LEAMINGTON, ON - TopLine Farms’ Specialty Greenhouse fruits and veggies are officially verified as non-GMO.
“This reaffirms our commitment to providing fresh, naturally healthy, high quality produce for all to enjoy,” the company stated in a press release. “Our goal and mission is to help promote a balanced lifestyle by providing people with high quality products that enhance their quality of life through safe and healthy food choices.”
The official verification for the Non-GMO Project, according to the company, gives its consumers peace of mind when shopping for and purchasing its greenhouse-grown produce.
According to its website, TopLine Farms has been continuously enhancing all aspects of its Food Safety Management System since the 1998 development of the On-Farm Food Safety Program.
“Our Food Safety Management System involves a systematic risk assessment of potential food safety hazards throughout all stages of the food chain,” the company states.
Among these systematic assessments, the implementation of control strategies, and now GMO-free verification, TopLine Farms also encourages its consumers to continue with the proper food safety precautions it ensures “from farm to table” by doing so as they prepare, cook, and store their fresh foods at home.
GRAND JUNCTION, MI - “First Pick” is a significant ceremony for Michigan’s blueberry season, which Naturipe Farms says is about to launch into full swing.
According to a press release, local growers are working long hours to ensure that the blueberries are picked, packed and available to consumers, retailers, restaurants, and food manufacturers, both locally and throughout the country.
“These berries will reach markets such as Hong Kong and will demonstrate the demand for our high quality products at a time when export is also a key economic driver for all of us in Michigan,” Larry Ensfield, President & CEO of MBG Marketing, said in the release. MBG is a grower-owned cooperative and a founding partner of Naturipe Farms, which manages the sales, marketing and distribution of the co-op’s blueberries.
Even South Haven, Michigan, Mayor Bob Burr was present to help the ceremonial “First Pick” kick off, visiting both Ensfield at MBG and Chris Hodgman of Hodgman Blueberry Plantation.
“I am pleased to come to the MBG blueberry fields again to participate in the ceremonial “First Pick," signifying that our Michigan blueberries are on the way to consumers throughout the country as well as to key export markets around the globe,” the Mayor stated. “The family owned blueberry farms in this part of Michigan have been a key part of our economic and community development for many generations.”
Hodgman, a third generation blueberry grower-member of MBG, said that the past two winters have put some stress on Michigan’s fruit crops, including his own, but that his family has been growing blueberries for 85-years and they always find a way to produce a good crop come July.
Ensfield, who knows well the challenges Michigan blueberry growers face, agreed, saying that it requires a tremendous amount of coordination between the growers, harvesting crews, Naturipe and MBG sales and support teams, and all other aspects of the team to keep it thriving, adding, “Somehow we manage to get it all done – every year!”
According to Naturipe, the state continues to rank amongst the top states in highbush blueberry production, with growers expected to produce nearly 90 million pounds of blueberries in 2015 for fresh and frozen markets.
SALINAS, CA – Church Brothers is enacting a new program to reduce water and farm waste, while also incorporating a growing produce trend.
“The trend is going viral in the foodservice sector due to the Compass Group helping tell the #IDP story and build awareness with restaurant operators, chefs and consumers,” Vince Ballesteros, Church Brothers’ VP of Business Development, said in a press release. “We are seeing more support and requests for these edible and nutritious fresh produce items and we’re working with our distribution partners to make the introduction and implementation of these products is successful."
Aptly named #ImperfectVeg, Church Brothers is looking to sell fresh produce that, though still perfectly edible, previously would have either been thrown away or not harvested at all because it did not meet the industry standards for cosmetic attributes.
“It’s a win-win for all involved,” Kori Tuggle, VP of Marketing, said in the release, stating that this rapidly growing trend is a gift to the produce industry. “Growers, foodservice operators and chefs benefit from the halo effect of the product’s story, and consumers want to do their part in helping reduce food waste and eat vegetables that use less water to grow.”
According to the company, the items included in the #ImperfectVeg program will be:
- Direct field-packed Romaine leaves and cauliflower
- Value-added Broccoli fines
- A by-product of florets and second crop baby kale
- Baby chard
- Clip spinach
“We are starting with a small number of items to trial first with the direction of Compass Group,” Ballesteros said. “Once we receive feedback, we will evaluate where there is opportunity to improve and expand the product list.”
Tuggle added that #ImperfectVeg could be more acceptable with the foodservice sector if the company can educate chefs on what they are receiving because consumers choose off a menu description instead of with their eyes on the retail side of purchase.
According to Church Brothers, its #ImperfectVeg product line will be on display at the PMA Foodservice Expo in booth #23.
NOGALES, AZ - Tomato and bell pepper expert Javier Gonzalez is rejoining Del Campo as a Sales Representative, effective today, July 6th, 2015.
Gonzalez will be responsible for bringing in new accounts as Del Campo aims to expand and grow its business, according to a press release.
Diego Ley, General Manager, Del Campo Supreme, praised Gonzalez for his talent in sales and key account management.
“We are pleased to have Javier back at Del Campo and believe he will be a great addition to our current sales force,” said Diego Ley, General Manager, Del Campo Supreme. “Javier is energetic and focused and brings with him vast experience in sales and key account management.”
Jimmy Munguia, Sales Manager, commented, “Our priority is to ensure we provide the best service to our customers year round. Our sales group has done a tremendous job and Javier will be another great asset to our group.”
Gonzalez, who was previously employed at Del Campo for over three years, will be working out of the Nogales, AZ facility.
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - Minnesota-based company, J&J Distributing, has some big changes to announce today. Stephanie Hannigan Melstrom has been promoted as the company’s newest President, taking over the role from current President and CEO James Hannigan.
Melstrom has worked with J&J Distributing for twenty-five years and occupied a variety of roles. Most recently she served as Executive Vice President of Cuttin’ Time Productions, the companies’ processing division.
Co-Founder James Hannigan, will remain at J&J Distributing in the role of CEO, while former COO and Co-Founder Deborah Hannigan remains as Chair of the Board of Directors, according to a press release.
The company, founded in 1978, now has a full range of conventional, organic, and value-added fresh and dried products.
PROVIDENCE, RI - United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) Chief Financial Officer Mark Shamber has announced the company’s intent to seek acquisitions and build out its fresh food distribution business.
According to TheStreet.com, Shamber spoke on the matter at a recent consumer conference in New York, saying that consumers are not only demanding products with fewer artificial ingredients, they are also shopping for fresher foods.
UNFI is seeking to expand upon its currently owned fresh foods distributors Tony’s Fine Foods and Albert’s Organics. The company bought distributor Tony’s Fine Foods last year for about $195 million, giving UNFI access to both meat and cheese distribution in the western United States. Albert’s Organics, the company's first fresh food business, delivers organic produce and has distribution centers in North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Colorado, and California.
Current distributor's for UNFI include:
Shamber noted that while it would be difficult for the company to build those businesses in other areas organically or from scratch, it would be easier for UNFI to acquire companies with trucks and distribution centers already in place. Shamber declined to comment on which companies could be targets for UNFI right now, but did mention that companies with the attributes of Four Seasons, which, according to TheStreet.com, generates over several hundred million dollars in revenue based on the size of its fleet, would be attractive candidates.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow has we continue to follow UNFI’s future acquisitions for this developing story.
UNITED STATES - While you spent the 4th of July weekend enjoying your avocados with chips and on burgers, Miley Cyrus one-upped you all by memorializing the fruit permanently on her body. Behold: Miley Cyrus’ avocado tattoo.
This isn’t the first time Miley has professed her love for fruits and veggies publicly either. The former Hannah Montana star and current cultural phenomenon recently announced her decision to become vegan and was also voted 2015’s Sexiest Vegetarian by PETA. Other stars like Beyoncé, Jessica Alba, and Kim Kardashian have also made big, produce-centric announcements this year, putting fruits and veggies at a higher profile than ever before.
This may be just the latest move by a celeb to make produce cool, but you have to admire Cyrus’ commitment to this permanent statement of love. Have you ever loved produce so much that you considered becoming a human billboard for it? Fortunately, you can now look as rebellious and cool as Miley Cyrus without making your grandmother cringe with temporary vegetable tattoos. Jenna Weiler, a farmer and food entrepreneur from Michigan started Tater Tats, a temporary vegetable tattoo business so you can show the world how much you love your produce without permanently altering your body.
"Ideally these tats would be a fun way to make vegetables cool," Weiler recently told NPR. “So us food lovers can proclaim, 'I'm proud to love eggplant!'"
Will Miley inspire you make the jump to ink? I hope to see each and every one of you industry members pulling a Miley and sporting your own fruit and veggie tattoos at the next produce show.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA - Hortau, Inc. has added a new capability to its repertoire with a focus on helping growers comply with the water usage and regulations.
According to a press release, the irrigation system and tech company now offers a flow rate monitoring capability for water. This allows growers to document data via a cellular network, have insight into the performance of their pumps and/or wells, and set alarms and notifications in relation to their system’s flow rate.
With the current drought taking place in California, and the tight water regulations the growers in the state will soon be expected to comply with, there is no such thing as too much knowledge when it comes to water flow and use.
As we previously reported, Hortau has a soil tension monitoring system that allows you to see how hard crops are working for their water. This helps growers both cut back on water use in the cases of over-watering, and improve plant viability for those that are working to hard to glean moisture from the soil.
“Hortau provides the most comprehensive and technically advanced real-time irrigation management platform on the market,” the company stated in a press release. It does so via both proprietary cloud-based data management and analysis software and real time flow meter readings.
Recently, the company was praised by Forbes Magazine’s Aaron Tilley as a tool to help combat the drought, and also partnered with Advantage Capital Agribusiness Partners, LP, who stated that the company provides growers with a tremendous value proposition in terms of both crop yield improvements and water conservation.
With a drought that continues to break numerous heat records, this could be a good avenue of technology to keep top of mind.
SANTA ANA, CA - Calavo Growers is introducing a few more items to its line of innovative avocado products, this time with two new avocado based salsas. With new flavors like Sweet and Spicy with Mango, and a Cilantro Lime, the avocado-based salsas are sure to get some consumer attention.
Not quite guacamole and not quite a traditional salsa, the thinner consistency of these products make them more like a condiment or a spread, Rick Joyal, National Sales Manager at Calavo tells me.
When I ask Rick what helps differentiate this from other competitors' products, he tells me, “Right now there are no similar items to these avocado salsas. We have no competition in this arena and nobody else is really doing it on a mass scale yet. Consumers now are constantly looking for new product offerings, and this satisfies that.”
Because consumers normally associate avocados with guacamole and chips, these products are reaching a more adventurous type of eater. This product capitalizes on the recent rise of the avocado trend, Rick adds, while also offering a new use as a condiment, in salads, wraps, and pitas, and more.
“These products are also exciting because they are all-natural and non-GMO certified, which are now hot button issues,” says Rick. ”People don’t want additives, so we’ve also achieved a 96-day shelf life using all-natural ultra high pressure processing that keeps the product raw and maintains the nutrients.”
Calavo says that retailers can sell these best in both the deli and with the condiments. Cross-merchandising possibilities for these salsas are endless, being a great accompaniment for things like chips, celery, carrots, process fruits, crackers, pitas, and more. The packages come in 6/12 oz pack sizes, making them great for quick rotation through the grocery store.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we take closer looks at all of Calavo’s latest product offerings.
DUBLIN, CA - “Right now there are literally millions and millions of consumers looking for better and tastier options when it comes to eating healthy,” Steven Muro, President of Fusion Marketing, tells me. “We should take advantage of this great opportunity to increase mushroom consumption and sales.”
Sounds like a win-win to me, and as the Mushroom Council’s latest initiatives in The Blend project take root, Steven Muro and his team at Fusion Marketing are jumping on board to promote the latest food trends that tap into the versatility of mushrooms.
“The Blend is essentially a way for consumers to swap out ground protein, with up to 50 percent more mushrooms,” Steven notes, continuing that mushrooms provide an umami-rich experience to enhance the healthy eating quota in some of America’s most iconic foods.
Umami, for those unfamiliar with the term, has been a recent addition to the four basic tastes - salty, sweet, sour, and bitter - that we have traditionally come to know. Umami can be found naturally in many vegetables and proteins, especially mushrooms, and can be described as a savory combination of flavors. When literally translated, Umami means “deliciousness,” according to Umamiinfo.
For those looking to truly evolve their programs to utilize this new concept, the Mushroom Council is offering POS merchandising solutions for retailers and foodservice companies. Blend burgers, Blend taco mix, Blend meatloaf, Blend meatballs and Blend lasagna are all value-added items that are attractive to consumers and are a real plus for the bottom line, Steven notes.
“Mushrooms and ground meat blend seamlessly and they have a texture that blends naturally with everything from ground beef and turkey to chicken and pork. This also adds an extra serving of vegetables to the plate,” he continues.
Currently, The Blend is in its third year of growth and is continuing to build, and support, some of the latest food trends.
“The way food trends can develop are through collaborations with culinary chefs who work closely with groups like the Mushroom Council,” Steven notes. “By developing flavors and recipes that differentiate their menus, food profiles can take hold and spread into larger foodservice and retail trends.”
The Blend trend has naturally progressed to schools and universities as well, and is now available for consumers to try out at home through recent retail partnerships.
“While consumers may want eat healthier, they also do not want to give up those iconic foods like burgers, tacos and meatloaf,” Steven says. “With The Blend, consumers can see double-digit reduction in calories and fat, saturated fats, and in cost as well.”
The Mushroom Council recently partnered with the Beef Checkoff to highlight and promote its “star of the summer”- the Muenster Stuffed Veal Mushroom Burger. This new summer retail partnership is designed to raise consumer awareness (and hunger) for mushroom blends, especially when it comes to the grill. 
Incorporating the Mushroom Council’s Blend model by mixing finely diced mushrooms into ground veal patties, the Muenster Stuffed Veal Mushroom Burger was developed by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and is meant to be grilled and topped with sautéed mushrooms for an extra serving of vegetables, vitamins and nutrients.
“For the retailer, there is a great opportunity to jump on the bandwagon to promote some of our favorite foods while also serving produce,” Steven tells me. “Our goal is to integrate this program across multiple departments from deli and prepared foods to the meat section and possibly even in produce.”
The Mushroom Council is in the launch phase at retail and is offering retail support, merchandising solutions, recipes, kits for dieticians and more, for companies who want to offer The Blend in stores and at the table. For more information, visit www.MushroomsAtRetail.com and www.MushroomInfo.com.