WENATCHEE, WA and SHANGHAI, CHINA – Stemilt Growers of Wenatchee, WA have joined Lantao of Shanghai, China to be the first to market 2014 crop year Bing Cherries from Washington State into mainland China.
Mike Taylor, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Stemilt, is confident that this year’s Washington State Cherry crop can meet the demand. “Growing conditions have lined up perfectly for us,” said Taylor. “Because the conditions are so favorable, we are shipping heavier in June than normally, and we will fill the demand that we were unable to fill from California. The quality and size from Washington will meet the premium fruit requirements that the Chinese market demands.”
“Although Stemilt had the best California cherries in the Chinese market, the overall quality and volume from California this year has been inconsistent,” said John Wang, CEO of Lantao. “The poorer quality cherries brought the whole market down and now the market is really ready to step in and buy some better quality fruit. Being first to market will allow us fill that demand quickly.”
Dave Martin, Export Sales Director and Bill Young, Export Account Manager for Stemilt Growers sees China as its most important cherry export market, according to a press release. “We appreciate working with Lantao because they seem to grasp our ‘philosophy’ when it comes to openness, trust, honesty, commitment and the belief in the quality of our fruit,” said Martin.
Lantao is one of the largest importers of imported fruit into China with distribution centers in 7 Chinese cities.
BERKELEY, CA - Could discount retailer Grocery Outlet be the next company betting on an acquisition deal? Sources close to Reuters suggest that Grocery Outlet is exploring a sale that is expected to value the company at more than $1 billion.
People familiar with the matter indicate that Berkshire Partners LLC, Grocery Outlet’s private-equity owner, has hired Barclays and Goldman Sachs to run a sales process for the supermarket chain, according to Reuters. Spokespersons for Grocery Outlet and Goldman Sachs did not respond to requests for comment. Both Barclays and Berkshire Partners have declined to comment as well. No other information regarding the potential sale is available at this time.
Reuters also reports that Grocery Outlet has about $100 million in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization, and could sell for more than 10 times that figure.
Grocery Outlet offers a full line of grocery items, including fresh produce, frozen, deli and refrigerated, fresh meat, general merchandise, health and beauty, and beer and wine. There are currently more than 200 independently operated Grocery Outlet stores in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we keep an eye out for any potential buyers.
WATSONVILLE, CA - It’s great to have a job you’re truly proud of. That’s why California Giant Berry Farms is taking you on a journey to its fields in Watsonville, California to get an inside look into the company’s operation.
The company tends to its blueberries each and every morning. The berries are hand harvested, and then carefully sorted for packaging and shipping to a store near you for your family to enjoy all year-round.
Check out the quick video above from the company to see what makes California Giant berries so special!
ANTIGO, WI - Back in 1995, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and NASA partnered to help tubers become the first vegetable grown in space.
Creating these “Quantum Tubers” involved “combining an agricultural technique from China with controlled environment technologies originally developed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison for plant growth in space,” NASA says. American Ag-Tec International, Ltd., from Delavan, WI, then produced the tubers, according to a press release.
Astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia tested the seed potato production in its Astroculture plant growth facility. “American Ag-Tec International’s development of Quantum Tubers resulted from a NASA-sponsored Commercial Space Center located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,” says NASA.
While speaking about this milestone, Duane Maatz, Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association Executive Director, said that it “really puts Wisconsin on the map and shows the technological advances that have and continue to come out of our state.”
Space centers like this have allowed other companies to create products from space-based research.
NIXA, MO - Market Fresh has hired Alison Bos to its corporate staff as Marketing Manager.
“I am very excited to be a part of the Market Fresh team,” Bos said. “It is a very exciting time for the company, and I am ready to utilize my skills to continue building the already successful marketing program.”
Bos will be responsible for overseeing the marketing and promotion efforts of the company, developing and maintaining good rapport with the client base and supporting ongoing implementation of Market Fresh’s strategic marketing plan, according to a press release.
Bos graduated from Missouri State University with her master’s degree in agricultural communications. During college, she held internships with Midwest Dairy Association and the current Missouri senator, Roy Blunt.
"With Alison’s agriculture background, combined with her experience and education in the areas of marketing and promotion, she proves to be a great fit for this position,” said Market Fresh CEO and Owner, Steve Phipps.
Congratulations, Alison!
CHICAGO, IL - United Fresh 2014 took to the Chicago stage this year with some of my fresh produce favorites and a few new characters that are continuing to catch our AndNowUKnow eye. Kicking off June 11th, the fruit and vegetable expo welcomed a 15% growth in exhibitors over last year and a host of dynamic fresh product innovations. Here are some highlights from this year’s event…
For those who haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing a greenhouse first hand, you are missing out. I have had the pleasure of writing about these amazing systems for nearly three years now but have yet to set foot inside the space of their technological mastery. Thank you, Nature Fresh. The company brought attendees face to face with the greenhouse experience in all of its beauty and awe this past United Fresh. The amount of precision and care that goes into the daily upkeep and growing of these greenhouse vegetables is truly amazing. Nature Fresh
Tiffany Gate Foods FreshCooked line offered attendees prepared, hard to cook vegetables, grains and beans to spice up menu items. The lineup offers perfectly cooked and ready to use products on salads, in soups, as sides or by themselves. Offerings include quinoa, beets, yams and chickpeas… new ways to add versatility to traditional dishes. Tiffany Gate
As specialty varieties are continuing to catch fire in the citrus category, Sunkist presented Zebra™ (pink variegated) lemons. The fruit is pink on the inside, with a yellow and green striped rind. Zebra lemons are slightly less acidic than conventional lemons and make for an visually stimulating alternative that is also ideal for garnishing. Sunkist currently has limited supplies of Zebra lemons, but with more growers planting the variety, supply is expected to grow in the coming years. Sunkist
Always on top of its snacking game, Pure Flavor highlighted its Snacking Series in the company’s new proprietary, “all-in-one” oval packaging. The line includes Juno® Bites, Sangria Medley, Azuca cherry tomatoes and the new Bumbles yellow snacking tomatoes along with the new “3” combo pack. The company is tapping into new and versatile ways for stacking and displaying for unique retail opportunities as well. Pure Flavor
Ready Pac also debuted its new line of six Bistro® Bowl™ Wrap Kits, that include Garlic and Herb Caesar, Thai Peanut Crunch (my favorite), and Turkey Avocado Ranch. The new line also accompanied Ready Pac® Ready Snax™ product, launched earlier this year, is a contender in the 2014 United Fresh New Product Awards in the Best New Packaging category. The fresh wraps pack an amazing amount of flavor and are easy to construct. I have even done it while driving (not recommended). Ready Pac
Green Giant also fed famished attendees with 8 new all-natural hummus flavors including Roasted Pine Nut Hummus with Pine Nut and Sundried Tomato Topping Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with Red Pepper Coulis Topping. Other items to debut in the line were Roasted Garlic Hummus with Roasted Garlic Topping, Artichoke Spinach Hummus with Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Topping, Garden Vegetable Hummus with Roasted Vegetable Topping, Mediterranean Hummus with Tapenade Topping, and Sundried Tomato & Basil Hummus with Onion and Balsamic Vinegar Topping. Needless to say, they were a regular stop on my route. Green Giant
If you missed the IFCO booth cooking demo and book signing, you’ll have to make sure and mark you calendar for the next show because, this 14-year old can cook. Kid Chef Eliana de Las Casas and IFCO Youth Produce Ambassador took to the stage and the camera to introduce the simple, easy and fun ways that kids can prepare fresh produce and create tasty memorable dishes. With IFCO, Eliana hopes to extend the reach of fresh produce consumption to a younger demographic through her constant outreach and education. Eliana’s first cookbook, Eliana Cooks! Recipes for Creative Kids was released in October 2010. Her second cookbook, a full-color, hard cover book, Cool Kids Cook: Louisiana, the first in a series, debuted in Spring 2013 and received a Parents’ Choice Approved award. She has been named one of the “Top 10 Most Famous Kid Critics and Cooks” in the world by The Daily Meal, and has a global weekly radio show called “Cool Kids Cook” on the VoiceAmerica Kids network. IFCO
To check out our previous article on United Fresh Award winners and highlights, click here!
Thanks for a great show United Fresh, see you in Chicago again next year.
PLEASANTON, CA - Safeway has reached a preliminary settlement on a class action lawsuit regarding supposed violated shareholder rights relating to the proposed merger with Albertsons. Subsequently, the company has accelerated the expiration date of the stockholder rights plan to June 19, 2014, three months ahead of the original expiration date. The settlement is still subject to the approval of the Delaware Chancery Court.
The memorandum of understanding provides for, among other things, an agreement by Safeway to terminate Safeway’s stockholder rights plan, commonly referred to as a “poison pill,” effective June 19, 2014; and certain changes to the proxy statement filed in connection with the proposed merger, which changes will be captured in the definitive proxy statement that Safeway intends to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a press release.
Earlier this year, a shareholder filed a lawsuit in attempt to halt the Safeway-Albertsons merger. The plaintiff alleged that the defendants “filed a materially false and misleading preliminary proxy statement” that omitted and/or misrepresented information that would affect Safeway shareholders’ ability to approve or disapprove the deal. For more on this story, check out the link below.
Safeway and Albertsons Sued Over Shareholder Rights Violations
The preliminary pact also states that the deadline to sell Safeway’s equity interests in Mexico-based food and general merchandise retailer, Casa Ley, has been shortened from four years to three years. If these interests weren’t sold by the deadline, the contingent value rights holders would be entitled to receive fair market value of the unsold value, according to Wall Street Journal. Previous terms state that the holders wouldn’t be entitled to receive any value linked to unsold assets.
Safeway and the Board of Directors of Safeway contend that the plaintiff’s claims are entirely without merit, and in the event the settlement does not resolve them, intend to vigorously defend these actions.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we keep an eye on this developing story.
OVIEDO, FL – Duda Farm Fresh Foods has a large variety of citrus items now available in promotable volumes nationwide for summer citrus categories as it kicks off its citrus import season.
“Seasonal weather has the potential to occasionally diminish growing conditions in the United States, which can affect a consumer’s ability to access fresh citrus fruit,” said Alberto Cuellar, Duda Farm Fresh Foods Director Global Business Development. Because of this, it is temporarily necessary to import fruits as a means of promoting healthy and happy living, and meeting the needs of American consumers, according to a press release.
“Consumer demand continues to grow for specialty items in citrus such as Meyer Lemons, Tangelos, and Cara Cara oranges,” said Paul Huckabay, Duda Farm Fresh Foods Western Citrus Sales Manager. “We have relationships with the best growers around the globe to provide the quality and taste experience that consumers want.”
This summer, grapefruit varieties, oranges and specialty fruits including Meyer lemons will be available from Florida, California, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay. This marks the first commercial season that the U.S. gained approval for import of citrus from Uruguay.
Duda will be supporting sales with an online sales kit that includes recipes and point-of-sale material.
KINGSVILLE, ON - Following up its latest “Best New Vegetable of 2014” win at United Fresh with SUNSET® Y.E.L.O.™ cocktail tomatoes, Mastronardi Produce/SUNSET® has once again been recognized at the 8th annual Greenhouse Competition in Leamington, Ontario.
This year, Mastronardi took home six first place awards including Best English Cucumber, Best Overall Tomato, and People’s Choice for Best Pepper with SUNSET® sweet bell peppers, according to a press release. SUNSET’s Seriously Sweet™ Zima™ tomatoes took top honors with Best Specialty Tomato and Best Overall Tomato.
“We’re very excited about the Greenhouse Competition results,” said CEO Paul Mastronardi. “Each year the contest gets bigger and better and we’re thrilled to have had such great success, especially with Zima™.”
The annual competition is hosted by R.E.A.C.H. International, a locally funded charitable organization, with proceeds going toward the funding of schools and clinics in Uganda.
“It’s been a great week,” continued Mastronardi, noting the wins at both United Fresh and the Greenhouse Competition. “We’re very proud and very thankful to be getting such incredible feedback from the industry and consumers alike. Zima™ and Y.E.L.O.™ are both great products with amazing color and flavor and have quickly become household favorites.”
Congratulations, Mastronardi!
LEAMINGTON, ONTARIO - Nature Fresh Farms received two awards at the 8th annual Greenhouse Competition in Leamington, Ontario. It won for Best Overall and Best Orange Bell in the Perfect Pepper category.
The Orange Bell is grown inside of Nature Fresh Farms' high tech greenhouses and is a new category to its 2014 lineup, according to the Nature Fresh website. It is USDA certified organic.
Nature Fresh has competed several times in the Perfect Pepper competition in recent years and won a number of awards, according to a press release.
Its greenhouse peppers and tomatoes are currently in full production.
Congratulations on the awards!