proven record and strong focus in retail business falls in line with Kingdom Fresh’s Sales & Marketing vision” stated Guillermo Martinez. “We are excited about Steven joining Kingdom Fresh, his enthusiasm and dynamism will greatly contribute to build stronger relationships with our customers.”
Prior to his new position at Kingdom Fresh, Garza was tasked with focusing on developing several retail programs and expanding market share. Garza has been an instrumental part of establishing an import program of Mexican produce in his previous positions, Kingdom Fresh shares.
LOXAHATCHEE, FL - J&J Family of Farms has announced three new promotions to its management team, including Bill Hoover as Director of Operations, Christy Cunningham as Product Development and Marketing Manager, and Scott Payne as Supply Chain Manager. The company says these new appointments are a key part of its strategic growth plan.
After more than 3 years with J&J, Bill Hoover will now take the role of Director of Operations, planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the activities of the company’s operations.
“I look forward to the opportunity for myself and our operations team to continue to grow with the J&J Family as we enhance the reputation of J&J Family of Farms as a premier grower, packer and shipper of high-quality produce,” explained Hoover.
Company COO Tom Travers also commented on Hoover’s experience, saying, “Bill’s operational knowledge and experience are a key component in the success of the ongoing operational improvement initiatives currently underway at J&J.”
Christy Cunningham will now be taking on the new role of Product Development and Marketing Manager. Cunningham will be tasked with leading and managing all efforts in public relations and marketing, including trade, direct customer, direct consumer, and food shows.
“To see where this company has come from since the days that my Dad started it out of our garage to where we are today is incredible,” Cunningham said. “I am excited to be part of leading the culture of innovation at J&J while leveraging our family’s legacy.”
J&J’s Senior VP of Marketing and Strategy Chris Coffman, shared his support for Cunningham’s new promotion, sharing, “We are excited to support Christy as she utilizes her talents and capabilities to expand our new product offerings and marketing programs to enhance our value proposition in the marketplace.”
Last, but not least, after several years as Sales Coordinator, Scott Payne has moved up to a new position as Supply Chain Manager. According to a press release, Scott will now direct, coordinate, monitor, and manage the movement of product from farm, grower, and vendor sources through the company’s distribution network to ensure timely and efficient service to customers.
“Having worked for J&J Family of Farms for a number of years, I am eager to utilize my knowledge of produce and our customer base to help facilitate the growth of our Supply Chain process,” Payne said. “I look forward to the new challenges that we have ahead of us here at J&J, and I am excited about the opportunity to increase our levels of quality, productivity and customer service.”
Travers also shared his faith in Payne, commenting that the new Supply Chain Manger’s dedication, initiative, and experience managing the company’s grower partners has led to his promotion to his climbing the company’s ladder.
SALINAS, CA - Mann Packing has announced the new addition of over two-decade industry veteran Dan Welk as the company’s new Regional Business Manager for the East Coast.
In his expansive produce industry career, Welk has held strategic sales positions with companies across the board. After starting with Dole Fresh Vegetables in 1993, according to his LinkedIn profile, Welk soon rose through the ranks at companies like Del Monte Foods, Zespri International, Earthbound Farm, and Del Monte Fresh. A graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.S. in Business Administration, Welk now lives in Naples, FL, with his wife Sally.
“Dan brings to Mann Packing a wealth of produce knowledge and experience,” shared Jeff Freeman, Vice President of Sales for Mann Packing in a press release. “He has developed a deep knowledge of the markets and customers in his region and we look forward to having him on board.”
In his new role, Welk will oversee the Eastern seaboard region of the country from Maine to Miami, managing traditional regional and local retail accounts as well as national accounts. Welk will also now be reporting to Freeman.
LOS ANGELES, CA – Last week, Whole Foods Market opened the doors to its new distribution center to a crowd of team members, company leaders, and city officials in Vernon, CA.
The 128,000 square-foot facility touts greater energy efficiency, water savings, and various other state-of-the-art innovations. It will house approximately 100 full-time team members and serve 56 stores across Arizona, Hawaii, Southern California, and southern Nevada.
Along with other city officials, Vernon Mayor Michael McCormick was also on-site for the traditional bread-breaking ceremony to give a proclamation in commemoration of the opening.
In a press release, Facility Team Leader Bryan Bergez said he was very excited about the improved efficiencies this updated center will bring. These updates include solar panels on the roof that heat water, a building for the recycling, and compost sorting collected from all 56 stores, a break room furniture made of recycled materials, including chairs made of 111 recycled coke bottles each, and picnic tables made of recycled plastic, the retailer said in a press release.
“This facility ships and receives 1.2 million cases of product per month, including perishable items like meat, poultry, cheese, produce, floral, bulk, seafood and bakery, and it has the largest recycling center in the company,” he said.
The center also includes:
- Earthquake-resistant racking in the warehouse with base isolators that help prevent the racks and product from toppling, and offer additional protection to team members
- State-of-the-art docks and 26 bay dock doors developed with straight lines from dock doors to warehouses for efficient loading and unloading
- Ammonia refrigeration as an energy efficient alternative to Freon
- A warehouse with temperature-controlled rooms for each product type, and energy efficient motion sensor LED lights
- A quality control team that works closely with the USDA to inspect all produce and floral before it goes to stores
For the latest updates in the produce and retail industries, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
ST. LOUIS, MO - Monsanto is cutting as many as 2,600 jobs in the next 18 to 24 months to trim company costs.
5 KDSK reports that the company is cutting back after its fourth quarter came in at a loss, including restructuring its operations and leaving the sugar cane market completely.
Despite a $495 million loss, the company did announce that it has entered into a number of accelerated repurchase agreements with several financial institutions to repurchase an aggregate of $3 billion of the company’s common stock, including:
- Citibank
- N.A.
- JP Morgan
- Chase Bank
According to the release, the ASR is part of the $10 billion share repurchase authorization that Monsanto announced in June of 2014.
“With the successful completion of our previous $6 billion accelerated share buyback in fiscal year 2015, we’ve repurchased more than 10 percent of our shares outstanding since June 2014,” said Pierre Courduroux, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Monsanto Company. “Today’s new $3 billion accelerated share repurchase agreements demonstrate our continued commitment to creating and returning value to our shareowners, as we progress toward our targeted capital structure.”
As for the company’s plans to restructure its approach, 5 KDSK reports that Monsanto plans to streamline some research development and commercial work, as well as developing more plans to cut spending back by an additional $100 million. Added with the company’s projections to save about $275 to $300 million annually by the end of the fiscal 2017 year, it hopes to have managed to save upwards of $400 million in expenses in the next two years.
As we previously reported, Monsanto had expressed interest in pursuing other acquisitions after abandoning an attempt to buy out European rival Syngenta last summer, however the company did not address this further in its plans to reorganize.