WASHINGTON, D.C. - Madness occurs when First Lady Michelle Obama, Sesame Street star Big Bird, Emmy-nominated comedian Billy Eichner, and the First Lady’s number one fan Elena participate in goofy grocery games, acapella dancing, and street trivia in the name of getting kids to eat healthier.
This is what you will find in the above video in the latest of PMA’s eat brighter! campaign.
“We’re so thrilled to see this unique movement gain support from the industry, and even happier to see their hard work and commitment gain attention from people like the First Lady and Billy Eichner,” Cathy Burns, PMA President, said in a press release. “Our industry has a great responsibility to positively impact eating habits for kids and their families. I firmly believe we’re on that path, making great strides through the creative marketing that the ‘eat brighter!’ initiative brings.”
Sherrie Westin, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Sesame Workshop, added, “At Sesame Street, we’re committed to helping children grow up smarter, stronger, and kinder, and an important part of being stronger is being healthy. We’re proud to be working with PMA and PHA on the eat brighter!™ initiative, and what better way to show kids that eating fruits and vegetables is not only healthy but fun than with Billy Eichner, the First Lady, and Big Bird!”
Michelle Obama actively becomes FLOTUS (First Lady Of The United States) a force to be reckoned with against Big Bird and Elena in the challenges Eichner poses, both pop-culture and produce-based.
Eichner is a loud and dynamic internet personality with a following of over 2 million viewers on the award-winning comedy site Funny or Die, co-founded by comedian and actor Will Ferrell.
It’s a unique marketing strategy. What else but getting kids to find eating fruits and veggies cool could get the First Lady to ditch her high-fashion heels and push a guy in a grocery cart? The same guy that has Big Bird running through New York City streets asking people questions like whether the Apple company counts as a fruit. Whatever it takes, right?
LUBBOCK, TX – The United Family® has announced that Darvel Kirby, Produce Director and longtime team member, is retiring effective Saturday, February 28.
“It has been an honor to be a part of The United Family,” said Kirby, who has been with the company for more than 20 years. “I’m proud of the team we have built over the past several years, which has allowed us to promote from within so we can carry on the operation and positive reputation of The United Family produce department in the future.”
Kirby originally joined The United Family as Produce Supervisor and served as Produce Director for 12 years. The company reported in a press release that during Kirby’s tenure, produce department sales grew by more than 100%.
Joseph Bunting, a 22-year veteran of The United Family, will be promoted from Produce Business Manager to assume the role of Produce Director.
“I am extremely lucky to have worked alongside Darvel, especially as our stores transitioned from the pre-book order system and added our in-house fresh cut produce program,” said Bunting. “This is an exciting opportunity for me, and my goal is to continue the department’s tradition of excellence using the knowledge Darvel passed along to me.”
Bunting, who has already begun his transition into his new role, joined The United Family in 1992 as a sacker at the United Supermarkets store in Abilene, Texas.
VENTURA, CA - LINKFRESH reported the move of its Group CEO Robert Frost from the United Kingdom to California as part of the company’s strategy to further grow and continue to provide for current North and South American clients.
“Given the importance of the North American market I am relocating to the USA in order to be closer to this important and growing market, and to ensure LINKFRESH continues to deliver excellence in terms of service and return on investment to our clients,” Frost said. “I am excited for what the next months and years will bring for LINKFRESH.”
The United Kingdom-based software company designs ERP solutions specifically for the fresh produce and foods industry, moving more prominently into the U.S. market in the last year.
“North America is our most strategic and valuable market and I am thrilled to say that the past 12 months have been fantastic for LINKFRESH, during which time we have welcomed new customers on board, such as Wholesum Harvest and Pacific American Fish Company, to name but two,” Frost said.
According to a press release, Frost will continue to act as Group CEO, overseeing the company’s operations in both the United States and the United Kingdom from his new home base in California. He will be working with consultant and management teams on both continents, as well as with the continued support of the company’s Chief of Operations, Nikki Scarr, who remains in the UK.
CASTROVILLE, CA - Reggie Griffin, industry maven and former Vice President of Produce and Floral at The Kroger Co., is joining the Ocean Mist Farms Board of Directors.
“I am honored to join the Ocean Mist Farms board,” said Griffin. “I’ve worked with the company for several years and have long respected the professional culture and quality of excellence that Ocean Mist Farms delivers. I look forward to moving into a productive future together.”
Bringing more than 40 years of experience to Ocean Mist, Griffin’s wealth of wisdom and industry prowess will no doubt be of great value. In 2011, Griffin retired from The Kroger Co., after having overseen more than $7.0 billion in produce and floral sales for the grocery chain. He has since started a new consulting venture: Reggie Griffin Strategies.
“We are extremely excited about Mr. Griffin’s recent election to the board and look forward to benefitting from his knowledge and expertise in the produce industry,” said Ed Boutonnet, Ocean Mist CEO. “His insight and passion for the business will help guide and direct the future growth of Ocean Mist Farms.”
Griffin is the second outside director to join Ocean Mist Farms’ board, according to a press release. Dr. Roberta Cook of UC Davis was the first.
AndNowUKnow would like to congratulate Reggie Griffin on his election to the Ocean Mist Board!
LOS ALAMITOS, CA – Frieda’s Specialty Produce has three tips for produce departments to make the most of the shoppers that kick-start a new, healthier lifestyle at Lent.
Beefing Up on Plant-based Protein
Meat is one of the first items that observers of Lent give up. Frieda’s recommends stocking up on a selection of meat alternatives like Tofu and Soyrizo™, ready-to-eat Organic Polenta and soy-based meat substitutes like Yves and Lightlife. Also, the produce department should feature protein-rich vegetables like Colored Cauliflower, Edamame, Sunchokes™ and Artichokes along with hearty root vegetables like Celery Root, Baby Carrots and Malanga Lila.
Satisfying the Sweet Tooth
Shoppers often turn to fresh fruits to curtail cravings for the sugary treats that they have given up for Lent. Frieda’s recommends using this time to introduce shoppers to unique and flavorful tropical fruits like Passion Fruits, Zululand Queen Baby Pineapples and Dragon Fruits. The specialty produce company also recommends carrying Young Coconut and juicy citrus like Blood Oranges and Cara Cara Oranges for a great soft drink substitute.
Offering Healthy Snack Options
Instead of not-so-healthy snacks like potato chips, Frieda’s recommends offering easy-to-eat fresh produce like Baby Kiwifruits, Rambutans, Starfruits, Kumquats, Purple Snow Peas, Mini Sweet Peppers and Jicama.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18, and continues through Thursday, April 2. With these tips, Frieda’s is sure to make your produce department a mecca for shoppers seeking healthy and flavorful Lent alternatives.
CASTROVILLE, CA - Ocean Mist Farms is preparing for Spring, the peak season for its heirloom artichokes, specifically the green globe.
The green globe, according to Ocean Mist, is an heirloom artichoke because, “it is a perennial plant that is regrown from original rootstock that dates back as far as the 1924 with Ocean Mist Farms.”
The green globe is one of the original artichoke varieties that Italian immigrants brought to California back in the 1900s and has since been passed down through the 90 years Ocean Mist has been growing.
Referred to by chefs as the “red label,” the company encourages this variety of artichokes for cooking.
Ocean Mist is hosting and providing a variety of activities to support heirloom artichoke sales, including radio advertising, consumer sweepstakes, display and sales contests with partner retailers, and geo-targeted messages to more than 40,000 members of the company’s Artichoke Club.
INDIO, CA – With the completion of DiMare Enterprises’ 331-kW solar panel system in its Indio, California service and distribution center, the company held a ribbon cutting event to usher in the new sustainability initiative.
More than 50 people attended the event, including two prior Mayors and the current Mayor of Indio, Lupe Ramos Watson. Several city officials and state representatives attended as well.
As we previously reported, the new system is made up of 1,068 panels that have been installed on the roofs of DiMare’s packing house and carports, the result of a three month installation process.
AndNowUKnow spoke with DiMare Enterprises CEO, Tom DiMare, about the new solar panel system and all things sustainability.
I asked Tom about what this new solar panel system means to DiMare, and he told me that with this system, “We avoid and mitigate peak load charges. In so doing, we reduce the utility’s peak load burden.” That is good for DiMare and the environment.
This system will produce 544,00 kW hours per year and will help to offset 90% of the company’s cooling load used to pack and store fruit.
This certainly isn’t the end for DiMare in terms of sustainability. Tom added, “We are seeking more ways to reduce energy usage and where we can be more sustainable in other areas of our business. One option that we are looking at is the use of fuel cells.”
When I asked Tom if sustainability is a key aspect of DiMare’s 2015 plans and initiatives, he gave me a resounding yes, saying, “It always has been and always will be. Ag is about sustainability.”
It is clear the DiMare is committed to finding new ways to improve sustainability. Congratulations on the ribbon cutting!
IRVINE, CA – California avocado season is getting going, and the California Avocado Commission (CAC) has announced its new Research Program Director.
Dr. Timothy Spann has returned to the Commission staff and is now taking on this role. Spann, who has a Ph.D. in plant biology from University of California, Davis, served as CAC’s Research Project Manager for two years before becoming an Associate Professor at Fresno State University.
“We’re very pleased to have Tim back on the Commission staff,” said CAC President Tom Bellamore. “He is leading production research activities that support California avocado grower productivity and contribute to delivering premium quality California avocados to the market year after year.”
The Commission also reported a strong opening to California avocado season in support of select California retailers’ Big Game promotions, according to a press release.
“Some crop damage due to cold weather did occur around the New Year, but its impact is expected to be less than five percent of total production,” said Bellamore. “We have been sampling the early season fruit and the appearance and flavor are outstanding.”
California avocado volume is expected to build into March with promotable volume beginning in April. Because of this, CAC has updated its production forecast to 327 million pounds for FY 2014-15.
DELAWARE – Dole Food Inc. CEO David Murdock is now facing a trial over the company’s 2013 privatization.
Bloomberg Business is reporting the Delaware Chancery Judge Travis Laster refused to dismiss a case challenging the privatization that was led by Murdock.
Murdock, members of the Board of Directors, and Deutsche Bank AG, which helped to structure the deal, all sought to have the case thrown out instead of facing the trial.
Bloomberg speculates that Laster must have believed that the Dole deal required greater scrutiny. In his ruling he said that investors raised legitimate questions about how the deal was negotiated by Murdock and if officials of Deutsche Bank AG helped him structure a deal that hurt shareholders.
The judge wrote that investors uncovered evidence that raised doubts about whether Dole Directors “were sufficiently independent from Murdock to bargain with him at arm’s length.”
“Murdock had previously threatened and taken punitive action against Directors who did not accede to his wishes,” Laster added.
The trial is now set for February 23. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest on this developing story.
CANADA - One small step for apples, one giant step for Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF) Incorporated. The company is the developer of Arctic® Apples, which are the first non-browning genetically modified fruit to gain USDA approval for planting and distribution.
"The commercial approval of Arctic® apples, our company's flagship product, is the biggest milestone yet for us, and we can't wait until they're available for consumers," Neal Carter, President and Founder of OSF, said in a press release.
The Canada-based company used biotechnology to suppress the majority of the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in its apples, the agent responsible for the browning that occurs when apple cells are ruptured and can damage the benefits from consumption. It is because of this suppressant that the company doesn’t only believe its product is safe, but actually could be healthier than conventional apples.
“All we’ve done is reduce the expression of a single enzyme,” Carter said. “There are no novel proteins in Arctic® fruit and their nutrition and composition is equivalent to their conventional counterparts.”
With the approval of the USDA, the company is now focusing on working with growers to get Arctic® trees into the ground according to the release. Carter estimates the fruit will begin to be available towards the end of 2016 in small, test-market quantities.