BANCROFT, WI - Be selfless. Take a selfie.
RPE, Inc. is teaming up with Growing Forward™ for Feeding America® through its Old Oak Farms brand in a campaign that requires consumers to snap a selfie to give to those in need.
“At RPE we take great pride in fulfilling our commitment to give back to our community,” Russell Wysocki, President and CEO of RPE, said in a press release. “We’re a family-owned farm and family has, and always will, come first.”
Last year, RPE was able to successfully donate 40,000 pounds of potatoes. Now the brand has pledged 10 pounds of potatoes for every selfie snapped with a bag of Old Oak Farms potatoes posted using the #OldOakSelfie hashtag, up to 40,000 pounds, in hopes of matching last year’s contribution to Growing Forward™ with Feeding America®.
Get to know Old Oak Farms a little more by watching the brief video below.
“We know that in today’s world, there are families struggling to make ends meet,” Wysocki continued. “We are so excited that with our involvement in the Growing Forward with Feeding America campaign, we are able to give back and help those families facing hunger across the country.”
This campaign will not only give the help promote a good cause through a trending fad, but also provide a number of in-store promotional opportunities, according to the company. In-store displays and social media graphics will be available for consumers, as well as specially marked POS materials that give step-by-step directions on how to donate to the cause.
Starting today, September 8th, consumers can post an #OldOakSelfie on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages as an easy, quick way to give back to the community. Every seven days a selfie will be selected and featured as the Old Oak Farms Selfie of the Week.
Hunger Action Month, founded by Feeding America, kicked off last week on the first and will run through September, but the campaign runs through December 31st.
So be selfless, take a selfie, and fight hunger.
DELANO, CA - Welcome to What's In Store.
Columbine Vineyards is gearing up for this year’s harvest of its proprietary Milano® grapes. Available early September through mid-October, these extra large green gems have a delicious flavor profile, delivering a clean, crisp flavor with a crunch!
Columbine’s other proprietary brand, Black Globe®, will be available now through the end of November. Black Globe® grapes are jet black in color and have a snappy, crunchy texture. Their high sugar level makes them a delicious healthy snack. With their jumbo berry size, large tapered clusters, and beautiful color, they’re a natural work of art.
And for Columbine’s unique grape product mix comes even more unique packaging with the launch of Columbine Vineyards’ new petite, high graphic logo stand-up bag. Columbine’s new petite bag offers a different option from the standard grape bag size for retailers and consumers alike. The Petite Bag fills a niche for retailers with higher FOB varieties by reducing the ring at checkout for the consumer. The petite bag holds 1.25lbs to 1.5lbs of grapes and is available for all three colors as well as our Proprietary Holiday® grapes.
In addition, all of Columbine’s bags use 6.5 percent less plastic, meaning a more environmentally conscious choice for consumers as well. Columbine accomplished this by removing the tear-away seam at the top, and inserting holes along the bag to allow for more efficient packaging.
Columbine Vineyards is once again raising the bar in the California grape category as consumer demand for its proprietary varieties and innovative grape technologies continue to grow.
Thank you for watching What's In Store.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Small potatoes are bigger than ever! At least Fresh Solutions thinks so. The company’s Side Delights Gourmet Petites have been a notable part of the growing petite potato category ever since they won the coveted PMA Impact Award for Excellence in Packaging in 2014.
In response to growing consumer demand and widespread retailer requests, the Side Delights Gourmet Petites line has announced two new offerings, Sweet Fingerlings and Choice Russets. Sweet Fingerlings are baby sweet potatoes with moist orange flesh and thin, tender skin that eliminates the need to peel. Choice Russet petite potatoes have a delicate potato flavor with a firm texture and thin brown skin that brings a rustic elegance to any meal, also without the need to peel.
“But we didn’t stop there!” said Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network. “From research done by the United States Potato Board, we know that Petite potatoes have a higher incidence of unplanned purchases than any other form of potato. So we created a powerful merchandising tool for our Gourmet Petites line that our retail customers can use in driving incremental potato sales.”
The new eye-catching new shipper display holds 18 packages of Side Delights Gourmet Petites, yet needs only 3.3 square feet of selling space to generate hundreds of dollars in fresh potato sales. The merchandiser is made with UV-coated, high-end Kemi-Lite board for durability, water resistance and stability, and is shipped pre-packed with two dozen Gourmet Petite packages in any assortment of varieties that the retailer chooses.
“We couldn’t be more excited about our expanded lineup of varieties, package options and merchandising support,” added Triou. “Side Delights Gourmet Petite potatoes have been an astounding sales success since day one, but now we can really bring a full arsenal of business-building offerings to our retail customers. We’ve got the most product options in the fastest-growing segment of the fresh potato category of any fresh potato shipper, so we’re ready for a real rocket ride!”
As well as the new varieties and new shipper, Side Delights Gourmet Petites will now have four new packaging options to pick from. All eight varieties of Gourmet Petites will be available packed in lay-down mesh pillow packs in both 1.5lb and 3lb sizes, as well as in mesh bags with sophisticated “wine labels”, also in 1.5lb and 3lb sizes. This array of varieties and packaging choices allow retailers to stock the Side Delight Gourmet Petite items that best align with their store’s merchandising needs as well as create the greatest interest with their shoppers.
LUBBOCK, TX – United Supermarkets is making moves to show its commitment to the Lubbock community.
The retailer has announced that it will be opening a new 56,000 square foot location at the corner of 1585 and Indiana. This will be the first store in Lubbock to reflect the company’s new brand strategy, which offers features currently found in Market Street stores such as extensive organic fresh produce options, a large salad bar, restaurant-quality food with an expanded in-store dining room, and much more food service options.
Construction is set to begin later this year and is expected to be complete in late summer or early fall next year, according to a press release.
“We are thrilled at the opportunity to bring a next generation United store to Lubbock,” said Robert Taylor, President. “Lubbock and the surrounding communities have always been highly supportive of United. We are glad to continue expanding to serve guests in our home-base city, which continues to grow and thrive.”
This new location will anchor a larger development that will include additional retailers. The store will feature an adjacent 2,500 square foot United Express convenience store with a drive-through.
“This store will be the third United that reflects our new brand strategy and the first in Lubbock,” said Ron Bonacci, Senior Director of Marketing. “The Lubbock community is so important to our company, and we believe the welcoming floor plan, signage, and department layouts will be a positive expression of the strong relationship we have with our Lubbock guests.”
Lastly, the expansion project at the company’s Llano Logistics distribution center in Lubbock is underway. Both the new store and distribution center project will create new jobs for Lubbock.
PHARR, TX - Step aside bananas, produce pulp was apparently becoming the new way to sneak illegal substances into the U.S.
But, unfortunately for the smugglers, it looks to be a trend that is quickly being snuffed out by border patrol.
According to a Valley Central report, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Pharr Port of Entry seized, quite literally, a ton of marijuana that had been stashed in containers of frozen mango pulp.
The shipment, snagged by officers on Friday, Aug. 28, contained 2,296 packages of marijuana weighing in at 2,669 pounds, according to the officials from Customs and Border Protection.
“These seizures were accomplished due to great team work and the excellent commitment by our officers to help in the fight against drugs,” Javier Cantu, acting Director at Pharr Port, stated, according to the report.
The driver of the cargo, who was not identified, was referred by the officers of Customs and Border Protection to a secondary inspection at the Pharr International Bridge, where a canine and a non-intrusive image inspection system found the illegal contraband.
NETHERLANDS - We are on the brink of an agricultural revolution.
In the past year, we have seen more robots, drones, and Silicon Valley technology start-ups tackle some of the industry’s greatest dilemmas than ever before.
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, understand this: Robotics still have quite a ways to go before they can be used in practical applications. Whether they are sorting, pruning, or using advanced sensors to harvest and pick crops, robots have indeed brought a new technological dimension to farming. So how long will it be until we see machines with mechanized claws for hands, cameras for eyes, and tank treads for feet roaming the fields?
To understand more, I spoke with Dr. Jan Bontsema, a Senior Scientist in the Netherlands’ Wageningen University & Research Center and one of the lead researchers for CROPS, or “Clever Robots for Crops,” a large-scale project funded by the European Union dedicated to working on automation and robotics for sustainable crop and forestry management.
Check out the full article in The Snack magazine by clicking here, or continue reading the full piece below.
Pepper Bot
“There’s a huge market for robotics in greenhouses,” Dr. Bontsema tells me. “In the Netherlands, sorting, packing – it’s already automated. Harvesting is the next big thing. Most people working in Dutch greenhouses come from Poland and Romania. There would be no problem if they would immigrate to the Netherlands, but it’s not considered sustainable for the growers.”
This presented a unique challenge to Dr. Bontsema and the team of researchers and scientists that compose the CROPS partners, which include fourteen different labs and research centers across ten countries in Europe. The CROPS robotic platform has been developed and demonstrated for high-value crops, including greenhouse vegetables, fruits in orchards, and grapes for premium wines. Since its inception in 2010, the CROPS team has developed an apple harvesting robot, a close range precision spraying robot, a canopy optimized spraying robot, and the world’s first working sweet-pepper harvesting robot.
“We proved that the system can harvest ripe fruits fully autonomously.”
“We first experimented with the sweet-pepper harvesting robot in a real greenhouse with a commercial grower in April 2012. That was the first time in the world that a robot was demonstrated in a real greenhouse,” Dr. Bontsema tells me. “We proved that the system can harvest ripe fruits fully autonomously.”
Using sophisticated 3-D cameras, the robot can evaluate the size, color development, and ripeness of the peppers, and ultimately detect whether they’re ready for harvest. After the cameras calculate the position of the fruit and translate that information to a robotic gripper, an integrated cutting tool with fingers can approach the fruit from below to detach the pepper from the plant. One robot can cover 1.4 hectares of a modern Dutch sweet-pepper greenhouse.
If you thought that harvesting was amazing enough, think again. The researchers identified a number of potential field assignments the robot could complete autonomously in the greenhouse, including monitoring, planting, pruning, and tying up the plant. A mobile platform that can move between plant rows is currently under development, providing opportunities for monitoring. The other tasks are most likely not economically feasible to automate.
Developing an ambitious platform such as a sweet-pepper harvesting robot is no easy task, however. There are several variables that need to be accounted for, and these are some of the biggest hurdles researchers like Dr. Bontsema must face.
“Our greatest challenge is the reliability of the system. There are always things that don’t work perfectly in practice,” Dr. Bontsema explains. “If it becomes too hot in the greenhouse, there is a possibility that the robot arm will fail. It’s a difficult task for a robot to harvest in a greenhouse and agriculture in general. It’s an unstructured environment.”
Compared to manual harvesting, the sweet-pepper harvesting robot will be profitable once the price of one robot is below €195,000 (approximately $210,000 U.S.) with a cycle time of six seconds for each harvested product and at an economic and technical life cycle of five years. Manual harvesting takes about four seconds per fruit, while the current robot has a cycle time of 94 seconds per fruit.
There is an incredible amount of potential on the line, and it’s clear that robotics have a place in our industry no matter if they are in a greenhouse, in the fields, or on an orchard. All it takes is a bit more time and investment, and maybe a little luck.
“I think we can manage to get more reliable robotics in the near future, especially with the advanced technology we have seen and used in recent years,” Dr. Bontsema tells me. “I hope that we can continue to make more robots.”
CROPS currently has a follow-up project funded by the European Union called SWEEPER, which starts in 2015 and ends in 2018. The project involves six partners from four different countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, and Israel to introduce, test, and validate a robotic harvesting solution for sweet peppers under real-world conditions.
Even in their infancy, these marvels of engineering have several promising applications, potentially bringing vast improvements to an age-old practice. We are just witnessing the beginning of something that is already changing the dynamic of agriculture forever.
SAN MARCOS, CA - New York, Paris, San Francisco, Dubai—these are just a handful of the cities where a culinary trend is delighting both eaters’ mouths and eyes. Edible Flowers, while they have existed since the dawn of time, are continuing to be recognized for the value they can lend to the culinary arts, and providing chefs with a way to present new designs and flavors to their dishes.
One company, Fresh Origins and its consumer branch BrightFresh™, are bringing both Edible Flowers and Microgreens out of the top restaurants around the world, and into a grocery store near you. John Freitas, National Sales Manager for Fresh Origins, was great enough to stop by the AndNowUKnow offices and give us a tour of all the amazing colors and flavors that Edible Flowers can bring to your plate.
Here are just a few amazing selections from the Fresh Origins and Bright Fresh lines that the AndNowUKnow staff were able to savor:
MicroFlower™ Micro Orchid
Exotic and beautiful, these were the first in a series of MicroFlowers™ introduced by Fresh Origins. The Micro Orchid, which has a similar flavor to a cucumber and watermelon hybrid, are produced and harvested year-round in the company’s greenhouses near San Diego, CA. These flowers look beautiful on top of desserts, salads, and even more enticing, an alcoholic beverage of your choice.
Hibiscus Leaf™
Almost like eating sour candy, the flavor of these stunning leaves range from pink, to red, and maroon. These leaves are tangy and surprisingly juicy, making them a beautiful garnish for seafood. For adding tartness to salads and sandwiches, and making a bed for veggies, fruit salad, and cheese plates, Hibiscus Leaf™ could not be a more elegant choice.
Tiny Veggies™ Crudité Mix™
This attractive and delicious combination includes tiny versions of Carrot, Turnip, Radish, Celery, Beets, Parsnips, Leeks, and Onion. When John brought these by, we had a few of our employee’s kids in the building, and it was interesting to see how even younger children were fascinated by the beautiful veggies. You can roast or sauté these for a colorful side dish to compliment any meal.
Herb Crystals® and Flower Crystals®
Herb Crystals® and Flower Crystals® are an original concept from Fresh Origins that blends the enticing flavors of fresh Edible Flowers and Herbs with pure cane sugar to create an all-natural crunchy granule. The colors and flavors come from the whole Herbs and Edible Flowers with no added flavors, preservatives, or coloring. These beautiful Crystals will add a distinctive taste and finishing touch to any culinary creation from desserts to savory dishes and even beverages.
Buzz Buttons
These were perhaps the most awe-inducing product John let us try during his visit. This unique yellow flower creates an unexpected, electric buzz sensation, cleansing the mouth with a refreshing, cool, and tingling taste. They are such a great conversation starter that can be used as a palate cleanser and flavor enhancer in food, or in your favorite drinks for an effervescent effect.
I have no doubts the Edible Flower wave will be hitting restaurants and grocery stores across the world in just a matter of time. So get on this delicious and beautiful train as soon as possible. And thanks again to Fresh Origins and John Freitas for the exciting experience!
FRIESLAND, WI - Alsum Farms & Produce has announced a new partnership with the Green Bay Packers to invite fans to share a photo of their best tailgating dish for a chance to win an Alsum Grillmaster prize pack. From now through this October 31st, Green Bay Packers fans can submit tailgating photos by clicking here.
“Alsum Farms & Produce is excited to partner with the Green Bay Packers for the second year in a row,” says Heidi Alsum-Randall, National Sales and Marketing Manager of Alsum Farms & Produce. “The interactive “What’s on your Grill?” promotion encourages football fans to elevate their grills with nutritious, homegrown Wisconsin potatoes and create awareness of Alsum brand potatoes.”
One lucky fan will win the Ultimate Alsum Grillmaster Tailgate prize pack, including a new gas grill, a $100 gift card to a retailer grocery partner to purchase meat, potatoes, and other vegetables for their next tailgate party along with an Alsum apron, BBQ tongs and signed autograph picture of farmer, Larry Alsum. New this year, fans can win bimonthly prizes including Alsum potatoes along with grilling accessories.
Participators only have to submit a photo gathered around their grill, whether it be at Lambeau Field or anywhere else, and make sure some of their favorite gameday eats are present. Whether it be grilled Wisconsin potatoes or flavorful veggies, fans will have a chance to win their tailgating essentials from Alsum Farms & Produce. Complete sweepstakes rules can be found at the contest site here.
For the promotion, Alsum is featuring the 4-pack of gold foil wrapped Russet Grillers that can be found at Midwest grocery stores and national retailers.
OAK BROOK, IL - McDonald’s first exclusively Irish burger, the McMór, is also its first burger to offer baby kale instead of lettuce, just released last week.
The newly-launched item is a creation from the McDonald’s Ireland Chefs Council, which was originally pitched in May of 2014, according to the Irish Examiner. This item is supposed to bear the Golden Arches’ logo while offering a “real taste of home” to the company’s Irish consumers.
True to its roots, the McMór is reportedly an Irish beef burger, and includes:
- Ballymaloe relish
- Charleville cheese
- Shredded cabbage
- Bacon
- Baby leaf kale
That’s right, baby leaf kale. If you remember, we also recently reported that McDonald’s has introduced a Kale Breakfast McWrap, soon to be released in Canada.
So why is none of this happening here in McDonald’s home country? In March, we received reports that this could soon happen.
"One of our industry sources indicates that McDonald's U.S. plans to roll out kale as an ingredient in its restaurants at some point in the not-too-distant future," Janney Capital Markets, a Philadelphia-based restaurant analyst, wrote, according to WSBT 22.
The fast food chain did report in May that it was testing a few kale-incorporated items in southern California, but it has yet to touch one of its beloved burgers.
But while we wait here in the U.S. market, Ireland has a brief window to enjoy this signature item. The Irish Examiner reports that it will only be available for the next five weeks.
So enjoy it while you can, Ireland, and push for a more permanent installation.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Instacart, the grocery delivery service whose personal shoppers hand pick and deliver items from local stores, has announced a new partnership with H-E-B. Instacart customers in the Austin and Houston areas will now have access to a broader assortment of H-E-B items, all delivered in as soon as one hour.
"Don't have time to come to H-E-B? No problem. We'll bring H-E-B to you with Instacart," said Scott McClelland, President of H-E-B Houston Division. "Instacart's ability to deliver on-demand clearly matches our focus of making our customers' lives better. We are excited to offer a larger assortment of H-E-B items to customers in Austin and Houston."
Instacart also announced that it has expanded its Houston delivery area into the Katy and Woodlands areas, according to a press release. Houston area customers will have access to Whole Foods Market, Costco (no membership required), Petco, and H-E-B. For maps of Instacart delivery areas across the U.S. including Houston, visit https://www.instacart.com/locations.
"H-E-B epitomizes the kind of customer-focused retailer that Instacart loves to partner with, so that we can give our Texas customers access to a Texas favorite grocer," said Nilam Ganenthiran, Vice President of Business Development & Strategy for Instacart. "We're looking forward to continuing our work with H-E-B."
New customers can open an account at www.Instacart.com/heb, and get free delivery and $10 off their first order using promo code HEBLOVE through September 30th of this year. Instacart also offers Instacart Express -- an annual membership that eliminates delivery fees for all orders of $35 or more for a cost of $99 per year.