SAN FRANCISCO, CA - In an environment where convenience is king and consumers turn to tech for their grocery shopping needs, it can be difficult to draw customers in to brick-and-mortar grocery stores. Side Delights® has the answer: superior products that offer convenience and taste. As consumers become busier and more stressed, they crave simplicity and ease. Nielsen reports that consumers feel more stretched than ever, and are searching for convenient solutions to simplify their lives. The study reported that 27 percent of consumers were looking for products to make their lives easier. The millennial generation, in particular, craves convenient packaging, which Side Delights satisfies with its convenience-oriented product lines.
Figuring out what to eat is one of the biggest challenges consumers face when making meals. Over half of U.S. consumers say they would prepare dinner at home more often if they had new ideas. Side Delights has addressed this problem with its Side Delights Recipe Database, which contains over 3,000 recipes, many of which can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.
“Side Delights offers convenient packaging and recipes, but most importantly our products provide ease of preparation and great taste,” said Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network, the exclusive supplier of Side Delights’ potatoes and onions, in a press release. “The Side Delights line of convenience products include Steamables™, Grillables™, and Bakeables™ in addition to our convenient Potato Kits (Flavorables®, Roastables™) and the fresh-cut potato line, A Cut Above®. All of these products can be prepared in the microwave, oven, or grill—some in as little as eight minutes.”
Although online shopping is taking off in a big way, some consumers still prefer to make some of their purchases in-store. Fresh produce, especially, drives shoppers to the stores. This is particularly evident with millennials, who prefer to purchase their fresh fruit and vegetables in-store and also buy more of them. A recently released USDA report on the Food Purchase Decisions of Millennial Households determined that millennials place a great deal of importance on convenience and experiential attributes. As they become more wealthy, “they approtion more of their budget to vegetables,” according to the report. This suggests that the millennial generation might have a stronger preference for fruits and vegetables compared to older generations.
For more fruit and veg news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
RIO RICO, AZ - If there’s anything I love more than an onion, I’ve yet to find it. Furthering my onion obsession, I spoke with SunFed’s Director of Sales, Frank Camera, and Director of Marketing & Business Development, Gretchen Kreidler Austin, who told me about the company’s Texas onion crop.
“The onions look really clean and healthy,” Gretchen began. “We got some late season rain and overcast skies that pushed our harvest back a few weeks. The rain will really help with sizing up the onions a bit.”
Given that it planted its onions a little later in the season—grown on land adjacent to the Rio Grande River—SunFed’s onion program will be available in April and May.
Frank told me that the bulbs will be available in 40 lb cartons, 50 lb sacks, and 3 lb pre-packs, and he dished a bit on the state of the market.
“Currently, the market is strong—about $10 more than last year at the same time frame,” Frank told me.
“Our Texas growing partner has been farming the valley over 50 years so they know how to grow,” Gretchen said. “They routinely rotate crops to keep the soil fertile and healthy. We’re continuing to experiment with the Texas onion program, and as the program grows, look for new offerings and expansions in the category!”
I’ll definitely be on the lookout! Stick here with us at AndNowUKnow for more on the latest in fresh produce.
IRVINE, CA - Good morning, AndNowUKnow readers!
Today, I am bringing you some of the category and weather news from around the industry. Check back twice weekly to see where the rain is falling, the sun is shining, and everything in between.
BIG STORM COMING TO CHERRY COUNTRY
Sacramento, CA, is a big growing area for California cherries. Right now, this region should be in bloom or already have fruit on the trees. Today and tomorrow, Sacramento is expecting some light rain, but come Thursday through Saturday, the region is expecting a decent storm with up to 1.5” of rain. The bulk of the rain is expected to hit Friday (up to 1”) and .25” of rain on both Thursday and Saturday.
Hopefully we can get ahold of Chris Zanobini from Cal Cherry to give us an update for our Friday email. Will be interesting to see if this rain will have any effects on the crop.
After this weekend, there is another potential storm for Tuesday, April 9. We will update you on this again come Friday.
RAIN IN OTHER PARTS OF CALIFORNIA
Citrus regions of Fresno and Visalia are expecting some light rain today (.14”) and then will see more rain on Thursday and Friday (0.5”).
The Salinas region has a slight chance of rain today, but may see up to .75” between Thursday to Saturday.
Oxnard most likely will not see any rain.
COACHELLA VALLEY SPRING CROP COULD START EARLY
The desert region is transitioning from their winter crops of lettuce and strawberries to their spring crops of bells, beans, corn, and eggplant. Bells traditionally start late April, while the other three start mid-April but, with the warm weather, this area is having to look for production to start early and volumes to come on fast. This week, daily maximum temperatures will range from a high of 89° today to a low of 83° on Thursday, but next week, things will really heat up. A mini heat wave will start Sunday with a high of 95° and will max out Monday and Tuesday at a high of 98°. Today, the Coachella Valley is expecting some winds of 24 mph throughout the day.
Check with shippers in the area to get their professional opinion about start dates and volumes.
FLORIDA
Florida appears to be entering a period of daily moisture activities but with very minimal amounts. Daily totals are between .06” - .12” in the southern half of the state. In the northern half, they can expect a little bit more in total rain with daily numbers getting as high as .25”.
The highest rain totals are expected to come next Monday, April 8, as the entire state can expect to receive above .50”. Temperatures for the state will remain the mid-80° for a high and mid-60°s for a low.
STRAWBERRIES
Strawberry volumes are down as the three big winter players of Florida, Central Mexico, and Oxnard are all decreasing shipments as their seasons wind down. Keep on eye on the quality, as we are so late in the season.
There may be a gap of volume and quality as we wait for the next major regions to come online. Out west, Salinas/Watsonville and Santa Maria will be the big spring and summer shippers. This region will be the horses for the summer. If you are already pulling from these regions, be aware they are expected to see a decent shot of rain on Friday and Saturday.
LEAMINGTON, CANADA
This region of Canada, which sits on the northern coast of Lake Erie, just 60 miles north of Cleveland and only 35 miles southeast of Detroit, is the lowest point in all of Canada. This region is a huge glass greenhouse growing region supplying the U.S. with tomatoes, bells, and cukes all spring, summer, and fall.
Every year, this region seems to start earlier and earlier, and this season is no different. They have kicked off their season with light supplies of peppers and cukes.
The maximum temperature today in the area will only be 48°, but inside the greenhouse the conditions are perfect. What can affect their growing conditions are cloudy skies, and it appears they can expect some rain this Thursday of .30” and more rain Sunday through Tuesday of next week. The weekend rain will be accompanied by warmer temperatures, as the high on Sunday may touch 60° with a low of 46°.
MEXICO
The current principal vegetable growing regions of Culiacán and Ciudad Obregón will continue to see maximum temperatures in the low to mid-90°s and minimum temperatures in the mid- to upper 50°s. Quality and volumes should remain strong.
Torreon in the east will see maximum temperatures in the mid- to upper 80°s this week and will rise to the mid-90°s next week.
MANGOS
The coastal Mexican growing regions of Michoacán are experiencing unseasonably warm weather right now. The areas of Apatzingán and La Huacana in the state of Michoacán should have maximum temperatures in the 80°s this time of year, but currently are experiencing temperatures in the upper 90°s this week and will get to 100° by Monday of next week and stay there. I don’t know much about mangos, but you might want to check with shippers in McAllen about volumes.
Thank you again for your support, and we will be back later this week with another update.
SALINAS, CA - Naturipe Farms has revealed Janis McIntosh as its new Director of Marketing Innovation & Sustainability. McIntosh’s new role will include overseeing Naturipe’s ongoing and future sustainability initiatives, as well as its Cultivate with Care™ program, which she helped develop.
“To be sustainable you must be dynamic. You have to be willing to try new things and ask the tough questions. The more curious and tenacious we are as an industry, the more likely we are to enact true, lasting change that benefits us all,” expressed McIntosh. “In the months and years to come, we at Naturipe will redouble our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint. I look forward to playing a key role in this continuing evolution.”
McIntosh seems a natural fit for this new role as she is a 14-year Naturipe veteran and an expert in the design and development of innovative and sustainable packaging.
According to the company’s press release, Naturipe has received numerous industry awards under McIntosh’s direction and leadership. She has also led collaborations with top retailers to reduce the use of plastics in food packaging. But one of her biggest achievements was to spearhead an innovative trend in top-seal packaging for blueberries.
“Janis’ passion for the environment has always shone through in her work, and after two decades in the fresh berry business, she understands the opportunities to bring innovative solutions that address the needs of our growers, retailers, and our consumers,” said Dwight Ferguson, CEO and President.
By studying the latest sustainability trends and receiving certificates in Packaging Management and Packaging Science from Clemson University, McIntosh kept her passion for curiosity. According to the press release, she has also earned a certificate in Completion of Food Packaging Basics from Michigan State University.
McIntosh’s introductory projects will involve working with a key customer on a waste-reduction study and developing a more robust Cultivate with Care sustainability program leveraging the company’s current systems to gather and disseminate information for a digital platform.
Congratulations to Janis McIntosh from the AndNowUKnow team!
WASHINGTON, DC - Last Friday, President Donald Trump sent a series of tweets and later confirmed with reporters that the executive branch was considering closing the U.S.-Mexico border, or a large swath thereof the border, if Mexico does not halt illegal immigration into the country. President Trump’s proclamation followed on the heels of an announcement, by the U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, that the CBP would reassign 750 CBP officers to the border, resulting in a “a slowdown in the processing of trade.”
“If Mexico doesn’t immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States throug [sic] our Southern Border, I will be CLOSING…the Border, or large sections of the Border, next week,” President Trump tweeted. “This would be so easy for Mexico to do, but they just take our money and ‘talk.’ Besides, we lose so much money with them, especially when you add in drug trafficking etc.), that the Border closing would be a good thing!”
The President later repeated that assertion in front of reporters, first at an event in Florida, The Washington Post reported, where he said: “If they don’t stop them, we’re closing the border. We’ll close it. And we’ll keep it closed for a long time. I’m not playing games. Mexico has to stop it.”
And later at another public appearance, President Trump noted that “there’s a very good likelihood” of an impending shutdown. But despite the President’s assertion, many worry that the immediate economic impact on the United States would be negative—particularly with regard to produce.
The New York Daily News noted that, were the southern border closed, U.S. supplies of avocados would grind to a halt. Mexico, the news source reported, supplies more than 90 percent of U.S. avocados, as of 2016, and also provides a great deal of the U.S.’s supply of watermelons, cucumbers, chili peppers, and berries.
The United Fresh Produce Association issued a statement related to the announcement this week, encouraging broader discussion of immigration reform and warning about the economic impact of a slowdown in the processing of trade and of the potential dangers of a border shutdown.
“Because of the large reassignment of CBP officers, importers and exporters should expect to see ‘a slowdown in the processing of trade’ along the U.S.-Mexico border for an unspecified period,” the association noted. “CBP will be forced to close some processing lanes, potentially in the ports of El Paso, Laredo, Tucson, and San Diego. In addition, officials at the port in Nogales, AZ, have announced closing commercial border traffic on Sundays.”
The association continued, lamenting the “significant harm” these slowdowns would have and noting that the uncertainty posed by the threat of a border shutdown would be deleterious to the produce industry.
“These steps will cause significant harm to growers, wholesale distributors, transportation companies, grocery stores, restaurants, and most importantly, U.S. consumers,” United Fresh continued. “On behalf of the fresh produce industry and the broad cross-section of members we represent, we urge the Administration to reconsider these steps that would profoundly interrupt our ability to bring fresh, healthy produce to all Americans. If these actions are implemented, the Administration will cause millions in economic losses while increasing costs to consumers across North America.”
According to the association’s press release, fresh fruit and vegetables are the most perishable and sensitive to timely inspection and delivery of any farm products. United Fresh noted that any disruptions—be they weeks, days or even hours—invariably will result in lost wages and lost revenues.
“Already, inspection delays are being felt from El Paso to San Diego costing farmers, truck drivers, and companies of all sizes. In fact, the San Diego Association of Governments and California Department of Transportation have indicated that even an extra 15 minutes of wait time could generate as much as $1 billion in lost productivity and 134,000 lost in jobs annually,” the association added. “The solution to our immigration problems is not closing the border or slowing commercial traffic, but for Congress and the Administration to work together on real immigration reform. That is why our association continues to call upon our nation’s leaders to get on with sensible reform that ensures a legal workforce for agriculture together with a functional border.”
Will slowdowns resulting from increased border security affect fresh food? Will President Trump seal the U.S.-Mexico border? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
LEAMINGTON, ON - As the Canadian Produce Marketing Association Convention and Trade Show inches closer, produce industry peeps are getting more excited to showcase their latest and greatest in innovation. NatureFresh™ Farms is ready to share its achievements in sustainable development, featuring a new eco-friendly compostable tray. Not only is the grower touting its hot new sustainability practices, but also a new team member! Conor Chilvers will join the team as Retail Sales Account Manager, and will be one of the company’s representatives at CPMA.
“I am excited for my first show as part of the NatureFresh Farms team,” said Conor. “I’m really looking forward to introducing my customers to the brand and telling the NatureFresh story.”
As excited as Chilvers is to join the team, the team is even more excited to welcome him.
“We are very pleased to welcome Conor to our team, having multiple years of experience in the produce industry, he will be a great asset in supporting our rapid growth and servicing our customers in the best way possible,” said Paul Schockman, Executive Retail Sales Account Manager. “NatureFresh Farms has a lot of exciting things occurring this year with our sustainable initiatives, the expansion of our facilities, and the growth of the team, which we are eager to share at the convention, along with showcasing our new products and packaging alternatives.”
The company has focused on sustainability since its inception, and has only ramped up its efforts as the industry moves in a more eco-friendly direction. NatureFresh Farms continuously works with suppliers to maintain sustainability as a priority and develop new technology in its greenhouse operations and packaging. Conventional and Organic Mini Cucumbers will be displayed in the company’s new compostable packaging, and at CPMA—attendees will have the chance to see the trays, and learn more about the role of sustainability within the produce industry.
Compostable trays aren’t all that’s on the company’s eco-plate, as its greenhouse expansion also assists in meeting its sustainability initiatives by reducing food miles with locally-sourced produce in the company’s greenhouses, according to a press release. This expansion is a large project that the company said will take place over the coming months. Once the expansion is complete, production will increase, along with efficiency in the growing process. At the same time the company will still provide high-quality products, offering Canadian consumers a greater opportunity to purchase locally-grown produce throughout the year. With supplemental lighting assisting in year-round production, the new facility will be able to grow more tomato assortments.
To learn more about NatureFresh Farms’ sustainability practices or to welcome Conor into the fold, stop by booth #408 at this year’s CPMA show from April 3-4.
SWEDEN - What would you say if I told you that you could purchase a lovely HEMNES bookshelf and a head of lettuce at the same time? Would you shake your head in disbelief and say, “You’re living with your head in the clouds, kid!” Well, I would be delighted to prove you wrong, because IKEA has announced its plans to harvest lettuce!
“I'm happy to announce that we today harvested the first lettuce from our on-going circular urban farming tests at the IKEA stores in Helsingborg and Malmö, Sweden,” stated Catarina Englund, Global Sustainability Innovation Manager, IKEA Group, in a LinkedIn post. “Together with Bonbio we are testing how to become self-sufficient in growing our own local salad. We can harvest 15-20 kg per day from this container. In addition, we are using our own food waste from the IKEA store to produce a nutrient solution in Bonbio/OX2 biogas plant. The aim is to establish a closed circular food loop. We all look forward to follow this interesting test.”
The closed circular food loop, as Englund states, is part of both IKEA and Bonbio’s mission to turn food waste into nutrients that grow other crops. Although the urban farming tests have only been tested in Sweden, I would bet money that it’s only a matter of time before the prototype hops across the pond.
Other companies such as Gordon Food Service have partnered with indoor farming companies, in moves that highlight the importance of leveraging new ag tech to bring real, healthy food to consumers.
Will we see other retailers making similar moves? Will IKEA lettuce be the next Costco hot dog? Only time will tell, but AndNowUKnow will be here to report any future developments.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, CA - What do you think of when you hear the words Trinity Fruit Company? Maybe you think of a year-round, vertically-integrated fruit company or even a dedicated grower, packer, shipper of fresh fruit. While both are correct, Levon Ganajian, Director of Retail Relations, revealed that the team at Trinity Fruit has put its nose to the grindstone in order to add to the list of what superlative buyers think of when Trinity Fruit comes to mind. As the company celebrates its 20th anniversary, Trinity Fruit is dawning its next decade as it continues to grow!
“This year, we are proudly celebrating our 20-year anniversary as a company!” Angela Hernandez, Director of Marketing, said to me. “With those 20 years, the Trinity Fruit brand has become synonymous with innovation, meeting the need of our customers and providing healthy alternatives for consumers. Part of our innovation overhaul is our new dried pomegranate arils program, which has quickly become a consumer favorite thanks to its shelf stability and flavor that rivals other dried fruits on the market.”
Trinity Fruit’s dried pomegranate arils, sold in 1 oz snack packs and 2 oz resealable pouch-bags, became available to buyers August 2018, but Angela noted that new packaging will be hitting shelves soon. In addition to dried pomegranate arils, the company also added an import arils program to its operations as a means to supply fresh pomegranate arils year-round.
With summer just a few months away, Angela also shared with me that Trinity Fruit is prepping for its summer stonefruit season.
“Summer is right around the corner, so we are currently focusing on our stone fruit season. While we are fortunate enough to have a group of growers that know how to manage and maintain their crops, it is too early to predict how the stone fruit season is shaping up. However, trees are beautifully blooming and there is an abundance of them. We are very optimistic about the upcoming harvest,” Angela explained.
Last but not least, Trinity Fruit debuted a new website, and it is fresh. Interested parties can check it out in all its glory here.
“We are proud to support the customers who have been with us from the beginning and look forward to the opportunity to build new relationships,” Angela concluded.
For more fresh produce news, keep following AndNowUKnow.
OXNARD, CA - Mangos may be one of the world’s favorite fruit, but they are in limited supply at the moment. I recently had the opportunity to learn exactly why from Freska Produce International’s Managing Principal Gary Clevenger.
“Currently the mango market is very tight out of Mexico; fruit from Peru is over for the most part,” Gary says. “Cool weather has been the issue with mangos out of Mexico. Guatemala has started to ship in very limited quantities, but I think they will begin to ship in higher volumes to take advantage of the higher dollar U.S. market then they are used to.”
With Peru’s season winding to a close and limited volume out of Mexico, the market has tightened up. But Gary tells me we can expect availability to increase as more growing regions become active, and he notes that honey mangos have been in exceptionally good supply.
“There should be better availability over the next few weeks as other regions get into the mix,” Gary explains. “Honey mangos continue to have good availability and should continue into the new regions. Prices on honey mangos are actually below what red mangos are getting at the current moment, which is unusual. Volume out of Mexico this year is behind last year by around 2.6 million lbs, which translates to 265,000 cases. I would expect it to catch up at some point as each of the last couple years in Mexico volume has been higher.”
For more updates on key categories, throughout the year, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
WENATCHEE, WA - Even with a late cherry bloom season, Stemilt Growers tells retail partners to discard last year’s playbook on California cherries! The grower is confident with its retail advice, which compares bloom dates to historical data to provide insight into harvest timing.
“California’s cherry trees bloomed much later than last season and retailers need to know that, so they can adjust their retail promotion plans,” said Roger Pepperl, Marketing Director. “While Mother Nature is keeping us waiting on the crop volume in California, we do know that any volume the industry has coming will come between May 20 and June 20.”
According to the company’s press release, Stemilt has one of the longest growing seasons of any shipper in the U.S. To provide its retail partners with a season-long supply of its World Famous Cherries, the company farms in both California and Washington—which helps the company build trust with its consumers. Stemilt puts its full confidence on a predictive model built off current and historical field data to make the best possible predictions of harvest timing and yield. Not to mention, the years of experience its team members provide only bolsters this model more.
“Quality is at the pinnacle of our cherry program,” expressed Pepperl. “We rely on data to inform our decisions every season and it especially guides us in years like this when timing varies. This year, we knew during bloom that the average temperatures and bloom timing would never align to harvest the bulk of the California crop as early as year’s past. We know it's late and must prepare retailers for plan adjustments to promote this crop at the right moment.”
Using three measurements to get a sense of cherry crop load and timing, Stemilt compares bloom dates to historical data to provide insight into harvest timing and overlaps that data with degree day modeling and soil temperatures. All of this is done to provide the most accurate data. The company’s field staff visits every orchard block to first identify full bloom and then study the crop load on the tree.
“This year, we knew during bloom that the average temperatures and bloom timing would never align to harvest the bulk of the California crop as early as year’s past. We know it's late and must prepare retailers for plan adjustments to promote this crop at the right moment,” said Pepperl. “That experience would be impactful with any crop, but is especially vital in cherries, where the season expectations can change in a moment. The brain trust we have is a great channel for retailers to trust and rely on.”
Based in Stockton, CA, Stemilt’s California cherry growing operation, Chinchiolo Stemilt California, has a six-member field staff with a combined 167 years of cherry experience. They help guide every move and give the company confidence in everything from fruit size and quality to timing and volumes, as stated in the company’s press release.
“We are optimistic that June will be a big month for California cherries, and early predictions into Washington’s crop means a nice transition coming between the two states,” said Pepperl. “Cherries are a huge dollar generator to produce departments and retailers can rely on our intelligence to make their entire season profitable.”
Stemilt knows California cherries are coming later than normal while it waits for trees and Mother Nature to help guide its crop volume predictions. The goal loading time for California cherries will be May 20-June 20, making Memorial Day a great opportunity for the first cherry promotions of the season.
For updates on Stemilt and the cherry season, keep reading AndNowUKnow.