Thanksgiving Yearbook 2021
IRVINE, CA - Western Growers continues to address valuable topics in our industry with its insightful Voices of the Valley podcast. Last month, the association explored the relationship between technology and agriculture. Now, the podcast is addressing another key element, emphasizing the new generation of entrepreneurs committed to approaching agtech with a respect for growers’ needs.
In the most recent episode, hosts Dennis Donohue, the Director of Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology, and Candace Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of GreenVenus, spoke with Rantizo Chief Executive Officer Michael Ott and Ag-Bee President Briana Layfield about innovations in drone use, according to a press release.
“I think the biggest thing that we’re trying to relate to growers is [that] we want to provide you with the data; we want to show you how much more effective this is,” Layfield said during the podcast. “We understand that you need something to back this up. We’re trying to listen to our growers…we want to find that niche for you, and be most effective for you, specifically.”
Ott also weighed in on efforts to advance the industry through tech, and noted the benefits of approaching agriculture with a focus on the needs of growers and suppliers.
“That’s one of our goals, to find people on the West Coast that want to work with us and see that there are benefits to doing things in a smarter way,” Ott said. “What’s the value of not spraying extra pesticide where you don’t need it?...We want to be as precise as we need to be.”
The pair of co-hosts also spoke with 3Bar Biologics Founder and Chief Executive Officer Bruce Caldwell on the improvements the biologics space can make in agriculture. Fresh off winning $250,000 in the AgSharks pitch competition sponsored by Western Growers and S2G Ventures at the Western Growers 2021 Annual Meeting, the industry leader noted that technology companies must view themselves as collaborators rather than competitors when making their entry into the ag market.
“Our technology is an enabling technology that can lift the performance of the entire sector," he said. "It will improve productivity for the crop, but also improve economics—both on return on investment for the grower...and the manufacturer.”
Voices of the Valley podcast is produced by Western Growers and its Center for Innovation and Technology.
To listen to the episode featuring Layfield and Ott, click here. The episode featuring Caldwell can also be found here.
We will continue to report as the association hosts critical discussions to spur growth for the industry at large, so stay tuned.
SUNBURY, PA - Reaching another impressive milestone in its sustainability strategy, Weis Markets announced that it recently achieved Ratio Institute’s Sustainable Food Retail Certification. With consumers ever on the lookout for more environmentally friendly options on grocery shelves, now they can celebrate the fact that the entire Weis chain of more than 197 stores are sustainably certified, making Weis one of the first food retailers to achieve this status.
“Since 2008, we’ve steadily expanded and refined our sustainability program, particularly with reducing refrigerant usage and food waste along with conserving energy,” said R. Kevin Small, Weis Markets Vice President of Development. “This has helped make us a more efficient company and allowed us to reduce our impact on the communities we serve. It is important to note this achievement was made possible by the work of thousands of Weis associates.”
In order to achieve this milestone, Weis successfully completed the requirements for Steward Tier certification. According to a press release, this demonstrates the company’s commitment to being a sustainable food retailer as well as its efforts to continuously improve its sustainability performance.
The Sustainable Food Retail Certification program was created to help food retailers reach operational excellence while also meeting sustainability goals by benchmarking performance, increasing margins, and reducing costs. This happens by the program assessing a retailer’s practices across its operations, verifying them, and awarding certification based on points earned and compliance.
“Weis Markets is an excellent example of an industry leader. Weis continually demonstrates the value of sustainable operations for food retail,” noted Peter Cooke, Director of Programs and Partnerships for Ratio Institute. “For many years, Weis has been implementing sustainable operations, reducing impact, and saving money. As a community leader, Weis communicates the importance of sustainability to their customers and employees.”
As part of this certification, food retailers also are given the additional benefit of insights into cost savings from operational sustainability efforts; revenue-generating sustainability opportunities; employee engagement opportunities; and metrics on waste, water, energy, and other efficiency measures.
Cheers to Weis Markets on reaching this impressive milestone!
ONTARIO, CANADA - A Walmart acquisition? Now that is enough excitement to stop anyone in their tracks. Such was our experience this morning as the ANUK team received word of Walmart Canada’s upcoming acquisition. The retail behemoth has agreed to purchase Toronto, Canada-based data platform Foodmaestro to sharpen its omnichannel edge.
“We are very excited to welcome Foodmaestro to the Walmart Canada family,” said Horacio Barbeito, President and Chief Executive Officer, Walmart Canada. “Together, we will continue elevating the online experience for our customers by sharing knowledge [and] investing in resources, people, and product transparency. This enhancement to our online experience will allow our customers to make healthier personalized choices, which helps them live better.”
Foodmaestro partners with retailers and food companies across Europe and North America to turn substantial amounts of data into usable attributes. According to a press release, the platform delivers transparency and rich digital experiences for customers focused on health and diet, and offers customized content activation such as meal planning.
This acquisition will position Walmart Canada to elevate its e-commerce experience. The retailer will now be able to offer more personalization capabilities for its customers, such as highlighting safe products for those with food allergies or healthier options for people living with diabetes.
“The acquisition of this talented team of experts from Foodmaestro is a big part of our transformation at Walmart Canada,” said John Bayliss, Executive Vice President, Chief Transformation Officer of Walmart Canada. “I am energized by what the future brings with our talented team of engineers and health and wellness resources working together to make the online experience even better for our customers.”
Foodmaestro’s platform processes over 14 million product attributes, 300,000 search requests, and six million product validations in real-time on a daily basis. The service helps to differentiate customer experiences and deepen relationships through enriched dietary information. Foodmaestro also enables its clients to provide greater product transparency and trusted information through SmartLabel.
“Having spent the past several years pioneering digital transparency and helping shoppers around the world to find the right foods, we are thrilled to have been invited to join a family as prestigious as Walmart,” said Jaed Khan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Foodmaestro. “We have worked with Walmart for almost four years now, and this investment signals Walmart’s continued commitment and increased focus to help provide consumers with the transparency they need to make informed decisions about the products they buy. We are tremendously excited about the future.”
Through the acquisition, Walmart Canada will bring in the Foodmaestro experts, including engineers and health and wellness talent. This is Walmart Canada’s first acquisition since the pandemic, demonstrating its commitment to innovation and continuing to transform its customer experience.
Until the next jaw-dropping headline comes across our desks, keep clicking back to ANUK.
FRESNO, CA - Fun, fresh, and full of flavor, Fowler Packing Company’s Peelz® Citrus is a perfect snack for on-the-go consumers and their families. Showcasing the simplicity and whimsy of the kid-friendly offering, Fowler has announced the launch of its first-ever national media campaign for the brand, Thiz iz Peelz.
“Our Thiz iz Peelz campaign is multifaceted and is designed to continue to build brand recognition and introduce Peelz in new markets,” said Justin Parnagian, Chief Executive Officer. “We are communicating with consumers with a healthy dose of attitude and personality that provides a counterpoint to the mostly wholesome, child-focused world of fruit and mandarins. This campaign speaks to everyone, all while cementing the Peelz name in the minds of every shopper, buyer, and supplier across America.”
The aim of the light-hearted campaign is to emphasize that while life is complex, snacking doesn’t have to be. According to a press release, Fowler is showcasing the simplicity of Peelz amidst the backdrop of other more complicated snacking options.
Having launched this week, the Thiz iz Peelz campaign will appear across media formats including TV, streaming, social media, in-store, and more. This marks a large investment for the Peelz brand and a precursor for what is to come as it continues to expand.
“We made a huge financial investment in our Peelz brand and will continue to utilize marketing strategies to drive strategic growth,” added Parnagian. “This is an exciting time for Peelz, launching its first national campaign, with many more to come in the future. This is just the beginning, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce Peelz to a broader audience, keeping Peelz top of mind as they shop with our valued retail partners.”
With Peelz making its national media debut, what will be next for the exciting brand? Stick with AndNowUKnow to see what developments the future holds.
UNITED STATES - As of this Monday, November 29, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was reporting pricing ranging between $18.95 and $19 for a carton of size 24 Romaine lettuce. With this being slightly higher than previous trends, I got in touch with several industry members who gave me a read on current market conditions.
“As the desert growing season begins, organic Romaine production is currently a week and a half ahead of anticipated harvest date due to warm weather. Comparatively, overall organic Romaine acreage appears to be less than last year. As the weather cools heading into mid-December, we do anticipate supplies to tighten further in conjunction with the projected increase in demand for the Christmas holiday,” Casey Mills, Director of Sales at Braga Fresh Family Farms, told me.
Cody Hontalas, Sales Executive and Commodity Manager at Pacific International Marketing, explained some of the “whys” behind this tightening of supplies, and how regional transitions will bring a shift in the market.
“Over the last few months, most shippers had been dealing with Romaine shortages in the Salinas growing area due to disease, the most prominent being Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV). This really lowered yields out in the field and caused the market to react accordingly, which is why we saw such an increase in the price of Romaine industry-wide,” Cody stated. “Most of the industry's Romaine production is finally coming out of the desert. Product overall looks pretty clean with few problems to report.”
Additionally, Cody commented, “Overall demand for Romaine still seems to be up, which is causing the market to be fairly active, but we should start to see more Romaine become available as the weeks go on as most shippers will be hitting their stride in the desert.”
Church Brothers Farms’ Manager of Commodities Jason Lathos jumped on the phone with me to discuss how he anticipates the market will continue to shift.
“If you asked me what I would forecast for the Romaine market, I think the deal is going to stair-step down lower based on the last two-to-three-year formulae,” he said. “When you have really good growing conditions in the desert and colder weather back East, it usually makes for a soft market because you've got good supplies and demand shifts. When we get cold weather in the desert and warmer temperatures back East, the markets are usually higher because you have less supplies and higher demand. We're getting into that time of year where winter starts coming on the East Coast. West Coast supplies, as long as growing regions see good weather, increase and demand decreases. That movement usually means some slightly lower markets.”
Jason also added that demand was greater than anticipated surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday—a sentiment Brian Peixoto, Sales Manager at Lakeside Organic Gardens, echoes.
“We aren't seeing a whole lot of changes in the market. The price has been steady at $20 for a couple of weeks. We had a great Thanksgiving pull, but overall prices remain the same,” Brian added.
It sounds as though there are still changes yet to come for the ever-moving Romaine lettuce market. You can count on ANUK to share any news as it comes to light.
Braga Fresh Family Farms Pacific International Marketing Church Brothers Farms Lakeside Organic Gardens
- Read more about Tuesday Afternoon, November 30th, 2021
- Log in to post comments
LEAMINGTON, ONTARIO, CANADA - Thanksgiving may well be the first experience many of us have in North America where food is not just the main event, but the cast, conductor, and star of the show. With such a stage set, the possibilities to shift the focus on fresh are nearly endless. Pure Flavor® took the latest revolution of the holiday to truly explore those possibilities with content focused on inspiring healthy eating through its “Healthy Thanksgiving!” theme.
“Thanksgiving is all about family, friends, football, and, of course, food. Across the country, we gather with loved ones to enjoy mouthwatering meals and great conversation. We collected our favorite Thanksgiving recipes, blogs, and more to help make the best of the season,” Chris Veillon, Chief Marketing Officer, reflected.
To do so, the company launched an entirely in-house-originated arsenal of content, ranging from Pure Flavor team-crafted healthy tailgating snacks and NFL Football schedules to signature recipes and blogs.
“We need to be creating more mouth-watering moments for our products,” Chris said of the move. “This is certainly one way to do it!”
With a well-placed #FoodForThought, the marketing maven pointed out that it is high time to take the food-centric opportunity of the holidays to flip the script on what dishes make the crescendo entrance to the center of the table. And for that trend to galvanize fruit and vegetable eating perceptions the rest of the year.
Last week’s big “turkey dinner” may have kicked off the holiday season once again, but this is a show our industry is more than ready to see re-cast. As key players like Pure Flavor work to make that happen, AndNowUKnow will be here to report the latest.
MCLEAN, VA - The Gladstone Land Corporation’s portfolio seems to be ever-evolving. Following the acquisition of farmland and water facilities in Georgia, nut orchards in California, and a citrus grove in Florida, the company has pulled back the curtain on yet another advantageous deal. This time, the corporation has purchased 165 gross acres of farmland located near Milton-Freewater, Oregon, for approximately $2.4 million.
"This land, with established water rights, will be a great addition to our portfolio," said David Gladstone, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are pleased to expand the relationship with our tenant and help them to continue providing premium wines to their customers."
In connection with the acquisition, Gladstone Land has also entered into a 10-year, triple-net lease agreement with the existing tenant, who is a leader in the wine industry, according to a press release.
"We are excited to make another acquisition in Oregon," said Tony Marci, Managing Director. "Our tenant will plant a vineyard on this land, which is located within the Walla Walla Valley AVA. The property is in a beautiful setting on land overlooking the Walla Walla Valley."
Gladstone Land currently owns 162 farms comprising approximately 109,000 acres across 15 different states and 45,000 acre-feet of banked water in California, valued at approximately $1.4 billion.
Each of the farms are predominantly located in regions where the company’s tenants can grow fresh produce and annual row crops, such as berries and vegetables. The company also owns farms growing permanent crops, such as almonds, apples, cherries, figs, lemons, pistachios, and other orchards, as well as blueberry groves and vineyards.
Where will the land purveyor stake its claim next? Keep reading ANUK as we continue to report on the company's ongoing growth strategy.
MISSION VIEJO, CA - While the avocado category may already be a prime destination for shoppers in search of a go-to ingredient for their favorite meals, the Hass Avocado Board (HAB) is working to further highlight the endless benefits of the avocado. Going beyond the fruit’s delicious flavor, the Board has joined forces with AltaMed Health Services to share insights on how good nutrition can reduce risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
“We are pleased to partner with AltaMed, a leader in community healthcare, to leverage the popularity and goodness of avocados to creatively amplify the impact of their diabetes public education outreach,” said Gina A. Widjaja, Director of Marketing and Communications of the Hass Avocado Board. “Our goal is to increase awareness about the importance of managing blood glucose levels within Latino communities given diabetes is disproportionately rising—right now, the CDC is tracking that more than half of United States Latinos will develop diabetes in their lifetime. We are proud to help step up access to testing as well as access to science-based information about the role of nutrition.”
As the duo works to spotlight the role of a healthy diet and good nutrition in preventing diabetes, the new partnership will center avocados as a creative strategy to ensure public health, showcasing their benefits to boost avocado sales. Several vital resources will be put in place to help the pair achieve its ambitious goal, according to a recent release.
“HAB research and helpful resources from Aguacates Frescos - Saborea Uno Hoy are being shared in English and Spanish to educate communities across Southern California about the positive role dietary fiber, like that found in fresh avocados, can play in helping maintain healthy blood glucose levels. Delicious recipes and tools are available at events and online to inspire families to eat healthy and boost fiber intake with this traditional favorite,” Widjaja added.
According to the CDC, adults in the U.S. have a 40 percent chance of developing T2D, with a more than 50 percent chance for Hispanic/Latino adults. For this reason, the HAB is employing joint efforts to provide Southern California communities with bilingual resources to fight diabetes. These resources include free glucose testing and education about how good sources of fiber—such as avocados—can help to reduce the risk factors.
Stay tuned as ANUK continues to report on the latest and greatest alliances in the industry.