BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA - Today, Windset Farms® is known as a leader in setting some of the highest standards in seed selection, sustainable growing, packaging, biological pest control, food safety, and traceability. Offering a full range of products including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, strawberries, and many other specialty items—it seems a far cry from the four acres the Newell family started with.
Yet, 25 years later, it is still 100 percent family-owned and operated, and still "your friends in freshness."
“One of our key achievements over the past 25 years is that, while the size of the company may have grown, we are still a family company,” John Newell, Chief Operating Officer, shares as we discuss the company’s crossing a quarter-century. “We are currently one of the largest controlled environment agriculture (CEA) producers and marketers in North America. Long-term, we will continue to lead the greenhouse industry through technology, sustainability, and growing techniques to help feed the world.”
Already owning and operating millions of square feet of CEA high-tech facilities and providing fresh produce to five different countries, Windset Farms continues to grow at a galloping pace.
“The size of our team has grown significantly over the years, with numerous employees celebrating their 10-, 15-, and 20-plus year work anniversaries! Their dedication throughout the years is truly a testament to our values, community, and culture. We are very proud of our team,” Steven Newell, Chief Executive Officer, reflects. “Our employees are the heart and hands of this company.”
This rings so true that its workforce is the centerpiece of celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary.
“We will be celebrating this milestone by showing our appreciation for our team members. Whether they’ve been with the company since its inception 25 years ago or have just joined our team; we value each and every employee’s input and dedication,” John says.
It is all in the stride of what is to come for Windset Farms, which is preparing for the future while appreciating the present.
“We are very excited to see what the next 25 years of Windset brings! In the short-term, we’re really looking forward to sharing our sustainable packaging advancements with our customers and consumers. It is something we feel very passionate about and have been working on with suppliers, regulatory bodies, and government officials to provide the best, most sustainable options possible,” Steven tells me.
It is certainly a leap from when John and Steven spent countless hours at the farm doing everything from planting and picking to packing and loading.
Congratulations to the entire Windset Farms family on this exciting achievement!
CORAL GABLES, FL - Fresh Del Monte Produce proves that a well-laid strategy is key to withstanding challenges as it releases its third quarter 2021 results, showing positive movement in its net sales. Despite supply chain hurdles and the ongoing pandemic, the fresh purveyor announced that net sales increased by $15.1 million from the year prior and that, through its perseverance, it is looking toward further growth in areas impacted by the current climate.
“While we continue to operate in one of the most challenging macroeconomic environments in recent history, impacted by inflationary and cost pressures across our supply chain, we remain focused on growth by managing our business for the long term and on continuing to provide reliable, quality service to our customers,” said Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “In terms of seasonality, the second half of the year is typically more challenging due to industry-wide excess supply and shifts in demand toward seasonal fruits. During the third quarter, we continued to experience significantly higher input cost and labor shortages, which impacted our margins and profitability. To offset this impact, we are implementing inflation-justified price increases in an effort to maintain our continuous supply and service levels.”
Although the third quarter, ending October 1, 2021, saw dips in some aspects of the company’s financials, growth for the first nine months of the year occurred in several categories.
According to a press release, these highlights include:
- Net sales for the third quarter of 2021 increased to $1.0 billion compared with $989.7 million in the prior-year period. Net sales for the first nine months of 2021 increased to $3.23 billion compared with $3.2 billion in the prior-year period
- Gross profit for the first nine months of 2021 increased to $264.0 million compared with $214.5 million in the prior-year period
- FDP net income for the first nine months of 2021 was $91.2 million compared with $48.3 million in the prior-year period, corresponding Diluted EPS was $1.91 compared with $1.01 in the prior-year period
- Adjusted EBITDA for the first nine months of 2021 was $192.0 million in the first nine months of 2021 compared with $165.5 million in the prior-year period
As the financial year progresses, Fresh Del Monte plans to utilize its industry knowledge and strategic moves to overcome ongoing challenges faced by the fresh produce industry at large while contributing to further company expansion.
“As we move forward, we believe that our recent capital investments in the automation of our production facilities, further leveraging of our vertical integration, such as the recent addition of 6 new refrigerated container vessels to our fleet, optimization and consolidation of our operations, and product rationalization will prove to be advantageous by putting us in a stronger, more agile position,” added Abu-Ghazaleh.
Fresh Del Monte’s third quarter results can be found in full here.
To see how other companies across the fresh produce industry are working to conquer supply chain and transportation hurdles, keep clicking on AndNowUKnow.
NOGALES, AZ - Honoring a true industry titan, the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA) recently recognized Walter Ram, Vice President of Food Safety at Giumarra Companies, as the 2021 recipient of its Pillar of the Industry award. This recognition highlights the accomplishments of a fresh produce leader who has volunteered time, effort, and impactful contributions to support the association and the industry as a whole.
Ram is a food safety expert with over 25 years of industry experience, a press release noted. He has dedicated countless hours working with various government agencies to develop food-related plans and guidelines for the entire produce industry, in addition to his role at Giumarra Companies. Throughout his tenured career, Ram has aligned with many groups, including the United Fresh Produce Association’s Food Safety and Technology Council, the Center for Produce Safety Technical Committee, and the CPMA Food Safety Committee.
Ram currently serves as a member of the executive committee for the FPAA, and has been actively participating in the association for over two decades. He was previously named Member of the Year in 2014, and received the United Fresh Technical Award in 2013.
Ram has been instrumental in the success and advancement of the produce industry. In 2006, he was named Co-Chair of the United Fresh Food Safety and Technology Council and became a member of the United Fresh Board of Directors the day before the spinach-related E. coli outbreak, which set new norms for food safety across the industry. In 2007, Ram lobbied the United Fresh Board of Directors to support mandatory food safety legislation, becoming the first fresh produce association to endorse mandatory food safety. And, in 2008, the trailblazer joined an industry group that worked with the FDA to identify the source of a Salmonella saintpaul outbreak.
“This year’s Pillar of the FPAA has held up not only his own company, but countless other FPAA members who have called him for help and technical advice, oftentimes in the middle of a crisis,” said Lance Jungmeyer, President of the FPAA. “Walter has advised Commissioners of FDA, CEOs, and entire produce industry commissions. I can’t tell you how many people have told me how fortunate they have felt when Walter picked up their call. Doing what Walter does requires boldness. Making system-wide changes is neither easy nor popular. But sometimes it’s necessary.”
These accomplishments only scratch the surface of all the contributions Walter Ram has brought to the produce industry. Congratulations to the talented leader on this recent award!
YERINGTON, NV - Peri & Sons Farms® eco-friendly, no-plastic clamshells, filled with delicious Gourmet Organic Shallots, will be a delightful addition to the produce aisle this holiday season and are sure to attract discerning foodies and experiential shoppers.
Here’s What’s in Store.
Consumers looking for new specialty items this holiday season are sure to love Peri & Sons Farms’ Gourmet Organic Shallots in compact, earth-friendly, no-plastic packages. That’s right, 100 percent plastic free! These whimsically designed clamshells make an eye-catching retail display and bring a fresh, fun feel into the kitchen. Even better, these biodegradable and recyclable packs help keep the product fresher longer, reducing food waste at the store and in the home.
Hand-packed and securely shipped in a 12 count tray, these 10 oz Organic Shallot packs can be mixed and matched with the farms’ Gourmet Organic Pearls and Gourmet Organic Cipollinis. Simplify the season with Peri & Sons Farms’ One-Stop Shop approach. All the onions you need, offered through a straight-line process that reduces transportation risks and saves time and money.
Our PeriCare® customer service program provides qualified buy-side partners with customized merchandising support to make sure this new specialty item is a “ringing” success.
Thank you for watching What’s in Store.
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - The months of November and December are my all-time favorite, as the hustle and bustle of the busy year finally begins to die down and our minds are left to focus on what is really important: giving back. Fully embracing the spirit of giving, the Allen Lund Company (ALC) is calling on the produce industry to back one of its core Acts of Kindness, Navidad en el Barrio.
“2021 continues to be a challenging year for so many,” stated Steve Hull, Manager of the Portland office, in a recent statement. “We are asking for any suppliers who are looking to step up and make a difference in the lives of so many deserving families in Southern California by making donations of nutritious perishable foods. In the past, through the generosity of companies such as Rainier Fruit, Wada Farms, Grimmway Farms, Wonderful Citrus, Mission Foods, and Coca-Cola, we’ve been able to help provide fresh fruits, potatoes, carrots, avocados, bottled water, and juices, as well as many other available seasonal products to families in need.”
With Christmas quickly approaching, the transportation maven is lining up donations for the 2021 distribution that will take place in early December and is encouraging all who can to help the company’s initiative to provide meals to approximately 10,000 families this year.
The Allen Lund Company has been offering assistance, including freight shipments, to Navidad en el Barrio since 2004. First established in the 1970s by former Los Angeles Ram’s Kicker Danny Villanueva, the non-profit collects money and food for the underserved Hispanic communities in Southern California. Allen Lund first assisted with the transportation of groceries that were distributed to every family, which, in the early days, did not contain any perishable items such as fresh produce. As a result of ALC’s strong relationships with growers in California, Navidad en el Barrio asked the company to make the food bags more nutritious, leading to fruits and vegetables becoming a consistent part of each bag in 2006.
Now, with the ongoing pandemic continuing to pose challenges on both the industry and the communities it serves, the need for assistance is high as ever.
If the spirit of giving is alive and well at your company, contact Hull at [email protected], or ALC Marketing and Communications Director Nora Trueblood at [email protected].
With another challenging year behind us, we here at AndNowUKnow applaud the efforts of Allen Lund Company to support families in need year after year.
TYLER, TX - A new agreement is sparking pivotal growth in the retail sector as Brookshire Grocery inked a recent deal to further its continuous expansion. The grocer has officially unveiled plans to acquire 17 Reasor’s grocery stores in Oklahoma as it sets out to bolster its geographical footprint.
“We are so incredibly excited to welcome Reasor’s employees, customers, and communities that these 17 stores serve into our BGC family,” said Brad Brookshire, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Brookshire. “Reasor’s is a perfect fit for Brookshire Grocery Company. Our company culture and values are the same. We’re a family business that started with my grandparents opening our first small store in Tyler, Texas, more than 93 years ago.”
Reasor’s will now be the fifth store banner under Brookshire Grocery’s banner of operations, joining Brookshire’s, Super 1 Foods, Spring Market, and FRESH by Brookshire’s. According to KLTV, the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022 and has been approved by the governing boards of both companies.
After closing the transaction, the acquired Reasor’s stores will continue to operate under the Reasor’s name uninterrupted. Reasor’s currently has 17 grocery locations and one convenience store, employing more than 2,000 people in Northeastern Oklahoma.
“We are dedicated to embracing our Reasor’s employee-partners and offering the best service to the Oklahoma community,” Brookshire continued. “Our company’s mission is to create and deliver exceptional experiences and value to our customers through our core values of excellent service, integrity, and doing our best every day.”
AndNowUKnow will keep an eye out for the grocer’s next move in its expansion strategy, so keep reading for the latest updates.
OCEANSIDE, CA - The arrival of the California citrus season marks a time in the year when retailers refocus their excitement and energy for the holiday push, drive excellence across fresh produce destinations, and place their share of the consumer basket into the hands of elite suppliers. With such aspirations at hand, companies like LIV Organic Produce are meeting retailers where they are—in the middle of holiday shopping competition.
“LIV Organic maintains a constant edge over much of the competition as we pack all of our citrus varieties at our own packing house—an element that gives us control over the quality as well as the speed from the grove to the customer and within days of harvest,” Carrie Briones, Head of Sales and Grower Relations, tells me. “All citrus is transferred to Los Angeles for loading with our other core items which include hard squash, potatoes, and onions—an advantage for those retailers looking for more consumer favorites packed into one truckload.”
The company is currently harvesting organic lemons and grapefruit out of Borrego Springs, California, as well as lemons out of the state’s Coachella Valley.
Meyer lemons, Navel oranges, and Minneolas are just around the corner.
“We will have good steady volume all the way until the summer of 2022, depending on the variety. If the trend over the past couple of years tells us anything, we will have another year of record demand on the horizon,” Anthony Innocenti, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, shares with me. “Retailers need to plan early and build their organic citrus destinations proactively and get ahead of any supply chain challenges or demand issues that can make for inconsistent product and availability at retail. Consumers are holding retailers to a higher standard, and our partners know that we can perform seamlessly, allowing them to hold to their quality commitments across shopping demographics.”
So far this season, LIV Organic is noting great quality and really favorable sizing to meet retailers’ demand. All in all, the team is looking at the promise of a great crop, Anthony adds.
How does that Vince Lombardi quote go? If you are five minutes early, you are already ten minutes late? Let’s take a tip from Vince this holiday season and get ahead to stay ahead as retailers look to remain on top of their elite citrus game.
CALIFORNIA - As a resident of the Golden State, I can attest that last weekend’s rains were some for the books, as a bomb cyclone hit the West Coast, causing major downpours. While the storm caused flooding throughout the state, the rain did help California’s reservoirs, which were at historically low levels before the wet weather, moving the needle in the right direction when it comes to overcoming the drought that has been plaguing the state.
Prior to the arrival of the atmospheric river of moisture October 24–25, reservoirs were so low in parts of California that some were shut down. Lake Oroville’s hydroelectric power plant ceased operations due to low water levels. According to the California Department of Water Resources, Lake Oroville is being managed in order to balance storage needs with requirements for Delta outflows, water quality, and public health and safety requirements in an effort to conserve as much storage as possible for the upcoming water year.
Additionally, the Department of Water Resources is currently performing much-needed maintenance on Hyatt Power Plant given the current low lake level. This allows the plant to maintain its reliability and availability for water deliveries and power generation in the upcoming water year. The power plant is anticipated to resume generation in December 2021 as lake elevations allow.
In the wake of the bomb cyclone, Lake Oroville rose 30 feet in just over a week, going from 629 feet above sea level to 659 feet by October 30. Lake Tahoe also received a massive influx of water from the storm, rising to over an inch above its natural rim after falling below that level and keeping it from connecting to its only outlet, the Truckee River.
Many other lakes and reservoirs have seen impressive increases in lake levels, including Folsom Lake which has jumped 19 feet higher, and Lake Shasta, California's largest reservoir, which rose 3 feet.
While these are all positive signs for reservoirs and California’s water supply, there is still a long way to go to ease the drought and water usage concerns which have been playing a pivotal role in the fresh produce industry. Luckily, this coming week will also feature chances of rain and snow along the West Coast, continuing this positive trend.
Today could bring the first round of rain and snow as a storm is expected to make its way inland. Measurable rainfall will generally be limited to the San Francisco Bay Area and points north from this storm, leaving the remainder of Central and Southern California dry.
The wet weather will work its way inland throughout the day today, expanding along the Interstate 5 corridor from Northern California up through Washington State.
Rainfall will not be nearly as heavy as the bomb cyclone, but a general .5–2 inches of rain could fall across the coastal ranges of Northern California by the time the storm tapers off and shifts inland on Tuesday morning.
Another storm is then expected to target the West Coast later this week, as a potentially stronger series of wet weather is expected to roll in late Wednesday into Thursday.
This will likely target many of the same areas as the previous storm, generally from Central California and moving up north.
As more updates become available about the storms and their impacts on agricultural operations across California, AndNowUKnow will report.
IRVINE, CA - The marriage between agriculture and technology may be an unconventional one, but it is powerful nonetheless. Aiming to outline the differences between the two, Burro Chief Executive Officer Charlie Andersen recently shared his insights in the latest episode of Voices of the Valley, a podcast hosted by Dennis Donohue, the Director of Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology, and Candace Wilson, Vice President of Business Development at GreenVenus.
“Growers versus technologists are two very distinctly different worlds,” Andersen said. “People that grow up on a farm, they know how to hustle. They are reacting on the fly to something. Things are outside of their control, but they have to make it happen regardless. People in the technology domain tend to get focused on the hardest problems. In our case, we have both of those perspectives within our team, and there can be tension between the two viewpoints, for sure, but that leads to a product that is farm-compatible but still very technology-driven.”
The episode release comes on the heels of Burro closing a $10.9 million Series A round of funding, a press release noted. Andersen said his company is set to meet the needs of growers, even as those needs are constantly changing and nearly impossible to predict.
Burro, which won the AgSharks competition sponsored by S2G Ventures and Western Growers in 2018, leverages technology that Andersen describes as “Disney’s Wall-E in a 1.0 format for agriculture.” The company’s autonomous cart can be used to haul crops like table grapes, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and nursery crops out from the field.
“Building robots to go out into the world is really, really, really hard,” Andersen said. “You have to build a lot, you have to fail a lot. Separately, people are really, really, really good at doing a lot of flexible stuff on the fly in unstructured outdoor areas…our company thesis has been, for one, technology is all about the people. You’re not going to have fields with nobody in them whatsoever and just robots operating in quiet. We’re a long way from that. If we think that in 20–30 years we’re going to have robots do most tasks, the question becomes: How do you start with something functional today and build toward that world?”
For more on the topic, be sure to check out the episode here.
ANUK will continue to keep track of new releases such as this one, so keep a tab open for us.
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA - New month, new venture for Oppy as the fresh produce supplier has announced its entrance into the vertical farming sector. The company revealed its partnership with UP Vertical Farms™, which will be launching Canada’s first touchless, high-density indoor vertical farm for growing customizable baby leafy greens. Bolstered by its alliance with Oppy, the indoor farming company plans to unveil the first phase of operations in Spring 2022 with a goal of becoming the world’s largest and most sustainable vertical farm by 2023.
“We are excited to be entering the vertical farming space and bring fresh innovative options to our retail partners,” said Executive Director of Greenhouse and Canadian Category Development Aaron Quon. “Bahram and Shahram Rashti are committed to bringing the freshest, most advanced, and sustainable technology to controlled environment agriculture. We’re thrilled to partner with them.”
As the fresh produce industry continues to face persistent challenges ranging from climate change and food safety concerns to labor shortages and supply chain hurdles, UP Vertical Farms set out to research and develop the latest technology to grow crops at 350 times the yield of conventional farming, according to a press release. Through its advanced, high-density growing solution, the company is able to make minimal impact on the environment while producing a strong supply of leafy greens.
UP Vertical Farms will be launching the first phase of operations in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland in the spring of 2022, anticipating production of 1 million kilograms, or 6.3 million bags, of salad greens per year. By 2023, the company plans on enacting further expansions, quadrupling total volume, and making UP Vertical Farms one of the largest vertical farms in the world.
“Vertical farming is the future of agriculture, and we’re excited to take it to the next level to bring better-tasting and longer-lasting greens to consumers everywhere by next year,” said Bahram Rashti, Co-Founder of UP Vertical Farms. “Our fully automated system will revolutionize the industry by allowing for much higher yields, quicker production, and better quality control to produce locally grown greens in the most sustainable way.”
The vertical farming company is one of Canada’s first hands-free vertical farming operations and will be fully automated from seeding through harvest in a humidity, temperature, light, and nutrient-controlled environment. At UP Vertical Farms, leaves are not touched by human hands, and as the greens are grown in a controlled indoor environment in water, not soil, there is no need for chemicals to safeguard crops.
UP Vertical Farms uses 99 percent less land, 99 percent less water, 99 percent less fertilizer, and 95 percent less plastic for packaging than conventional farming methods. Additionally, UP’s crops will be grown year-round in a 13 to 21-day growing cycle using recycled CO2 and proprietary lighting technology for custom brix levels and flavor profiles.
The grower produces everything from Arugula to Butter lettuce, and its ready-to-eat greens come in a variety of blends for salads, sandwiches, garnishes, dishes, and more. UP Vertical Farms also has the ability to fully customize packs specific to the individual needs of retailers and restaurants.
Because its crops are grown in an automated 13- to 21-day period, blends can be tailored and grown instantaneously to keep pace with ongoing demands with quality and consistency. Consumers will be able to purchase UP super greens from a range of retailers through its partnership with Oppy in 2022.
Making its foray into vertical farming, what will be Oppy’s next move in the sector? Keep reading AndNowUKnow to find out.