BAKERSFIELD, CA - The news of Bolthouse Farms’ break from Campbell Soup Company rocked the produce newswire earlier this year. In the interim, the company has been working at breakneck speed to outline expansion plans, product launches, and more. I had the pleasure to speak with Jeff Dunn, CEO, to find out more.
“These past 120 days or so have been about carving ourselves out as an independent company again,” Jeff began. “It’s been about getting back to being a produce company. Essentially, Campbell’s applied a shelf-stable playbook to a fresh agricultural business.”
As Bolthouse blazes down this road, it’s moving ahead with its best agricultural practices and organics programs that push forward its reboot in the produce sector.
“We’re getting back to being intimate with our customers and deepening the relationships with our carrot growers. We’re looking for opportunities to innovate the category and innovate the carrot space,” Jeff detailed for me, before explaining that the company is bringing three, brand-new platforms to this year’s PMA Fresh Summit.
“We have three new beverage platforms: a protein Keto line, a shot line, and a CBD line,” Jeff remarked. “We’ve set a critical milestone for ourselves to re-establish Bolthouse’s growth trajectory and growth strategy.”
Bolthouse prides itself on its mission—of plants powering people—all while turning that vision into products consumers are dying to get their hands on.
“We’re setting the vision about creating a plant-powered food economy and focusing on how we can be a leader in that space,” he noted.
While Bolthouse continues to shake up the sector and bring innovation to its products and mission, I know that the company is in good hands with Jeff at the wheel.
To hear more about the company’s products, expansion plans, and more, be sure to visit the Bolthouse booth #3265 at PMA Fresh Summit.
ARLINGTON, VA - When Lidl US first announced a wave of 25 new stores to open on the East Coast, we thought that was a huge undertaking. However, Lidl recently announced another wave of stores to hit Long Island by next summer. The latest announcement would bring four more stores to the area, and I'm honstly quite jealous.
“We appreciate all the support we have received across Long Island as we prepare to open our first Lidl food markets in the region,” said Johannes Fieber, President and CEO. “Our teams are working hard to get ready and cannot wait to introduce shoppers to Lidl’s award-winning shopping experience. Lidl food markets will bring fresh choices, convenient shopping, and bigger savings to shoppers across Long Island.”
According to the press release, shoppers in East Meadow, Oakdale, Patchogue, and Lake Grove will be among the first to experience Lidl’s simple and efficient approach to grocery shopping and its price-cutting effect in the region. The wave will bring the total number of Lidl food markets to be opened in the region to eight, including stores in Plainview, W. Babylon, Huntington, and Center Moriches, which will open by early next year. As part of the transition, Lidl will remodel Best Market stores currently located in the four communities.
“I am excited for Lidl’s expansion to Long Island,” said New York State Senator Phil Boyle. “Lidl will provide excellent customer service and great savings. From its philanthropic work to its commitment to employees, I proudly welcome Lidl to our community."
Lidl recently announced that all employees working at the new Lidl stores in Nassau and Suffolk counties will receive full medical benefits regardless of the number of hours they work per week.
“I am pleased to welcome Lidl into our community,” said New York State Assemblyman Andrew Garbarino. “Lidl has established a unique approach to grocery that will enhance the experience for Long Islanders. With an attractive store model and streamlined processes, Lidl will bring efficiency for shoppers and greater wages and benefits to its team members.”
With the huge amount of positive responses Lidl has been receiving in recent openings, will U.S.-based grocers like Whole Foods have to rethink their strategies? Keep reading AndNowUKnow as we cover more retail news.
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) imposed sanctions on Nicholas Allen, responsibly connected to Allens Inc., based in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Allens Inc. failed to pay $9,759,843 to 40 produce sellers for 2,312 lots of produce. This is in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
Nicholas Allen challenged the initial determination that he was responsibly connected to Allens Inc. However, the USDA recently affirmed that Nicholas Allen was responsibly connected to the company during the violation period.
As a result, Nicholas Allen may not be employed or affiliated with any PACA licensee until September 25, 2020, and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond. In addition, Nicholas Allen cannot be licensed in the produce industry until September 25, 2021, and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 7,800 callers with issues valued at approximately $148 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
For more information, contacts, and to read the full press release, please click here.
IRVINE, CA - Good morning, AndNowUKnow readers!
Across the nation, overall the weather is calm now. There are however two incidents I would like to bring to your attention. Both involve heavy rains and each take place on the southeastern coastal regions of their respective countries. One incident is happening in Mexico while the other is here in the U.S. Details below…
TWO BIG STORMS CONVERGING IN LIME GROWING REGION OF MEXICO
There are two separate storms converging over southern Mexico this week. One storm has formed off the east coast of the Yucatan peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico while the other is sitting just off the coast of Guatemala in the Pacific Ocean. The combined power of these two storms will produce heavy showers over southern Mexico, northern Guatemala, and the Bay of Campeche. Expect flooding and mudslides, especially in the mountainous regions of Mexico and Guatemala.
Over the next three days, expect rain totals in excess of 6.00” in some of the lime and pineapple growing regions in the states of Tabasco and Oaxaca, Mexico.
The storm off the Pacific coast has the potential of becoming a tropical depression and possibly forming a cyclone by Wednesday. This storm will continue in a west-northwest direction at approximately 10 mph, hugging the coast of Mexico and possibly bringing rain and wind to the other states along the Mexican coast over the next few days.
If this storm continues its current path, it may move into the coastal states of Michoacán and Colima later in the week, which can cause issues with products grown in these regions such as limes, bananas, and berries.
HEAVY RAINS AND COOLER TEMPS COMING TO SOUTHERN GROWING REGIONS TODAY
There is a large storm moving across the southern coastal regions today, bringing heavy rains to Arkansas and southern Georgia.
Expect regions of Arkansas to receive well above 2.00” today while the growing regions of Moultrie, Georgia, will see approximately 1.50”.
Along with the rain will come cooler temperatures. Minimum temperatures in Georgia will drop by 20° tomorrow night, with a low of 70° tonight to a low of 49° tomorrow. These cold temperatures will continue through Thursday night before gradually warming again starting Friday.
Temperatures will rise over the weekend before cooling off again early next week.
We will be off the rest of the week for PMA events, but will be back next Tuesday with an all-new report. Thank you for your support.
WENATCHEE, WA - If you’re feeling a little lost in the sea of PMA booths, let this be your map: at booth #2865, here be dinosaurs! Yes, you read that correctly: dinosaurs! At Fresh Summit 2019, Stemilt Growers will be displaying its latest and greatest display and packaging—including its new dino-sized display campaign, Promosaurus—and celebrating the 30th birthday of its Artisan Organics™ brand.
“Promosaurus is all about building large apple or pear displays to elevate the success of promotions,” began Brianna Shales, Senior Marketing Manager. “Retail scan data proves that a large display footprint during an ad can lead to ten times the normal volume sold. We will showcase just how easy it is to build a display with our fruits to make that number a reality for your categories."
And, speaking of large, Stemilt will also be launching its Artisan Organics 5 lb resealable pouch bags, which will carry organic Gala, Fuji, and Granny Smith apples. As the new packaging option hits retail, the grower will be shipping eight 5 lb Artisan Organics apple bags in a high-graphic master carton that is ideal for building quick displays. This carton also complements Stemilt’s organic-specific Easy Pallet Display.
“The growth in organics has been phenomenal, yet we still have room to grow, especially on organic apples,” continued Shales. “As an industry, we’ve historically placed organic apples in smaller package sizes to help keep the retail price down. Our 5 lb value offering at PMA Fresh Summit goes against that norm and that’s because we want to help organic shoppers (who buy a lot of produce) fill their cart with organic apples. We need big and bold promotions in organics to grow organic apple sales.”
Shales also revealed that “big displays are an important part of a successful apple promotion, often moving up to 10 times the volume when the product isn’t on ad. We see the 5 lb Artisan Organics pouch bag opportunity as a way for retailers to go bigger than they ever have before on an organic apple promotion. Easy pallet displays are another option for retailers to display fruit for either bulk or bag promotions. It’s another way to bring Promosaurus to life inside the store. These high-graphic displays are eye catching, dominant, and do really well in high traffic areas to boost volumes sold.”
At the show itself, attendees can also don their favorite party hat and visit the miniature birthday party for the Artisan Organics brand that will be on display in the Certified Organics showcase. The display will feature quite a few of Stemilt’s organic apple and pear varieties, including new crop Artisan Organics fruits.
“Organics will be on centerstage for us at PMA Fresh Summit as we continue our 30th birthday celebration for Artisan Organics, while also highlighting the promotional opportunities for organics in this year’s apple crop,” Shales said. “Organics are mainstream today, and core organic consumers are big purchasers of produce. We see an opportunity gap at retail to promote larger volumes of organic apples to consumers and will look to promotions of our branded 5 lb bags to help fuel category growth.”
In addition to its Artisan Organics brand, Stemilt Growers will be showcasing its Lil Snappers® and Rushing Rivers® brands. According to a press release, Stemilt is one of the first in the industry to commit to no longer using anti-ripening agents on pears, seeing the use as a barrier to obtaining flavors that would delight consumers. Instead, the grower focuses on its RipeRite™ program and modern ripening rooms to ship pears to retail at ready-to-eat pressures.
“We’ve made a lot of changes in the name of flavor for our Rushing Rivers pears,” added Shales. “PMA is a great time to converse with retailers about their pear category and how we can keep working together to ensure their shoppers are having a great pear experience.”
And, while Anaheim is home to the magic of Disney, Stemilt is bringing the magic of Washington to the PMA show floor: Once again, magician David Harris will be on hand showing off a few slight of hand tricks!
“Of course we have to bring some of our own magic to the show, and David is the perfect way to do that. Overall, we are very excited about this year’s PMA and looking forward to meeting up with retailers in just a few days to show them the endless opportunities they have with Stemilt,” Shales said, before concluding: “It’s been a big year of celebration for Artisan Organics, complete with a fun company birthday party for the brand earlier this year. We look forward to continuing the festivities and discussing opportunities for promoting organics in a big way during PMA Fresh Summit.”
The ANUK team will see you at booth #2865, where, evidently, the magic will be happening—both the produce kind and otherwise! See you there!
MANTECA, CA - Yes, produce people, it’s true. PMA Fresh Summit is only a day away! *cue intense screaming* I will compose myself momentarily in order to pass along information on Lipman Family Farms' plans for the future of its produce. As it continues to build relationships as well as its portfolio of tomato, vegetable, and greenhouse categories, it is innovating in convenience, quality, and sustainability. Throughout 2019, the company has worked to capitalize on consumer trends, including convenience and on-the-go options, all accomplished through its new processing items and processing facilities.
“We are evolving with the consumer needs to give our retail customers exactly what their consumers want,” said Elyse Lipman, Director of Strategy. “At Lipman, taking care of business means taking care of the Earth and taking care of people in all that we do. We intend to reflect this belief through every sector of our operations. From our packing houses to our farming methods, we are dedicated to reducing our use of energy, our carbon footprint, and our water usage as effectively as possible, and continue to improve through new means of research and technology.”
According to a press release, Lipman has expanded its fresh-cut distribution out of six facilities across the continent, making it a strong player in nationally distributed processed products all year long. While at Fresh Summit, Lipman will showcase new fresh-cut retail options of various cuts and specifications.
Lipman currently offers 100 percent recyclable or compostable packaging with its newest compostable top seal clamshell. The company has also made sustainability a priority from the start, not only within the packaging department, but also regarding how it operates and runs production on a daily basis.
Be sure to stop by Lipman Family Farms’ booth #2854 to learn more!
MCALLEN, TX - The run-up to PMA Fresh Summit is always a whirlwind of activity and preparation. As you’re sitting down and figuring out which companies to see and what products to be on the hunt for, AndNowUKnow has taken the guesswork out of mapping the show floor. One such company we’ve pinned on our own mental PMA map is GR Fresh, the vertically-integrated company that brings some of the freshest tomatoes and bells to the biz. I spoke with Tony Incaviglia, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, to learn more about what GR Fresh is bringing to Anaheim.
“We’ll be showcasing our full line of tomatoes, from Roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes, vine-ripe tomatoes, to our full line of Mexican-grown veg, like our green bell peppers, red bell peppers, cucumbers, squashes, hot peppers, and eggplants,” Tony explained. “But on a broader scale we’re evolving our focus, developing true partnerships and relationships that include custom growing, and providing more value-added items to meet that rising demand in the market. We also have an opportunity to develop our Western veg program—there’s a lot of potential for Western veg out of this part of the country.” Expanding categories like iceberg lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, romaine, and red and green leaf, GR Fresh is looking to western veg to provide more value and consumer options under its brand name as it spreads to additional U.S. retailers and foodservice companies.
The most noticeable change does not come from the GR Fresh’s portfolio of products, but is in the company’s packaging, which underwent a total refresh.
“We’ve changed the artwork and labeling on our value-added packs for retail, which we’ll be introducing at the show,” he told me. “It’s really fresh and clean—has a great new look to it.”
This ties into GR Fresh’s overarching company plans, as it has been redefining and reinventing itself to be an attractive choice on the retail level.
“In this country, we want to be a serious choice that retail and foodservice companies consider, when they’re choosing who to partner with. We’re striving to fill those supply gaps, and with our planned new warehouse—set to open next year—we’ll be in a position to provide an expanded level of service,” Tony noted.
To see the new packaging, learn more about GR Fresh’s fresh portfolio, and chat with the team, swing by booth #1553. AndNowUKnow will continue its dedication to reporting the latest and greatest in all Fresh Summit news.
ROSEMONT, IL - Although leaders sometimes fall into the positions they were born for, there always comes a time for them to move on. US Foods Holding Corp. was hit with some unprecedented news this morning, as its Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer Tim Connolly resigned, effective immediately. Consequently, the company will be conducting a search for the next great leader who will succeed Connolly.
“Tim’s commitment to supply chain excellence and passion for his work have left a positive mark on our organization,” commented Chairman and CEO Pietro Satriano. “His leadership will be missed. I am grateful for his service and we wish him the very best.”
Connolly joined the US Foods team earlier this year in May. Prior to his time with the company, Connolly gained over 30 years of experience serving as Senior Vice President of Operations at Uline, Chief Operating Officer at Essendant, and Manager of Supply Chain Operations at Cardinal Health.
Although we are unsure of where Connolly is headed, US Foods extends its gratitude for his service. For the latest news in the industry, keep reading us at AndNowUKnow.
IRVINGTON, NY - BrightFarms, the No. 1 brand of locally grown packaged salads, is incorporating blockchain technology as a member of the IBM Food Trust network.
Food Trust, a blockchain-based information-sharing platform, securely connects supply chain data across the ecosystem to enable unprecedented trust and transparency. In addition to providing provenance insights, network members such as BrightFarms, are realizing benefits around optimized supply chain processes, increased freshness, improved food safety, minimized waste and fraud and more.
"BrightFarms is committed to providing our retail partners and consumers with the safest, cleanest and most responsibly grown produce. Local, controlled environment supply chains already maintain a higher degree of structural safety benefits when compared to field grown produce form the West Coast, and Food Trust will be a valuable tool for highlighting those benefits. We're giving our retail partners the trust and assurance that's needed in today's market." said Jackie Hawkins, Senior Manager of Food Safety at BrightFarms.
“By joining IBM Food Trust, we are establishing an enhanced level of transparency to guarantee greater trust for retail partners. With Food Trust, partners such as Walmart can easily and reliably trace our leafy greens to their source in a matter of seconds,” said Paul Lightfoot, Founder & President of BrightFarms.
BrightFarms is ready to begin deploying the technology to its retail partners that also opt into the network.
For more information about BrightFarms, visit https://www.brightfarms.com.
WASHINGTON, DC - This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) imposed sanctions on two produce businesses as part of its efforts to enforce the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). Alpha Family Farms LLC, located in Florida, allegedly failed to pay a $22,625 reparation award, and Sandifer Farms LLC, located in South Carolina, allegedly failed to pay a $172,156 reparation award. Both companies will have their PACA licenses suspended and will be barred from participating in PACA-licensed businesses or other activities without approval from the USDA.
Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- Alpha Family Farms LLC, operating out of Royal Oak Beach, Florida, for failing to pay a $22,625 award in favor of a Florida seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Amanda Camacho and Christian Spataro were listed as members of the business.
- Sandifer Farms LLC, operating out of Blackville, South Carolina, for failing to pay a $172,156 award in favor of a Florida seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Bruce A. Barron and Phillip L. Sandifer were listed as members of the business. Another principal of the business at the time of the order was Michael C. Harris. He has challenged his responsibly connected status.
PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in USDA’s issuance of a reparation order that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors or major stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA approval.
The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 7,800 callers with issues valued at approximately $148 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
For more information, contacts, and to read the full press release, please click here.