SACRAMENTO, CA - Like the glorious bunch of grapes that adorns the cover of our June issue of The Snack Magazine, our industry friends gathered in the name of fresh produce. As with each round, only one supply-side and one buy-side champion can come out on top, and these fast-fingered folks proved they are the quickest in the bunch.
On the supply-side, our contest winner was Wylie Bird, Marketing Coordinator at Jacobs Farm del Cabo, who entered our inbox faster than you can say “grape expectations.”
“This money is going right in the travel fund!” she told us.
Betty Tomao, Fresh Buyer, Produce Department - Supply Chain at The Save Mart Companies, was our buy-side champion, claiming the $100 cash prize despite what she said was a tough round.
“I enjoy reading The Snack Magazine and looking for the logo,” Betty wrote to ANUK. “This month was especially hard. I thought for sure it would be in the grapes, but discovered it as I got to the end of the cover.”
Congratulations to these industry mavens! Your logo-searching skills are spot on.
If you didn’t take home the prize this month, there’s always next round! You can request a subscription to The Snack Magazine here (valued at $129 per year) to partake in future contest announcements on ANUK.
June 2021 Snack Magazine - Issue 59
Remember that contest rules require submissions with someone pointing at the ANUK logo on the cover of The Snack Magazine, and the countdown does not begin until we announce the contest in our newsletter.
Stay tuned for our logo contest next time! July may just be your lucky month.
SOUTH AFRICA - After the past year and a half that we have endured, I think it’s safe to say that we could all use a vacation. Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA) is making this much-needed wish a reality for its shoppers, launching its 2021 promotion, “The Sweet Escape,” which offers an opportunity to win a $500 Visa gift card to help get away this summer.
“This is the sixth year that we’ve hosted a consumer facing promotion and look forward to continue interacting with our shoppers,” said Suhanra Conradie, CEO. “Considering the weight of the past year, we hope this promotion offers some much-needed joy and inspiration to all.”
Throughout the promotion, SCSA will share inspirational and educational content to incorporate citrus into fresh, summer recipes that can be enjoyed with vacation in mind, a press release stated. Add some palm trees and beach balls, and boom! You’ve got a sales-driving merchandising strategy on your hands.
“Our promotion is not only to inform shoppers of the availability of South Africa’s supreme citrus, but also help showcase consumer interest and feedback to retailers,” added Conradie.
To further enhance the promotion, SCSA will utilize online advertising on Facebook and Instagram, encouraging shoppers to participate in the sweepstakes. The promotion will also be supported by influencer partnerships, email marketing, public relations efforts, and social media campaigns.
Now, excuse me while I don my summer shades and snack on some citrus.
IRVINGTON, NY - A new launch and a new leader? Tell me more! These are just a couple of the titillating details included in BrightFarms’ most recent announcement. The indoor greens grower has formed a new research and development (R&D) hub called BrightLabs at its Ohio growing facility. Matt Lingard, PhD, a former Bayer plant scientist with over 15 years of experience in biotechnology and greenhouse science, will be leading the BrightLabs team as Vice President of Agriculture and Science.
“The indoor farming industry is at an inflection point as local, indoor-farmed produce becomes a priority for retailers and consumers. Among competitors, we’ve developed the most profitable model for the production of indoor leafy greens, but it’s essential that we maintain our market advantage to stay ahead of the curve,” said Steve Platt, Chief Executive Officer. “We’ve built up a team of the best minds in indoor agriculture to officially launch BrightLabs, where we’ll develop the next phase of game-changing products and technology solutions for our operations.”
BrightLabs places a key focus on developing proprietary and patented ecosystems for plants to thrive, increasing their flavor, yields, and texture in the process. The team will bring together experts in technology, microbiology, and plant science to deliver breakthrough innovations in the salad category and beyond.
This multi-million dollar R&D investment is launching as part of the company’s $100 million Series E Fundraise led by Cox Enterprises, and represents a significant increase in the company’s research capabilities. Ten percent of the company is now dedicated to developing complex, patented growing solutions to be applied to BrightFarms’ burgeoning network of greenhouses.
“No other indoor farming company is studying a plant’s microbiome, the naturally occurring bacteria that help determine its health, to the same degree that we are,” said Lingard. “Instead of pouring dollars into artificial lighting research, we’re developing cutting-edge biotechnology solutions to out-maneuver our competition with the most productive indoor farms in the industry. There’s no question that high-tech greenhouses that leverage natural sunshine have emerged as the most promising new generation of agriculture technologies, and optimizing the microbiome will allow us to unlock even more of a plant’s natural potential in our indoor farms.”
BrightLabs aims to double its production of its hydroponically grown spinach, and will build on the success of its best-selling Sunny Crunch variety with a new, antioxidant-rich lettuce, NutriGreens, set for release this June.
BrightOS, the company’s award-winning proprietary data system, will help the BrightLabs team accelerate their research with machine learning and advanced data analysis.
Stay tuned as we wait to see the incredible innovations to come.
WASHINGTON, DC - If you’re an avid reader of our publication, then you know we recently reported on the labor shortage posing challenges on many businesses throughout the U.S., from the general economy to the restaurant industry. As the market begins its path to steady recovery, unemployment rates have decreased, leaving many wondering how this will alter the labor challenges experienced by numerous companies across the fresh produce industry.
According to Reuters, unemployment claims have dropped from a record 6.149 million in early April 2020, but remain above the 200,000–250,000 range that is viewed as consistent within a healthy labor market.
The report noted that for the week ending June 12 the number of people continuing to receive benefits after an initial week of aid is now 3.390 million, a 144,000 drop. In the first week of June, 14.8 million at least were receiving unemployment checks under all programs, compared to 31.3 million during the same period in 2020.
We understand that these 40,0000-foot sentiments and statistics only offer limited views and insights depending upon the specific industry. So, how is fresh produce experiencing the labor and unemployment issue at present? As one Arizona operation executive tells me, we are in an unprecedented situation, and we can only guess what will happen next.
"In our region, we have been competing, in a sense, with federal government unemployment subsidies for months. The Governor of Arizona put an end to the additional unemployment benefit as of June 15, however, we are essentially done with the bulk of our season here. It remains to be seen what the labor pool will look like when the volume begins to pick back up in September and into October. But, the labor crunch was certainly real, driving the effective minimum wage up from the new state-level of over $12 to $15–$16 per hour, and that is before bonuses," Matt Mandel, President of Finance and Legal, SunFed, tells me, adding several unknowns remain as to whether or not wages continue at their new levels or revert to the mean.
Additionally, Reuters shared that the Labor Department reported initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 411,000 for the week ending June 19.
While the question still persists as to how decreasing unemployment rates will directly affect the labor shortage within the fresh produce industry, AndNowUKnow will report as soon as we find out more on the answer.
CASTROVILLE, CA - Over the past few years, Brussels sprouts have made the exciting transition from a supporting role on consumers’ plates to culinary superstars as home cooks and professional chefs alike have embraced the cruciferous veg. As the category continues to gain popularity, Ocean Mist® Farms is showcasing a wide variety of Brussels sprouts offerings to get shoppers’ culinary juices—and dollars—flowing.
“Ocean Mist offers a diverse line of Brussel sprouts items, from bulk and 1 lb net bags to our value-added Season & Steam line,” explains Philip Barrientos, Commodity Account Manager. “We also want to ensure our retail partners are aware of the POS materials and other resources on our trade resource web page as well as our recipe page dedicated to showcasing the Season & Steam line and personalized dishes that shoppers can create with this convenient family of products.”
As packing in its Oxnard, California, operation starts to wind down, Ocean Mist will continue shipping Brussels sprouts out of Castroville, California, and its Mexico facilities until mid-July. While the season has seen some varied challenges in the supplier’s different growing areas, the quality that is coming out of these two regions has been excellent so far.
Due to some of the early seasonal challenges, volume has been reduced for the grower, but supplies are now gaining momentum and approaching Ocean Mists’ budgeted volumes.
“The market is tight and pricing has been in the high-20s to low-30s for the past couple of weeks, but I think we should see the market remain pretty active—at least until we get settled into the summer months and start seeing that consistent supply coming in steady every day,” Philip says.
With volume starting to pick up, so too do the opportunities for buyers to showcase Ocean Mist’s Brussels sprouts in their produce aisles. Whether catering to on-the-go consumers, creative home cooks, or restaurant-level chefs, the company has all of your bases covered, leaving you ready to hit a sales home run this season.
NOVI, MI - It was just last week that we reported on Lineage Logistics’ strategic acquisition of Kloosterboer Group. The logistics company is building out its prowess once again, as it has announced its intention to acquire the cold storage division of Denmark-based Claus Sørensen Group.
“At Lineage, we actively look for opportunities to strengthen our leading facility network and deliver strategic value to our customers by connecting more dots within their supply chains,” said Greg Lehmkuhl, President and CEO of Lineage. “Our acquisition of Claus Sørensen will amplify our reach in the Nordic region and will add a highly capable team to our European organization.”
On the heels of Lineage’s agreement with Kloosterboer Group, the acquisition contributes to the strategic expansion of its facility network across Europe. The logistics provider’s global footprint currently spans over 2.1 billion cubic feet of temperature-controlled capacity in 15 countries across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and South America.
Founded in 1926, Claus Sørensen operates nine cold storage facilities that are strategically located in relation to major food production facilities. The total capacity of Claus Sørensen’s facility network exceeds 800,000 cubic metres (~28 million cubic feet), with a freezing capacity of approximately 1,800 tonnes (~1,984 tons) per day, according to a press release.
“Like many companies that have joined Lineage, Claus Sørensen is a family-owned and operated company with a long legacy and strong entrepreneurial culture,” said Mike McClendon, President of International Operations and Executive Vice President of Network Optimization at Lineage. “We are very excited to partner with Jesper and the team at Claus Sørensen cold storage, and I am confident in our combined teams’ ability to succeed on behalf of our customers.”
Deloitte Corporate Finance is acting as the financial advisor, and Gorrissen Federspiel is acting as the legal advisor to Claus Sørensen Group. Rabobank is acting as Lineage’s financial advisor, and Bech Bruun is serving as its legal counsel.
“Lineage’s dedication to both innovation and service perfectly aligns with our longstanding commitment to being a preferred partner for our customers,” said Jesper Toft Mathiasen at Claus Sørensen. “We are excited to join a company that shares our same values and to join forces with Lineage’s team in the region to innovate for our customers and to help them grow their businesses.”
Where else will Lineage build out its footprint? Keep reading ANUK to find out.
LUBBOCK, TX - There are some in this life who are lucky enough to learn everything they know from a father like Harold Wilkins. This is what Tommy Wilkins of Grow Farms Texas shares as he honors the recent passing of the father, grandfather, son, husband, advocate, and friend to many who left this world on Monday, June 21, 2021.
Harold was born on March 2, 1940, as the only child of Odus Edward and Bertha Fay (Osborne) Wilkins in Paris, Texas. He married Carolyn Williams on July 20, 1958, in Amarillo, Texas.
Pouring nearly 50 years of his heart and soul into produce, Harold was a man known by many and a mentor to all. Harold began his career in Amarillo, Texas, in 1958 as a Produce Manager for Furr’s Supermarkets. In 1969, he was promoted to Furr’s Produce Buying Office in Lubbock, Texas. In the late 70s, Harold made his way to Director of Produce and when Furr’s sold, he graduated to selling potatoes in Portales, New Mexico, for a year before joining Fleming Foods until 1991.
Harold and Tommy formed Wilkins Genova in 1992 and helped United Supermarkets move toward self-distributing in 1994 through 2006. With a passion to rival, Tommy and Harold helped form the partnerships between growers and customers in Texas, according to an obituary. Harold worked for United Supermarkets for a year in 2007 before he hung up his coveted produce apron.
The industry veteran left many friendships and impressions to a new generation. And, while produce was his passion, Harold’s life was defined with his wife, Carolyn, of 62 years. Survivors include his wife, Carolyn Wilkins; their sons, Tommy Dean (Barbara) Wilkins and Jerry Don (Jolyn) Wilkins; grandchildren, Randal Foster (Dusty), Jeremy Wilkins (Maddie), Jason Wilkins (Seena), and Jessica Wilkins; and great-grandchildren, Kipton Foster, Margo Wilkins, and Reid Wilkins. He is preceded in death by his parents, Odus and Bertha Wilkins.
Please take a moment to view the Life Tribute, a video of photographs set to Harold’s favorite music. Click to watch the video here.
The family of Harold Wilkins will celebrate his life of 81 years at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 24, 2021, at South Park Baptist Church, 2201 82nd St., Lubbock, Texas 79423. The family of Harold Wilkins has designated South Park Baptist Church for memorial contributions donated in his memory.
His family will host a time of fellowship and remembrance from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, 2021, at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers. There will also be a live-streamed service, and guests can sign his virtual guestbook and download his memorial keepsake folder to your device for printing here on this page.
AndNowUKnow would like to extend our deepest condolences to Harold’s family, friends, and all those who knew him. Our prayers, thoughts, and hearts are with you.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AgroFresh recently entered a unique partnership as it aims to commercialize its technology and solutions. The company has formed an exclusive global licensing agreement with Know Hub Chile to test patent-pending technology for superficial scald control in apples and pears.
“We are excited about the potential impact of this new technology for the apple and pear industry,” said AgroFresh CEO Clint Lewis. “Natural scald control technology could be a strategic complement to our conventional scald control portfolio and is a key part of our innovation pipeline. By commercializing more plant-based solutions and leveraging our deep global post-harvest expertise, AgroFresh continues its commitment to help reduce food loss and waste for pome fruit across the produce industry.”
The Know Hub Chile technology, developed by and licensed from the University of Talca in Chile, is based on a natural lipid found in plants. The new technology may provide a naturally derived solution to manage scald that could be available for drench, dip, and fogging applications, a press release stated.
AgroFresh reportedly expects that customer trials will begin during the 2021–2022 Northern Hemisphere pome fruit season.
“After an extensive industry investigation, we chose to work with AgroFresh based on their expertise, footprint, and deep customer relationships in the produce marketplace,” said Javier Ramírez, Chief Executive Officer for Know Hub Chile.
Fernando Venegas, Chief Tech Transfer Officer at Know Hub, also weighed in on the partnership.
“AgroFresh supported this technology from its earliest stages, including co-funding public grants that helped lead to its development. We are excited to work with them, and to contribute from Chile with an innovative technology that could help the pome fruit industry achieve their quality and sustainability objectives,” said Venegas.
AgroFresh supports United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which calls for the reduction of global food loss and waste at the post-harvest, retail, and consumer levels, and participates in the Friends of Champions 12.3 network.
For all of the latest fresh produce news, keep clicking back to AndNowUKnow.
REIDSVILLE, GA - Giving back has been a key facet of Shuman Farms’ operation since its inception, and the company is furthering its commitment to serving local communities throughout the month of June alongside Feeding America®. Together, the pair will help to support food insecure families across the U.S. through Shuman Farms’ special Feeding America RealSweet® Vidalia® onion bags, in addition to the grower providing 100,000 meals to those in need.
“At Shuman Farms, we believe it is our responsibility to be good stewards of what we have been given,” said John Shuman, President and CEO. “Not only is it important to do this through our sustainability efforts, but also through how we give back locally and to the communities in which we do business. Our Feeding America program each June is an important part of that mission.”
In addition to its Feeding America RealSweet Vidalia bags, Shuman Farms team members have spent their time volunteering at local their Feeding America food bank, America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia. According to a press release, the team has packed close to 2,500 breakfast bags that were then distributed to kids in need throughout communities in Southeast Georgia.
Feeding America estimates that more than 42 million people may experience food insecurity in 2021, including a potential 13 million children, which is why Shuman Farms’ efforts to raise funds and awareness are crucial. This comes at a pivotal time, as summer breaks are especially hard for children who rely on free or reduced lunches during the school year.
To help draw attention to the cause, retailers who carry the Feeding America RealSweet Vidalia bags will be given in-store signage, display bins, and suggested social media posts to support the initiative and inform consumers about the food insecurity in the U.S.
Furthering its dedication to fighting food insecurity, Shuman Farms will also participate in the Healthy Family Project’s annual Produce for Kids’ retail campaigns in several grocers including Publix, Associated Wholesale Grocers’ Springfield and Oklahoma banners, MDI banners, Rouses Markets, TOPS Friendly Markets, and Stop & Shop.
Healthy Family Project® was founded in 2002 by John Shuman, and is a cause-marketing organization dedicated to creating a healthier generation and giving back to families across the U.S. Since 2014, Healthy Family Project has also partnered with Feeding America to give back to families and children who suffer from food insecurity.
“Healthy Family Project was founded in hopes for the produce industry to come together and give back to those in need,” Shuman added. “Now, two decades later, Healthy Family Project and our partners have raised more than $7 million for charities across the U.S. including more than 12 million meals donated to Feeding America.”
Throughout 2021, the Produce for Kids campaign will provide over 1.3 million meals to more than 65 Feeding America food banks and thousands of food pantries across the country.
Shuman Farms started shipping its RealSweet brand Vidalia onions in April and expects to have good availability and quality Vidalia onions throughout the summer until transitioning to RealSweet premium sweet onions from Peru in September.
Hats off to Shuman Farms for its dedication to supporting its communities and helping fight hunger through the power of fresh produce.
BENTONVILLE, AR - If you often find yourself with your head in the clouds, then you may just be a witness to Walmart’s most recent venture. The retailer has further invested in its partnership with service provider DroneUp, which it teamed up with last year to trial the delivery of COVID-19 self-collection kits.
“The trial demonstrated we could offer customers delivery in minutes versus hours,” wrote Chief Executive Officer and President, John Furner, in a press release. “Now, after safely completing hundreds of drone deliveries from Walmart stores, we’re making an investment in DroneUp to continue our work toward developing a scalable last-mile delivery solution.”
DroneUp’s delivery network matches a database of over 10,000 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-certified pilots, as the release noted, and the service provider was one of the first to leverage a FAA 107.39 waiver, allowing flight of the drones in public spaces.
“Walmart already has a significant part of the infrastructure in place—4,700 stores stocked with more than 100,000 of the most-purchased items, located within 10 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population,” Furner added. “This makes us uniquely positioned to execute drone deliveries, which is why our investment in DroneUp won’t just apply to the skies but also the ground. In the coming months, we’ll be beginning our first operation at a store in Bentonville, Arkansas.”
Furner concluded by emphasizing that the scale up of such deliveries is in reach, and the company will optimize its logistics innovation to align with DroneUp and expand this strategy.
For more updates on the ever-evolving retail sector, keep a tab open for AndNowUKnow.