NETHERLANDS - Scientists in the Netherlands have published an article in Nature, exploring the possibility of cultivating tomatoes capable of growing under constant light exposure. These scientists have isolated a gene in wild tomato species, the type III light harvesting chlorophyll a/b binding protein 13 (CAB-13) gene, which confers a much higher degree of light tolerance than that enjoyed by traditional tomato species.
As Gizmodo documents, modern tomato varieties require roughly eight hours a day of darkness in order to halt the growing cycle. A lack of this rest leads to the growth of yellow spots on the tomato plant and eventually death.
These scientists however postulate that the increased resistance the type III gene confers could negate the need for this rest cycle, allowing the tomatos to grow at a continuous, uninterrupted rate without negative consequences on quality.
What does this mean for growers? It means a 20% increase in crop yields if these scientists are proven correct.
Gizmodo does note however that this new breed is still a ways off. Before growers have a viable variety to work with, researchers would first need to work out if there are any other genetic factors at work in conferring this light resistance to these wild tomato plants in addition to how the protein, sugar, and electrolyte balance of traditional varieties would react under these growing conditions.
Regardless of the challenges, this is certainly a compelling idea. I know I'll certainly be following how this research progresses as we move into the future.
UNITED STATES - The produce industry is braving the cold to help create a world without ALS by taking the #IceBucketChallenge. We caught wind of the challenge as it began making its way through the produce industry from Tonya Antle, Principal of Tanimura & Antle, who called out a few industry friends of her own…And it doesn’t stop there. The challenge is on as we expect to hear from more companies challenging our fresh produce peers and making donations for the cause.
Check out the videos below!
If you want to challenge someone in the industry, click here to send us your video!
Tonya Antle, Principal of Tanimura & Antle:
Karen Caplan, Frieda's President and CEO:
TJ Murphy, Baldor's Owner and CEO:
Michael Muzyk, Baldor's President:
Peppe Bonfiglio, Mastronardi's Key Account Manager:
The ALS Association reports that as of August 22nd, they have received $53.3 million in donations compared to the $2.2 million they received in the same time period last year. Joining existing donors, 1.1 million new donors have also contributed.
The ALS Association’s mission includes providing care services to assist people with ALS and their families and a global research program focused on the discovery of treatments and eventually a cure for the disease.
Stay tuned for more produce industry video challenges next week. Thank you to those that have donated and we're looking forward to more videos!
GREENSBORO, N.C - With the release of its Q2 earnings report, The Fresh Market's President and CEO Craig Carlock has announced that it will be doubling the number of its stores in the Southeastern United States.
“We are pleased with our second quarter results which demonstrate our ability to drive solid sales and expand merchandise margins in an increasingly competitive retail environment,” Carlock said. “The performance of our new stores exceeded our expectations and we see tremendous expansion opportunities in our core markets...we are raising our store growth potential in the Southeastern United States to double our current store base in this region.”
While net income did decline to $11.4 million compared to $15.6 million in Q2 2013, the rest of The Fresh Market's earnings report supports Carlock's optimistic outlook. Some highlights of the report include:
- Adjusted EBITDA of $46.2 million, compared to $40.3 million in Q2 2013
- Net sales increased 19.0% to $422.2 million
- Comparable store sales increased 2.9% to $357.3 million
- Gross profit increased 18.5% to $143.7 million
- Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.36
These strong numbers resulted in positive forward looking statements from The Fresh Market, according to a press release.
“Given results thus far and our current assessment of business conditions for the remainder of the fiscal year, we are reaffirming our previously issued fiscal 2014 comparable store sales and adjusted earnings guidance... we anticipate that comparable store sales will be at the low to mid-point of our 1.5% to 3.5% full fiscal year range in the third quarter. We remain encouraged by our new unit growth pipeline and believe The Fresh Market’s distinct shopping experience and our commitment to offering outstanding food quality and selection position us well for future growth,” Carlock said.
As of 1:45pm EST on Friday August 22nd, The Fresh Market's stock is currently up 2.64 points. That represents a 8.68% increase in its stock price during today's trading, bringing its price per share number to $33.07.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for any further updates on The Fresh Market and its continued expansion efforts.
VICTOR, NY - The New York Apple Association (NYAA) is beating volume estimates once again this year with another great late summer crop. Excellent growing conditions, including a late spring with warm weather, good rainfall, and cool nights have cultivated a harvest which is so far exceeding the 30 million forecast made this past July.
“We're very excited about the crop we have on our hands this year,” Julia Stewart, Spokesperson for the NYAA tells me. “Some people don't realize it, but New York State is the largest domestic source of apples east of the Mississippi and the 2nd largest in the United States. Especially with a crop of this quality on our hands this year, there's no need to look outside of New York for apples.”
Julia is especially stressing this last point to Empire State locals as part of an overarching “buy local” promotional theme this year. Over the last 10 years the NYAA has cultivated an impressive history of growing a wide variety of apples, including new varieties like Honeycrisp, Gala, RubyFrost, SnapDragon, along with traditional New York favorites. The NYAA is encouraging locals to reach out and enjoy the bounty they have right at their doorstep before looking elsewhere for produce.
“Part of our outreach program to our consumers this year has been a complete overhaul of our website,” Julia tells me. “Using our internal analytic numbers we have essentially rebuilt our site from the bottom up so as to more efficiently give consumers the information they look to us for.”
Check out the NYAA's website here.
Part of these changes include a new locator map, which allows customers to punch in their area code and be shown their local orchard or cider producer.
“It's all about showing people how close to home these great products are,” Julia explains.
In addition to the orchard tracker, the new website features a recipe section with over 100 great recipes aspiring chefs will want to check out. Having given it a look myself, I know there are certainly a few I'll be looking into.
To check out some of these great recipes for yourself click here.
In an innovative move, Julia tells me the NYAA will be crowd-sourcing the photos for these recipes so that apple lovers can snap pictures of the great creations they've made with the NYAA's produce and share it with their community.
Congratulations on the great year NYAA! I'll be looking forward to more good news from you in the future.
SOLEDAD, CA – Braga Fresh has announced the promotion of Abelardo “Lalo” Pamatz to production analyst and Ashleigh Lombardi to sales coordinator.
“Ashleigh will be a great asset in supporting sales and keeping the service level high for our expanding customer base—her energy and attention to detail are outstanding,” said Peter Cling, Vice President of Sales. “Lalo’s direct experience with customers and orders over the past year positions him perfectly to move up into the analyst role and advise our harvesting operations how to plan as Braga Fresh continues to expand.”
According to a press release, Lalo has a year of experience with Braga Fresh as a sales coordinator, where he greatly impressed company executives with excellent work and dedication. In his new position he will be providing Braga Fresh with critical trend information and demand forecasts in order to maximize yields and make sure that farming operations meet increasing sales volumes for all of Braga's 20 fresh commodities.
Ashleigh has seven months of experience with Braga Ranch as an administrative assistant. Before signing on with Braga Fresh she attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where she attained a Bachelor's Degree in Agribusiness.
Congratulations on the promotions, Ashleigh and Lalo!
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Fresh Solutions Network has been named as a 2014 PMA Impact Awards in Excellence in Packaging finalist for its Side Delights® Gourmet Petite potato product line.
“We are excited about making the top 20 list for this prestigious award. We see packaging as an important component in increasing consumer’s engagement in the potato category, especially when packaging may be the only way for consumers to judge the quality of the product contained within. High marks for our packaging translates to better sales on the shelf,” said Kathleen Triou, President & CEO for Fresh Solutions Network.
PMA reported that 56 companies submitted 67 entries, and the Impact Award Committee has selected twenty packaging submissions as finalists for 2014.
According to Triou, “The Gourmet Petite potato line was introduced in 2014 with the goal of providing a fresh new way to make every meal a little more interesting and enjoyable. With Side Delights Gourmet Petite potatoes, consumers can add the flavor, color and excitement of the specialty potatoes they find in fine-dining restaurants and see on their favorite cooking shows to the meals they make at home.”
“Consumers are looking for new ways to serve their favorite side dish (potatoes!), and growth of the specialty potato segment is leading the category at more than 9% year over year,” said Triou. “The Side Delights packaging is visually exciting and features contemporary, bold graphics and appetizing photography that grab shoppers’ attention. The stand-up pouch bag enhances shop-ability and the promise of convenience, further stimulating consumer trial.”
The company will be expanding distribution of the Gourmet Petite potato line during the 2015 season, according to a press release. For tasty recipes that are uniquely adapted for the Gourmet Petite line, click here.
Congratulations on the honor, Fresh Solutions Network!
PORTERVILLE, CA - Homegrown Organic Farms is continuing to pick up momentum on this season’s Asian pear harvest. Kicking off nearly a month ago, the company will continue to ship product through September. The season began with the Hosui variety and will move into the Shinkos as September gets underway. Supplies should be steady throughout the season. Homegrown will be shipping out of its Kingsburg, California facility.
“We’ve been expanding our fall fruit category and are excited to have a few new growers to represent this year. All growers are located in the Kingsburg area and will help support our Homegrown Organic Farms fall fruit program,” Cherie France tells us. “It seems that every year we grow our program and yet demand still exceeds supply! It’s exciting for us to be able to further enhance our offerings by providing these items.”
Additionally, Homegrown’s volume of Asian pears are up from last year with the addition of new growers and acreage.
“Quality is always our number one priority and this season is no exception. We have had tremendous success with our fall-fruit thus far and as long as the weather continues to cooperate we don’t anticipate any quality issues,” Cherie notes. The company will be offering its Asian Pears in both double and single layer trays depending on size. Homegrown also has its cross-commodity display bins available.
Asian Pears are also known as apple-pears given their round shape and crunchy yet juicy and hearty texture. “They ship well and have a great shelf life. As always, we offer a full line of resources to help retailers merchandise and promote Homegrown products including grower photos and bios.”
As the specialty fruit sector continues to grow, so is Homegrown Organic Farms.
ZAANDAN, NETHERLANDS - Ahold has seen increased market pressure during the second quarter of 2014. The company is reporting net sales of €7.4 billion, down 1.1%. However, the retailer did see strong online Q2 sales of €29 million, an 18.6% increase.
“In a challenging competitive environment, we remain focused on executing our Reshaping Retail strategy and continue to make investments in our customer and value offering, making our stores a better place to shop,” said Ahold CEO Dick Boer.
In the United States, Q2 net sales were €4.4 million, which represents a 1.7% decline under last year for the same period, according to the company's Q2 financial report. Ahold says that Easter falling into the second quarter had a negative impact on sales.
Check out Ahold CEO Dick Boer discussing the company's Q2 results by clicking below.
Ahold’s U.S. online grocery operation, Peapod, saw double-digit sales growth in the second quarter. With the opening of a new warehouse in New Jersey, Peapod’s capacity will almost double and will consolidate its position as the leading online grocer in the U.S., according to a press release.
“In the United States, the roll-out of our program to improve our customer proposition is progressing well, bringing better quality, service and value to our customers. By the end of this quarter, the program was active in 320 stores and will be rolled out to more than half of our stores by the end of this year. The accelerated roll out of the program together with our decision to absorb commodity price increases resulted in an investment in margin that was partly offset by cost savings from our Simplicity program,” Boer said.
Looking ahead, Ahold expects ongoing investments in its customer proposition and further development of its product range across multiple categories to result in improving sales trends. The retailer remains focused on executing its Reshaping Retail strategy and investing in its Simplicity program.
What can we expect from Ahold’s continued investments online, and how will the retailer’s new program improve sales in the next quarter?
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we keep an eye on Ahold’s performance as the fiscal year continues.
WASHINGTON D.C. - Uber is testing out The Corner Store, a new online grocery delivery service to complement its already exceedingly popular private taxi services. During this month long trial period, Uber app users in the Washington D.C. area will be able to select over 100 items with their smartphones for free same day delivery to their home addresses.
While the new feature is so far limited to just shoppers in the D.C. Area, Uber has hinted that if it is met with sufficient success, it could be expanding the program in the future.
"The more you love it, the more likely it will last,” read a post on Uber's blog.
Uber is just the latest in a long line of companies to jump onboard online grocery delivery. Google and Amazon for example have already debuted their own delivery service programs. Whether any of these programs meet with enough economic success to continue into the future is still up in the air however, according to Stephen Mader, Director of Digital Retail at the Kantar Consultancy.
"The biggest hurdle that a lot of these delivery companies have is how can you make the economics of last-mile grocery deliveries add up?" he told BBC. "On average, Uber's price points are on a par with what you would find in a physical store such as Walgreens, so what it is trying to do is take the pricing equation out of it from the shopper's perspective. But long-term this is most likely not going to be economically feasible unless Uber starts to figure out other ways to monetize this, through adding delivery fees or charging advertising fees to brands that take part in the programmer."
If the service does start drawing in profits could Uber one day expand the program to include fresh produce? Considering that many of its competitors in the field like AmazonFresh have already done so would suggest that the likelihood is high.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for any further updates in this expanding grocery delivery marketplace.
Claudia Pizarro-Villalobos, Sales Specialist for D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California, has been featured in the latest edition of AndNowUKnow’s print publication, The Snack Magazine. As a commodity manager for Nopalitos and Cactus Pears, Claudia talks life, prickly pears and everything in between.
Check out The Snack article by clicking here, or read the full text below:
Claudia Pizarro-Villalobos: Secret Sweet Gem
"Be yourself, share your talents as a volunteer or mentor, and make time for yourself and your family," Claudia Pizarro-Villalobos tells me.
Born in Salinas, California, this former Cal Berkeley point guard is a jack of all trades. The youngest of three siblings, she received her B.A. from UC Berkeley and her M.A. from Harvard before returning to Salinas to work for Hartnell College as the Director of the AmeriCorps/America Reads Program. After working three years at Hartnell, she moved to Cambridge and graduated from Harvard’s 9 month intensive Master’s program.
Claudia’s positive outlook, drive, and ambition have taken her across the country and the ocean. “I climbed Villarrica Volcano – an active volcano in Pucon, Chile (it’s one of only five volcanoes in the world known to have an active lava lake within its crater) as an international student at the Universidad de Chile in Santiago, during my junior year away from CAL,” she tells me.
Currently working for D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California as a Sales Specialist, she is a commodity manager for Nopalitos and Cactus Pears. This shining star actively participates in the Salinas Rotary Club Member/Board of Directors, YMCA Board of Directors, HELP Board of Directors (Healthy Eating Lifestyle Principles), California Women in Ag Member/Progressive Dinner Co-Chair, and IMPOWER Board of Directors (Inspire, Motivate, Prepare, and Organize Women to Engage and Reinvest).
Claudia resides in Salinas and is married to Mathew Villalobos, VP of Coast Automotive Warehouse, and they have a 20 month old son, Dylan Mateo. If you are looking for a pick-up game in Salinas, just give Claudia a call. She’s always down.
Who has influenced your career and personal growth?
Margaret D'Arrigo-Martin. There are some relationships that really build a person. She saw my potential. We were in the rotary together and Margaret spearheaded the board. I was just getting my bearings and she brought me into the fold. Margaret brings energy to the table and really leads each movement or commitment she gets behind. With Margaret, everyone gets involved. She has been such a leader and I only hope to be able to give back in the ways that she has for our community and industry.
Are you really a Prickly Pear a.k.a Cactus Pear?
Ha. Well, I definitely have a tough skin, but I am sweet on the inside. It does you well to be colorful and unique, but more than anything I am persistent and resilient. So, in a way yes, I am a prickly pear.
What is your greatest regret?
President Bill Clinton stopped into our family restaurant Chapala, and it was literally the only day I wasn’t there! My mother called me and told me the President was in the area and stopped in for lunch. I didn’t believe her. The next day she had the newspaper clippings to prove it.
Chapala was a mainstay in Salinas for 25 years. When my parents came to the U.S. from Northern Mexico they had no education and spoke no English. My father worked at the Spreckels Sugar Refinery and my mother worked in the fields before they opened Chapala. I learned how much hard work, hope, and determination can pay off.
What goes into marketing and merchandising Cactus Pears?
The biggest challenge I face is in educating the retailer and the consumer about the versatility and possibilities of fruits and vegetables. Many people simply don’t even know how to cut a cactus pear, which means preparing it is out of the question. By educating each point person between myself, the retailer, and the consumer, Cactus Pears as a specialty item can become more mainstream. You can use them in jams, sorbets, ice cream, smoothies, sushi, purees, cocktails…but, people don’t even know how it tastes. Prickly pears come in five colors, ranging from purple to green-orange, blood red, and magenta. It’s a vibrant and wonderful product to keep stocked on the produce shelf with the right marketing tips. The flavor is incredible and plays between watermelon and kiwi.
What can retailers do to take Cactus Pears to the next level?
I have seen great success with retailers who conduct food tastings and demos for shoppers. While the appearance itself can entice the consumer to ask questions, your best bet is to beat them to it. Demo the item fresh-cut in store with yogurt and granola. It’s a great opportunity for yogurt companies and ice cream companies to partner with a unique item that could be the next pomegranate. It’s our secret sweet gem!
D’Arrigo is the largest commercial grower in the U.S. and as more consumers look to buy produce based on origin, we hope that retailers will realize that we have a marketing program that is in their backyard. California grown. Food safety and Kosher certified.
Over the years, we’ve combined the best fruit characteristics of cactus pears, also known as prickly pears, through controlled hybridization to cultivate the sweetest and most flavorful cactus pears. Ours are ripe, ready to eat, de-thorned, and exclusively grown in the Salinas Valley, California. We offer an exclusive signature series, 4 of which are hybrid offerings. In addition, Andy Boy Cactus Pears undergo a unique cleaning process that removes a vast majority of the plant’s tiny prickers. The result is a smooth, safe surface. No sticks or slivers. So it’s easier to enjoy the delicious and healthy fruit of the cactus.
The Monterey Health Consortium was an important time in your personal growth, tell us about it.
I’ve always enjoyed grass roots endeavors and at the time I wanted to give back to the community and at the same time work for myself. In 2002, I was working in Washington D.C. for Congressman Xavier Becerra (LA). I took the opportunities I had working alongside constituents and public officials to find out about the politics of creating a non-profit organization. And let me tell you, they don’t make it easy.
I asked myself, what was important to me? My parents were farm workers; education and health policies were top of mind and I wanted to be my own boss.
After asking around in Monterey and finding out that much of the smoking cessation funds were being misappropriated, I decided to try and funnel the support toward creating a nonprofit. The Monterey Health Consortium was created to assist low-income farm workers with health education and benefits. The stint was short and sweet, but one of the most important things I have ever done.
…As the specialty produce category continues to grow, Claudia tells me that the company plans on expanding its produce offerings to address the evolving demographics in the U.S. and abroad. Cactus Pears, the new pomegranate? I’ll bite.