NEWARK, DE - The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) has announced the launch of its Eating by Example program, designed to increase produce consumption by starting within the produce industry. Six passionate produce professionals, including Caitlin Antle Wilson of Tanimura & Antle, Matt Mandel of SunFed, Cassie Howard of Sunkist Growers, and the rest of the Produce Marketing Association Foundation Emerging Leaders Program graduates, are leading the charge for this industry-focused program.
Eating by Example encourages industry members to pledge to do just that – eat by example, and it’s easy to sign on. Visit www.pma.com/eatingbyexample and add your name and company. No registration fees or check-ins!
“We all know how wonderful produce is: Its diverse flavors, exciting applications, and fun colors make it unique. As produce people we are fortunate to work with it for a living. And as such, we lead the charge to make sure everybody enjoys great tasting fruit and veggies every single day,” PMA shared on its website. “We propose an important part of increasing produce consumption is leading – in this case eating – by example! We have the opportunity and the power to show everybody how it’s done. So let us all, as produce businesses, come together and lead the way.”
PMA wants to show everyone that this industry walks its talk. Share the message using #EatingByExample in your social media feeds.
“I congratulate these six industry members for seeing an opportunity and bringing it to us—a program for members, from members. Check out the website to learn more about them and how they transformed an idea into an action,” said Bryan Silbermann, Chief Executive Officer of PMA.
Also involved in Eating by Example are three equally passionate fresh produce professionals and proud PMA Foundation Emerging Leaders Program graduates: Elena Hernandez of Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Kathleen Elliott of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and Kim Saxer of Monsanto Company.
So sign up and start sharing your love for increasing produce consumption with #EatingByExample!
DELTA, B.C. - Village Farms International, in partnership with the Swedish Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, is funding a study on the capturing of carbon dioxide from landfill gas.
“Once again as a company Village Farms has aligned itself to be on the forefront of clean technology,” Michael A. DeGiglio, President & CEO for Village Farms, said about the project, according to a press release. "We are pleased to be a part of this initiative with the potential for far reaching positive impacts not only for business but for people and the environment.”
The study, according to the company, will be conducted at a local sustainability consultancy firm called Hallbar Consulting, and will look at the feasibility of driving the greatest possible value from Vancouver’s landfill gas through the capturing and use of available carbon dioxide in the Village Farms’ greenhouses in Delta, B.C.
The Swedish Institute the company is teaming up with is reportedly a world-leading applied research and development institute, and the project itself has gained the support of the Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C. (IAF), providing adaptation funding by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Other providers include:
- The B.C. Greenhouse Growers Association
- B.C. Food Processors Association
- Air Liquide
“We are proud to support this ambitious and innovative initiative,” Ken Bates, IAF Chair and a crop and dairy producer in Delta, said in the release. “As farmers we know the value of reducing or re-purposing waste and we congratulate Village Farms as they help create value for BC agriculture while enhancing environmental impacts.”
According to Village Farms, the potential for capturing and using carbon dioxide from Vancouver’s landfill gas would provide long-term cleaner air benefits for the region and its inhabitants, while also helping to position Vancouver as one of the greenest cities in the world. Should the study yield positive results, the capturing and utilizing of carbon dioxide reportedly could be of great benefit to Village Farms, and potentially other local greenhouses, plus food and beverage processing businesses in the B.C. area that use carbon dioxide.
The company reportedly hopes local food and beverage processing companies will have the opportunity to purchase locally-made, renewable carbon dioxide, reducing the importation of carbon dioxide into B.C.’s Lower Mainland.
OAK BROOK, IL - McDonald’s has announced they will be shuttering 700 locations in total for 2015 during a period of falling sales and stock prices for the company.
As we’ve previously reported, the credit agency Standard & Poor’s downgraded its rating on McDonald’s from ‘A’ to ‘A-’, and McDonald’s shares were down to 1.7% at $96.13 after the fast-food chain unveiled its turnaround strategy. According to the Washington Post, most stores have seen plummeting customer attendance for the past two years. The Post reports that in the first three months of the year, sales fell about 3 percent and profit fell 32 percent.
McDonald’s has been trying to change its image to keep up with options that are perceived to be healthier, such as Chipotle and Panera, even recently adding kale to the menu in its Southern California locations. But could McDonald’s business trouble actually be because the company is TOO healthy? Some analysts are saying the real problem with the company’s menu is that its in “health limbo”: Neither healthy enough, nor indulgent enough to get customers in its doors.
“The hot stocks have been the ones that I do not look at and say those are the healthy options. The ones that have done well are the triple burger beef things with the six pounds of bacon on it.” Brian Sullivan of CNBC said. “I wonder if McDonald’s is losing share because it is not unhealthy enough.”
Jack in the Box has released items like the nacho cheese and jalapeño popper packed “Hella-Peño” burger and chicken nuggets smothered in cheese and bacon, but the companies stocks have also almost doubled over the past year, from 55 points in May 2014, to over 99 points in March, according to Google Finance.
Google Finance also reports that Taco Bell’s Yum! Brands stock has also risen from 75 points in May of last year, to 93 points this week, amidst product launches like the Sriracha Quesarito, a burrito-quesadilla hybrid covered in hot sauce, and Captain Crunch doughnut holes filled with milk-flavored icing.
These menu items are being marketed towards people who are not concerned with the health of the product, but the taste.
“At the end of the day, for these restaurant chains, it’s got to come down to craveable food,” said Bob Derrington, Senior Restaurant Analyst for Wunderlich Securities. “Value and convenience is what [McDonald’s] does best, but whenever they stray into premium, it typically doesn’t work very well.”
So keep an eye out, you may start seeing that new kale salad coverered in nacho cheese.
PLEASANTON, CA - Safeway is closing the doors on two more locations, this time in Arizona.
As we previously reported, the retailer just announced a couple of weeks ago that it is shuttering nine Denver stores, citing that the stores were not profitable.
Now, according to a Phoenix Business Journal Report, the company is moving on to two stores in separate cities surrounding the Phoenix area, one in Peoria and another in Globe, though reasons for this closure have yet to be released.
Right now the company’s priority is reportedly to place employees impacted by the move at other stores nearby. Some 94 jobs will be lost when the stores are permanently closed some time next month. The layoffs were reported to the state of Arizona.
This adds yet another change up to the Phoenix, Arizona, grocery scene where Safeway is concerned, as the stores in the area that the company sold to Haggen are expected to be converted this month as well.
Keep checking in with AndNowUKnow as we continue to follow and report on what continues to influence the industry.
CHARLOTTE, NC - Chiquita Brands has announced its Q1 2015 financial results, citing a 5 percent drop in sales. The company has also said it will lay off 300 workers in Latin America, according to The Charlotte Observer.
As we’ve previously reported, Chiquita agreed to a $682 million merger agreement with Cutrale/Safra near the end of 2014. Now, losses more than doubled for the company in the first quarter to $64.6 million, compared with $24.6 million during the same quarter last year.
The Charlotte Observer reports that the company paid out up to $5 million in severance payments to the workers that were laid off in Latin America, and incurred $48 million in legal and advisory fees in connection with a proposed merger with Irish produce company Fyffes.
Another factor that could be affecting Chiquita’s Q1 losses is the relocation of Chiquita’s headquarters from Charlotte. As we previously reported, Chiquita was promised about $22 million worth of state and local incentives to locate its headquarters in Charlotte in 2011 on the condition that the company would stay there for at least 10 years. Now there are reports that this could cost the company up to $40 million.
Stay tuned as AndNowUKnow continues its coverage on the latest industry financial news.
SALINAS, CA - With the help of D’Arrigo Bros. and many more supporters, the Publix Produce for Kids campaign has reached the $2.5 million mark for donations to benefit children's charities.
“D’Arrigo is a proud sponsor of the Produce for Kids campaign which brings the produce industry together to educate consumers about healthy eating with fresh produce and raises funds for local children’s non-profit organizations,” Claudia Pizarro-Villalobos, Marketing and Culinary Manager for D’Arrigo, tells me.
The Publix Produce for Kids Campaign will take place from May 28, through July 1, 2015. This year, the funds raised will be designated to Feeding America.
“Our veggie focus this year is Broccoli – and the campaign includes online marketing, recipes, in-store signage, and social media outreach that are kid friendly to increase vegetable consumption,” Claudia continued.
You can see some of these kid-friendly recipes below:
Broccoli Tater Tots
To see the Broccoli Tater Tots recipe, click here.
Broccoli Cheddar Quiche Muffins
To see the Broccoli Cheddar Quiche Muffins recipe, click here.
Mac and Cheese Muffins
To see the Mac and Cheese Muffins recipe, click here.
Stay tuned as AndNowUKnow continues to report how the fresh produce industry is making a difference.
NOGALES, AZ - Officers of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a load containing 128 bales of marijuana, wrapped and shaped to appear as a watermelon shipment.
According to a Nogales International report, the 1,455 pounds of illegal drugs is estimated to be worth nearly $728,000. Antonio Vasquez-Nolan, age 39, of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, reportedly attempted to drive the load over through the Mariposa Commercial Facility earlier this month in a tractor-trailer when he was stopped by officials.
“The level of expertise of our people is second to none,” Guadalupe Ramirez, Director of the Nogales Port said, according to the Nogales International. “Although our men and women at the Port of Nogales are equipped with the latest technology to help prevent illicit cargo from getting past us, it’s their attention to detail that produces results.”
The squad was reportedly alerted by a narcotics detection canine, prompting them to stop Nolan and check his cargo. Nolan was then reportedly referred to federal investigators while his truck and all it carried were taken into custody.
FRESNO, CA - The California Court of Appeal in Fresno has unanimously declared the Mandatory Mediation and Conciliation (MMC) Statute unconstitutional. This decision dissolves the California Agricultural Labor Relation Board’s order to force a “collective bargaining agreement" on Gerawan Farming.
“This is a significant victory for our employees, our family, and the entire industry. The Court’s ruling vindicates our argument that no state agency should be able to unilaterally impose a contract on workers without a vote or force it on employers without their consent,” said Gerawan’s Co-Owner, Dan Gerawan. “This decision is a significant win for all agricultural workers, who justifiably deserve the freedom to choose representatives to speak for them at the bargaining table.”
As we’ve previously reported, in 2013, Gerawan Farming asked the California Court of Appeal (5th District) in Fresno, CA to review the constitutionality of the MMC statute, which dictates a binding, collective bargaining agreement between an employer and a union.
This new decision holds that the “inequality and arbitrariness of the MMC process” improperly gives legislative authority to an unelected state agency. The Court referred to the MMC as, “the very antithesis of equal protection,” according to a press release. It also said the MMC unconstitutionally mandates “the imposition of a collective bargaining agreement by administrative edict” based on “a distinct, unequal, individualized set of rules” for each individual employer.
Barry Bedwell, President of the California Fresh Fruit Association commented in a press release, “Yesterday’s decision represents an important milestone in the years long effort by Gerawan Farming, Inc. and their employees for justice. We sincerely hope that the logic and reason shown by the 5th District Court of Appeals will lead to like decisions by the ALRB and other courts who are involved in this important issue.”
18 months ago, thousands of Gerawan employees successfully petitioned for the right to hold an election to determine whether to oust the United Farm Workers (UFW), and those ballots have yet to be counted.
Although federal and state labor laws allow unions and employers the freedom to negotiate collective bargaining agreements, the UFW held no negotiations because it had disappeared for twenty years, according to a press release. The court claims that the UFW has refused to explain its absence. Since its re-appearance, the UFW proposed in bargaining sessions that employees be required to pay 3% of their wages to the UFW or be fired, despite the fact that it had done nothing for the employees.
As a result of this decision, Gerawan was awarded its costs of bringing the appeal.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue our coverage on this ongoing issue.
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Village Farms International, Inc. has announced the financial results for its first quarter of the fiscal 2015 year.
According to the report, Chief Executive Officer Michael DeGiglio commented that while the first quarter of 2015 continued the quarter on quarter trend of improved market conditions over previous corresponding year’s quarterly period, the company also experienced historically low light levels throughout the entire first quarter and into the second quarter at its Texas locations.
The tomato price reportedly increased for the three months ending March 31, 2015 as a result of an increase in TOV price of 18%, as well as an increased mix of specialty tomatoes grown by the company.
“The lower light levels were the lowest since the inception of our west Texas operations in 1996,” stated in the report. “Over the first 16 weeks of the year our average light levels were 21% lower than the historical average with some weeks 45% lower. If not for the lower light levels our 2015 first quarter results would have exceeded our expectations.”
The operating results summary, according to the report, for the first quarter of 2015 were:
- (Note amounts in U.S. Dollars) Net sales increased 16% to $27.7 million for the first quarter of 2015 compared to $24.0 million for the first quarter of 2014
- EBITDA increased 96% or $1.0 million to $2.0 million in the first quarter of 2015 compared to $1.0 million in the first quarter of 2014.
- (Loss) per share of ($0.02) for the first quarter of 2015 versus ($0.01) for the first quarter of 2014
- Net (loss) increased ($0.6) million to ($0.9) million in the first quarter of 2015 compared to ($0.3) million in the first quarter of 2014.
“The low light levels continued until the end of April and will negatively impact our second quarter results,” DeGiglio continued, adding that the produce that is normally harvested in the first quarter was delayed and is now being harvested in the second.
According to the report, ample supply currently exists in the marketplace.
The company is also pleased that a US retailer has recently taken one of its new exclusive varieties national under the retailer’s private label, while other retailers are in the process of launching the same variety, as well as additional exclusive products in the coming months.
Another highlight the company noted was its first supplemental lighting investment at its Permian Basin facility. As to looking forward, DeGiglio stated that the company will remain focused on strategic developments and operational enhancements to positively impact its 2015 performance over 2014, as well as to put itself in a position to increase its market share with national retailers in both the U.S. and Canada.
LAKELAND, FL - US Foods is closing a 150,000 square foot distribution center in Lakeland, Florida, due to a “significant loss of business.”
In a memo obtained by the Lakeland Ledger, US Foods Chief Operating Officer Stuart Schuette and Keith Knight, President of the Southern Region, stated, “Lakeland has experienced a significant loss of business and can no longer sustain its current level of operational costs.”
Operations at the warehouse, which is located at 330 N. Ingraham Ave., will be moved to facilities in Tampa and Port Orange, according to the Ledger.
About 150 employees will be affected by the move, but Schuette and Knight state in the memo that “many Lakeland division employees will be provided with the opportunity to follow the Lakeland business.”
“While we cannot guarantee that everyone will be offered a position at another US Foods division, it is our goal to try hard to help everyone find a job,” Schuette and Knight said in the memo.
US Foods and Sysco are currently engaged in antitrust hearings for the proposed merger between the two foodservice companies. As we previously reported, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta has added an extra day to the hearing that was supposed to have ended as of Wednesday, May 13, with closing arguments not to be heard until the end of the month.
US Foods Executive Vice President David Schreibman claimed that the company would not proceed if the legal delays continued, reportedly stating in federal court that it would “terminate if this court enjoins the transaction.” No further comments, however, have yet been made in regards to the delay.