PHILADELPHIA, PA – Joseph Procacci, the produce legend famous for bringing Santa Sweets Grape tomatoes and UglyRipe® heirloom tomatoes to the United States tomato market, has passed away at the age of 90.
Despite being a larger than life presence in the Produce industry, his survivors at Procacci Brothers noted that Joe Procacci was a private man: quiet, humble, and widely viewed as a consummate gentleman. Whenever praise or accolades were bestowed on Joe for his many successes he was unfailingly modest and gracious, always crediting the contributions of others.
In early September when he stepped down as CEO of Procacci Holdings LLC, Joe Procacci stated, “I’ve been blessed with honest, hardworking employees and uncommonly loyal customers. It’s been a great honor to work with and alongside so many great people. I am extremely proud to be passing this honor and privilege on to my son, J.M., and hope that someday, he will be able to do the same with his son.”
At the age of 8, Procacci began selling produce in the streets of Camden from his father’s pushcart. From those humble roots, Procacci became an industry giant, building a vertically-integrated produce powerhouse that develops its own seeds, grows, packs, and distributes produce, and supplies roughly ten percent of the fresh tomatoes in the United States.
“Throughout his life, my Dad was a successful and innovative businessman, dedicated to fulfilling his customers’ needs. He was a fearless and relentless leader in our industry. If the Produce industry ever opened a Hall of Fame, my Dad would be our Babe Ruth,” said Joe's son J.M. Procacci, CEO of Procacci Brothers. “When I was 10 years old, Dad gave in to my requests and started bringing me to work with him when I was off from school. For more than 50 years I’ve had the incredible privilege of working alongside him. Dad lived a remarkable and full life—one where he was revered in his profession and adored by his family. By the grace of God, Dad recently got to meet the Procacci family’s newest member, his first great-grandchild. He’ll be missed by colleagues, friends, and loved ones far more than I can properly put into words.”
As CEO and Chairman of Procacci Brothers, Joe Procacci had a pronounced impact on shaping the Produce industry as we know it today. Joe was a driving force in pallet standardization, grading standards, food safety, trade agreements, and the company noted, he is credited with single handedly preserving the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
As the exclusive distributor of the authentic Santa Sweets Santa F1 variety, Joe introduced the national US consumer market to Grape Tomatoes in the late-nineties. At that same time, Joe defied consensus when the company he led introduced a high-flavor, vine-ripened tomato, developed over 20 years, that could be shipped to markets all over the country—the UglyRipe tomato, an heirloom, beefsteak-style tomato with distinctive ribbed shoulders and meaty flesh.
Throughout his distinguished career, Joe Procacci served on many executive boards, including as chairman of the United Government Relations Committee, the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, and National Association of Perishable Agriculture Receivers (NAPAR). Recently, Joe was a leading figure in the opening of the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, the nation’s largest fully-enclosed, fully-refrigerated, wholesale produce terminal.
Joe’s impact on the Produce industry did not go unnoticed by his peers. The many honors he earned include The Packer Produce Man of the Year, Eastern Produce Council Man of the Year, NAPAR Receiver of the Year and the United Fresh Lifetime Achievement Award. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Teresa, his son J.M., daughters Loretta and Rita, 10 grandchildren, 1 great grandchild, his brothers Michael and Sam, and his sister Rose.
We at AndNowUKnow offer our condolences to those affected by Joe’s passing.
SACRAMENTO, CA - Raley’s is celebrating its newest award for contributions to the industry and a specific partnering brand. Amaize™ Sweet Corn honored the retailer with its 2017 Amaize Sweet Corn Retailer of the Year Award, due to its dedication to supporting both the program and white sweet corn.
“As a long term partner, we know Amaize is an outstanding product and our stores and customers anticipate the excitement of this item hitting our produce departments each year,” said Greg Corrigan, Senior Director of Produce at Raley’s, in an Amaize press release. “We are honored to accept this award, and look forward to many more successful Amaize seasons to come!”
In 2012, the retailer was the first to carry the incredibly sweet Amaze corn on the West Coast and has since gone on to develop a loyal consumer demand thanks to its enthusiastic support of the program across the retailer’s banners. Some of the ways Raley’s shows its prominent support of the sweet corn brand is by providing produce manager training, point-of-sale signage, social media posts, local radio exposure, and a public relations strategy, which led to Amaize’s corn breeder George Crookham joining a Good Day Sacramento segment.
“The Raley’s team has done a fantastic job getting behind the Amaize program for many years,” said Crookham, CEO of Crookham Company. “We are very pleased to work with them and appreciate all of their efforts in supporting Amaize.”
This award gives the industry a peak behind the curtain to see just how strong the retailer's relationship is with just one of the brands it offers consumers.
Congratulations to Raley’s for its contributions to the growth of Amaize’s program and its dedication to supporting those who contribute to our industry!
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Looking back proudly on its 2016 sustainability efforts, SpartanNash has released a new report detailing its investments in advancing social responsibility and environmental sustainability. Upon releasing its 2016 Corporate Responsibility Report, SpartanNash has revealed insights on exactly how the retailer and grocery distributor has cultivated its vision of being “a best-in-class business that feels local, where relationships matter.”
“At SpartanNash, we are mindful that our business decisions, products, services, and operations have a direct impact on the environment, our communities, customers, and coworkers, which make up our company’s corporate responsibility commitment,” President and CEO Dave Staples said. “At SpartanNash, we are investing in today, to ensure a better tomorrow—and we hope that the 2016 CR Report inspires others to join us on this journey.”
To view SpartanNash’s full report, visit SpartanNash.com/CR-Report, and check out the following key highlights as detailed in the company’s press release below:
- Associate and food safety programs to ensure safe work places and quality food in every aisle of the store or U.S. military commissary or exchange
- Training and development and diversity and inclusion efforts for our associates to realize their career aspirations
- Support of nearly 2,000 locally grown and locally made items and the farmers and businesses that supply these items
- Community health and wellness initiatives, including Double Up Food Bucks™, Opioid Safety Project, and Regional Wellness Specialists
- Volunteering efforts totaling 20,234 hours and $456,276 in economic impact
- $1.4 million in corporate giving initiatives, including $100,000 through the Direct Your Dollars™ program
- $1.8 million awarded to community nonprofits by the SpartanNash Foundation
- 5.525 million pounds of product donated to community food pantries and local nonprofits
- 51.9 million pounds of materials diverted from landfills through our recycling efforts
- Transportation and energy efficiencies achieved
Also included in the report is SpartanNash’s 2017 CR dashboard, which the retailer has used to guide its efforts throughout the current year. The dashboard makes available initiatives around local support, diversity and inclusion, volunteering, and waste and energy consumption.
Again, for even more detail on SpartanNash’s efforts on the important area of sustainability, view the SpartanNash Corporate Responsibility Report at SpartanNash.com/CR-Report, and stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.com for the latest on major moves in the produce industry.
SACRAMENTO, CA – Chelan Fresh’s Rockit™ apple drew a crowd frenzied to prove themselves to the mini fruit and their fellow industry pals in our latest Quiz Quix.
If the leaderboard is anything to go by, members of the produce industry near and far attempted to pluck the $100 cash prize ripe for the taking and were eager to read and race to prove their apple variety knowledge.
However, two apple enthusiasts stood out from the rest.
For the buy-side victory, Jewel Osco Produce Buyer Bob McBride nabbed the victory with the fastest time and the most points.
Claiming the supply-side victory, Elite Border Logistics's Jose Saldivar beat out competitors with his quick scores and high points.
Check out the leaderboard below to see if you, or someone you know, made it with the best contenders on Chelan Fresh info.
As for what stumped all those taking this round’s Quiz Quix, and those looking for a hint if they haven’t had a try yet, see what caught the majority of quizzers:
Most Missed Question
How many ROCKIT™ Apples can be found in each unique package?
Answer:
3, 4, and 5
If you missed your chance to show-off your Rockit™ knowledge, don’t worry! You can quiz yourself and compare your scores with our winners by following the green link below. While you won’t be eligible to win our prize, you can stay in the know about our next quiz by subscribing to our newsletter here.
To compete in Quiz Quiz events to come, just sign in either via email or one of several social media accounts, and you’ll be all ready to jump into the competition for $100 cash!
Quiz Quix is our way of encouraging some healthy, fun, informative competition within the industry. Signing in will give us a token to verify you and allows us to put your name in the ranking. It doesn’t give us access to more than your name and email address. Participants must have a valid email address registered in their individual name in order to play.
Congratulations Bob and Jose!
KINGSVILLE, ON - Now in its third consecutive year of partnership with the world-renowned Movember Foundation, SUNSET® is once again helping to contribute to the awareness about men’s health issues. This year, SUNSET’s new $20,000 donation brings the total amount raised for the Movember Foundation to $60,000.
“At SUNSET®, we pride ourselves on growing top-quality products that enable our customers to live healthier lives,” CEO Paul Mastronardi explained. “The goal of our #MoKumato campaign is to make it easier for anyone to start a conversation about important men’s health issues. It’s all about increasing awareness and motivating men to take preventive action.”
As part of its campaign, SUNSET® Kumato® packages will have a special mustache shaped label that promotes the Movember Foundation throughout the entire month of November, according to a press release. The company encourages consumers to pose for a selfie with the signature Kumato® mustache, then post it to Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with #MoKumato and #Movember. This year, SUNSET® has created a dedicated landing page, sunsetgrown.com/movember/, where consumers can delve deeper into important facts and statistics about men’s health, as well as enter to win weekly giveaways on social media all month long.
Want to get involved? Grab your Kumato® 'stache and start snapping!
AUSTIN, TX - Whole Foods has welcomed a new leader to its executive team, moving up its own Christina Minardi. Effective immediately, she resides in a newly-created Executive Vice President of Operations position, joining Ken Meyer and David Lannon as the third Executive Vice President of Operations.
With 22 years at the company under her belt, Minardi brings a great deal of experience to the promotion. Most recently she served Whole Foods as its Northeast Regional President, overseeing 40 stores in three states.
Since joining Whole Foods Market in 1995, the retailer said that Minardi has forged a path in retail and culinary excellence. According to a press release, she has built a remarkable leadership team while operating some of the highest-volume stores in the most unique and demanding areas of metro New York.
Among her achievements is also having been recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the “Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink.”
“I’m thrilled to welcome Christina to the leadership team and I look forward to working with her to build an exciting future,” said CEO and Co-Founder John Mackey. “I know she will be an integral part of building our relationship with Amazon and helping drive our shopper experience.”
In her new role, Minardi will both co-lead the integration with Amazon and lead four regions. Among her responsibilities will be re-imagining the customer experience and driving e-commerce initiatives, as well as other key store and regional programs.
With continuous changes at Whole Foods as it creates a new strategy under Amazon, AndNowUKnow will report on new developments as they occur.
SALINAS, CA – The Organic Produce Summit (OPS) has announced registration dates for the third annual OPS. Retailer and buying organization registration for OPS 2018 will begin November 20 on the OPS website.
“We are excited to bring together the leaders and innovators of organic fresh produce to the cradle of organic fresh produce production for two days of information, education, and networking,” said Susan Canales, Director of Operations, in a press release. “The phenomenal response and feedback we’ve received from our sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees to the event motivates us to make each year even better. As we plan for OPS 2018, we have some exciting opportunities for attendees that we will be sharing in the months ahead.”
The Summit will be held July 11-12 in Monterey, California, at the newly-renovated Monterey Conference Center. Following the success of the previous years’ events, OPS 2018 will feature a similar format with a gala opening reception, a series of educational sessions, inspiring keynote presentations, a sold-out exhibit trade show, and field tours for qualified buyers.
According to the OPS’ press release, the two-day event—developed exclusively for producers of organic fresh produce and their retail and buying partners—has become the go-to event for the $15 billion organic fresh produce industry. OPS 2017 was sold-out and featured over 200 retailers from over 80 different retailers and buying organizations, and the annual Summit boasts support from some of North America’s most prominent growers, shippers, and processors of organic produce.
Co-sponsors for this year’s event are Braga Family Farms and Taylor Farms, with major sponsors including Driscoll’s, VBZ Grapes Inc., Oneonta Starr Ranch, Homegrown Farms, Ocean Mist, and Earthbound Farm.
Retailers and buying organization members are eligible to receive complimentary registration and hotel accommodations for the event, with more information available at www.organicproducesummit.com.
Thought all exhibit space for OPS 2018 is currently sold out, space on a wait list is available, and interested parties can contact [email protected] for details.
Information on educational and keynote sessions will be forthcoming in the near future, and AndNowUKnow will keep you apprised with updates.
OAXACA, MEXICO - When natural disasters hit, those affected can sometimes sadly be left with few places to turn to for assistance. After the earthquake in Oaxaca, Mexico, this fall, Freska Produce stepped up to help those in need find food and basic necessities, and also brought a strong sense of community to some of those impacted by the event.
“With the recent earthquake this fall in Oaxaca, our team at Freska felt compelled to help out the community in the region–the same community that helps to pick, pack, and ship our mangos," Partner Jesus “Chuy” Loza, shares with me. "The impact of the earthquake affected many, devastating homes in the community. Our goal was, and is, to help them recover and begin moving back to a state of normalcy. We feel it’s important to support the people who support us."
The company’s dedication to helping those who saw first-hand just how devastating the effects were from the earthquake reaches far beyond charity work. Some of the company’s mango picking, packing, and shipping workers are located in Chahuites, Oaxaca, so Freska sought to alleviate the community’s hardships with its donation. The company’s efforts are to assist and support the community as it recovers.
Everyday staples, such as canned food, water, and toilet paper, were sent to Oaxaca residents. In addition to the goods sent to the community, the company also purchased items to fix the damaged homes of locals who were affected by the earthquake, such as new roofs and stucco, as well as provided labor to implement these necessary structural changes.
“Our actions are put forth in the hopes of providing an example to the produce industry, that we have to stick together, as there is still much more needed in this community to fully recover,” Chuy tells me.
Our thoughts go out to all those being affected by the 2017 natural disasters. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as our industry rallies around those impacted, to bring assistance to those in need.
WENATCHEE, WA – After a 40-year career with Stemilt, Eva Lauve, Food Safety and Scheduling Manager, was recognized by the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) with their Quality Achievement Award. Lauve was named recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, which is given to an individual who has freely shared time and expertise throughout the industry in the areas of food safety.
“In the early 1990s, Eva was tasked by my grandfather, Tom Mathison, to ensure Stemilt was on the forefront of food safety,” said Stemilt President West Mathison, who read a letter that spoke of Lauve’s incredible service to Stemilt and the industry aloud prior to her accepting her award. “She fully immersed herself into understanding food safety, and because of her, Stemilt has one of the longest participations in SQF and was one of the first SQF certified suppliers in North America. Eva has committed countless hours serving on volunteer food safety committees and always had an open door to consult others in the industry to make sure we are all putting forth safe, quality food. The epitome of a serving leader, we are thrilled that SQFI has selected Eva for this award.”
Prior to assuming her current role as Scheduling and Food Safety Manager, Lauve began her career at Stemilt in 1978 as a cherry sorter and worked in various jobs with the company throughout her college years. After graduating college, she then moved into packing line supervisory roles. In 1987, she was promoted to packed fruit QC and pre-size bin inventory supervisor, before starting Stemilt’s food safety program and managed production in 1992, according to a press release.
“It’s an honor to recognize Eva Lauve of Stemilt,” said Robert Garfield, Chief Food Safety Assessment Officer and Senior Vice President for Food Marketing Institute, who also noted that Lauve is the fifth recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, which is only awarded by senior staff when they discover an individual who has dedicated themselves to enhancing food safety management. “Like our other recipients, she has a great understanding and commitment to global food safety and the SQF program, and is constantly giving her time and energy towards helping others in all areas of food safety.”
The awards were given out at the 2017 SQFI International Conference held in Dallas, Texas. Congratulations Eva!
For more produce industry accomplishments, AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you the latest.
NEW ORLEANS, LA - Browsing the showfloor at this year’s PMA Fresh Summit conference, I noticed that ‘versatile’ was a big focus for many high-traffic booths. And one of the more versatile items being showcased was Village Farms’ Lorabella Blossom™, because who thinks of tomatoes as a breakfast item?
Kristina Larue, Sports Dietitian and Founder of Love & Zest healthy-living blog, partnered with Village Farms to do just that.
“I love working with the Lorabella Blossom tomato because it has citrusy notes and it pairs well with the ricotta cheese, the sweetness of the raisins, with a little bit of a crunch we added some pumpkin seeds, a drizzle of honey, and a little bit of freshly-cracked pepper to this recipe,” she shared on the floor as she made me a slice of savory toast.
She explained that the team was celebrating the variety and all its unique qualities, not the least of which was the fact that you could have your tomatoes even with breakfast as we keep looking for even more ways consumers can eat their fresh fruits and vegetables.
To watch how this tasty snack was made, and all Kristina had to say about the versatile Lorabella Blossom, watch our short video interview above.