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WENATCHEE, WA - Today is the last day of Farmworker Awareness Week, so be sure to recognize those employees bringing produce to the plate! Stemilt is celebrating the occasion, which comes in tandem with recent improvement achievements completed by the supplier’s Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) leadership team in Pasco, Washington. Additionally, Stemilt kicked off Stemilters Day on March 21, signaling the start of the spring season.
“Our first-ever Stemilters Day took a moment to celebrate the great work that our team members, or Stemilters, put in each day,” said West Mathison, President. “Our Stemilters nurture orchards and fruit, pack and ship fresh fruit all year long, and perform many other duties to support us as we produce World Famous Fruit. It was fun to celebrate the first day of spring by showing our appreciation for Stemilters and how they unite around traits like dedication, appreciation, collaboration, and motivation.”
For Stemilter’s Day, the company’s human capital team shared a delicious gift with each team member, as well as a video with inspirational messaging around the sprouting of Stemilters that would take place in the future. Stemilt has also been posting daily on social channels during Farmworkers Awareness Week to share Stemilters’ stories and experiences while encouraging consumers to seek the Responsibly Grown, Farmworker Assured label.
“Through EFI training and the formation of leadership teams, we proudly met 300+ standards and brought continuous improvement into our culture at Stemilt,” said Mathison. “This is meaningful and helps us make our intentions a reality. Today, we have nine committed EFI leadership teams that collaborate on ‘small’ changes that have big impacts on driving excellence throughout Stemilt.”
The EFI leadership team in Pasco recently observed cars driving too fast around the orchards and decided that installing speed limit signs would help increase safety on roads for drivers and pedestrians alike. Since signs were installed, there has been positive feedback around road safety from others.
“Small changes like the one that our Pasco team facilitated are inspiring to me because of the collaboration that occurred to see them through,” said Mathison. “Stemilt’s commitment to EFI stems from our desire to cultivate people and delight consumers through excellence. While it’s certainly important and fun to join in the celebration of Farmworker Awareness Week, it’s more important that we continue to use each day as an opportunity to encourage worker voice and ignite changes throughout the agriculture world.”
Cheers to Stemilt on these important efforts!
LOS ALAMITOS, CA - There are many things that demonstrate a fresh produce provider’s strength in the industry, and 60 years of success is surely one of them. Frieda’s Branded Produce is celebrating 60 years in business and bringing unspoken specialty fruits and vegetables into the spotlight.
“We were the first to not only label our products, but because there was some empty space on the first label, my mom decided to offer free recipes to the consumer by asking them to send us a self-addressed stamped envelope with ideas,” said Chief Executive Officer Karen Caplan. “Never could she imagine that more than 300–500 individual shoppers would write to us for recipes every week! I know this happened, as answering those letters was my first job! This was before the internet, so Frieda’s became the trusted source for recipes and information to shoppers for new and exotic produce.”
In 1962, the company’s late, fearless founder Frieda Rapoport Caplan began bringing specialty fruits like kiwifruit, its landmark item, to consumers. Shortly after, the supplier made major headway in the industry by labeling its produce with a sticker containing a coinciding recipe, according to a press release, enticing shoppers to purchase and try the unfamiliar produce products.
Based on a C&R omnibus research survey of 1,000 people in partnership with Frieda’s, the company revealed that 60 percent of shoppers are saying Frieda’s branded produce is more likely to catch their eye in stores, contains the most appealing names, and has the most up-to-date branding.
“Consumers are telling us that our packaging looks better than ever, and our research shows that shoppers are willing to pay more for our items vs. the competition,” said Alex Jackson, Director of Sales. “Not only does that help bring your produce department to life, but it also translates into higher sales per square foot for our retail clients.”
To celebrate its 60-year anniversary, the purveyor has released a bespoke birthday cake recipe featuring some of its most exclusive and fan-favored specialty items.
Congratulations to everyone at Frieda’s for this exciting milestone. We here at ANUK can’t wait to see what growth the company experiences next.
WESTBOROUGH, MA - A strategic new partnership is marking an industry first, as BJ’s Wholesale Club has teamed up with DoorDash to offer on-demand grocery delivery across 226 stores in 17 states. As the first wholesale club available on the grocery ally’s marketplace, shoppers will gain on-demand access to grocery needs and home essentials.
“BJ’s is proud to bring the convenience and value our members know and love to even more shoppers through the DoorDash marketplace,” said Monica Schwartz, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, BJ’s Wholesale Club. “We are excited to expand easy shopping solutions for our members, while also bringing BJ’s wide assortment and exclusive products to new potential members.”
As BJ’s joins the marketplace, DoorDash consumers in the Eastern United States will be able to purchase high-quality products including produce, deli meat, dairy, and more, as noted in a press release. In addition to BJ's now being available for orders on DoorDash's grocery marketplace, the partnership will also enable same-day delivery from BJs.com powered by DoorDash Drive, DoorDash’s white-label fulfillment platform that powers direct delivery for any business.
“We see the trend toward convenience only going in one direction, with grocery delivery being no exception,” said Shanna Prevé, Vice President, Business Development at DoorDash. “We are thrilled to welcome BJ’s to the DoorDash platform as our first wholesale club on the marketplace, continuing our mission to provide consumers with the convenience and savings they crave, while empowering merchants to reach customers wherever they are.”
The announcement of this alliance is only the beginning of the newfound partnership, especially as grocery delivery continues to see high demand as a result of the pandemic.
All 226 BJ’s locations will be available on DashPass, DoorDash’s membership program that offers members unlimited $0 delivery fees on eligible DashPass orders.
With this first-ever partnership in the books, ANUK will keep a tab on the growth to come for both companies, so keep clicking on that little apple logo.
BRENTWOOD, MO - Potatoes make the world go ’round—at least, for many consumers across the United States, they do. Produce for Better Health Foundation’s (PBH) recent State of the Plate research revealed that potatoes were the top vegetable eaten in recent years. PBH is looking to drive vegetable consumption through a partnership with HZPC Americas Corp. and Potato Glory™, which will host the general education session, Elevating The Perception & Power Of Potatoes, during PBH’s annual Consumer Connection Conference.
“Potatoes are an extremely versatile and flavorful staple in households across America. They also have been the victim of consumer misinformation when it comes to their dietary attributes and health benefits,” said Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, President and Chief Executive Officer at PBH. “Potatoes have so much to offer, and it’s time they get their rightful place on the plate. This panel will explore new ways to elevate the potato category and challenge us to consider how all value chain stakeholders can play an important role.”
Spotlighting the formidable category and the ways it can contribute to a healthy diet, the session will provide insights regarding specific consumer attitudes and desires as well as value chain strategies to elevate the perception of potatoes and drive greater sales and improve consumption, according to a release.
“For too long, people have taken potatoes for granted,” said Jeff Scramlin, President, HZPC Americas Corp. “This panel discussion will showcase opportunities to elevate potatoes as the nutrient-dense vegetable that they are and differentiate potatoes to highlight variety-specific traits important to culinary professionals as well as home cooks. We are excited to hear what value chain partners can do to sell more potatoes if they make changes to address specific consumer attitudes and desires.”
The session will be moderated by Mary Christ Erwin, President, MCE Consulting. Panelists will include Aron Derbidge, Vice President, Sales, HZPC Americas Corp.; Robert Greenwood, Program Development Manager for Wysocki Family of Companies; Julie Olivarria, Vice President, Produce, Sysco; Desiree Olivero, Manager, Customer Care, Wakefern Food Corporation; and Garrett DiStefano, Director of Residential and Retail Dining Services, UMass Dining.
Registration for the Consumer Connection Conference—which will take place April 18–20 at the Omni Resort & Spa Montelucia in Scottsdale, Arizona—is now open.
To read more about the conference and all of its exciting features, click here.
For the latest in industry news, you know where to find us.
NEW YORK CITY, NY - As someone who eats mushrooms almost every day, news of the Mushroom Council’s® latest partnership brought some extra excitement to my morning. In celebration of Earth Month and to spotlight the power of the category in the kitchen, the organization has teamed up with Kittch, a new culinary technology platform, to enable some of the nation’s most popular chefs to livestream their favorite mushroom-based recipes throughout April.
“The New York Times recently named mushrooms the ‘Ingredient of the Year,’ and I couldn’t agree more,” said Chef Leah Cohen, who will livestream her mushroom dishes on April 18 and 19. “They’re nutritious, ideal for plant-forward and plant-based dishes, and very sustainable. Mushrooms enhance the flavor of any recipe thanks to their inherent umami—a savory, satisfying, and earthy taste. Not to mention, they’re absolutely delicious and easy and fun to work with.”
Offering up not only a wide scope of delicious varieties, but a minimal environmental footprint as well, mushrooms are being considered “The Official Ingredient of Earth Month,” according to a release. In celebration, the Mushroom Council and Kittch will give 15 chefs the chance to take center stage and show off some tasty dishes that consumers can make for themselves.
Some of the chefs include:
- Dawn Burrell, Partner and Executive Chef at Late August, Board Member of I’ll Have What She’s Having, Bravo Top Chef
- Leah Cohen, Chef-Owner of Pig & Khao, Top Chef and Food Network Personality
- Nikki Dinki, Cooking Channel and Food Network Host, Cookbook Author, Cooking Blogger
To see the full list, click here.
Researchers have even declared mushrooms “one of the most sustainably produced agriculture products,” due to the fact that producing 1 lb of mushrooms requires only 1.8 gallons of water and 1.0 kWh of electricity. It also only generates .7 lbs of CO2 equivalents, and 1 million lbs of mushrooms can be grown on 1 acre of land in a year. Not to mention, the category is grown in composted agricultural materials.
How will this unique partnership inspire shoppers to embrace mushrooms in the produce aisle? Only time and AndNowUKnow will tell, so stay tuned.
ONTARIO, CANADA - Recently, I had the privilege of attending the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure event and got the opportunity to see a myriad of industry faces that I had not seen since the pandemic broke out. One familiar smile that caught my eye as I perused the show floor was that of Leona Neill, Director of Marketing and Packaging at Red Sun Farms, who I stopped to chat with about the greenhouse grower’s unique lineup.
“Today… we’re showcasing our Sweets family. Sweetpops is one of our sweetest varieties, very great for snacking,” Leonna says, pointing to the vibrant red tomatoes laid out before her. “We’re also talking about sustainability and some different packaging options there for cucumbers, top seal, and going to a clear PET resin for recyclability.”
Located in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, Red Sun uses its high-tech greenhouse abilities to produce not only the tasty Sweetpops variety, but a plethora of other mouthwatering produce items to meet consumer needs.
To house its offerings, Leonna tells me that the company is using sustainable packaging options on the market today and is also working on its own innovations for the future.
“Right now, we've been working on a plan to kind of roll out in the upcoming years to meet all our customer needs,” she explains. “But at this point, these are initiatives that are available based on technology, and we are working with a lot of suppliers to build on that plan going out in the next couple of years.”
Want to learn more about Red Sun Farms and what differentiates its products in the produce aisle? Watch our exclusive video above.
ROSEMONT, IL - US Foods is continuing to evolve its strategic growth plans, this time with the appointment of two new independent Directors. As its 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders approaches, the distributor has appointed Marla Gottschalk and Quentin Roach to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. The company also announced that John Lederer will be retiring from the Board.
Gottschalk comes to US Foods as an accomplished Executive with over 25 years of experience in consumer products, a press release stated. Most recently, she served as Chief Executive Officer of The Pampered Chef from 2006–2013 and as President and Chief Operating Officer from 2003–2006.
Prior to that, Gottschalk held a variety of senior roles at Kraft Foods, including Senior Vice President of Financial Planning and Investor Relations and Vice President of Marketing and Strategy of the Kraft Cheese Division.
Through all of these experiences, she has strong strategic, financial, and governance expertise.
Joining the Board as well, Roach brings over two decades of global supply chain leadership experience to the team. Before joining Mondelēz International, Roach served as Chief Procurement Officer and Senior Vice President of Global Supplier Management and Workplace Enterprise Services at Merck & Co.
Roach has expertise in supplier relationship management, sourcing strategies, and material procurement, as well as governance experience, gained as an independent director on the Board of ARMADA Supply Chain Solutions.
“We believe that our Board, including the new additions announced today, collectively possess the right combination of relevant industry experience, expertise, and fresh perspectives to oversee our management team’s execution of the Company’s strategy, which we are confident will deliver significant value to all shareholders,” said Robert M. Dutkowsky, Chairman of the Board. “On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank John for his valuable contributions to the Board and the Company over the years. We are fortunate to have benefitted from his leadership and guidance and are incredibly grateful for all he has done for US Foods.”
As another piece of the Board’s refreshment process, John Lederer, former Chief Executive Officer and Director since 2010, will not stand for re-election at the 2022 Annual Meeting.
To read more about US Foods’ strategic growth plans, click here.
Congratulations to these two new Directors as they join the US Foods Board!
SALINAS, CA - The warm weather in Sacramento, California, gives rise to feelings of rich dishes full of hearty veg. The spring season is fully on our doorsteps, and consumers like me are looking to switch up their nightly meals. Cauliflower is a great veg playing a major part in the specialty industry—cauliflower pizza, wings, or steak, anyone?—so I tapped Sarah Clarke, Sales and Commodity Manager for Ippolito International, to get a read on these white trees.
“We saw some of the best cauliflower quality that we have seen in our Yuma, Arizona, season. The cauliflower is tolerant to lower temperatures and frost, so while there were some cold mornings, our crops were flourishing,” Sarah illuminates me. “Sizing for this season was very uniform and true to a 12 ct, and the heads have been compact with a very nice white color. The jacket leaves have been ideal, and that provided adequate crop coverage.”
Ippolito’s crops in Yuma will run through the third week of April, and it will overlap with the grower’s Salinas, California, harvest, which is expected to start the first week of April. To help align with its customers’ loading needs, Ippolito extends its Yuma season slightly longer, which follows a one- to two-week later start for the Salinas region.
Currently, Sarah sees a very active cauliflower market with strong demand and limited supplies. For this reason, promotional opportunities have not been available from the grower.
“Open market pricing has been in the mid $20s to $30, and limited supplies throughout the industry will keep the market strong through the beginning of April,” continues Sarah. “The price and supply trends are very similar compared to this time last year.”
In mid-February of 2021, Ippolito saw pricing in the mid to high teens; as March hit, pricing took a jump into the mid $20s. This year, markets moved from the high teens in February to the mid to high $20s at the beginning of March. Additionally, Ippolito saw Yuma pricing fluctuate between $26–$30 for March due to lighter supplies and strong demand.
The grower’s Salinas season will start the week of April 4, though, and volume is projected to ramp up the week of April 11. As Sarah puts it, April growing conditions are ideal, with temperatures in the high 60s to mid-70s.
“So far, quality reports are excellent,” concludes Sarah. “We are seeing good sizing with white and compact heads. It looks like opportunities for promotions will be available.”
I and many cauliflower eaters out there are looking for this white veg on the shelf, so continue reading ANUK for updates in the market.
WASHINGTON, DC - Like many other industries, the foodservice sector relies greatly on its employees to keep operations running smoothly. As current recruitment challenges and other workforce hurdles continue to impact restaurant owners and operators, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) is applauding the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement (EWEA) program that is working to overcome some of these issues.
“There is no silver bullet to solving the industry’s recruitment challenge, but this program creates one opportunity to address the issue,” said Sean Kennedy, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs. “The overlapping blows of the pandemic and now an inflationary economy are limiting industry operations. For restaurants to fully recover and grow, we have to be open at full capacity—and to do that we have to continue to grow our workforce. This program is a win-win for employers in desperate need of employees and individuals seeking training and opportunity.”
This program lays a pathway for workers to come to the United States on market-driven, non-immigrant, three-year visas, a release explained. The new program is intended for small businesses in industries with comparatively low sales per employee and would be available for non-agricultural jobs with lower education thresholds that have been unfilled for an extended period of time.
Initially, EWEA will be available for up to 65,000 workers, and after the first year, the total number of workers will be determined by market-based need.
“We appreciate Rep. Smucker’s (R-PA) willingness to work with us for the last few months to ensure this bill will meet some of the unique needs of the restaurant industry, and his leadership getting it introduced in the House,” added Kennedy. “We look forward to working with Congress to pass this essential tool to help the industry address its workforce shortage.”
The foodservice industry is the U.S.’ second largest private sector employer, with over 14 million people in its workforce across nearly 1 million eating and drinking establishments. According to the National Restaurant Association 2022 State of the Restaurant Industry report, almost half of operators anticipate recruiting and retention of employees to be their top challenge in 2022.
To learn more about the program, click here.
For updates and information on tools and programs to help the foodservice sector, stick with AndNowUKnow.