CANADA - New Democratic Party (NDP) Leader Thomas Mulcair has introduced a commitment to protecting produce farmers and sellers, to the applause of both the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) and the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC).
“The produce industry is grateful for the NDP’s leadership to resolve this long-standing issue and trade irritant,” Ron Lemaire, CPMA President, said in a press release. “This commitment demonstrates they understand the risks that fresh fruit and vegetable sellers face and the importance of ensuring strong, equitable financial protection tools.”
Described by the Association as a Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA)-like form of trust protection, this is something that the press release states is the number one issue for fresh fruit and vegetable growers and sellers across Canada for the upcoming Federal Election.
On October 1, 2014, the U.S. revoked Canada’s preferential access to PACA protections due to its lack of similar trust protection and the lack of progress in fulfilling the Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) commitment to establishing a comparable approach in Canada. Now, Canadian companies trying to recover unpaid bills have had to post a bond of double the value of their claim to use PACA, which the association stated can be too expensive for many sellers. Not having PACA protection, however, enhanced exportation risks for the country’s produce industry companies, who currently send 40 percent of all produce grown in Canada to the U.S. Not being able to afford protection, CPMA and CHC said, has forced many growers and produce sellers to walk away from what they are owed.
“As summer passes, the industry expects to see a much larger impact,” CPMA stated in its press release. “With this announcement, the NDP have shown they recognize the importance of fruit and vegetable producers to providing fresh, healthy food to Canadians.”
The NDP plan entails negotiating with the U.S. to restore Canada’s privileged access to PACA protections in order to provide growers and produce sellers with protection without cost to the government. To learn more about the plan click here.
CPMA and CHC noted that they are both pleased by the NDP’s move to bring the issue forward in the lead up to the coming election, and welcome other parties to show their support of Canada’s produce industry.
SEATTLE, WA - Amazon announced its financial results for Q2 2015 with the revelation that the company is now worth more than any retailer, including competitor Wal-Mart.
Following Amazon’s announcement, shares jumped 17% to $562.52 in after-hours trading, representing a new all-time high for both the stock and value of Amazon, according to The Wall Street Journal. Amazon's market cap is now worth about $264 billion while Wal-Mart is worth $233.5 billion, Business Insider is reporting.
“The teams at Amazon have been working hard for customers,” said Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon.com. “We unveiled Amazon Business, opened Amazon Mexico, launched Prime free same-day, rolled out our ninth Prime Now city, broke our Black Friday record with the first-ever Prime Day, received 11 Emmy nominations for Transparent, debuted six new kids pilots…” Bezos goes on to tout many more accomplishments for the retailer as well.
CEO Jeff Bezos, who owns 83,921,121 shares in the company, made a gain of more than $7 billion just off the climb in share prices, CNBC says.
Net income for Amazon was a whopping $92 million in the second quarter, and net sales increased 20% to climb as high as $23.18 billion, according to the company’s financial report. These results did not include any earnings from the company's ubiquitous "Prime Day," either.
Other highlights from Amazon’s report include:
- Operating cash flow increased 69% to $8.98 billion
- Free cash flow increased to $4.37 billion for the trailing twelve months
- Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards totaled 488 million on June 30, 2015
- Operating income was $464 million in the second quarter
What more can we expect from this retail upset? Keep watching AndNowUKnow for the latest.
BANCROFT, WI - RPE and Michelin Star Chef Joey Elenterio will be debuting Tasteful Selections’ Sweet Surprise Mini Sweet Potatoes during this year’s PMA Foodservice expo.
Show attendees will be able to join Chef Elenterio during ‘Chef Talks: Strolling Lunch’ on Saturday, July 25, as he creates a flavorful chili and tomato braised Tasteful Selections Sweet Surprise potatoes.
Chef Elenterio was quick to praise Tasteful Selections' potatoes.
“It’s always a joy to work with a product you love,” said Chef Elenterio. “Potatoes are already fun and versatile to cook with, but the great flavor and small, uniform sizes of Tasteful Selections take it to another level.”
Tasteful Selections Sweet Surprise Sweet Potatoes are hand harvested and thin skinned, so no peeling is included in preparation, according to a press release.
Chef Elenterio received a Michelin Star in 2011 and 2012 during his tenure as Executive Chef at Chez TJ in Mountain View, CA. He was also honored in Zagat’s 30 Under 30 and with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Rising Star Chef award. He will be opening his own restaurant, Cadence, in San Francisco next month.
To catch a glimpse of these sweet potatoes, Tasteful Selections' conventional and organic lines, along with White Russet®, check out booth #37 on Sunday, July 26, at PMA Foodservice.
See you there!
SALINAS, CA - Traditionally, when summer hits Salinas, California, the lettuce market tapers off and suppliers start lightening their acreage. But come August, growers tell me we are in for an increase in both demand and price.
“Historically, we tighten our belts around this time, but we should start seeing the market become more active around August with schools starting earlier and the local deals winding down. We’re about to see a big increase in demand,” Jason Lathos of Church Brothers mentioned. “With the big storm that happened last week in this area, we’re already anticipating an increase in the market.”
According to the USDA as of July 22, iceberg lettuce out of Salinas-Watsonville, CA is priced at $7.00 to $10.55 for 24s and $5.50 to $8.55 for 30s.
“The market has been good ever since we started Salinas lettuce in the spring,” Peter Georgalos for D’Arrigo Brothers says. “Prices are down right now but now is a great time for retailers to focus on promotions. We’re only about halfway through our 7 and a half to 8 month Salinas deal.”
In May, we had reported on a lettuce gap that created both a tight market and higher prices for lettuce out of Salinas. The market for lettuce has been very active from May through the beginning of July, Salinas growers have mentioned, only softening this month due to competition from local crops. It seems that while that pricing has cooled down for the most part in July, we’re on schedule to expect it to come back up soon.
“This is something we’re used to and that we prepare for,” John Georgalos of Tanimura & Antle tells me about the current summer markets. “Right now demand for West Coast Lettuce has tapered off due to competition from homegrown areas. Although West Coast acreage is reduced this time of year, it's a perfect time to promote as supplies are very consistent due to our summer weather."
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to follow the lettuce market into August and beyond.
SALINAS, CA - Bill Munger is making moves this year as the produce veteran makes the transition to Executive Vice President of Salinas, California-based GreenGate Fresh, LLLP. In Bill’s new role, the new EVP will focus on driving sales in collaboration with GreenGate’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Jay Iverson.
“I am thrilled to join the GreenGate team,” Bill said. “GreenGate has experienced incredible growth and I look forward to being part of its continued success.”
With more than 31 years in the produce industry under his belt, Bill brings a wealth of knowledge to his role, working with companies such as Duda Farm Fresh Foods and, most recently, as President and CEO of Scottsdale, AZ-based Amerifresh, Inc.
GreenGate provides premium fresh-cut produce to the foodservice industry, according to a press release, from its locations in Yuma, Arizona and Salinas, California.
Congrats Bill, on joining the GreenGate team!
DAVIS, CA - The University of California, Davis’, Postharvest Technology Center is celebrating its 20th year of Fresh-cut Workshops by doing something a little different.
Dr. Marita Cantwell, a faculty member in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis and Convener of the workshops since its inception, took the time to tell me about how the department is changing things up to mark this milestone.
“We have been conducting workshops every year in September, doing three-day workshops on fresh-cut produce, and this is our twentieth year of doing that,” Dr. Cantwell tells me. “As part of that we have aligned ourselves with International Societies for Horticultural Science (ISHS) to put together this international conference for fresh cut produce.”
As a way of broadening what is presented and bringing more focus to matters that would interest those involved in the produce industry, this year’s three-day workshop will have several keynote speakers focusing on main topics like:
- Quality & Product Development
- Temperature & Handling Logistics
- Preparation & Processing
- Packaging & Modified Atmospheres
- Food Safety & Sanitation
- Marketing & Consumer Acceptance
“We have a more international group of speakers, each bringing their own specific expertise,” Dr. Cantwell said. “It is a research conference while still trying to provide good coverage of those topics.”
The Fresh-cut Workshops began in 1995 when fresh-cut products started to become an important component of the industry, she tells me, explaining that there was a need for research and clarification when it came to fresh-cut products as they began to really take off.
“There was a lot that we and the industry did not know about the sanitation, packaging, marketing demands, and things like that. Things we did not at one time have answers to have become more clear throughout the years.”
Now it is a tradition to bring current research and information to the forefront of industry eyes. This year’s larger workshop will attract a number of industry participants from all over, and aside from “Cutting Edge” talks from keynote speakers, will offer an academic panel comprised of foodservice operators, retailers, and researchers who will discuss how research can work more efficiently with the industry in terms of trying to resolve issues, as well as an optional post-workshop technical tour in Salinas, California.
“We really have a terrific core of keynote speakers who are going to cover many topics of interest to the industry both here and internationally,” Dr. Cantwell said.
The workshop and conference will take place at the UC Davis Conference Center September 13th-16th, with the optional post-conference technical tour on September 17th-18th. Due to several attendees not being local, the deadline to register as an attendee or a presenter has been postponed to July 31st. Anyone interested in attending will want to sign up soon, as capacity is limited and late registration fees begin on August 1st.
CARPINTERIA, CA - We are now in the mid weeks of summer, and Westland Produce Inc. is seeing rapid growth of its hydroponic living lettuce crop. Though the company grows year-round, this is the time of long daylight hours that the produce responds to.
David Van Wingerden and his father Jerry Van Wingerden are the most recent of 15 generations of growers spanning from California to Holland. David, President of Westland Produce, Inc., took the time to tell me how this company made the leap from floral to produce, and eventually a vested interest in hydroponic growing.
“Hydroponic vegetables is a growing category with a hot market,” David tells me, explaining that the family decided to diversify its crop by going into produce, and has been growing hydroponically in California for over 20 years. “Hydroponic lettuce is a very sustainable, high quality and high value item. It’s absolutely worth it.”
Hydroponic growing means that the lettuce spends its entire lifecycle in the water. At Westland in particular, the lettuce is grown directly on top of a 12 inch water bath, which David tells me is a method the company chose in order to grow higher quality produce at a reasonable cost. Now, residing in California, the first thing I can’t help but say is that this sounds like an awful lot of water.
The answer was surprising.
“While some water is used to fill the baths initially, on a regular basis we're only using about one-and-a-half feet of water, per acre, per year,” David said. In fact, because of the lack of soil and controlled environment, the only water used is that which goes directly into the plants.
The result? According to David, Westland is able to use over 80 percent less water and fertilizer than outdoor farms, while producing about 15 to 20 times more lettuce, per acre, per year. With daily monitoring of fertilizer and water, as well as testing for any possible water contaminants and regular disinfecting, the company is able to ensure the plants grow in a safe and healthy environment.
David also explained that because the living lettuce is grown in water instead of soil, it doesn’t have to struggle for its nutrients. “In my opinion, this is what yields higher quality vegetables,” he tells me. “The plant is able to uptake more nutrients with less work.”
As for my burning curiosity about the drought, David laughs at my hesitation. “The drought is a funny question, because growing hydroponically, we have always conserved and recycled water."
Though Westland grows year-round with steady production and pricing, right now is the high time for the lettuce growth rate. With long sunny days providing maximum nutrients and growth, David said that Westland is seeing anywhere from three to four weeks from transplant to harvest, as opposed to the five to six weeks it would see in the winter time.
Right now the company produces:
- Butter lettuce
- 3-in-1 medley of green, red oak, and red leaf
- Red butter lettuce
- Upland Cress
“Between all those we produce about 1.2 million heads per acre, per year,” David said, and with various packaging options available to keep prices both competitive and affordable. “Hydroponic tends to be a bit more expensive, but also better quality, nutrition, and yield.”
Westland offers traditional clamshell packaging, as well as bulk lettuce for foodservice. Everything is sold with the roots still attached in order to prolong shelf life to about three to four weeks, with orders now available.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Tanimura & Antle has been recognized for its partnership and collaboration with two-year partner Produce Mom this week by receiving the 2015 Produce Mom Partner of the Year.
“Tanimura & Antle takes great pride in being one of the senior members of The Produce Mom Family of Partners,” Caitlin Antle Wilson, Sales and Marketing Director for T&A, said in a press release. “The Produce Mom is a trailblazing brand for the produce industry. We are honored to be recognized as the 2015 Produce Mom Partner of the Year!”
The announcement was made during The Produce Mom® annual meeting, an invitation-only event that took place Monday, July 20th, at the Indianapolis Colts Complex.
“If I had to pick one word to describe 2015 for The Produce Mom, it would be progression,” Lori Taylor, Founder of The Produce Mom, stated in her announcement, according to the release, before naming T&A for the title. “One of the most progressive moments of my career and this brand’s development was in February when I served as the keynote speaker at the Southwest Ag Summit in Yuma, Arizona. Caitlin Antle Wilson, along with other members of the T&A employee family, recommended me for that role.”
T&A joined The Produce Mom Family of Partners, having worked together on a number of projects including:
- Eight social media campaigns
- Four live television cooking segments
- Two social responsibility campaigns
- Two farm tours
Previous recipient for the Partner of the Year title include Sage Fruit Company and NatureFresh™ Farms.
According to the release, over fifty representatives of various industries were in attendance this year, including fresh produce, education, healthcare, not-for-profit, media, and professional sports. In addition to the announcement of Partner of the Year, guests received an encore presentation of the Find Your Favorite® School Show, performed by the Indianapolis Colts’ Mascot & guest-starring Colts players, as well as Olympic Gold Medalists and other professional athletes.
JUPITER, FL - Locus Traxx Worldwide has announced that Lorraine Woods will be promoted to Vice President of Finance, Accounting and Human Resources.
“Lorraine is quite simply the “go-to” person at Locus Traxx Worldwide, has knowledge and experience within all areas of the company and is a very well-respected leader within the company,” said Will Ater, Chief Financial Officer.
Lorraine has been what the company calls the "backbone" of Locus Traxx Worldwide’s Accounting and Human Resources team. Serving the company for the past six years, her leadership in Accounting, HR, and Operations and her strong dedication to the company and its customers will now continue under her new role as Vice President of Finance, Accounting and Human Resources.
David Benjamin, Locus Traxx Worldwide CEO and President, has relied on Woods for her loyalty and dedication to the success of Locus Traxx Worldwide, noting in a press release, “Lorraine has been an integral part of the success of Locus Traxx and it is a pleasure to know and work with Lorraine, she has an incredible work ethic and wonderful attitude.”
Woods started her career with Locus Traxx Worldwide as a general accountant and quickly became an integral person in the Accounting department. Later, Woods moved into the role of Director of Accounting and added the responsibility for leading the Human Resources department for the company.
CALIFORNIA - Though he may be young at just 31 years of age, Patrick Malley has already solidified himself as an accomplished horticulturist in his home country of New Zealand.
After winning a slew of growers' awards in 2014 including New Zealand Young Grower of the Year and NZ Young Fruit Grower of the Year, it was almost natural that Malley would achieve the prestigious recognition of 2015 New Zealand Young Horticulturist of the Year as well. As part of Malley’s award, he was offered a trip to the United States New Zealand Young Horticulturist of the Year where Giumarra and its Nature’s Partner team hosted the grower during his stay.
Having had the opportunity now to tour Giumarra’s stone fruit orchards in Reedley, visit the berry test field in Watsonville, and toured both kiwifruit grower and avocado growers, AndNowUKnow had to ask the accomplished young grower just what insights he’s gathered on his tour through the heart of California’s growing regions.
“When I was first at school, I was interested in horticulture, as my parents were running an apple and pear orchard in the Hawkes Bay region of New Zealand at the time. While eventually I drifted over into a focus on business and journalism, I missed having the ability to work outside and was called back into the field of feeding people,” Malley tells me. “People will always need to eat and I think it’s important to make younger people passionate about working for such an important industry.”
Coming to the United States and seeing the depth of the horticulture industry in California has made quite an impression on Malley, he says. Especially when it comes to how growers are working to overcome the state’s pressing drought conditions.
“Part of the reason I really wanted to come to the United States is to experience what the drought here was like and to learn more about it by speaking with these growers. It’s amazing how strong the industry here is,” Malley adds. “When we have droughts in New Zealand we typically only go two months without water, but here, every grower has to be engaged with the issue. Everyone is working together to figure out how to help.”
While Malley tells me he’s passionate about all aspects of the horticulture industry, he says his biggest focus is on how he can help motivate other young people to get involved as well.
“This industry suffers from such an age gap, we need to encourage younger people to join the industry through universities our universities. In New Zealand, we have Polytechnics colleges that offer aspiring growers more opportunities, but there is always room to do more,” Malley includes.
Now on the tail end of his adventures in the United States, I had to ask the ambitious grower, what’s next on the agenda?
“I now want to go back home and continue to apply everything I’ve learned here, particularly technology and innovation. I want to help bring technology back down to the grower level. There is plenty of tech involved in distribution and retail, but I want to bring it back to the packhouse,” Malley says. “It’s impressive to everything that Giumarra does and the entirety of its operation. The company has hosted me for so many great opportunities here in California, and for that I’m very grateful.”
After speaking with Malley, it's clear to me this isn’t the last we’ll hear from this horticulturist. All of us at AndNowUKnow can’t wait to see what he’ll bring to the table in the future.