ALEXANDRIA, VA - The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team is making a huge impact in the lives of disabled children with a summer camp for softball lovers who have suffered a limb amputation in their young lives. The produce industry has a proud tradition of generosity and giving back to worthy causes. After reading about this organization, I frankly could not imagine a cause more worthy of the industry's attention.
The camp brings together 20 kids aged 8-12 each summer for a life-changing experience in which the focus for once isn't on their limitations or disabilities, but on bonding together as a team and playing the game they love. What makes the camp special is that during the whole experience, the campers are surrounded by friends and teammates just like them. Even the instructors are amputees, veterans of America's military who have lost a limb in service to their country.
The testimonials from the parents of former attendees reveal the incredible impact this camp has on the lives of these kids.
“We are forever indebted to you for providing our son Ryan the opportunity to attend the first WWAST Kids Camp. The experience was life-changing for him. For years to come, Ryan will have awesome memories of feeling "special" but yet no different than anyone else!” Peter and Deirdre Fitzpatrick shared after their son attended the camp in 2013.
Linda Flood's daughter's experience echoed this sentiment.
“Annie has not stopped talking about the camp, how fun it was, and how much it meant to her to be surrounded by people that truly understand her journey,” she said. “She was inspired to say the least by the stories of all the people around her - kids and adults. It was a life changing camp for Annie, and I will never be able to express my gratitude for all you have done for these kids.”
I highly recommend watching this HBO Sports clip on the camp if you'd like to see first-hand just how much it means to these campers.
If you're anything like me, after watching something like that you're probably thinking: What can I do to help?
There is a donation page set up on the Wounded Warrior Softball Team's website. Its sponsorship list shows that organizations as diverse as the American Postal Workers Union to the Louisville Slugger bat manufacturing company are proud supporters of this great cause. I would love nothing more than for the produce industry join these ranks in support of these amazing ballplayers.
Click here to Donate to the Wounded Warrior Softball Team.
SANTA MARIA, CA – Tozer Seeds has entered into exclusive marketing agreements with six companies to grow and market Kalettes™.
The companies included are: 4Earth Farms, Classic Salads, Mann Packing, Ocean Mist Farms, Southern Specialties and WP Rawl. Also in the agreement, Kalettes seeds are sold by Johnny’s Select Seeds to small farmers and home growers, according to a press release.
“Our collective goal is to successfully launch Kalettes in the retail and food service channels in the U.S. and Canada and build a strong awareness among consumers. By working together, the joint marketing efforts of Tozer and these companies will be able to reach the consumer more effectively,” stated Kraig Kuykendall, Sales Manager of Tozer Seeds America. “We have been very pleased with the incredible response to Kalettes and predict it will be very successful.”
According to a press release, Tozer Seeds made the decision to enter into this agreement to create a consistent name and brand identity for Kalettes. Tozer and these companies have also committed to joint public relations efforts, consumer and trade advertising and providing recipes, cooking tips and other content to support the brand.
The companies growing are subject to strict product specifications and quality controls like sizing, color and condition. Tozer Seeds has applied for a PLU code under the name “kale sprouts,” which will be available to any grower of the kale and Brussels sprouts hybrid, according to a press release.
If you’d like to learn more about what you can do with Kalettes, check out our latest edition of The Snack magazine here.
Kalettes are now available in very limited quantities, and distribution will continue to increase through the fall and winter with the upcoming production increases. For product information, click here.
SANTA PAULA, CA – Limoneira Company has invested $1.75 million for a 35% interest in “Rosales S.A.,” a citrus packing, marketing and sales operation in La Serena, Chile. This marks the company’s first international business investment.
Harold Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "With its favorable climate for lemons and other citrus, we have been looking for the right opportunity to enter the Chilean agriculture market for some time and are very pleased with our partnership with Rosales. Our investment in Rosales is consistent with our long-term strategy to expand our agribusiness internationally as a global, year round supplier of lemons.”
Edwards added, “Our business will benefit from our increased packing capacity following our Rosales investment, as well as our recently announced acquisition of Marlin packing house in Yuma, Arizona, and the expansion of our packing facility in Santa Paula, which will be completed next fiscal year. Our team also continues to evaluate strategic opportunities to acquire additional agribusiness acreage in both domestic and international markets."
La Serena is located in a coastal region of northern Chile and is a major citrus and avocado growing area of the country. Rosales primarily packs and sells lemons and sells its produce into Asian, European and Chilean markets. With this investment, Limoneira will handle Rosales’ lemon sales to Asian markets, according to a press release.
Alex Teague, Senior Vice President, stated, "We are excited about our first international business investment. Our management team has a long-standing relationship with Rosales, and we look forward to working with them more closely following our investment. Along with expanding our participation in the growing global lemon business, this investment also enables Limoneira to better evaluate future potential investment opportunities in Chile's vast, productive agricultural properties."
Limoneira made the investment through its wholly owned Chilean subsidiary, Limoneira Chile SpA.
NEW YORK CITY, NY - In closing at 1,981.60 at the end of Tuesday's trading session, the S&P 500 sat within 6 points of its record high. The market has only increased since, rising an additional 4.11 points as of 1:23pm EST to 1985.71. With the way it is currently moving, the market's previous record set on July 23rd at 1987.01 could soon be history.
The Dow Jones has made impressive gains in the past week as well, rising 49.15 points so far during Wednesday morning trading to 16,968.74, less than 32 points from the 17,000 threshold.
A major source of these market gains stem from Tuesday's announcement from the Commerce Department that construction on new U.S. homes had jumped 15.7% in July and that June's construction declines were smaller than previously stated.
“I think investors will be encouraged to an extent by the revisions in the data,” said Andrew Wilkinson, Chief Market Analyst at Interactive Brokers. He also said that the recent reduction in geopolitical tensions “just gives added impetus to the bulls.”
What however does this market boom mean for the produce industry?
It means that confidence in the economy is high. The stock market is one of the best proxies for economic confidence available to analysts and business professionals and a bull market is often closely tied with forward looking optimism about the state of the economy and individual finances.
A market confidence study published by Value Walk on August 14 in the middle of the S&P's rise, revealed that 56% of industry professionals reported high or very high confidence in the market, while only 18% reported weak or very weak confidence.
This is excellent news for the produce industry, because a confident consumer is much more likely to be willing to spend at the retail aisle. In addition rising market confidence has historically led to easier lending practices from banks for business, meaning increased access to financing for America's growers and retailers.
In addition to the gains of the housing market, these recent market moves are also likely a positive nod towards the many Q2 earnings statements that have peppered produce headlines over the course of the past several weeks.
AndNowUKnow has covered the release of the earnings numbers from major industry players such as Sprouts Farmers Market, Loblaw, WhiteWave Foods, Limoneira, and many others, performances that likely played an important part in shaping the market we are currently enjoying.
Whether the S&P eventually breaks into new territory during the rest of the week's trading is something that we can only wait to find out about. But it is certainly reassuring to see this trend taking over as we move closer to the important back-to-school season.
Stay tuned to ANUK for any future updates on the stock market and its implications for the industry.
BIRMINGHAM, AL - Despite reports that Sprouts was slowing down plans for growth in the Southeast, the retailer has announced that it will be building its first Alabama location in Birmingham early next year. According to a press release, this new store is just one of several Sprouts plans on building in 2015, including previously annouced sites at Bakersfield, CA, Cumming, GA, Daly City, CA, Liberty, MO, Scottsdale, AZ, and South Jordan, UT.
So far, Sprouts has declined to specify the exact address of the new Alabama location, preferring to wait until we move closer to an opening date to reveal more details.
Alabama Today does suggest additional Albama locations could be in the mix, sharing rumors that Sprouts intends to build another store in Huntsville. Nothing on this front has been confirmed by Sprouts however.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for further updates on Sprouts continuing expansion plans.
Earthbound Farm has expanded its popular line of kale-based Deep Green Blends with the addition of Kale Italia, a zesty mix of baby kale, Italian greens, arugula and radicchio. Kale Italia has a pleasant crunch and a robust flavor profile. Even beyond delicious salad, this blend is great for pastas, risottos, sautés and more.
“The love of kale is here to stay,” said Nathalie Fontanilla, Vice President of Product Innovation at Earthbound Farm. “Baby kale is so versatile that it satisfies that desire for an all-purpose green that works in smoothies, cooked recipes, and salads equally deliciously. And combined with the Italian greens in this blend, we think consumers will rave about Kale Italia. Retailers will be pleased with the incremental sales this item will generate.”
“Kale Italia has the versatility and freshness consumers want at a price they can afford,” she added. “And the fact that it’s so nutrient-dense is a driving factor of its popularity.”
According to a press release, Kale Italia is available in a 5 oz clamshell, and its launch is supported with eye-catching point-of-sale material. It is shipping now with a suggested retail price (SRP) of $4.99.
WENATCHEE, WA – Columbia Marketing International (CMI) has been honored as a finalist in the 2014 PMA Impact Awards in Excellence in Packaging for its innovative single-serve cherry packaging design on its Go-Go Fresh line.
“More and more consumers are shopping convenience stores looking for fresh fruit options,” Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing for CMI explained. “The conventional grocery store 2 lb. cherry bags are far too large for convenience stores so fresh cherries were rarely seen in this channel despite the fact that cherries are a high demand and high impulse product. The new CMI Go-Go Fresh single serve bag really opened the convenience store channel for the first time.”
According to a press release, so far the Go-Go Fresh line of cherries has been a big hit with customers. Lutz credits much of this success to the eye-catching retro graphics that help the product draw consumers' attention, while reminding them of the countless health benefits cherries offer.
“Our consumer research showed that the displaying of nutritional information and fiber content are important purchasing factors for many consumers. We used the new packaging to call out these benefits as well as highlight that our cherries are GMO free,” Lutz said. “We look forward to an expanded roll out of the CMI single serving cherry packaging during the 2015 season.”
If this first year of success is any indication of what is to come, I'd say Lutz's optimism is well justified.
According to a press release, 56 different companies entered 67 products for consideration in the PMA Impact Awards in Excellence in Packaging. Only twenty submissions, including CMI's own, were selected as finalists.
Congratulations on the honor CMI!
CALIFORNIA - California business leaders are speaking out against AB 1897, a labor union-supported bill that the California Senate will vote on this week.
The Business Journal, or TBJ Now, reports that local business leaders gathered yesterday to urge the California Senate to vote against an Assembly Bill that would hold companies accountable for a subcontractor’s treatment of its employees. The bill is authored by Roger Hernandez, D-West Covina.
Fresno Chamber of Commerce President Al Smith said that the bill is unnecessary because there are already laws in place to discourage companies from hiring subcontractors who violate employees’ rights or commit wage theft, according to TBJ Now. “It [would] be burdensome for the original company,” he added.
“I absolutely oppose this process,” added Manuel Cunha, President of the Nisei Farmers League in Fresno. “The amount of wage-theft is so minute, it’s really just one or two bad apples.”
Barry Bedwell, President of the California Fresh Fruit Association said the law would be broad and affect most industries in California, according to TBJ Now. “This is truly a job killer,” he said. “I fail to see the benefit, particularly of this law.”
Business leaders also voiced concern that the bill would also exempt local and state government bodies and only apply to the private sector.
Western Growers is also urging Californians to contact their Senator to urge them to vote against this bill. In the Action Center on its website, the company states, “It is simply unfair to impose significant liability against an innocent third party for the wrongful acts of another, especially when the third party cannot prevent those wrongful acts. I urge you to VOTE NO on AB 1897.”
This is definitely an important issue for the produce industry. Please contact your local Senator here and let your voice be heard.
DALLAS, TX - cycleWood Solutions has an answer for retailers looking to meet increasing customer expectations for more environmentally friendly products with its new innovative line of Xylobags. Made from lignin, a byproduct of the manufacturing process in modern papermills, cycleWood has engineered this plastic bag alternative which while being comparable in strength to traditional plastics is also fully compostable.
“Xylobags are the perfect option for the environmentally conscious consumer who nonetheless doesn't want to give up the dependability and strength that traditional plastics have historically offered,” Vice President of Business Development, Louis Darrouzet told AndNowUKnow. “By making our product from lignin our manufacturing process does not require additional trees to be cut down. Our Xylobags are strong, do not dissolve in water, but are still fully compostable.”
Louis went on to explain that Xylobags are unique because they are the only plastic alternative currently on the market that are made from the byproduct of a current industrial process.
In addition thanks to a growing number of compost facilities and a vertically integrated supply chain, cycleWood Solutions is able to offer its next generation compostable products at the lowest price point on the market.
Louis tells me that so far the reception for his company's products have been outstanding.
“The city of Houston has just recently approved Xylobags for use in its municipal lawn and leaf collection program,” he explained. “Right now we are being setup as vendors for several major retailers in the Houston market. Our Xylobags should be on the shelves by late September or early October.”
Xylobags will be available in three different formats. There are the 13 gallon kitchen bags, 33 gallon lawn and leaf bags, 45 gallon trash liners.
Personally, having spoken at length with cycleWood about its business during the formation of this article, I'm excited about the potential for this product. Innovative products like the Xylobag are what make our industry great after all.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for more innovative product releases and produce industry news!
DES MOINES, IOWA – Hy-Vee is continuing its Midwest expansion plans with the announcements of two new stores in the twin cities area.
The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports that Hy-Vee confirmed the locations of its third and fourth metro grocery stores in the twin cities. The company plans to open a 90,000 square feet store in the Lakeville area, which will feature a pharmacy, gas station and convenience store. The grocer also said that it has submitted preliminary plans for a Maple Grove store at The Point at Arbor Lakes.
Hy-Vee spokeswoman Tara Deering-Hansen said that it will take several months for construction to begin in Lakeville and Maple Grove, and no opening date has been announced for either store, according to the Business Journal.
These new store announcements come just one month after Hy-Vee announced plans to expand into the twin cities. For more information on that announcement, check out our previous articles by clicking here and here.
These expansion plans come during a strong time for Hy-Vee in which the retailer was recently named as the 'First-Ever Regional Grocery Store Brand of the Year' by a Harris Poll of American consumers. Hy-Vee polled first among Midwestern retail chains because it “has strong Purchase Consideration scores and very 'connected consumers,' meaning they have strong feelings for the brand and believe it's a good fit for them," said Michael Treboni, Executive Vice President of Retail Professional Services at Nielsen.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for any further updates on Hy-Vee's Midwestern expansion plans.