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SALINAS, CA - Bringing you the latest market updates and useful retail strategies is what we at AndNowUKnow set out to do daily. As I looked to dissect the details of the current broccoli and cauliflower markets, I had a chance to speak to Greg Villalobos, Garrett Bernard, and Ray Cunanan, Sales Executives and Commodity Managers at Pacific International Marketing, who offered me some exclusive insights.
“We are currently growing broccoli in both Yuma and Scottsdale, Arizona,” Greg begins. “The quality has been excellent out of both areas with plentiful supplies. The warmer-than-normal temperature we have been experiencing in the desert since the end of November has brought the crop forward, creating a surplus.”
Retailers can optimize these volumes by placing broccoli on ads, highlighting the commodity in digital retail apps, or allowing retailer coupons. Pacific grows broccoli in multiple regions to provide a year-round program to meet its broccoli floret, bunch, and crown needs, which are all freshly packed for its retail, foodservice, and club store customers.
In addition to Yuma and Scottsdale, Pacific also grows broccoli in Santa Maria, California, which has recently seen pressures due to cold weather.
“Our Santa Maria, California, growing region is very short on supply,” Garrett points out to me, “as the recent rain coupled with cooler nights is causing decreased yields and availability.”
As Greg, Garrett, and I wrapped up the details of the company’s broccoli production, Ray Cunanan also provided me with an exclusive look at the current cauliflower market, also detailing tight supplies as a result of cooler weather.
“Early warm temperatures and some light rain brought cauliflower acreage forward,” Ray notes. “Supplies were heavy, as we harvested well before the scheduled harvest dates. As normal winter temperatures set in, the crops slowed down, leaving us with short supplies.”
Ray goes on to let me know that there have been good cauliflower supplies to date, but the industry could see some gaps in supplies if cold temperatures persist.
Pacific grows cauliflower in both Santa Maria, California, and the Arizona desert to hedge against inclement weather, and its cauliflower is also packed fresh for its retail and foodservice customers.
To keep reading pertinent crop updates from across the industry, keep clicking on AndNowUKnow.
SACRAMENTO, CA - Looking back over 2021, the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) can say that it made a huge impact in the lives of many veteran farmers throughout the industry. Now, with its focus on 2022, the coalition is setting an ambitious goal as its new funding cycle opens.
“Our sights are set high for 2022: we anticipate raising $500,000 to give out to this year’s class of Fellows,” said Rachel Petitt, Program Director. “We recognize this is a lofty goal, but we are really close, so it definitely feels achievable.”
In its 11th year, the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund has granted over $3.5 million in support to more than 800 military veterans pursuing careers in agriculture, according to a release. One of the FVC’s central programs helps beginning farmers and ranchers with one of the greatest challenges—accruing start-up capital.
“As FVC starts this next round of funding, the stories of 2021 are a wonderful reminder of the importance of our mission,” explained Executive Director Jeanette Lombardo. “These stories drive our efforts every day as we seek new funding and create programs to help our Farmer Veterans throughout the country.”
Over the past year, FVC awarded 138 farmer veterans with farming equipment through its Fellowship Fund small grant program. This included big ticket items such as greenhouses and grow tents, walk-in coolers and cold storage units, water filtrations, honey extractors, and milking systems.
“It was taking me four hours to fill up my 1,100-gallon leg tank, and now, with my Generac pump, I can fill the tank in about 15 minutes,” commented David Volkman, an Army veteran who served for nearly three decades before starting Ohio Valley Hops, and a recipient of one of the grants.
Now, FVC is welcoming the arrival of its next funding cycle, with applications having opened on January 3, and remaining open until February 14. To apply, click here.
Funding for the 2022 cycle is made possible by organizations including Wounded Warriors Project, Kubota, Tractor Supply Company, Homestead Implements, Tarter Farm and Ranch Equipment, Vital Farms, Sugar Bottom Farm, Barreras Family Farm, and Northwest Farm Credit Services.
Cheers to FVC for continuing to make a difference in the lives of veterans in agriculture!
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The fruits of Mother Nature are perfectly imperfect. Looking to champion this concept, Dan Park is stepping up to the plate for Imperfect Foods. He officially joined the team on January 3 as its new Chief Executive Officer.
“Imperfect Foods is changing the face of grocery delivery, and I’m excited to be an integral part of this next chapter of the business. We will focus on continually raising the bar of our customer experience while meeting our sustainability goals,” said Park of his new role. “There are certain aspects of the future that I’m concerned about, and as a part of the Imperfect Foods team, I look forward to playing an active role in improving our environment by being a good steward of our planet.”
Park joins Imperfect Foods after four years at BuildDirect Technologies, a Canadian-based online marketplace for building materials, where he was the CEO. He played a major role at BuildDirect as he took the company public and still remains a member of the Board.
According to the release, Park brings nearly three decades of experience building and leading world-class teams at top-tier, multi-billion dollar retail and technology companies, having previously worked at corporations including six years at Amazon and three years at Target.
“The perfect Imperfect CEO needs world-class e-commerce skills, deep operations experience, and a commitment to the brand’s mission,” said Adam Berger, Imperfect Foods’ Board Chair and Insight Partners’ Managing Director. “I first met Dan a year ago, and we have gotten to know each other. The role and timing lined up perfectly, and I’m thrilled to have him lead Imperfect Foods.”
Founded in 2015 with the mission of eliminating the 35 percent of food that ends up wasted in the United States each year and building a better food system, Imperfect Foods began by sourcing ugly and surplus produce that didn’t meet conventional grocery store standards, delivering it directly to customers’ doors. Since its founding, Imperfect Foods has saved over 150 million pounds of food from lesser outcomes and expanded its offerings into a suite of grocery products.
As noted in the release, Imperfect Foods is committed to becoming a net-zero organization by 2030 and was recently certified as a B Corp.
We can’t wait to see what Imperfect Foods accomplishes under the expert leadership of Dan Park.
NEW YORK, NY - “Biology is our technology.” That is one of the first statements Eric Greifenberger, Upward Farms’ Vice President of Marketing and Sales, makes to me as we dive into an exploration of how the company has harnessed innovation to revitalize the indoor ag industry, bringing an exclusive benefit to both retailers and consumers.
“At Upward Farms, biology is our technology. We’ve reimagined the indoor agricultural process, combining vertical farming with aquaponics—a process that uses fish to fertilize crops in a complete ecosystem,” Eric explains. “Our aquaponic vertical farms are natural ecosystems that foster a healthy and powerful microbiome that eliminates the need for synthetic chemicals like pesticides, antibiotics, or fertilizers to deliver GMO-free plants and fish. This approach allows us to tackle the issues that have prevented vertical farms from achieving field-parity scale, eliminating crop disease, and achieving industry-leading yields.”
This unique process allows the supplier to bring a diverse lineup of microgreens to market, which currently includes the Mighty Microgreens Mix, featuring a bright and hearty mix of broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi, as well as the Spicy Microgreens Mix, which utilizes a mix of mustard, kohlrabi, and radish to create a sharp and spicy flavor.
“Our high-quality microgreens have a unique combination of three key benefits: they’re USDA Certified Organic, locally grown, and washed and ready-to-eat,” Eric explains. “Our microgreens are a differentiated offering, bringing better texture, vibrant colors, diverse flavors, and rich aromas to the consumer. Until today, microgreens have been primarily relegated to farmers markets given they cannot be grown outdoors on the broadacre, but as we scale indoors, we’ll grow and be able to offer an array of flavorful microgreens mixes to all food retailers. Our goal is to generate shopper excitement through a lineup of nutrient-dense and delicious microgreen mixes. We’re on a mission to reinvent the salad aisle.”
With such high quality and a host of alluring benefits, placing these microgreens in the produce department is a boon for sales, and Eric has even more tips in store for maximizing category success.
“The right assortment is critical when it comes to meeting a broad set of needs among the consumer base. Retailers need to balance items that are staples for most households with new, unique offerings that can bring added excitement to the category,” Eric explains. “Offering culinary-based meal solution ideas through shopper marketing tactics can also help educate and inspire them to use leafy greens in more interesting ways.”
As its ambitious strategies achieve rapid growth in the microgreens category, Upward Farms is continuing to fortify its brand and team up with its retail allies to strengthen the category at large.
“We will continue to drive the brand through the right support, future innovation, and by working closely with our retail partners like Whole Foods Market to identify the best ways to grow not only our brand but the category overall,” Eric concludes.
For the latest in industry innovation, keep clicking on AndNowUKnow.
WEBSTER, TX - While thousands prepared to gather in Times Square for New York’s famous New Year’s celebration, another ball drop of sorts took place just days before. H-E-B further built out its Texas-based footprint by opening a new El Dorado store on December 29. This new 107,000 square foot store replaces the former Clear Lake Market H-E-B (El Camino Real) location.
“I look forward to serving the Clear Lake community and ensuring that our long-time customers from the previous store continue to enjoy the best of what H-E-B has to offer,” said Jim Doxakis, who was recently named the new store’s General Manager. The 15-year H-E-B team member is a 20-year area resident of the area as well.
Wielding in-store experiences, picking orders via Curbside, Home Delivery, and H-E-B Meal Simple options, the new H-E-B offers a range of possibilities to its shoppers. From grab-and-go salads to casseroles and entrees, customers can enjoy a restaurant-quality meal. The Curbside pickup service offers 26 parking spaces and is one of the largest Curbside facilities in the company.
From the fresh produce to the freezer section, shoppers will find more offerings with unsurpassed freshness, quality, and variety. Special features for the community, include:
- Large assortment of Texas-made products
- Fully stocked Healthy Living department featuring bulk foods, including nuts, grains, dried fruits, and snack mixes
- H-E-B Organics and H-E-B Select Ingredients, a line consisting of H-E-B brand products that excludes unwanted ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors
- Made in-store fresh-squeezed juices and freshly made guacamole
- Texas hospitality and knowledgeable service that’s second to none—provided by almost 500 local H-E-B Partners, many who transferred from the former El Camino location
- A metal shingle design that mimics the underside of the space shuttle in reference to the neighboring NASA facility
- A team of registered dietitians and culinary experts and Healthy Living product options to offer full-time onsite and telehealth nutrition services including counseling, diagnostics testing, dietitian-led shopping support, and meal planning services
According to a press release, in celebration of the grand opening, H-E-B will donate $5,000 to Hope Active, which provides relevant programs that reach and impact the most underserved subsectors of the community.
For more expansions across the retail sector, stick with us here at ANUK.
FRESNO, CA - Setting its sights on further expansion, the Trinity Fruit Company added a new member to its team to bolster these efforts. Jackie Nakashian, the company’s new Brand Manager, has a host of experience on her side to strengthen Trinity Fruit’s product portfolio and marketing innovations.
“I hope to accomplish increased brand awareness through engaging seasonal campaigns. I also hope to bring a fresh eye to the marketing department in the hopes that we can elevate year after year as a new team of three,” Jackie shared with me.
She will be working closely with Angela Hernandez, Director of Marketing, who also expressed her thoughts on the company’s latest addition.
“As Trinity Fruit Company continues to grow and add to our portfolio of products, we are happy to also grow our marketing team,” she told me. “Jackie will be a great addition to our mix, and we are thrilled to have her! In building Trinity’s internal marketing team, we’ve noticed a trend where others in the industry are following suit, and we take great pride in knowing that our presence is leading others to market their products. Having Jackie will allow us to continue to build on what we have started.”
In her new role, Jackie will wear many hats, including strategy development, planning seasonal campaigns, trade show management, and managing overall brand awareness for the many internal Trinity Fruit brands, such as The Fruitful Market, Farm2You, Juicy Gems, SweetHearts, Big Honeys, and Buddy’s.
“I was previously at a local marketing agency where I represented all of their ag clients and led their ag initiative to bring in more ag clients,” Jackie added, expounding upon her background. “I fell in love with the packaging and seasonal campaign side of ag marketing and knew I wanted to gain more experience and dive deeper at an ag company. Trinity Fruit is a very well established and respected company which provides lots of opportunities, especially for someone like me who is learning and growing in this industry.”
We extend our congratulations to Jackie on this new role. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Trinity Fruit Company!
LOS ANGELES, CA - Continuing to ramp up its aggressive growth strategy, Albertsons Companies is fortifying its leadership team with another food industry expert. The retailer announced it has named Sheryl Salazar as the new Senior Vice President of Marketing and Merchandising in the company’s Southern California division.
Salazar has a long-standing career with Albertsons Companies, which began in 1993 when the tenured leader joined the company’s team as a Courtesy Clerk. Since then, she has held various store and division office positions over the years. Most recently, Salazar served as Director of Fresh for Albertsons and VONS in the Southern California division, according to the retailer’s recent LinkedIn post.
Salazar has extensive food industry expertise, as she holds a B.A. in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and is a graduate of the USC Food Industry Executive Program. She also occupies the position of Co-Chair of the Southern California Division’s Women’s Inspirational and Inclusion Network.
Salazar’s appointment follows another recent strategic move made by the grocer, as it also announced its latest partnership with Picadeli to expand its offerings and optimize convenience through a new, modular store-in-store salad bar concept.
Congratulations to Sheryl Salazar on her new position as SVP! We here at AndNowUKnow will keep a close watch to find out what elements of growth the retailer reveals next.
HOUSTON, TX - New opportunities are opening up for the supply-side as Sysco solidifies five new partnerships to enhance its supplier diversity initiatives. The distributor announced it has aligned with Disability:IN, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, National Veteran-Owned Business Association, The National Minority Supplier Development Council, and Women’s Business Enterprise National Council to facilitate relationships with diverse new suppliers.
“As a leader in the foodservice industry, these new partnerships will help Sysco develop future diverse suppliers critical to meeting the evolving needs of our customers,” said Judy Sansone, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. “It’s important that every aspect of our business, including our supply chain, reflects the changing demographics of the communities where we work and live.”
By optimizing these unique alliances, Sysco will have direct access to a certified diverse business database to identify and engage qualified suppliers in procurement opportunities, according to a press release.
Through these partnerships, the distributor looks to advance the success of businesses owned by minorities, women, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, and veterans. The new partnerships will present a multitude of benefits to diverse suppliers, including:
- Education, training, and development opportunities
- Mentorship on requests for information, proposal, and pre-qualification best practices
- Opportunities to identify and establish long-term supplier relationships with corporations
- Invitations to participate in qualified corporate member projects
Through its innovative supplier diversity strategies, Sysco aims to identify, develop, and expand certified diverse suppliers’ reach to meet customers’ business needs and provide them with unique competitive advantages.
As more companies roll out new blueprints to bolster their supplier network, AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
BENTONVILLE, AR - Rolling out an ambitious new goal for its InHome delivery service, Walmart has decided to make 2022 the year of convenience. The retailer has set its sights on scaling the rapidly expanding service, looking to make it accessible to 30 million United States households by the end of the year. To meet this objective, the company revealed plans to hire over 3,000 associate delivery drivers in addition to building a fleet of 100 percent all-electric delivery vehicles.
“We’ve been operating InHome in select markets over the last two years and have found it is a perfect solution for customers who want to live their lives without worrying about making it to the store or being home to accept a delivery,” said Tom Ward, Senior Vice President, Last Mile. “Identifying ways to help our customers save time and money is our purpose, and nothing showcases that better than InHome delivery, which is why we’re excited to bring the convenience of InHome to even more customers in 2022.”
Walmart’s InHome delivery service launched in 2019 and was created to give consumers more time back to spend with friends and family, according to a release. The service uses highly trained associates to deliver fresh groceries, everyday essentials, and more directly to shoppers’ homes. Through InHome, items can even be placed straight in their kitchens or garage refrigerators.
Consumers looking to utilize the service simply order their products on the Walmart App, selecting InHome as their delivery option. Next, InHome trained associates complete the delivery, using a one-time access code to unlock the shopper’s door or garage through the app, which pairs with smart entry technology. The app is able to notify consumers at every step of the delivery and a camera worn by associates records the whole process.
As Walmart looks to expand this innovative service, the retailer will hire more than 3,000 InHome associate delivery drivers, equipping them with a fleet of 100 percent all-electric delivery vans. Through the implementation of electric vehicles, the big-box chain will not only support its goal of operating a zero-emissions logistics fleet by 2040, but also support Walmart’s growing infrastructure of 1,396 EV charging stations at locations across 41 states.
The associate delivery driver position is new to the company and provides access to the retailer’s total rewards and benefits plans, including its Live Better U program, which pays for 100 percent of their college tuition and books.
“This new role is yet another example of how technology is enabling us to offer new career opportunities that just didn’t exist a few years ago,” added Julie Murphy, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer. “Expanding our number of InHome associates is a testament to the trust and confidence we have in them and their continuous commitment to delight our customers. There’s a path for everyone to build a career here at Walmart, and this position is further proof of that.”
These new roles will be filled by promoting Walmart’s existing associates from within. Those selected will receive in-depth training, enabling them to build their skillset using innovative tools and technology.
Overall, InHome delivery continues to serve as a key part of Walmart’s last-mile delivery strategy, especially as the retailer continues to explore sustainable and innovative delivery solutions.
How will this expansion increase Walmart’s standing in the retail sector? Keep clicking on AndNowUKnow for the answers.