Washington D.C. - The USDA has restricted two companies from operating within the produce industry for failing to pay reparation awards issued under PACA law.
Based out of Yeadon, PA, Killian’s Green Inc., operating as Killian’s Harvest Green, failed to pay a $9,142 award in favor of a Pennsylvania seller. Edward W. Dever was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business at the time of the issuance of the reparation order.
Based out of Greeley, CO, Sunset Trading LLC failed to pay a $29,584 award in favor of a California seller. Tammera A. Anderson and Darin D. Anderson were listed as members of the business at the time of the issuance of the reparation order.
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.
SEATTLE, WA - The California Walnut Board and the California Walnut Commission have annouced the appointment of the public relations firm Edelman as their new public relations and social agency of record. The new hiring will go into effect as of September 1st, 2014 and all parties are excited about the possibilities this partnership offers.
“The strength of the Edelman network coupled with the team’s creativity and ability to understand our industry showed they could help us expand our presence across the country,” said Dennis A. Balint, Executive Director of the California Walnut Board and CEO of the California Walnut Commission. “We’re excited about what we can do together to raise awareness of California walnuts.”
Richard Edelman, President and CEO of Edelman, seconded this sentiment. “We are ecstatic to add California Walnuts to our growing portfolio of food and beverage clients,” he said. “We couldn’t be more excited to deliver our spirit of public engagement at a time when the market demands healthier, tastier options for everyone.”
Together Edelman, the California Walnut Board, and the California Walnut Commission will be launching an integrated communications campaign over the coming months centered around the great taste, nutritional profile, and culinary versatility of walnuts. According to a press release, the campaign will encompass a variety of topics, ranging from consumer PR, to health professional engagement, to social media counsel, community management, and management counsel and support issues.
Congratulations on the new partnership Edelman!
Douglas Kling, Chief Marketing Officer for Village Farms, sits down with AndNowUKnow to discuss all things tomato. For consumers looking for variety and high flavor, grab and go snacking or family packs with value-added, Village Farms offers exciting tomato options.
The company also holds a strong commitment to the environment. Village Farms is water conservation friendly and has close to a zero percent carbon footprint. The company also just bought part of a power operation in Vancouver to take methane from a landfill and turn it into food-grade CO2 to go back into the greenhouse and come out as oxygen.
For the past five years, Village Farms has worked on developing a customized hierarchy that breaks down consumer pull that represents 82% of the retail fresh market in the U.S., which allows the company to track the insights and best plant and grow to meet consumer needs. To share this information with its retail partners, the company will be releasing three-minute YouTube videos featuring its insights each quarter of 2015.
Check out the video above for this exclusive look.
SANTA PAULA, CA – Limoneira is hoping to connect with a younger audience and promote clean energy with a new video that mixes fun with science. The video features a Limoneira sheep rapping about solar power and the company’s commitment to clean energy.
"Sustainability is an important topic, but we wanted something a bit more light hearted that could connect with a younger audience as well," said John Chamberlain, Limoniera’s Director of Marketing. "We felt that this video allowed us to bridge that gap and cover a serious topic, but in a fun way that everyone could enjoy."
In addition to this latest marketing innovation, Limoneira regularily strives to teach children about the produce industry and what goes into growing the food that they all enjoy every day. John shared with AndNowUKnow that Limoneira regularily partners with local schools to give school kids the opportunity to tour Limoneira's facilities in order to teach them a bit more about its day-to-day operations.
“Every year hundreds of kids tour our ranch, learning where their food comes from, getting a close up look of our solar orchard, and even meeting Limoniera's sheep first hand," he shared. "They love the tours and it really helps us as a business connect with the kids on a personal level."
In 2008, Limoneira completed two state-of-the-art solar projects, according to the company’s website. The first is located at the company headquarters in Santa Paula, CA. It is a 5.5-acre photovoltaic orchard that generates a full megawatt of electricity. Representing one-third of the company’s total use, this clean and sustainable energy powers the lemon-packing house and storage facility.
In the Tulare County town of Ducor, about 150 miles north of Santa Paula, Limoneira installed four smaller solar arrays that together generate another full megawatt of electricity to power 250-horsepower motors that pump deep well water into reservoirs for the reservoirs for the irrigation of 1,000 agricultural acres.
Make sure the check out the video above!
BURLINGTON, MA - Gates-based Wegmans Food Markets is expanding again, annoucing plans to build 10 new stores throughout states in the East Coast over the next several years. The first of the new locations will open in Burlington, MA in the Fall of 2014, followed by 9 more locations in Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland.
These latest expansion plans are the result of countless requests by American shoppers throughout the Northeast.
"Each year, thousands of people who have visited our store for the first time, or moved to a place without Wegmans, write asking that we build a store in their town," Wegmans reveals on its website. "Today, we have stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts...There are other sites we are working on, but are not at liberty to disclose as yet."
For Linda Horton Bacon, a loyal Wegmans shopper who has been working for much of the last 6 years to bring a store closer to her home in Wilmington, Delaware, this annoucement is a dream come true. Her "We Want Wegmans in Wilmington" Facebook page has garnered quite a bit of support from the local community, with as many as 200 members, according to the Democrat and Chronicle.
"Six years ago we had no hope of having a Wegmans close by, now we do," she said. "While we may not have had any influence on Wegmans choosing a site closer to us, we at least have each other to share the excitement with!!!!"
Company spokesperson Jo Natale shared with the Democrat and Chronicle that Wegmans is currently planning on keeping its expansion limited to the Northeast because it does not want to risk overextending its distribution network at this point in time. Opening stores in Chicago or St. Louis could strain Wegmans' suppliers of milk, exotic cheese, and a variety of other products, a key foundation of the company's success.
In New England however there are big plans in store over the coming years. Wegmans' has been thriving ever since it expanded out of New York state back in 1993 and with customers coming in droves there's no sign of this grocery chain putting on the breaks anytime soon.
SALINAS, CA - Coastline Family Farms has promoted Linda Kivlehan to Sales Manager from Retail Sales Manager.
“I am excited to take on this role,” said Mrs. Kivlehan. “Coastline Family Farms is well-positioned for growth and I am enthusiastic about the opportunities ahead. I look forward to my role in this position and being a part of our smart-growth strategy.”
“Linda has been an integral part of Coastline Family Farms for thirteen years. She has worked her way through our organization in several different roles while always maintaining a professional approach and ‘get it done’ attitude. During the last few years she has taken on the role of retail sales manager and once again has done an excellent job,” said Mr. Phil Adrian, Vice President. “We are delighted to see Linda grow and I look forward to continuing to work with her in her expanded role.”
In this new position, Linda will be responsible for managing all day-to-day sales activities for the Company, according to a press release. She will direct sales, implement strategies and support activities to ensure long-term growth, operational consistency and enhanced customer experiences.
Congratulations on the promotion, Linda!
WASHINGTON D.C - Reedley, CA based Dayka & Hackett LLC has posted a $250,000 surety bond in order to employ previous PACA violator Jerald Downs. Downs was once the sole officer of Market 52, a Kingsburg, CA based company which was found to have committed 'repeated and flagrant' violations of Section 2 of PACA regulations.
According to a press release, any PACA licensee wishing to hire individuals who have failed to pay a reparation award or have been subject to a USDA disciplinary action, must post a USDA-approved surety bond.
The USDA will hold the $250,000 bond for four years, providing assurance to the industry that Dayka & Hackett will be able to pay for the produce it purchases and conduct its business according to PACA rules.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims filed under PACA involving more than $87 million. This is just one more way USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The USDA has cited Forest Park, Georgia-based company La Merced Produce LLC for failure to pay $4,351,483 to 13 sellers for 391 lots of produce, according to a press release.
Consequently, La Merced Produce can no longer operate in the produce industry until June 16, 2016, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license.
The company’s principals, Alejandro Gonzalez and Hugo Gonzalez, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until June 16, 2015, and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims filed under PACA involving more than $87 million. Individuals, include sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, and major stockholders may not be employed by 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.
QINGDAO, CHINA - Lantao, one of the premier fruit import companies in China, has annouced the grand opening of its newest fruit import distribution facility. This new factory located in the Qingdao region of China, will be Lanatao's 7th such factory in the country.
“Qingdao is an attractive market for us for a number of reasons” said John Wang, CEO of Lantao. “With [a] nearly 100 million population, Shandong is one of China’s most populated provinces as well as one of the most affluent. In addition, as a port city, we can import fruit from North American, South America, South Africa and Australia directly to Qingdao, reducing our transit time and cost as compared to the normal channel through South China and trucking it north.”
According to a press release, local produce officials are excited about what the new distribution facility could do to stimulate growth in the community.
“Having an established importer like Lantao will draw business to the market not only from Qingdao but from other areas in Shandong including the capital city, Jinan," said Liu Yin Xiang, President of the Qingdao International Agricultural Products Market.
Jim Provost, President of I Love Produce and close business associate of Wang, was also on site for the grand opening. He spoke excitedly over how the new facility could expand the two company's joint trade of organic vegetables, ginger, and garlic between Shandong and North America.
“Qingdao is the port and gateway for all of the produce we ship from China to North America," he said. “So, it is only fitting that we have now opened a Qingdao distribution facility that will allow us to bring premium fruit from the United Stated and the world to the people of Shandong.”
According to a press release, I Love Produce has recently made headlines itself, having donated $13,440 to a Peruvian school, the ANTONIO RAYMONDI secondary school, as part of the New Ginger Harvest Celebration.
"Because of the remoteness of the area, the school lacks many of the resources we take for granted. Our aim is to form a lasting relationship with the school so we can make a difference to their kids on a long-term basis," Provost said.
Congratulations Lantao on the grand opening!
CALIFORNIA - Retailers, get ready to promote! San Joaquin Valley grape growers are continuing to meet demand with good flavor, sugar content, and supply for the foreseeable future in spite of California’s July heatwave.
Sun World International, in particular, finished strong in Coachella with good yields and high demand for its proprietary varieties in the export market, leading to steady market pricing. For the most part, however, California’s high temperatures have had a hand in affecting harvest timing. Nevertheless, the heat has brought on more volume faster than last year.
“Weather has been a factor in accelerating the harvest and we’ve seen earlier starts in the season,” Gordon Robertson, Sun World's Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, tells AndNowUKnow. “The question is whether or not this trend will continue as we move into the fall pushing the late season crop harvest up, or will the harvest timing normalize.”
Sun World is currently experiencing an exceptionally strong SUPERIOR SEEDLESS® crop and expects supplies to be available through July into the first week of August with promotional volumes available through that time. Quality on MIDNIGHT BEAUTY® seedless black grapes has also been incredibly good and promotable volumes are available through September.
Anthony Stetson, Columbine Vineyards’ Sales Manager, tells us that the company’s fruit is coming through well without much heat damage and the company currently has good volume and movement. Columbine is currently starting its new proprietary green seedless Milano grapes and expects good yield and high demand. It is also opening a new cold storage facility within the oncoming weeks that should greatly enhance production.
Speaking with Nick Dulcich, Sunlight International’s Owner and Director of Sales, he says the company’s grapes are continuing to meet flavor and sugar standards with enough volume to meet demand. For Sunlight, Nick tells us that the company is expecting strong performance from its new proprietary green seedless grape variety, Green Emerald, as well as record shipments and good demand globally.
Overall, it appears that most San Joaquin Valley growers are overcoming California’s spate of high temperatures. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for further updates on the continuing grape season.