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WENATCHEE, WA - Once bitten, forever smitten is the motto of Smitten™—a signature apple variety lighting up the apple landscape with its outsized crunch and well-balanced flavor.
I spoke to Don Zornes, Marketing Director for Smitten Apple, USA, to learn more about this crisp and crunchy new variety that is propelling apple sales and bewitching apple eaters around the globe.
“Smitten apple comes to us from New Zealand,” Don explained. “It’s a cross-pollination of the Gala, Braeburn, Fiesta, and Fallstaff. It’s an apple that’s got an incredible crunch, and its flavor profile is sweet with a hint of tart.”
Now in its first year offering organic Washington-grown Smitten apples and its fourth year of commercial production, the variety is fast becoming a favorite with consumers throughout North America.
“The response from our customers has just been overwhelming,” said Don.
To learn more, watch our brief video interview above.
DAVIS, CA - The bane of every fruit producer's existence is spoilage—no one likes to waste food, or money—but the results of a UC Davis trial focused on Hazel Technologies’ new shelf-life extending product may offer a solution.
The Hazel Technologies product in question is an in-box sachet that aims to inhibit the action of ethylene, a substance that speeds the decay of fruit. To test the product, late-season Patterson apricots—grown near Yakima, Washington—were packed up with the Hazel Technologies shelf-life extending sachets and then shipped to California and held in retail-like conditions at UC Davis.
“We are extremely pleased to report that UC Davis researchers saw significant increases in apricot firmness, even after release from 20 days in cold storage,” Adam Preslar, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Hazel, said in the release. “Stone fruits have their own unique challenges in the fresh supply chain, and we are thrilled to offer the apricot and larger stone fruit industry a technology that can help growers and shippers provide top-quality fruit to the market. We look forward to partnering with UC Davis on more stone fruit trials.”
“We were able to show conclusively that apricot firmness was preserved by approximately 30-50% in apricots subjected to retail conditions when Hazel Apricot was used in the supply chain,” Angelos Deltsidis, Associate Director of the Postharvest Technology Center at UC Davis, said in the release. “Furthermore, there is some indication that skin reddening and red spotting can be reduced in the mature fruit when Hazel Apricot is applied.
“Our research center is committed to finding new post harvest solutions for crops with challenging shelf life, and we are pleased to be working with Hazel on this interesting addition to apricot shelf life technology,” Deltsidis continued.
AndNowUKnow has you covered for all the latest and greatest in produce-saving innovations.
MCLEAN, VA - Gladstone Land made an $8.2 million acquisition of an almond orchard in Merced, California. Of the 761 acres, 742 consist of planted almond trees with five on-site wells supplying irrigation water.
“This is another farm acquisition that will be operated by a premier tenant whom we know well,” commented David Gladstone, President and CEO of Gladstone Land. “This almond orchard is our third acquisition of the quarter, and we continue to have a long list of potential farms to purchase. We look forward to 2019 and believe it will be another good year for us.”
With this acquisition, the company enters into yet another long-term lease agreement with an international agriculture company that currently leases two of its other almond orchards. The newly acquired orchard is nearby to the others currently leased by the premier international tennant, making productive utilization of the land even simpler.
Bill Reimann, Managing Director of Gladstone Lands commented on the latest lease agreement in a recent press release. He explained, “This is especially advantageous to the tenant because both farms can be operated as one."
He continued, "This is another purchase where we acquired only the land, while the tenant retains ownership of the improvements until termination of the lease, at which time the improvements belong to us. We believe this is a low-risk acquisition that will yield a strong cash return.”
With a quarter of heavy acquisition under its belts, and a little black book of farms for future purchase, Gladstone Land will be sitting pretty for the new year. Keep reading AndNowUKnow for the latest in industry acquisitions and innovations.
MIAMI, FL - WP Produce, grower, packer, and shipper of tropical fruits under its Desbry brand, kicked off the 2019 season with year-round availability on a large number of tropical green skin avocado varieties. As many retailers and consumers turn to these varieties as an alternative and addition to Hass avocados, the green skin avocado’s popularity is rising.
"Green skin avocados are currently seeing greater demand due to changes in the Hass market," said Desiree Morales, Vice President of WP Produce. "Consumers, chefs, and the foodservice industry have begun replacing Hass avocados with other varieties. Rather than being used for guacamole, the firmer texture of green skin varieties makes them ideal for salads, smoothies, toast, sushi, and even in soups."
WP Produce noted in a press release that strong partnerships with growers from the Dominican Republic and Florida, as well as a new state-of-the-art packing facility and expansive distribution channels, has allowed the company to become a worldwide distributor of green skin avocados.
"Because we own the land we farm and have strong relationships with our growers, we can ensure a consistent supply of produce throughout the season," said Morales. "Our customers have come to depend on the care we take in selecting and packing our produce."
Due to its diverse growing regions, WP Produce provides a steady supply of high-quality product year-round. The company has farms in the Valdesia and Ocoa regions of the Dominican Republic and partnerships with farmers throughout the Cambita and Puerto Plata regions. In addition, it works with local farmers in Florida.
As its Desbry brand grows in popularity, WP Produce has been educating consumers on the differences between available avocado varieties. It supports the International Executive Service Corps (IESC) and the USDA’s campaign to educate U.S. consumers on the characteristics and benefits of Dominican green skin avocados and increase consumption of the exotic fruit.
"We are very excited for the work being done to promote green skin avocados in the U.S.," said Christopher Gonzalez, Vice President of Sales. "Consumers are becoming more and more interested in exotic, tropical produce, and green skin avocados are really starting to see a surge in popularity, especially with the continued demand for avocados as a whole. Consumers want to try the next big thing in avocados."
Keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow to stay up-to-date on the latest in fresh produce.
ANAHEIM, CA - Fred McConnell, longtime produce industry veteran and Co-Founder of 4Earth Farms, passed away on December 10 after battling an illness. He was 79.
Fred was an industry icon and pioneer, dedicating his entire career to the Southern California produce industry where he built strong and long-lasting friendships, including with his long-time mentor Norman “Buz” Bolstad. Fred also worked alongside industry veterans like Dick Spezzano, Roger Schroeder, Dale Liefer, Norm Park, and Gary Lee, to name a few, according to a press release.
“I have known Fred for over 40 years. We first met when he was a buyer for Vons, and I was a Produce Manager on assignment to the office for new stores and remodels,” Spezzano told ANUK. “We worked together many times, and he was not only the fastest but smartest at the store level. Latter, we reconnected when he was one of Vons' suppliers. He was always honest, had the highest integrity, and was a great friend. I will miss him very much.”
Fred spent the first half of his produce career in the retail sector, primarily with the Vons Company, before moving into the wholesale and growing side of the industry. He then went on to work for the Duda family. He also spent several years at Western Mixers before finally co-founding 4Earth Farms in 1993 with his business partner David Lake. He retired in 2001.
“Fred was passionate. He saw produce as an opportunity to be more than others thought he could be. Fred believed he could outwork anyone and proved it every day,” said Lake. “He believed in me when I was in my early 20’s and took a big risk at 51 years old to start 4Earth Farms—MCL Fresh at the time. He touched many lives in the Southern California produce industry especially in the retail.”
Fred will be missed for his tireless dedication to his family, to his wife Sandra, and to his friends and coworkers.
A celebration of Fred's life will be announced at a later time.
We at AndNowUKnow offer our condolences to those affected by Fred's passing.
HOUSTON, TX - The Houston market is hopping, with the likes of H-E-B, Kroger, Walmart, and Albertsons subsidiary Randalls clammoring for a piece of the North Texas pie. While the larger chains have managed to grab over a quarter percent of the Houston grocery market share each, Randalls operates less than four percent, leading the grocer to consolidate its operations and store network to keep up with the major chains.
This week, Randalls announced it is closing its seventh store in the Houston area and selling it to El Rancho Supermercado. After shuttering this location (at North Fry and Morton Roads) in Katy, the grocery chain will only have its 525 South Fry location left in that market.
According to a report by the Houston Chronicle, Randalls’ Director of Public Relations Connie Yates disclosed that the decision to shut down its latest location came after an extensive analysis of the Randalls store portfolio. Yates also said in an email that no additional stores would be closing at this time.
Last year, Albertsons shut down its Randalls distribution center and office as a means to streamline its operations in North Texas.
Albertsons is a major stakeholder in El Rancho Supermercado, which replaced two additional former Randalls stores in the Houston area.
Will Randalls’ latest shuttered store help the grocery retailer swim in an ever-competitive market? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
UNITED STATES - Science and numbers were never my forte, bringing me into the writing world and leaving the numbers to the experts. So when it comes to things like the delicate and complex practice of tracing back foodborne illness and how much power our industry could have, PMA’s Dr. Bob Whitaker needed to paint the picture.
“The process of investigating an illness outbreak is extremely complex. Firstly, are people getting sick by the same organism?” Dr. Whitaker tells me, explaining that the current average between illness and reporting to the state public health and on to CDC is about 21 days. “Understandably, it becomes very difficult to find those that can recollect with any certainty what they ate three weeks ago. Once you have it down to what food might be responsible and the timing for when consumers got sick, the FDA jumps in to find out where that product may have come from.”
This, Dr. Whitaker explains, is where a big gap in the process continues to exist despite the transparency and traceability efforts implemented over the past decade. And where we might come together to present a united front on food safety throughout the supply chain.
“The problem in tracing back the product is often times at the point of sale. The package isn’t kept and it could be lost before the investigation occurs, so I think the real solution lies in a scannable, permanent electronic record that can be accessed quickly and sorted,” Dr. Whitaker observes.
The story now comes back to the space I think many were afraid it would go when the CDC and FDA issued an advisory to remove romaine lettuce from the market completely last month—yet another cost to suppliers amongst a number of existing initiatives to ensure the safest product possible. Sometimes in the wake of actions to protect the public by the agencies, it can feel that the constant measures our industry is taking with consumers’ safety in mind is lost.
“We have many companies leveraging the information and food safety research we have to prevent contamination, and did before what happened in Yuma or currently in the California areas FDA is currently investigating,” Dr. Whitaker agreed, but said there is certainly room for improvement. “This is a time of revolution on the produce safety front. The science and technology are exploding and we have to use those tools to ensure produce safety. Testing and audits are traditionally important tools but the real opportunities lie in operationally evaluating potential hazards and understanding how we can control those cross contamination points.”
“When you add all the costs, I think it’s time for an updated conversation to make sure we have a modern system to track product backward and forward through the supply chain,” he continues. “Though I would say it’s the supply chain’s responsibility for traceability, it has to go all the way through the point of sale to be effective. The FDA has cited this big hole in the process, meaning when they get to that last step they hit a wall.”
Most of all, more than tools by audits and testing, Dr. Whitaker says it’s participation from everyone in the supply chain, farm to kitchen, that is crucial.
“The good news is a lot of people in the industry are seeing that and really stepping up those actions, now it’s about spreading the word and bringing everyone else to that level,” he assures.
With continued interest in our industry’s future, be sure AndNowUKnow will remain on the lookout for what that next level looks like.
DELTA, OH - As we finish up the last couple of weeks left in 2018, NatureFresh™ Farms is continuing through its third winter growing season at its Delta, Ohio-based facility, including picking, packing, and shipping fresh, flavorful tomatoes.
“Our retail partners within the northeastern region of the United States can now provide high-value Ohio-grown products to their customers when locally-grown food is typically not available. With such an effective arrangement, it wouldn’t surprise me if we add more acreage in Ohio in the future,” said Sales Manager Paul Schockman.
Schockman also noted that the Delta greenhouse has helped NatureFresh Farms offer locally-grown tomatoes during the coldest months of the year when traditional farms are not in operation thanks to features like High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) lighting fixtures, a powerful grow light technology that allows for winter tomato production.
NatureFresh Farms’ Delta greenhouse—which was strategically built on 45 acres in the northwestern region of the Buckeye state to allow for quick transport of products to the company’s North American retail partners—has experienced great success with consistently healthy crops and high fruit yields every season since 2015, according to a press release. And this season is no exception, with the greenhouse grower producing tomatoes-on-the-vine, beefsteak tomatoes, and a wide selection of specialty varieties perfect for retailers looking to keep their shelves stocked all year long.
In addition to sitting on a great location for quick and easy transportation, the Delta greenhouse has also helped the NatureFresh Farms team develop a strong partnership with the Ohio Proud program. This program includes featuring the Ohio Proud sticker on all tomato products grown and packed at the NatureFresh Farms USA location as a means to ensure shoppers are supporting local growers and promoting local agriculture by purchasing Ohio-grown products.
As 2018 wraps up, NatureFresh Farms is looking forward to reaching new heights in 2019 and beyond. To stay up-to-date on the latest in fresh produce as we head into the new year, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.