YERINGTON, NV - Since 1999, Peri & Sons Farms has put a considerable amount of time and resources into creating a company-wide, top-to-bottom, certified food-safety program. Keeping products safe through every step of the supply chain takes financial resources, steadfast dedication, and compliance, but these investments are worth it. We don’t think of food safety as a nuisance, we see it as the right thing to do.
Here’s What’s In Store.
We believe our major investment in food safety is money well spent if it means that none of us, or our customers, will experience the nightmare of a recall. It takes years of hard work and dedication, day in and day out, to implement a controlled food-safe practice.
Our onions may cost a bit more than others, but the safety and security of your business, and your customers, is worth it.
At Peri & Sons Farms, we undergo Global GAP audits, which makes us GFSI compliant. Our food safety measures are comparable to those of the Leafy Greens Marketing Association, which require a highly controlled and monitored environment—which is something Peri & Sons implements.
When you consider the potential risks, we think you’ll agree it’s pennies well spent to protect all that you value.
Thank you for watching What’s In Store.
WASHINGTON, DC - Following and initial complaint filed on April 21,2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has closed the case against Jones Potato Chip Co. The Ohio-based company reportedly failed to make full payment promptly in the amount of $438,673 to four sellers, putting the company in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). The PACA violations have been permanently abated without further process following the company paying a fine.
Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
After the complaint was filed, USDA and Jones Potato Chip Co. entered into a consent decision and order in which Jones Potato Chip Co. agreed to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $5,000 for making untimely payments to sellers for produce purchases. As a result of Jones Potato Chip Co. satisfying the terms of the consent decision and order, the finding that it had committed repeated and flagrant PACA violations was permanently abated without further process and the case has been closed.
The PACA Division, a part of AMS’ Fair Trade Practices Program, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 7,800 callers with issues valued at approximately $148 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
For more information, and to read the release in its entirety, click here.
OXNARD, CA - Mission Produce has announced the official launch of its proposed public offering. This news comes after the company initially unveiled its plans to go public earlier this year.
The company plans to offer up its 9,375,000 shares ranging from an expected $15–$17 per share. Of the over nine million shares, 6,250,000 will come directly from the company and the remaining 3,125,000 will be offered from selling stockholders pursuant of an S-1 registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The registration statement has been filed with the SEC, but has not yet become effective, according to a press release. BofA Securities, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Citigroup will be acting as bookrunning managers for the offering, with Roth Capital Partners, Stephens Inc., and D.A. Davidson & Co. acting as co-managers.
Mission has applied to list its common stock shares under the symbol “AVO” on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. As of right now, underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,406,250 shares of the common stock from the company before going public.
As more news on Mission’s journey to become a publicly traded company becomes available, AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
MCALLEN, TX - Living a life full of wonder is truly magical. Fantasy gives way to reality, thus unearthing some of the world’s greatest treasures. I could wax poetic all day, but let’s meditate on one truly exceptional example: Wonderful pomegranates. Grown by industry leader GR Fresh, the rare and illustrious variety has consumers in a trance, leaving me with just one question for buyers: What are you waiting for?
“We officially started packing Wonderful pomegranates in September and will run the program through the middle of October, which is usually when California programs get started,” began Tony Incaviglia, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Having pomegranates earlier than other producers allows us to take advantage of a strategic window in shopper dollars.”
Tony explained that the pomegranate market is intriguing because the item is considered a high-end product. With demand for the category beginning to ramp up ahead of California supplies, the market for GR Fresh’s Wonderful pomegranates is strong and extremely active.
The company is up to about 90 acres of orchards, with 50 acres located at GR Fresh’s headquarters in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico, and 40 acres in Huatabampo, Sonora, Mexico, each with roughly 13,200 and 9,000 trees respectively.
“We began promoting this program about five years ago. As orchards continue to mature, we are seeing a healthier supply each year,” continued Tony. “After running into some issues last year due to a small freeze, the trees have rebounded with the quality and amount of fruit coming off the trees extremely strong this year. We've seen about four loads a week, which has been very positive.”
The Wonderful pomegranate window is certainly not one that you want to miss out on, so get in touch with GR Fresh today. For more about GR Fresh’s other categories including tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, bell peppers, mini sweets, eggplants, and western vegetables, stick with us here at AndNowUKnow.
WENATCHEE, WA - Stemilt has hit an impressive industry milestone, recently achieving the Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) certification at its Quincy, Washington, orchard operation. Back in 2019, Stemilt completed a successful EFI pilot. Now, its goal is to work with EFI and further bolster its operations by training and developing cross-functional leadership teams.
“Our team members are the driving force behind World Famous Fruit and our constant journey toward ensuring our fruit delights consumers,” said West Mathison, President of Stemilt. “A trusted certification like EFI helps us cultivate people who produce World Famous Fruit. Quincy is a large orchard that is now benefitting from the continuous improvement work of our 11-person leadership team. EFI provides valuable workplace skills training and helps us put processes in place to practice great communication and collaboration every day.”
In order to achieve EFI certification, more than 300 standards must be met. These include labor practices, food safety, and pest management, as well as emphasizing collaboration, respect, and food safety. For years, Stemilt has highlighted these values. According to a press release, this first EFI certification is a proactive step forward as the company continues to build itself around its vision, mission, values, and goals.
“Produce is a business where you must be able to quickly adapt to changing needs,” continued Mathison. “EFI’s soft skill training around leadership, communication, problem solving, and conflict resolution provides our team members with a way to adapt through continuous improvement. It will help us live and share Stemilt’s core values.”
Earlier this year, Stemilt’s executive team received EFI background training.
“Stemilt has made a commitment to intentionally cultivate a high-performing and inclusive organizational culture,” stated Kevin Boyle, Director of New Product and Business Development, Equitable Food Initiative. “They are working systemically and on numerous levels to enhance their culture, and we have found great alignment with their work and EFI’s workforce development programs.”
The Quincy, Washington, orchard, which supplies apples and cherries, went through a third-party verification audit conducted by SCS Global Services. The certification is valid for three years.
“We always say that World Famous Fruit is a journey, not a destination,” expressed Mathison. “There is always work to be done to achieve our mission and this first EFI certification is going to equip our team members to ensure we are always innovating.”
Stemilt noted that it will quickly expand the EFI program throughout its operations and work with EFI to certify all of its farms by 2021. It will also start implementing the EFI program at its packing facilities. Soon, Stemilt hopes to have teams across its network working on improvement initiatives.
What a huge step for Stemilt! We here at AndNowUKnow extend our congratulations.
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Black Hog Farms satisfied a $14,772 reparation order issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) involving unpaid produce transactions.
Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
The East Palatka, Florida, company can continue operating in the produce industry upon applying for and being issued a PACA license. Jonathan Insetta and Luke A. Watkins were listed as the officers, directors, and/or major stockholders of the business and may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.
PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in USDA’s issuance of a reparation order that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA approval.
Once a reparation order is fully satisfied and it is confirmed that there are not any outstanding unpaid awards, USDA lifts the employment restrictions of the previously named, responsibly connected individuals. USDA also requires any unlicensed company that fully satisfies all unpaid reparation awards to obtain a license if it continues to operate in the industry.
The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 7,800 callers with issues valued at approximately $148 million. These are just two examples of how the USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
For more information and to read the press release in its entirety, please visit the link here.
MOUND, MN - Growth is a natural part of owning a business. For a strategy-centric firm like GoldenSun Insights, growth will continue to happen. Recently, the company announced the signing of an agreement to sell the company to Randy Riley, Kroger's Director of Produce, and Jason Fuller, Vice President of GoldenSun Insights, effective October 1, 2020.
“I am excited to have Randy and Jason acquire the company. At our core, we are a strategy-centric firm with a deep understanding of retail, and the background of both these individuals will continue to strengthen our capabilities,” said Don Goodwin, Owner and Founder, GoldenSun Insights. “Randy’s expertise in retail and Jason’s deep knowledge of selling produce will help us better serve our clients through effective strategy and new growth opportunities.”
GoldenSun Insights is one of the only companies whose clients span from seed to retail, working with seed companies, grower-shippers, distributors, trade associations, and retailers. According to the press release, GoldenSun was founded by Goodwin in 2004. He will stay on in an advisory capacity to the company.
Riley started his career as a produce clerk in the stores and graduated to other roles such as produce coordinator, produce buyer, promotional planner, and category manager. Admired for his breadth of knowledge, he is a strategic thinker and is always looking for new and innovative ways of solving complex issues within the produce industry.
“Don and his team have built a unique company with a unique set of services from seed to retail for their clients,” said Riley on the acquisition.
Adding more than 20 years of experience, Fuller brings deep expertise and knowledge of the buy/sell process between growers and retailers. Fuller has developed the confidence of many retail customers because of his deep knowledge, integrity, and follow-through.
“We are excited to carry on Don’s vision of strategy, business development, and marketing into the supply chain and through retail,” said Fuller.
With such depth and breadth of experience coming into the fold, GoldenSun Insights can only grow and strengthen through its deep retail insights and supporting its clients with marketing and business development.
“My intention is to first focus on my health. I will be supporting Jason and Randy and their team part-time. I also hope to focus on expanding my role to work with Universities, Mergers and Acquisitions, and participation on boards,” commented Goodwin.
For more developments in the industry, keep a tab open for ANUK.
CINCINNATI, OH - We live in a world where technology contributes to nearly every aspect of our lives, but it still manages to surprise me when I see it applied to the world of grocery. Kroger is upping my astonishment with its newest partner, a software firm named Everseen. With this new partnership, the grocer plans to roll out artificial intelligence (AI) technology to 2,500 stores.
"By leveraging Everseen’s Visual AI and machine learning technology, we’re not only able to remove friction for the customer, but we can also remove controllable costs from the business and redirect those resources to improving the customer experience even more,” stated Mike Lamb, Vice President of Asset Protection, Kroger.
According to The Irish Examiner, Everseen’s tech uses cameras to monitor the checkout and self-scan areas, detecting each item customers put in and out of their carts. Similar technology is seen in Amazon’s Amazon Go marketplaces.
The software firm, which also collaborates with Walmart, has a goal to make retailers businesses more profitable and efficient.
“Everseen’s unique Visual AI technology is transforming the way retailers can manage their end-to-end operations to drive perpetual inventory accuracy, prevent stock loss, and empower autonomous processes,” said Chris Taylor, Chief Sales Officer, Evergreen.
As more retailers look to AI and begin using it in their daily operations, what will the next innovation be? I’m sure it’s just around the corner. Stay tuned with AndNowUKnow as we look ahead.
SACRAMENTO, CA - With food safety top-of-mind for growers, retailers, and consumers, the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) has compiled the results of a recent member survey which details that producers are capable of quickly tracking product involved in an outbreak or recall. The systems allow producers to quickly track products that have been involved in an outbreak or recall, tracing them from the field where it was grown to the first customer who received it.
“Verification that a traceback system is in place happens every time an LGMA member is audited by the government, which occurs about five times per year under our program,” said Scott Horsfall, CEO of LGMA.“We can say with confidence that 100 percent of our members have a traceback system in place. Through this survey we hoped to better understand how leafy greens producers’ traceback systems are contributing to outbreak investigations and determine if there are additional requirements that could improve the speed and accuracy in finding the source of future outbreaks that may be linked to leafy green farms.”
The LGMA survey was sent out to each member to assess their traceability systems.
Of the 93 LGMA members, 52 of them responded, all of which answered a series of questions related to their respective systems. According to a press release, those who responded represented a wide demographic of operation types and sizes.
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The goal of this Leafy Greens Traceability Pilot is to explore what traceback information is needed to assist government investigations and to test how that information can quickly be shared in a format that allows it to connect the supply chain,” said Jennifer McEntire, Senior Vice President of Food Safety and Technology, United Fresh Produce Association, who is helping to coordinate the pilot. “The insights from the pilots will aid in more quickly and effectively locating the source of contamination during an actual outbreak.”
The survey found that the traceback systems in use are able to record information on activities including growing and harvesting products, and all of the systems reported can identify the grower, ranch, or field, and date of harvest for each crop.
96 percent of the traceability systems were able to even record information about the harvest crew that handled the produce.
LGMA’s survey went out after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration emphasized the importance of traceability systems in investigating future outbreaks.
“What we can conclude from this survey is that LGMA members are collecting detailed information through their traceback systems” said Horsfall. “But, in practice the system is not working as quickly as needed to prevent illnesses and identify the source of contamination. This underscores the need for the LGMA and the leafy greens industry to work more closely with the FDA to determine how traceback systems at the production end can better assist outbreak investigations.”
Of those who responded to the survey, 63 percent were still utilizing the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) for tracking and labeling its produce. The system was developed almost a decade ago to help standardize tracing through the supply chain, and LGMA has reported that it is working to create more advanced systems that could further help with future investigations and more accurate tracking.
To view the rest of the results from the survey, click here.
As food safety and tracking continue to take the spotlight, what new innovations will be developed to help growers in their traceability efforts? Keep reading ANUK for the latest updates.
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD - Brighter Bites has long been an advocate for children and families. Increasing its program reach, the association is addressing food insecurity in Prince George’s County, Maryland. With the help of a new partner, Amerigroup and its generous donation of $40,000, Brighter Bites will be able to support nearly 9,000 more families.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a glaring light on how those living in economically disadvantaged communities without reliable access to fresh, healthy food are bearing the heaviest burden of COVID-19 infections,” said Northeast Regional Program Director of Brighter Bites, Melanie Button. “We are thrilled to join forces with Amerigroup to expand our reach throughout Prince George’s County and address food insecurity as a major social determinant of health. Together, we’re ensuring that families are not only able to put food on the table, but more importantly consume the right foods to keep them nourished and their immune systems strong.”
According to a press release, Prince George’s County was already struggling with food insecurity before the COVID-19 outbreak and now more than 30,000 of its residents are experiencing unemployment and food access disparities.
In order to address these rising levels of food insecurity, Brighter Bites’ program will help residents gain access to roughly 20–25 pounds of fresh produce each week, as well as an expansion of the organization’s school-based programming in the fall.
“At Amerigroup, we understand the vital role that healthy food can play in promoting the overall health and well-being of the communities we support and it is especially important for local youth,” said Vince Ancona, Amerigroup Maryland Medicaid Plan President. “We know that the food access gap for low-income Maryland residents has widened during the pandemic and our goal in partnering with Brighter Bites is to ensure that residents can obtain the food and resources they need to help them during this health crisis.”
Ever since the onset of the pandemic, Brighter Bites has experienced a surge in demand. Each week, it distributes 9,050 boxes of fresh food to more than 20 schools, churches, and community centers. Demand has increased at an unprecedented rate of over 500 percent since March.
We here at AndNowUKnow thank organizations like Brighter Bites for their dedication to helping those who need it most.