TRUCKEE, CA - Us Californians were in for a surprise this past weekend. A spring storm brought heavy rains to the San Francisco Bay Area and across Northern California on Saturday. As a result, the storm produced the highest single-day snowfall record for the season in the Sierra Nevada.

The 26.4 inches of snowfall on Sunday beat the second snowiest day of the season—March 3—by 2.6 inches, according to the University of California, Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab. AP News reported that the weather system had moved away from California by Sunday morning.

The storm caused unsafe driving conditions on several highways surrounding Lake Tahoe, including Interstate 80. We are unsure how these closures impacted the transportation of fresh foods over the weekend, but knowing how many goods are transported at any given time, we have no doubt that some retail/foodservice shipments were delayed.

While the storm was focused in Northern California, Southern parts of the state also experienced light rain and gusty winds.

Keep an eye out for more reports from ANUK.

MARLBOROUGH, MA - More BJ’s Wholesale Club locations are popping up on the map as the club chain continues to execute its growth strategy. In its latest announcement, the retailer unveiled three new membership warehouse clubs set to join its growing footprint in 2024. Two are strategically located in Florida, with another opening in Staten Island, New York.

“Families in Florida and New York love the value of BJ’s membership, and we’re thrilled to bring unexpected savings to more communities as we expand our footprint,” said Bill Werner, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Development, BJ’s Wholesale Club. “Our real estate pipeline is the strongest it’s been in more than 20 years, and we look forward to helping more families save up to 25 percent off grocery store prices every day.”

The two new Florida locations—located in Brooksville and St. Johns, near Jacksonville—will be the chain’s 40^th and 41^st clubs in Florida, respectively.

In addition, the retailer is establishing its 49^th New York location with the addition of the Staten Island store.

These expansions come after announcing another strategic growth play, as BJ’s unveiled five new clubs in the Midwest and Southeast. This includes the company’s expansion into its 21^st state with an opening in Louisville, Kentucky, planned for early 2025.

As a press release detailed, BJ’s Wholesale Club offers a convenient one-stop shopping experience that includes a vast selection of produce and fresh foods, as well as a full-service deli, exclusive offerings, and much more. Read more about the new stores here.

Keep track of this retailer’s growth strategies and more with the help of ANUK.

ORANGE COVE, CA - Cecelia Packing says goodbye to a seasoned produce veteran as Keith Wilson, Sales Manager, announces his retirement, effective May 16, 2024. He is succeeded by Dominic DeNatale.

Wilson spent 14 years with Cecelia Packing but has spent his career in the fresh produce business. He started as a Field Inspector with The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P). He was eventually promoted to Buyer and then Director of the Fresno Procurement Office.

During his time with A&P, Keith traveled for business throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and it set him up for a career in produce. Wilson then worked for Shurfine International, Sunkist Growers, HMC Group, Sunny Cove Citrus, and Flavor Tree Company, before landing at Cecelia Packing.

Dominic DeNatale will replace Wilson as Sales Manager, a role for which he is very excited.

He noted in a release that the prospect of working to expand the Cecelia citrus program, while maintaining relationships with the company’s current customers, is something he looks forward to. DeNatale will work with Allison Garza in the sales department where they’ll both provide the customer service Cecelia is known for.

Congratulations to Keith Wilson on a long career, and best of luck to Dominic DeNatale on this step next in his.

WASHINGTON, DC - Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final rule on agricultural water. This rule is meant to represent an important step toward enhancing the safety of produce. In response, the International Fresh Produce Association issued a statement.

“Since its introduction in 2015 as a subpart of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, our industry has been working with FDA to enhance the original agricultural water regulation so it is easier to understand and implement,” said Chief Food Safety and Regulatory Officer Natalie Dyenson. “Much progress has been made from the original proposal, which was overly complex, one-size-fits-all, and didn’t allow for flexibility considering existing scientific limitations. This final rule highlights FDA’s willingness to incorporate stakeholder feedback and ultimately put forth a rule that protects public health.”

The FDA stated the revised requirements to the rule are intended to enhance public health by improving the safety of water used in produce cultivation and are designed to be practical across various agricultural water systems, uses, and practices while remaining adaptable to future advancements in agricultural water quality science.

Specifically, the rule:

• Establishes requirements for agricultural water assessments that evaluate a variety of factors that are key determinants of contamination risks associated with pre-harvest agricultural water
• Includes testing pre-harvest agricultural water as part of an assessment in certain circumstances
• Requires farms to implement effective mitigation measures within specific timeframes based on findings from their assessments
• Adds new options for mitigation measures, providing farms with additional flexibility in responding to findings from their pre-harvest agricultural water assessments

“One of our Council’s biggest concerns was the potential for a final rule that did not align with how the produce industry operates every day, which is why they were intent on providing thoughtful and insightful guidance,” said Dyenson. “Seeing their expertise reflected in the spirit of the final rule is a great illustration of the power of collaboration between industry and regulators to ensure rules are both realistic and workable.”

For more information, please click here.

AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the latest happenings across fresh produce.