MCALLEN, TX - In a recent development, SiCar Farms announced that its zero-waste standards ensure maximizing crop excellence, while minimizing the impact on the environment. This is due in large part to its sustainable agricultural practices, materials management, agricultural initiatives, and efficiency programs that are focused on food safety, social responsibility, and zero-waste.

“Reducing our ecological footprint is aimed at supporting soil fertility, biological activity, and plant growth,” Luis Gudino, Chief Executive Officer at SiCar Farms, states. “We base our initiatives on the zero-waste philosophy. It is important to SiCar Farms to implement sustainable alternatives that benefit our environment, the economy, and its people.”

SiCar Farms is announcing its commitment to being a completely sustainable company to the industry and the environment, a press release stated. Through research, creation of products, and proactive initiatives, the company is guaranteeing agricultural integrity throughout the planting, growing, and harvesting seasons.

“Sustainable food has been a rising requirement among U.S. consumers,” Gudino, adds. “We have a determined commitment to the environment, sustainability, and processes of developing and implementing initiatives to minimize ecological impact.”

SiCar Farms’ team will be exhibiting the company’s fresh products at Viva Fresh and is ready to discuss their pattern for zero waste at booth #814.

With sustainability top of mind, ANUK will continue bringing you the industry’s latest.

ORLANDO, FL - Empowered women empower. I love this statement from the International Fresh Produce Association’s (IFPA) Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference (WFPC) materials. Potential can thrive inside this idea, one that suggests empowerment can be contagious and a gift—both given and received. In an industry as dynamic, changing, and spirited as ours, empowerment can help us discover more about who we are, help us to learn from our peers and mentors, and find unique ways to add our own value in an ever-evolving space.

Hear from some of our friends about what the conference means to them and why it continues to benefit each attendee.

Sarah Burns, West Coast Merchandising Manager, Stemilt

“I’m looking forward to making new connections and seeing friends in the industry. These industry events always feel a bit like a reunion! The conference is valuable because it provides an opportunity for women to learn and grow their skillset and better equips them for growth in the produce industry.”

Diana McClean, Director of Marketing and Communication, Mission Produce™

“The Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference harnesses what I consider to be the heart of education in the produce industry: creating opportunities to build strong and relevant skills combined with relationship-building across a diverse group of professionals from all walks of life. The curriculum is focused on specific skills and relevant topics to drive both professional growth and industry connections. I love the cross-section of job disciplines that come to this event, and to hear each of these perspectives enriches the experience. There is so much to look forward to! See you all in Orlando.”

Danelle Huber, Senior Marketing Manager, CMI Orchards

"My favorite part of WFPC is it’s a chance to connect with amazing women, share stories, and learn from each other. Plus, the energy is contagious—you leave feeling inspired and ready to take on the world!”

Sharron Barnier, Vice President of Finance, Mucci Farms

"I am very excited to attend the Women’s Conference this year. I have been very fortunate (thanks to Mucci Farms) to attend most, if not all, conferences since its inception a decade ago. I always come away with a new energy and so many insightful things that I want to incorporate into my day-to-day work ethic. I commend the organizers in offering that to me with their motivational speakers and, of course, the influence of all the brave women in produce that attend.”

Elyse Lipman, Chief Executive Officer, Lipman Family Farms

“I'm very much looking forward to participating on the Women In Leadership: Unplugged panel during IFPA's Women's Fresh Perspectives Conference. There have always been women positively impacting the industry, but there’s a notable shift now, with more women assuming leadership roles and contributing to innovation. I'm encouraged that our industry prioritizes these difficult conversations, bringing solutions to the table to allow all women to advance their careers across the produce supply chain."

Thank you, ladies, for your amazing words and wisdom. See you all soon!

WASHINGTON, DC - The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced it has imposed sanctions on four produce businesses in California, Florida, and Texas. The companies were sanctioned for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).

Sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators of the businesses from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA.

Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

• West Central Produce, operating out of Norwalk, California, for failing to pay a $117,277 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Jamie Purcell and Michael P. Dodo were listed as the officers, directors, and/or major stockholders of the business
• Elirey Group, doing business as Hank’s Farmer Market, operating out of Jurupa Valley, California, for failing to pay a $22,137 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Elizabeth Reynoso and Manuel I. Reynoso were listed as the officers, directors, and/or major stockholders of the business
• Peak Seasons Produce, operating out of Miami Lakes, Florida, for failing to pay a $113,834 award in favor of an Oregon seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Justin Daye was listed as the manager of the business
• Avonature, operating out of Houston, Texas, for failing to pay a $29,003 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Cecilia Rodriguez Palomo and Fernando Ochoa Rodriguez were listed as members and managers of the business

PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in USDA’s issuance of a reparation order that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it, as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA approval.

By issuing these penalties, USDA continues to enforce the prompt and full payment for produce while protecting the rights of sellers and buyers in the marketplace.

For contact information and to read the release in its entirety, click here.

DUBLIN - At the beginning of last year, AndNowUKnow relayed the news that Dole plc would be selling its Fresh Vegetables Division to Fresh Express. Now, more updates have come to light regarding the acquisition. Dole plc recently announced that the company and Fresh Express have formed a mutual agreement to terminate the previously announced deal.

This termination is the result of the United States Department of Justice’s (DOJ) decision that it will pursue litigation to prevent the transaction, Dole explained in a recent press release.

“While Dole strongly disagrees with the Department of Justice’s decision and continues to believe that the transaction was pro-competitive and would have unlocked ongoing benefits to customers and consumers, we remain confident that we will have an alternative path forward in the near term that is in the best interests of the Fresh Vegetables Division’s employees, customers, and partners, and the Dole plc shareholders,” the company wrote in the release.

Packaged salad represents $3.2 billion in spending by grocers and their customers each year, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. To read the DOJ’s statement regarding the previously formed agreement, click here.

Stay tuned as ANUK continues to cover the latest industry news.

CALIFORNIA - It appears this Easter weekend may be a wet one as an incoming storm system prepares to sweep through the Los Angeles and Orange counties, bringing heavy rain to the region.

"This could be an efficient rain producer, as [models] show an atmospheric river pointing straight into Southern California Saturday into Sunday," the National Weather Service stated. "The timing and intensity of the precipitation remain in flux, but ... regardless of the exact track, cooler temperatures, gusty onshore winds, and widespread precipitation continue to appear likely for the weekend."

While it was too early for a specific forecast on potential precipitation amounts, the weather service acknowledged that rainfall in the Los Angeles metropolitan area could be "heavy at times" on Friday night and Saturday, according to CBS News.

Rain is forecast after midnight on Friday, with low temperatures in the 50s. On Saturday, the wet weather will likely continue in Los Angeles, extending into Easter Sunday.

For Orange County, rain is forecast for the coastal and inland areas beginning Friday and extending through Sunday. Highs are expected to be in the 60s during the day and drop into the 40s at night, according to the source. While it is too soon to be sure, little if any affect should be anticipated in transport and we hope the same for any product. But as our industry well knows, caution and preparation remain the best policy! 

For more updates on this incoming storm and more, leave a tab open to ANUK.

WENATCHEE, WA - CIERTO, an international farm labor contractor that assists employers with the federal H2A visa program, is aiming to improve ethical practices. Stemilt’s President, West Mathison, and Joe Martinez, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CIERTO, sat down to talk about the impact of CIERTO in improving the migration process for H2A workers coming to work for Stemilt in the United States from Mexico.

“CIERTO is reinforcing the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices that’s been endorsed by many retailers and companies within the supply chain,” says Mathison. “The Ethical Charter Implementation Program (ECIP) is a collaboration among retailers, buyers, and grower-shippers like us to recognize and strengthen engagement around labor practices in the fresh produce industry. It aims to highlight existing best-practice efforts and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. Stemilt is a first adopter of Ethical Charter focused on implementing its practices to care for our farmworkers.”

CIERTO’s attainment of ‘Leading’ Clearview certification status is a testament to its commitment to the well-being and fair treatment of workers. To help guide farmworkers coming into the U.S. on H2A visa contacts, CIERTO is dedicated to assisting employers with the program as an international farm labor contractor.

Stemilt partnered with CIERTO in 2018 during the recruiter’s first process in the U.S. to support 300 of its farmworkers. After a recent trip to Tlaxcala, Mexico, Stemilt leadership saw the recruiter’s process in person. Today, 100 percent of Stemilt’s 1,616 H2A farmworkers come through the CIERTO program and have a 95 percent return rate.

“CIERTO’s mission is to actively develop and sustain a professional agricultural workforce that is career-oriented and committed to return to farms year after year,” says Martinez. “Before CIERTO was born in 2014, there were approximately 2.1 million workers in agriculture in the U.S. and an estimated 1.6 million of them were undocumented. Seeing these numbers made me realize the produce industry is heavily predicated on a vulnerable worker population. I needed to know, why were there so many? How did they migrate here? What was it that led to contract abandonment and displacement when they came to work on U.S. farms?”

For more from the press release, click here.

And keep reading ANUK for more industry insights.