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!
NOGALES, AZ – Wholesum Harvest President, Ricardo Crisantes, announced that Hannah La Luzerne has been appointed Sustainability Manager for the company.
“We are pleased to welcome Hannah to the Wholesum Harvest team,” said Crisantes. “She shares our company’s commitment to protect our land, air and water, and will work with us to make sure that the environment that we are leaving behind for our children and grandchildren is a healthy one.”
La Luzerne was previously a Sustainability Analyst for Dell Computers and will oversee Wholesum Harvest’s sustainability practices across the supply chain, according to a press release.
“At Wholesum Harvest, we believe it is our responsibility to leave the Earth better than we found it,” said Crisantes. “We pursue sustainability wherever we can. Hannah will work with our growers and operations staff to ensure that we are adhering to our high sustainability standards—protecting the Earth, minimizing waste, and using renewable energy when possible—while also protecting the health of our workers and providing our customers with safe, organic produce that is free of dangerous agrochemicals.”
Wholesum Harvest is committed to sustainable growing practices and environmentally friendly business operations and is a member of the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Association.
Congratulations, Hannah!
LAKELAND, FL and AUSTIN, TX - We’ve examined why a Whole Foods and Publix deal might make sense, but it’s still one of the more bizarre rumors to come out so suddenly. Whole Foods’ shares saw a spike in heavy volume on June 5, and interest in options was triple the normal amount in early trading, according to options analytics firm Trade Alert, fueling unsubstantiated reports of the rumored acquisition.
Spokesmen from both Whole Foods and Publix have commented on the rumor, saying that they either don’t comment on rumors or that the rumors “have no merit.”
Additionally, Gavin Maguire, a senior analyst at Briefing.com, which provides financial commentary and analysis, claimed, “We see rumors like these 20 to 30 times a day, and very few of them end up coming to fruition. All the clues are there that this would kind of make sense. But you see this kind of activity all over the market, especially in a stock that got crushed.”
With that said, the Austin Business Journal gives three more reasons why the deal seems unlikely…
1) Acquisition history: Rather than buying entire chains, Publix has only bought a handful of stores such as the $500 million purchase of 49 Albertsons stores in Florida in 2008, or last year’s acquisition of seven Bi-Lo stores in Charlotte, North Carolina, Austin Business Journal reports. If a deal were to happen, it might be more likely to see Publix buy blocks of Whole Foods stores, especially those in the southeastern region of the U.S.
2) Geographic disparities: The majority of Publix stores are based in the Southeast U.S., with 1,077 supermarkets in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Whole Foods, on the other hand, has approximately 383 stores across the U.S. and District of Columbia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Although Publix has been expanding outside Florida in recent years, analysts say it’s a bit of a stretch for the chain to broaden its scope nationwide with a Whole Foods acquisition, according to Herald Tribune. Publix has spent a considerable amount of time building a strong network of stores in Florida. For now, it seems unlikely that it will budge. These maps from Big Think show you how the two retailers compare geographically.
3) Strategy: Since 2011, Whole Foods has maintained a goal of 1,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada and has since expanded that goal to 1,200. Whole Foods CEO John Mackey said that while competition has accelerated, Whole Foods is still gaining market share. “We continue to differentiate. We continue to innovate. We continue to upgrade the experience that we’re giving our customers. We think it’s a good strategy and that’s why we’ve gone for the first time and laid out how we see the next five years happening,” said Mackey, according to Austin Business Journal.
Check out our previous articles on the rumored Whole Foods and Publix deal below...
Will Publix Acquire Whole Foods?
Three Reasons Why a Whole Foods-Publix Deal Makes Sense
What do you think about a Whole Foods-Publix deal? Let us know by voting in the survey below!
FOLSOM, CA – Technomic surveyed more than 300 foodservice professionals and found that customer interest in healthy dining options is pushing colorful fruits onto restaurant menus.
Though they are normally found in breakfast items, blueberries are showing up in dished served all throughout the day. They are reported as the third most-purchased fruit, trailing only strawberries and apples, according to a press release.
“We learned from a top 500 chain menu survey earlier this year that blueberry mentions on menus boomed 97 percent between 2007 and 2013,” says Mark Villata, executive director for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC). “Now, this usage and attitude study gives us insight into why. That is, what are the drivers influencing decision makers to increase their use of blueberries?”
When asked why they like using blueberries, the survey reports that chefs and operators say:
- Blueberries are a healthy option for customers (82 percent)
- Blueberries are low-labor and easy to use (82 percent)
- Blueberries give the entire operation a health halo (58 percent)
- Menu prices can be higher for items that include blueberries (42 percent)
“Blueberries are delicious, healthy and versatile, and add to our menu,” says David Goldstein, executive chef at Los Angeles-based Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill. “Our menu is loaded with fresh, healthy foods so when we put together our Harvest Quinoa Superfood Salad, we added dried blueberries. These days, I think customers expect to find blueberries in the healthiest options.” In addition, Sharky’s offers handmade, freshly prepared lemonades; one of their newest is Blueberry Mint made with fresh blueberries.
A survey conducted by Hebert Research in 2013 showed that 99% of Americans believe blueberries are healthy, according to a press release. With demand for healthy menu items increasing, it will be interesting to see what dishes start showing up on menus.