VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Sysco is accelerating its sustainable fleet strategy by welcoming more electric vehicles to its expansive network. The distributor recently announced the addition of eight heavy-duty electric tractors to elevate its fleet in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

“We are excited to scale our electric truck fleet into Canada and continue our journey to meet our climate goal of reducing emissions across the enterprise. One component of our climate goal is electrifying a portion of our fleet, and our partnership with the Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia, and BC Hydro is key to helping us achieve this,” says Neil Russell, Chief Administrative Officer. “Electric tractors produce zero tailpipe emissions which is good for the environment and important for our customers who want to do business with a responsible foodservice distributor.”

The newly deployed electric vehicles will add to the distributor’s robust network, which serves over 1,500 customers including restaurant, healthcare, and education customers. According to a press release, Sysco now has over 130 heavy-duty electric tractors across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

This is only one element of Sysco’s company-wide sustainability strategy, as highlighted in the distributor’s 2023 Sustainability Report.

In celebration of this operational advancement, Sysco Canada hosted an event at its Victoria distribution center, celebrating the milestone with leadership, colleagues, vendor partners, and government officials during National Trucking Week.

A video news release and clips from the event can be found here.

For more fresh produce industry news, be sure to keep clicking on that little apple logo.

LEAMINGTON, ON - Nature Fresh Farms® has unveiled a refreshed look for its Little Obsessions™ organic strawberries, now featuring a cleaner and sweeter profile. Cultivated in its state-of-the-art greenhouses, these berries deliver exceptional flavor year-round. This new presentation enhances product appeal and offers retailers a premium addition to its organic produce lineup, designed to attract and satisfy discerning consumers.

“You’ll be obsessed with our greenhouse clean™ Little Obsessions™ organic strawberries,” said Matt Quiring, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “With a sweeter, fresher flavor and the benefits of greenhouse growing, these berries are perfectly snackable year-round. We’ve focused on delivering a product that not only tastes incredible but also reflects our commitment to freshness and quality.”

Nature Fresh Farms has long been at the forefront of greenhouse innovation, being one of the first to introduce organic greenhouse-grown strawberries to the market. The company’s dedication to sustainability is evident in its use of advanced technology to enhance berry quality while minimizing environmental impact. This commitment ensures that Little Obsessions not only deliver exceptional taste but also contribute positively to the planet.

According to a press release, the company continues to lead the industry by combining cutting-edge techniques with a strong environmental ethos. Little Obsessions strawberries are a testament to this blend of innovation and sustainability.

These organic strawberries offer retailers a compelling product that not only meets high standards of quality but also aligns with growing consumer demand for environmentally responsible options.

This fresh look and enhanced flavor profile present a strong opportunity for retailers to attract health-conscious customers and boost their organic produce offerings.

For more organic offerings and updates, keep reading ANUK.

AUSTIN, TX - A new robust software is set to revolutionize seasonal worker management: H2 Organizer. The tech platform aims to create a seamless experience for employers and H-2 visa workers to save time and maintain compliance.

“The H2 Organizer is a game-changer for Western Growers members navigating the complex, paper-heavy H-2A program,” said Jason Resnick, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Western Growers. “It streamlines everything from managing job orders and petitions to digitizing the entire onboarding process, allowing workers to complete their documentation in their native languages on their mobile devices. By automating compliance workflows and offering features like audit trails and automatic reminders, H2 Organizer helps employers stay organized and audit-ready. It’s an efficient, user-friendly solution that eliminates manual data entry and keeps everything in one accessible place.”

The mobile app, MiChamba, which integrates H2 Organizer to better connect H-2 visa farmworkers with their sponsoring employers, translates to “my work” and is a common reference to having legal papers for employment in the United States. It is available to workers through their employers with plans to expand availability in the future, a press release shared.

“We built H2 Organizer to solve the challenge of having multiple technology platforms to manage an operation. Now growers can use one platform with an array of tools to manage incidents, process payroll, and even deliver onboarding training,” said Cesar Martinez, Chief Strategy Officer of H2 Organizer. “Farm workers prefer to communicate via mobile phones, so we developed a companion app, MiChamba, to give them a tool to streamline various services, like storing documents and communicating with management all in one spot. There is nothing like this on the market.”

H2 Organizer leaves the H-2 petitions and visa filing to trusted organizations, like WAFLA, Western Growers, and Scaroni Family of Companies, where skilled professionals can track and navigate visa applications and an ever-changing regulatory environment.

To read the full release, click here.

ANUK will be here to report on developments as this new software rolls out.

MONTEREY, CA - Are you an organic grower or producer? You’re invited to register now for the 2024 Organic Grower Summit (OGS), presented by Western Growers and Farm Progress. The event is currently slated for December 4–5 in Monterey, California. Attendees can expect to gain insights into critical issues facing the industry, discover resources, and connect with all facets of the organic growing and production community to exchange ideas.

“The opportunity for Western Growers to partner with the Organic Grower Summit to provide education and best practices via panels is a key driver of continued organic growth,” said Walt Duflock, Senior Vice President of Innovation, Western Growers. “By highlighting the role of ag tech, we help the organic community by connecting organic growers with potential partners for live conversations that are one of the most effective ways for growers and startups to effectively show off new technologies.”

A press release shared a list of events and activities, including the opening reception, education sessions, an ag tech reception and ag tech feature area, a keynote presentation, the Grower of the Year Awards presentation, breakfast, morning breaks and lunches, and a packed trade show.

To be held at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa, summit participants will receive admittance to all 2024 OGS activities, located within the resort.

“Growers need the opportunity to connect with other growers and industry suppliers,” said Matt Jungmann, National Events Director, Farm Progress. “We are proud to offer this to the organic community. With the busy producer’s time in mind, the OGS team’s goal is to pack crucial meetings, networking, resources, and learning into two memorable, productive days.”

Now powered by Farm Progress, OGS is in its seventh year and is the only event specifically designed to bring together organic fresh produce growers with their service and supply chain partners for information, education, and networking opportunities.

AndNowUKnow keeps up with the industry trade shows, so you can always click back to get the latest.

MCALLEN, TX - Here at AndNowUKnow, we never miss an opportunity to check in with our friends across the industry as they gear up for another exciting trade show. As the fresh produce world puts the final touches on Southern Innovations preparations, we touched base with GR Fresh’s Tony Incaviglia to see what the grower has in store for the event.

“This will be our first appearance at any of the Southeastern shows, so the primary focus will be on introducing ourselves along with our staple items such as avocados, bell peppers, cucumbers, and Roma tomatoes,” the Vice President of Sales and Marketing shared.

GR Fresh offers an expansive portfolio spanning multiple key vegetable categories. 

As the company takes on Southern Innovations 2024, GR Fresh will be looking to bolster its relationships in the southern region and explore new partnership opportunities.

“Our six-decade existence shows not only our ability to sustain but to continue providing popular commodity categories and custom pack opportunities for all of our products,” added Tony. “We look forward to this type of small regional show as it allows a closer, more intimate opportunity to connect and build new relationships.”

From bell peppers to tomatoes, avocados, and beyond—it’s all waiting for you at booth #722 during this year’s Southern Innovations. We’ll see you there!