WASHINGTON, DC - As the Trump Administration’s government shutdown continues, many throughout the produce industry are still wondering how they might or might not be affected. While many of the USDA’s functions will remain during the shutdown thanks to reserve funding, other USDA tasks may get pushed by the wayside until after officials lift the restrictions. One such function that will be postponed is the previously scheduled Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC) Meeting.
According to a notice we obtained from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, the committee meeting that was scheduled for January 30-31, 2019, has been postponed. The USDA said it will poll committee members to determine the best time to reschedule the meeting when the government reopens. All existing hotel reservations for committee members will also be canceled, according to the notice.
"The recent partial government shutdown has created many challenges within the public and private sectors of the U.S. and the fresh produce industry is far from immune,” says Tommy Wilkins, one member of the FVIAC and Director of Sales for Grow Farm Texas. “With all that is going on, the USDA has postponed the advisory committee meeting in late January till the shutdown down plays out. There are many issues I feel Mr. Perdue and the USDA should discuss and I look forward to rescheduling and going to work on this committee."
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of 25 industry members to the FVIAC in October 2018. To see the full list of committee members, revisit our initial coverage of the announcement here.
As more details about how the government shutdown will affect the fresh produce industry emerge, AndNowUKnow will keep you updated.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - The happiest place on earth will be overfilling with the magic of bananas at the upcoming Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend. Chiquita Brands has been named the official banana sponsor of the race season and will be donating more than 100,000 bananas to runners and spectators at the first upcoming event. Disney and Chiquita are also joining forces to implement a banana peel collection and recycling process for the 2018-2019 race season as part of a larger strategy to bolster environmental responsibility.
“Chiquita aspires to be a ‘Good Neighbor,’ and is committed to making a difference with consumers and the communities we serve. We want to leverage our global recognition and the reach of our Blue Sticker, especially when it comes to promoting recycling and a cleaner environment,” said Jamie Postell, Chiquita's Director of Sales North America. “We hope the spectators and runners at ‘The Most Magical Place on Earth’ will see the stickers on our bananas and remember that Chiquita commits to recycling efforts for a more sustainable planet.”
According to a press release, Chiquita branded waste bins will be placed in strategic locations within runDisney race finish line areas throughout the race season to maximize capture rate with runners and spectators. If all peels are recycled during the entire 2019 runDisney series, the new collection process could divert upwards of 14 tons of food scraps (28,000 pounds of banana peels) from landfills and use them for good by transforming them into electricity and fertilizer.
“We’re always looking for ways to strengthen our commitment to the environment, and the banana peel collection and recycling process is the newest element of our environmental strategy for runDisney,” said Angie Renner, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Environmental Integration Director. “We’re excited to work with Chiquita to implement a recycling program where we can work together with our guests to reduce food waste from landfills.”
This exciting season of races, environmentalism, and bananas will officially kick off January 10-13 during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend—one of the most popular race weekends in the nation and one of the largest sporting events in Central Florida, according to a press release. Additional runDisney races where Chiquita will hand out bananas to runners and spectators include:
- Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend - Feb. 21 - Feb. 24
- Star Wars™ Rival Run Weekend - Apr. 4 - Apr. 7
- Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend - Oct. 31 - Nov. 3
For more information about Chiquita, visit www.chiquita.com. To stay up-to-date on the latest sprinklings of produce magic, keep following AndNowUKnow.
REDWOOD CITY, CA - The Impossible Burger is seeking to do—you guessed it—the impossible. Vegetarians and flexitarians alike are already sold on the company's meatless wonder, so it now has its eyes on those of us who want a burger that eats like a real one.
Announcing its newest version of the original meatless burger, Impossible Burger wants the latest version of the sought-after product to eat, taste, and feel like a beef patty. According to a report from CNN Business, the latest Impossible Burger can be cooked so that it is juicy and red in the middle, a feat that the last burger didn’t completely accomplish. The texture, which isn’t uniform and contains small chunks, is similar to real beef as well.
“The mission of the company really is to eliminate the need for animals in the food system,” David Lipman, Impossible Foods’ Chief Science Officer, stated. “We’re not going to get there by telling people to eat beans and peas and stuff like that. We have to come up with a plant-based meat that people will actually choose instead of beef.”
With this in mind, it certainly seems as though Impossible Burger is well on its way to getting meat-lovers to take a bite of something they might deem impossible to like. Who else is eager to try one?
Keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow for the latest in plant-based news.
STELLARTON, CANADA - Anniversaries are important in our industry, whether it be celebrating the tenure of a company, the prestige of an event, or the milestone of a career. As we kick off 2019, we would like to congratulate Mike Venton, who is celebrating the culmination of his first year at Sobeys as the company’s GM of its FRESHCO formats and Fresh Food, nationally.
"It has been incredibly exciting for me to join and be welcomed into this great Canadian family-owned company. I am so appreciative of the opportunity and the Sobey family and employees are fantastic to work with," Mike shares with me on the recent anniversary. "The discount businesses I lead, FreshCo and Chalo, are on the verge of massive growth in Canada and I’m looking forward to seeing our discount brand across the country. The business has also asked me to help them in Fresh food, nationally. Fresh food is a passion of mine, and I see a lot of great opportunities here for Sobeys."
Mike brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to his role at Sobeys, having risen the ranks at Loblaw Companies Ltd. with roles that include Vice President of National Grocery Procurement, Senior Vice President of Fresh Food Discount/National Produce/Floral Procurement, and Senior Vice President of No Frills.
Congratulations, Mike, on this amazing first year with Sobeys! We are excited to see where you will take these formats in 2019!
ZAANDAM, THE NETHERLANDS - Ahold Delhaize is starting off 2019 with the acquisition of new talent in an effort to take its brand to new digital heights. As of January 28, Farhan Siddiqi will start as its new Chief Digital Officer and member of the Executive Committee. With a focus on data analytics, personalization, and loyalty, Siddiqi will supervise a transformation of the company’s digital presence and drive innovation across the company’s brands.
"I'm thrilled to welcome Farhan to Ahold Delhaize,” said Frans Muller, President and CEO, in a press release. “With his knowledge of the digital customer experience in a wide variety of industries, he will help further accelerate Ahold Delhaize's digital transformation, a key element in our Leading Together strategy. Farhan will drive best practice sharing in digital and e-commerce across our great local brands while leveraging our global scale, supporting us in doubling net consumer online sales to around 7 billion euros by 2021."
The new CDO brings a rich background, having launched customer loyalty programs, digital payment solutions, and strategic partnerships in his leadership positions at Target, Bank of America, and General Electric. His most notable and recent experience was as the CDO for McDonald’s, a role he held since March of 2017, after joining the fast-food chain in June of 2016 as Vice President of Global Digital Experience. Siddqi’s leadership had a direct and immediate impact, as he launched mobile commerce in 20,000 restaurants, a new mobile app, and upgraded the self-service ordering kiosk system, along with extending management capabilities and Customer Relationship Management capabilities.
AndNowUKnow will keep you updated on important personnel acquisitions.
MCALLEN, TX - While many of us mere mortals are already losing sight of the goals we’ve set for 2019—if this includes you, don’t feel bad! I’ve already forgotten the resolutions I outlined over the holidays—GR Fresh is proving those in produce are in a class of their own. Seven days in and GR Fresh is setting an all-time record for checking the boxes of its 2019 goals, which, in the words of Tony Incaviglia, VP of Sales and Marketing, mainly included getting back to being lean and mean.
“The last two winter seasons were very challenging due to oversupply and the lack of impactful demand. So, as a company, we felt it was a time to take a breather and get back to being lean and mean,” Tony shared with me. “We actually cut back our acreage by approximately 30 percent. We stuck with our staple items, Roma, round, and grape tomatoes, along with our cucumbers and green bell peppers. We took that mentality of ‘do a few and do them well.’”
Currently, GR Fresh is harvesting in the Culiacan and Los Mochis growing regions. Tony explained that early crops, like cucumbers, green bell peppers, and grape tomatoes, have been in production since late November/early December, while Roma and round vine-ripened tomatoes will be ramping up next week. In addition, GR Fresh is excited about its organic category, touting organic Roma, organic grape tomatoes, and organic mini sweet peppers as the crops to beat this season.
Tony also noted that while colder temperatures have presented a few challenges, GR Fresh has been able to deliver a consistently good-looking pack, provide good shelf-life, meet its retail specs, and fulfill order commitments.
“Weather has been a challenge to say the least. Cold temperatures have slowed growth significantly, and open field crops took a hit with possible long-term impact. As far as our supply goes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green bell peppers, which are mostly shade house, hung in there this season, and we should not have any long-term issues,” Tony explained.
With temperatures in the region beginning to warm up to the mid to high 50s next week, GR Fresh is looking forward to setting the produce bar high in 2019,
For more on the latest happening crop-side, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
SPARTA, MI - One of Michigan’s preeminent suppliers of fresh Michigan apples, Riveridge Produce Marketing, has acquired the sales operation of Jack Brown Produce, adding new varietal availability, increasing volume by 50 percent, and effectively becoming a one-stop solution—providing quality Michigan apples year-round to its retail partners.
“With two strong, forward-thinking bases of growers, continued investments in new production, and a consumer-driven varietal mix, we look to solidify our role as Michigan’s fruit specialists,” said Don Armock, President of Riveridge Produce. “This is an opportunity to continue to share knowledge across our grower base and marry producers and customers based on their needs.”
In addition to consistent year-round availability, the company noted in its press release, Riveridge’s expanded sales organization will be better positioned to service retailers with quality fruit, expanded varietals, and pack to order solutions.
“Both Jack Brown Produce and Riveridge Produce have complimentary grower communities making this union a natural fit,” said John Schaefer, President of Jack Brown Produce. “We each have modern packing facilities and growers invested in the future, utilizing the latest growing techniques and moving forward on the varieties and strains that support today’s consumer preferences.”
Jack Brown Produce’s packing operation adds to the seven Michigan facilities packing for Riveridge Produce and will offer the company additional pack time during the critical fall time-frame. Newly acquired facilities will allow Riveridge Produce to provide its retailer partners with additional flexibility and a continuity program on Michigan apples.
Both organizations, the company noted, are supported with innovative, forward-thinking growers who have adapted to market needs, which have provided for the fruit in high demand today. Sharing data and relationships, the two brands hope to be an all-encompassing source—not just on fruit, but also marketing assets and analysis to help drive buying decisions.
For more on fresh fruit and veggie news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
BROOKLYN, NY - Wegmans is gearing up to open the first of three stores that are set to bring the Brooklyn-based retailer to entirely new markets in 2019. The company’s New York City debut at the Brooklyn Navy Yard is scheduled to open this fall, but moves are already underway to staff the store with approximately 500 new staff members, 150 of those being full-time positions. The additional two new markets Wegmans is scheduled to pop up in during 2019 are Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Raleigh, North Carolina.
“Here at Wegmans, you drive your own development and the opportunities are truly what you make of them. You are more than just a number. You are a family member who has a voice and an opportunity to do whatever it is you are passionate about,” said Kevin Cuff, the Store Manager for the new Brooklyn location. According to a press release, Cuff began working for Wegmans 21 years ago when he was just 16 years old.
The hype surrounding Wegmans Brooklyn location has been nonstop since the retailer announced its intentions to come to NYC in summer 2015. The location is set to be 74,000 square feet, including a second-floor mezzanine, a 100-seat in-store market café, and a full bar. Wegmans is carrying on its tradition of creating stores with a European open-air market feel, offering quality ingredients, thousands of organic options, and restaurant-quality prepared foods, all at low prices.
As we’ve previously reported, Wegmans consistently places on lists that highlight the best of the best employers in the country. In 2018, the company placed second on FORTUNE magazine’s list of “The 100 Best Companies to Work For.” The company has appeared near the top of the list for 21 consecutive years.
Will Wegmans make waves and rouse competitors in Brooklyn, Virginia Beach, and Raleigh this year? AndNowUKnow will share the latest.
LAKELAND, FL - Publix continues to expand its reach across the South, adding two more stores to its roster. The retailer has acquired the leases for two Western Market locations near Birmingham, Alabama, after Western Market announced it would be closing up shop. The location in Mountain Brook will open as a GreenWise Market, the retailer’s specialty, organic market; the Vestavia Hills location will open as a Publix. The acquisition is expected to close in March.
“Publix is always seeking locations where we can serve our customers and offer an exceptional shopping experience,” said Publix CEO Todd Jones. “This acquisition allows us to expand our presence in the Birmingham area, and we are very excited to bring one of our GreenWise Markets to this region.”
The two stores, and their expected opening times, are listed below:
- 1000 Jemison Lane, Mountain Brook, AL; expected to be open by the Q3 2019
- 3350 Morgan Drive, Vestavia Hills, AL; opening date not yet determined
“Western Market has been serving Alabama for 70 years,” said Western Market CEO Ken Hubbard. “I am happy to know our spirit of service, dedication to our people, and community involvement will continue through Publix. I believe this is the best grocer to serve our loyal customers into the future.”
According to a press release, the Mountain Brook location is the seventh announced GreenWise Market. The current Western Market store at the Vestavia Hills location will be torn down and turned into a 35,000-square-foot Publix.
For the latest in retail happenings, keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow!
NEW YORK, NY - Blue Apron may have started the year with a step in the right direction with its new food safety certification. The struggling meal delivery service was recently awarded certification under the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Food Safety Code for Manufacturing across its nationwide fulfillment centers in Linden, New Jersey; Richmond, California; and Arlington, Texas.
“Our customers trust Blue Apron to create and deliver high-quality meal experiences each and every time they cook with us,” said Brad Dickerson, CEO, in a recent press release. “Ensuring the safety and quality of our products is our highest priority as a business. We are proud to receive SQF Certification nationwide across our fulfillment center network, an achievement that reinforces our longstanding commitment to our stakeholders that our products are high-quality, safe, and trusted.”
The SQF Food Safety Code is an independent food safety standard administered by the Safe Quality Food Institute, and is recognized worldwide as one of the most exhaustive and uncompromising food safety and quality standards. Requiring producers to develop and implement a strict food safety system applied to every step of their supply chain, the SQF Certification ensures that products are produced, handled, processed, and distributed in accordance with some of the most rigorous standards in the industry.
AndNowUKnow will keep you updated on how this new certification will impact Blue Apron’s further development.