Just the other day, I saw a Facebook Messenger notification come up from my boss on my smartphone, but it wasn’t a plain old text message. It was a call from Canada! I knew international calls were expensive, so I was surprised to see him call while he was traveling abroad. I asked him about it, and it turns out you can make international phone calls for free over Wi-Fi through Facebook Messenger! Here’s how you can do it too:
1) Download Facebook Messenger
If you haven’t already, download Facebook Messenger for free via the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android).
2) Choose who you want to call
Tap on “People” and scroll through your contacts list to see who’s available. In order for the call to go through free of charge, the other party must have Facebook Messenger installed, must have their phone number connected on their Facebook profile (see note below), and must be friends with you on Facebook. If you are not listed as friends and they have Facebook Messenger installed, you can still contact them through the app, but charges may still apply.
3) Dial
Tap on the person you want to call. After your selection, you should see a phone icon on the upper right of the screen. If it’s blue, tap on the icon and it’ll automatically give the person a call. If it’s grayed out, that person may not satisfy the conditions listed above in the previous step.
Note: To add your phone number to your Facebook profile, click on Settings while in the app. Tap “Edit” on the top left, and then add your phone number. Facebook will ask to verify your phone number, but after that’s done, you will have successfully added it to the app.
If you find yourself traveling internationally, this feature is another great way to contact friends, family, and business colleagues for free. I know I’ll be using it in the future.
NOGALES, AZ – The Governing Board of the Nogales Port Authority has reported substantial increases in traffic and overall commercial value of trade through the Port of Mariposa.
Bruce Bracker, Chairman of the Board of the Nogales Port Authority says that the dollar value of trade through the port is estimated at $20-$25 billion for 2011 and $30-$35 billion in 2014, according to a press release. This represents an increase of 50-75% in value.
"The growth in the dollar value of trade can be attributed to the continued increase in trade in high-value goods through the border in sectors such as aerospace, the automotive industry, and mining," said Hector Suarez, President of the Nogales Association of Customs Brokers.
American Customs reports show that the truck traffic volume has also increased. The volume of commercial traffic grew about 13% over a five year period, from 276,8777 trucks in 2009 to 311,669 trucks in 2013.
"In the next 10 years, the expansion of the international port will continue to contribute to the tremendous growth of our community," said Nils Urman, representing the Office of Community Development of Nogales. Urman is also a board member for Nogales Economic Development and Tourism and board member of the Nogales-Santa Cruz County Foundation for Economic Development, according to a press release.
"The increase in personnel at the port, together with the Mexican infrastructure investment will complement the investment made by the United States in our port and accelerate trade. Trading opportunities are both north and south, and we continue to see increases in export trade to Mexico," Urman added.
The state of Arizona is also maximizing on the importance of growth trends at the port by investing in the Road Map of Border Communities project, whose mission is to identify, prioritize, and advance policy and strategic action resulting in a roadmap for developing a thriving Arizona border region. For more information on that project, click here.
"We in the economic development of the community of Santa Cruz County, Arizona support the state's commitment to this process. We are encouraged by the project roadmap, which recognizes the importance of trade between the United States and Mexico in border communities, where Nogales is 85% of trade between Arizona and Mexico, or the equivalent of $42 billion of trade in the state during 2013," Urman said.
With yearly trade increases becoming the trend, the Mariposa Port will definitely be one to keep an eye on.
VENTURA, CA – LINKFRESH has been selected to provide field to fork whole chain management by Alsum Farms & Produce, a Wisconsin based grower, packer and shipper of potatoes and onions, through the Microsoft Dynamics® LINKFRESH ERP solution.
“We carefully monitor every aspect of our product from field to fork; from seed selection and planting, through growing and harvesting, to quality control and delivery. We need our information and management systems to mirror these critical processes and procedures to provide the same level of detail and accuracy in our business management data. LINKFRESH ERP will provide us with the desired end to end whole chain solution specific to our industry, on the solid foundation of the Microsoft Dynamics technology,” said Jan Braaksma, CFO for Alsum Farms & Produce.
This will be a single phase project where the LINKFRESH solution is deployed to 40 users at the Wisconsin headquarters and will include Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 and the compete LINKFRESH ERP Suite from forecast demand, sales, supply, processing and logistics, to mobile warehousing, quality control and traceability, according to a press release.
Alsum Farms & Produce is a national distributor of potatoes and onions as well as a year-round distributor of over 600 types of fresh fruits and vegetables. The project has an expected completion date of Spring 2015.
ALASKA - If tales about 138lb cabbages, 65lb cantaloupes, and 35lb broccoli stalks sound far fetched to you, let me introduce you to the growers who put these produce giants on display at the Alaskan State Fair.
It's "definitely a freak show," the Alaskan State Fair's Crop Superintendent Kathy Liska told NPR. "Some things [are so big], you can't even recognize what they are."
What makes these veggies so massive you ask? A big part of the answer is the highly unique growing conditions created by Alaska's climate. Steven Brown, an Agricultural Agent at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, explained that Alaskan growers enjoy 20 hours a day of sunlight during the summer months. This gives Alaskan produce a longer photosynthesis window each day, resulting in more plant material and a sweeter taste.
"People often try our carrots here, and they think we've put sugar on them," Brown said.
Scott Robb, the grower who holds the largest cabbage record and 4 other world records for his produce, says that its not just a matter of climate however.
"Let's face it: You're not going to win the Kentucky Derby with a mule or a Shetland pony," says Robb. "If you don't have the right genetic material, you're never going to achieve that ultimate goal...If you were to go visit somebody who was growing a giant veggie for this fair, I think the thing that what would impress you is how much science and technology goes into this."
Of course in typical Alaskan fashion, there's also the matter of protecting the vegetables from the hungry gaze of a wandering moose. According to Brown he spent several sleepless nights guarding his cabbage plants from the creatures before constructing an electrified fence to keep them out. And I thought crows and pests were bad enough!
According to NPR there are two rounds of crop competitions in the Alaskan State Fair, with separate contests for pumpkins and cabbages. Grand prize winners are afterward donated to the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center.
AndNowUKnow would like to thank photographer Clark James Mishler and the Alaskan State Fair for generously allowing us to use these images in our story.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Four PACA violators in Florida, Texas, and Washington have been restricted from operating in the produce industry, according to a USDA press release.
Top Service Brokers, a Miami, FL based company, failed to pay a $13,678 award in favor of a Virginia seller. Bivieti Barrios was listed as the sole proprietor of the business.
Patel Distributors, a Mission, TX based company, failed to pay a $5,256 award in favor of a New York seller. Farhan Mohammed was listed as a member of the business.
Oziel Trevino, operating as Diversity Produce, a Hidalgo, TX based company, failed to pay a $9,280 award in favor of a Texas seller. Oziel Trevino was listed as the sole proprietor of the business.
Cry Baby Foods, a Royal City, WA based company, failed to pay a $245,045 award in favor of a North Dakota seller. Kelsee L. Shearer and Aaron K. Shearer were listed as members of the business.
In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims under the PACA involving more than $87 million. Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed or affiliated with any PACA licensee without the approval of the USDA. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA.
KAUAI, HI - U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren has overturned a Hawaii GMO regulatory law, Ordinance 960, on the grounds that it was preempted by state laws. The law which would have gone into effect in early October would have required farming and seed companies to disclose the pesticides used in their operations and created a buffer zone between the fields and homes, medical facilities, schools, parks, public roadways, shorelines and waterways.
Many Hawaiian growers who argued that the Ordinance placed "burdensome and baseless restrictions" on business are applauding this decision. Not all parties are as happy about this turn of events however.
"This issue is far from over," said Gary Hooser, the Kauai Council Member who co-introduced Ordinance 960. "One opinion from one federal magistrate does not settle the issue."
"By denying Kauai's law, the judge undermined efforts to create more transparency and more protections for farmers, workers and families from hazardous pesticides," agreed Paul Towers, Spokesman for the Pesticide Action Network.
According to the Wall Street Journal, over 11,000 acres of farmland have been leased by agribusiness companies for test farms and research facilities on the island of Kauai due to it's excellent year-round growing conditions.
As of this point, no appeal of Judge Kurren's ruling has yet been filed.
CASTROVILLE, CA - Ocean Mist is sponsoring the 78th Annual Monterey County Fair this week with fried artichokes, artichoke sourdough bisque, and a special appearance by the company’s own mascot, Arti the Artichoke. He’ll be meeting fans from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Ag Building and then throughout the fairgrounds.
Meanwhile, Ocean Mist Farms harvest managers, crew supervisors, and the company’s quality assurance team will be demonstrating their expertise at putting together special fair packs for the vegetable commodity judging competition to go up against other locally grown produce, according to a press release.
“We are excited to bring the majority of our local grown vegetables to this year’s Monterey County Fair,” said Hilda Medina, Marketing Event Specialist and Report Analysis. “It’s a great way to demonstrate the quality and commitment we have as a local grower.”
As part of its fair participation, Ocean Mist donates product to the Country Store located in the Ag Building each day of the fair. All Country Store sales proceeds benefit the Monterey County Fair exhibit program and Ag department.
To find out more information about Arti’s appearances and about the fair, check out the links below.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - Imagine if you could suddenly create a chair out of thin-air. It sounds farfetched, but a Switzerland-based startup is making this dream a reality with its new “Chairless Chair.”
A company named Noonee has developed a lightweight mechanical device that allows the user to sit anywhere they choose. You simply wear the device on your legs, and at the press of a button, it locks into place and you can sit down normally. When it’s not activated, you can walk or even run just as you would without it. Noonee claims the device can reduce fatigue, improve productivity by allowing the employee to continuously work with fewer breaks, and remove common causes of accidents and injuries. Just check out the video below to see an animated demonstration of the device in action!
Noonee CTO and co-founder Bryan Anastisiades tells CNN, “In addition to resting your leg muscles, it also provides optimal posture. It keeps your back straight and can reduce the occurrence of bad postures for both healthy workers and those recovering from muscle related injuries.”
The Chairless Chair does not touch the ground directly, which makes it more comfortable to wear. Your bodyweight is directed towards the heel of your shoes which are attached to the device. Though it’s not yet available for public use, the company will be testing it with production line workers at BMW and Audi, according to Forbes. If your company is interested in trying out this technology, you may contact Noonee directly by clicking here.
Keith Gunura, Noonee’s CEO, says he got the idea when he was just 17 years old working in a UK packaging factory. Now, he says, he envisions people using the device in crowded trains, behind the counter in retail, and the usage can extend to farmers picking fruit out on the field, and even surgeons in the operating room, according to CNN. “A chair would be impractical,” he says, “but the Chairless Chair would fit in nicely.”
Improved productivity and posture? I’m all for it. For companies out there who prioritize worker safety, the Chairless Chair looks like it may be an interesting piece of technology to invest in for the future. What do you think? Will this lead to a “Chairolution,” as the company suggests? Let us know by voting on the poll below!
PHILIPPINES - Two Philippine banana plantations were the scene of an armed raid by insurgents from the New People's Army last Saturday. In response to a refusal by the owners of the plantations to pay extortion payments to the NPA, guerrilla soldiers stormed the two sites, setting fire to a crop duster and hanger on one and burning a building, farming equipment and destroying roughly 300 banana plants in the other, according to Business World Online.
“The rebels disarmed the security guards and seized their two shotguns, tied their arms... then proceeded to the hangar and poured gasoline onto the (crop-duster) plane. It took only less than 30 minutes to burn the area,” said Jomar Ascares the police officer investigating the first raid site.
Altogether about 110 NPA soldiers were involved in the fighting, according to Business World Online. Thankfully, no reports of casualties have emerged in the wake of these crimes.
Sadly, this is not the first time that a Philippine banana plantation has been the site of armed violence. Last month, AndNowUKnow reported on the firefight at the Delinanas Banana Plantation when Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters clashed with Philippine troops.
Hopefully however, this story will be the last of its kind that ANUK has to report on for a long time to come.
COACHELLA, CA - Prime Time International is welcoming Eric Meyer, a highly regarded Nogales produce veteran with over twenty years of direct experience, as the company’s new Sales Manager. Eric will be based out of the company’s Nogales, Arizona office in time for the kick-off of the upcoming Mexico import season, according to a press release. He will be responsible for sales and grower communications throughout the year.
“Eric is the exact prototype we have been searching for; we took our time in making this selection and we know we have an excellent and valued addition to our staff,” said Mike Way, Managing Member at Prime Time.
Eric has previously worked for companies in Nogales, including Sun-Fed and Wilson Batiz, and was highly praised for his excellent skills as a communicator. “I am thrilled with this opportunity and look forward to joining one of the true iconic companies in the fresh produce business,” he said.
Eric is a graduate of the University of Arizona and currently resides in Nogales with his family.
Congratulations on joining Prime Time, Eric!