FRESNO, CA - John Leroy Woolf Jr., better known as Jack, was a pioneer in the Fresno farming community and left an indelible mark on the industry. After decades of tireless work creating some of California’s largest and most successful farming operations, Jack Woolf passed away at his Fresno home at the age of 102.
A WWII U.S. Army veteran, Woolf returned to the United States and began working for cotton farmer Russel Giffen, during which Woolf impressed many with his skills of planning, execution, and management. In 1974, he purchased some of Giffen’s farmland and launched his own company: Woolf Farming Company.
Woolf was among the first to plant almonds and pistachios in Fresno County, a crop that now generates roughly $7.8 billion in revenue each year.
Throughout his career, Woolf worked to ensure that water efficiency was top of mind, all while laying the groundwork for farming and processing higher-value crops. He was involved with decision makers on this matter, serving on the Westlands Water District Board of Directors from 1976 to 1992.
“It would be impossible to overstate the contribution Jack Woolf made to irrigated agriculture on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley,” said Tom Birmingham, General Manager of Westlands Water District. “There simply are not enough superlatives to describe Mr. Woolf, but he will always be remembered as a man of great integrity and a true gentleman.”
Woolf was involved with several boards and organizations, including the National Cotton Council, The University of Santa Clara Board of Regents, the Fresno Historical Society, The California Tomato Growers Association, among others.
He is survived by his wife Bernice and six children: Anne Franson, spouse Don; Nancy Woolf; John Woolf, spouse Mary Pat; Mike Woolf, spouse Shelly; Stuart Woolf, spouse Lisa; and Chris Woolf, spouse Sarah. He also leaves behind 24 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Jack Woolf was a man so in love with the land that even at the age of 100 he would visit the office two or three times a week. Fresh produce truly changes our hearts and minds, and Jack was a pioneer for both.
Our condolences go out to Jack’s family and friends at this time.
WASHINGTON, DC - November will be here before you know it, and thank the produce stars that September comes first to help us sort through the issues of the day and the Presidential campaigns that will impact the way we live and do business.
That "thank the stars for September" statement comes courtesy of yours truly about this year’s Washington Conference which will take place virtually on United Fresh LIVE! 365, September 21-25, 2020. The event will help the industry address the 2020 election, and attendees will be able to hear directly from Representatives of President Trump's and Vice President Biden's campaigns, as well as one of the nation's top polling experts, Frank Luntz.
So, what will 2021 look like under either administration? That is what the United Fresh Washington Conference's Election 2020 LIVE! General Session will help us answer. Here are some details you will need as you set your schedules for the end of September.
Event time and date: Wednesday, September 23
- Election 2020 LIVE! General Session
Noon – 1:00 pm EDT - Election Night Celebration Networking Event
6:00 – 7:00 pm EDT - Gather at the end of the day for our Election Night Celebration where you'll cast your vote to see who – incumbent or challenger – the produce industry will elect as our next President and who will control Congress in 2021!
I hope you are as curious about this outcome as I am. As United Fresh shares, during this election year, in the midst of a global pandemic, it's more crucial than ever to share our essential industry's work to meet America's need for food and nourishment. There is still time to register for the United Fresh Washington Conference and become a part of the conversation that will influence our future and how we pave the path ahead together.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - The days might be getting shorter, but summer is still sizzling and, most importantly, so are the season’s cravings. Lori Castillo, Vice President of Marketing for NatureSweet®, recently shared with me that there is one item, in particular, looking to be just as hot as our daytime temperatures.
“Due to high market demand, the newest addition to the NatureSweet product line up is D’VINES™—a cherry-on-the-vine offering with a fresh, homegrown flavor and versatile packaging. Perfect for a premium cooking and snacking experience, D’VINES are a must-try this summer,” Lori shares.
D’VINES officially launched early last year, relaunching with a new versatile packaging this past spring.
Available in a 9 oz pack that showcases the product for consumers to select, D’VINES tomatoes live up to their name. Vine-nurtured and handpicked, Lori explains they offer a sweet, wholesome goodness in every bite—raw, cooked, sautéed, or however the consumer might wish to try them.
NatureSweet, Lori continues, monitors and adapts to the growing trends of the produce industry as it strives to be a single-source solution for consumers’ produce preferences.
And this does not just apply to the products, but also the practices. With shopping behaviors becoming more and more digital, the team has worked to ensure its cyber presence mirrors the high quality its brand strives to deliver physically.
“NatureSweet is heavily focusing on our story and growing processes in the online space to ensure shoppers are fully educated on the NatureSweet brand so they can feel confident in their purchase,” Lori says, explaining that, as online shopping continues to expand across grocery sectors, NatureSweet, too, is ensuring that it is prepared to be the partner retailers need.
I am certainly game to stave off the autumn days a little longer with a sweet summer treat I don’t have to feel guilty about—a sentiment I’m sure plenty of consumers share.
ST. LOUIS, MO - Schnuck Markets has taken an innovative approach to supporting the foodservice sector, announcing in April that it would help local restaurants by selling grab-and-go meals. The company is now extending those partnerships to even more locally-owned restaurants—this time with a focus on Black-owned businesses. Customers will now find offerings from Royally Baked, The Fattened Caf, Patty’s Cheesecakes, Bold Spoon Creamery, Cathy’s Kitchen, and Ms. Piggies’ Smokehouse at select Schnucks locations.
“At Schnucks, we’re committed to supporting our neighboring restaurants at a time when many are struggling because of pandemic restrictions on space and occupancy,” Schnucks Specialty Deli Category Manager Andy DeCou said. “After reading Black-Owned Restaurants to Support in St. Louis Right Now in Feast Magazine, we called these restaurateurs and invited them to sell their unique offerings in our stores.”
DeCou and other members of the Schnucks team sought out local restaurant owners who were interested in partnering with Schnucks to reach more customers. According to a press release, Schnucks plans to add several more restaurants in the coming weeks.
One partner in the program, Bold Spoon Creamery Founder and Owner Rachel Burns, says this collaboration is an exceptional opportunity for her small business.
“As a St. Louis native, I’ve been coming to Schnucks my entire life. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to partner with Schnucks, a local business that shares our mission of supporting other local businesses. We use local ingredients in all of our ice cream so this partnership not only helps us, but many other local businesses just like ours as well,” Burns said, also noting that like Schnucks, Bold Spoon Creamery is a family-owned business that she operates along with her husband, Corey Wilkinson, son, Harrison Burns, and brother, Brad Burns.
For an updated list of participating restaurants and the Schnucks stores where their grab-and-go meals can be found, visit the company’s Local Grab and Go page.
Hats off to Schnuck Markets on this innovative solution to navigating industry challenges.
PHOENIX, AZ - Fresh produce continues to dominate during these difficult times, and Sprouts Farmers Market saw that growth positively boost its sales, resulting in $1.6 billon in its second quarter.
“I am proud of how our Sprouts team members have navigated these unprecedented circumstances we live in today. Our culture rooted in respect, inclusion, and caring for one another has shone through in everything our team members do for our customers and for each other,” said Jack Sinclair, Chief Executive Officer. “Our strong second-quarter performance was driven by the strategic changes we have begun to implement across our business and the continued positive impact on demand from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
According to a press release outlining the retailer's Q2 results, customers continue to consume much of their food at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, elevating grocery spending and e-commerce.
“The trajectory of the COVID-19 situation remains uncertain, clouding the impact to the food retail industry over the coming quarters,” said Denise Paulonis, Chief Financial Officer. “While our sales continue at elevated levels, so do additional costs associated with our team members and stores. Predicting specific outcomes remains difficult, and accordingly, we are not stating a new outlook range. We remain confident in the financial strength of our business and our new long-term growth strategy presented last quarter.”
Some highlights from the report include:
- Net sales of $1.6 billion; a 16 percent increase from the same period in 2019
- Comparable store sales growth of 9.1 percent and two-year comparable store sales growth of 9.2 percent
- Net income of $67 million and adjusted net income of $70 million; compared to net income and adjusted net income of $35 million from the same period in 2019
- Diluted earnings per share of $0.57 and adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.59; compared to $0.30 diluted and adjusted diluted earnings per share from the same period in 2019
Aside from these monumental growth patterns, Sprouts has implemented a new marketing strategy aimed at driving fresh produce to the forfront of its business.
“We were able to accelerate our planned shift from print to digital for our weekly ad, resulting in a reduced number of items on ad and more sales at everyday retail prices,” said Paulonis. “As well, our produce team was able to procure excess products in the marketplace at great prices.”
Sinclair added, “Produce is still promoting fairly aggressively...As we head into the second half of the year, our early strategic wins give me confidence in our long-term direction, and our team members’ dedication assures me we will continue to provide our communities and customers healthy food for their families,” concluded Sinclair.
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ANUK will continue to bring the latest in retail and fresh produce, so keep checking back for more.
DALLAS, TX - As the Produce Marketing Association wrapped its inaugural Foodservice: Delivered event last week, I knew exactly who I wanted to chat with as the team reflected on the show. As DMA Solutions continues to be a voice of and for the industry, Vice President Megan Zweig joined me to talk about the state of the industry and the first-ever event.
“The team at DMA Solutions was extremely happy to attend PMA Foodservice: Delivered and learn more from the people experiencing and navigating the challenges facing the foodservice industry today. From a supplier perspective, it is clear to our team now more than ever that foodservice operators need solutions that are scalable in this new environment and way of conducting business,” Megan shares with me. “Suppliers that are clear on their product offerings relative to fresh-cut, value-added, and blended solutions are going to be positioning themselves to better serve the foodservice industry to serve the immediate need.”
As the in-person meetings and trade events that we are so used to in our industry remain a vision on the horizon and only a dream for now, I asked Megan how she thought the platform succeeded in generating engagement in the absence of physical conventions.
“After attending two virtual tradeshows during the pandemic, I think the major lesson for marketers in our industry is that we need to be prepared to navigate the changes between one virtual show to the next,” Megan reflects. “As a team of marketers, we identified that the layout of the online portal for PMA Foodservice: Delivered was very simple to navigate. We felt that the sessions were properly timed, not extending too long on any one session. And we appreciated the ability to view sessions that had already passed so we could keep up with the education in light of our busy schedules!”
For DMA Solutions, the team’s vision and goal for attending foodservice was 100 percent education-based. The marketing mavens made it a goal to not only learn more about the state of the foodservice sector of the fresh produce industry, but to also glean knowledge that they could transform into solutions for their clients.
“We know that our marketing colleagues in the industry are counting on us to understand the ins and outs of various virtual tradeshow formats as we face future shows in 2020,” Megan expresses. “We were inspired to put ourselves in the shoes of a foodservice operator and what they might be going through at this time. Suppliers are in a unique position to serve their needs if they lead with empathy first and cater to their needs accordingly.”
For supplier brands, DMA recommends promoting fresh-cut, pre-cooked/prepped, packaging solutions that encourage and elevate sanitation while promoting gourmet/inspired menu items to attract diners to restaurants.
“Diners are seeking inspiration and when they ‘get out’ they want to try something new that they would not normally make at home. What a great time to drive demand with new, inspired, and fresh flavors on menus!” Megan wraps up.
I could bend this woman’s ear for days! DMA has the gift of having leading-edge hearts and minds on its team and so, for the benefit of all, I’ll take a ticket and get in line.
NICHOLASVILLE, KY - The robot revolution may have seemed like the stuff of myths a mere few decades ago, but it’s now clear that our electronic friends are here to stay. The retail sector has championed robotic operations, with Woodman’s Markets being one of the latest to join the movement. Partnering up with Badger Technologies, the company is deploying multipurpose robots throughout stores in Wisconsin and Illinois, with the goal to expand to all 18 Woodman’s locations by the end of 2020.
“Woodman’s is committed to having the widest variety of groceries at the best prices, unlike other superstores that sell everything from bikes to bananas,” said Clint Woodman, President of Woodman’s Markets. “Badger’s robots are helping us fulfill this mission with real-time inventory visibility that yields analytics and actionable data insights to inform our business decisions.”
According to a press release, these robots will monitor product availability, verify prices, and deliver precise location data for more than 100,000 items at each location. The robots, equipped with Badger® Retail InSight, are part of a complete retail automation solution that is enabling Woodman’s to elevate store execution, lower operational costs, and increase store profits.
Innovative imaging tools and neural networks enable the Badger Technologies’ autonomous robots to detect out-of-stock items with more than 95 percent accuracy. Incorrect and mispriced products are identified with over 90 percent accuracy. Badger Technologies autonomous robots also discern current product locations within a four-foot section of aisles that typically extend more than 100 feet.
“Most Woodman’s stores are over 240,000 square feet, nearly six times larger than the grocery industry average,” said Tim Rowland, CEO of Badger Technologies. “Not only can our robots perform shelf scans in hours instead of days, but they collect and connect critical data with the Woodman’s mobile shopping app to take customer experiences to the next level.”
The ability to automate storewide shelf scans for out-of-stocks and price compliance will eliminate arduous manual tasks, especially given each store’s large floor space. Additionally, Woodman’s can take advantage of critical trending data to better forecast and manage commodities and vendors with frequent stock issues.
Badger Retail InSight also keeps track of item locations, enabling Woodman’s to integrate daily updates into its mobile shopping app to help customers, online order pickers, and store associates quickly find all products. This automated process is proving essential to collaborations with pricing departments, improving the prioritization of replenishment lists, and assessing planogram compliance. These solutions provide a more robust ROI for retailers amid the accelerated pace of change across the retail landscape in 2020.
Data-savvy retailers, like Woodman’s, are taking advantage of a multitude of operational insights gathered by Badger Technologies’ autonomous robots to increase the productivity of omnichannel solutions, including click-and-collect and curbside delivery services.
Welcome to the robot revolution, friends!
REEDLEY, CA - With 2020 seemingly moving at warp speed, August is just around the corner. Not only does that mean summer is nearly over, but that Fruit World Co. will begin shipping its popular organic Thomcord grapes in the coming weeks in new high-graphic 2 lb recyclable paper totes. Known for being especially aromatic and flavorful, Thomcord grapes are a hybrid of Concord and Thompson Seedless grapes.
"We’re about a week away from harvesting our Thomcords and the crop is looking great," said CJ Buxman, Co-Founder. "We expect consumers who eagerly await the arrival of these unique and delicious grapes each year are going to be thrilled with them when grocers start stocking their shelves. Demand is always high for this variety, and we anticipate that trend to continue this year."
Fruit World is forecasting strong Thomcord grape volumes with promotable numbers available in late August. The supply is expected to roll out the first week of August and last until mid-October, as noted in a press release.
This season’s crop will be available in 10 x 2 lb recyclable and compostable paper totes, with new, bold, and colorful graphics. In previous years, this paper tote packaging was popular among consumers for its portability and sustainability, and the new high-graphic bag is anticipated to stand out at retail. The company will be shipping 20 x 1 lb clamshells as well, to meet current consumer demand for packaged premium products.
Fruit World also announced that it will continue a consumer engagement program first used in 2018 and then again last year that encourages consumers to text Fruit World about their Thomcord grape eating experience. Dubbed "Thomcord Tales," the campaign involves "Text-me" cards being added to packages, and has proven to be a fun and easy way for consumers to provide feedback.
"We try to reply to every Thomcord Tales text we get from consumers, and they seem to enjoy the interaction as much as we do," said Co-Founder Bianca Kaprielian. "Consumers’ love for Thomcords really comes across in their messages, and retailers have shared that this personal touch drives significant repeat sales."
In addition to Thomcord grapes, Fruit World will be shipping 10 other organic grape varieties to retailers and wholesalers, including a limited supply from the heritage vines of grower partner Pete Wolf, one of California’s first organic growers and a recognized grape expert. Fruit World is accepting orders now for its high-demand specialty grape varieties, so act quickly!
For more fruity news coming next month, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.
RIVERSIDE, CA - Green gold from Peru is hitting the market with abundance this month as Index Fresh sees peak volume of its supply, with volume up by 15-20 percent compared to last year. Avocados from Peru have been available since May and will continue to be in the market until September.
“Peru is at its peak in flavor as we enter the second half of their season. Index Fresh sources from multiple growing districts throughout Peru in order to provide customers with high quality avocados the entire season,” said Giovanni Cavaletto, Vice President of Sourcing.
Consumers and buyers can expect consistency through the season with this large-sized Hass offering excellent eating quality and good dry matter, according to a press release.
“Peru is a reliable supply of summer avocados for the U.S. Market, and their commitment to food safety is very high,” Cavaletto said.
The California-based global avocado marketer noticed an initial downturn in buying habits in March with pandemic shutdowns, but has now rebounded well. Foodservice has also seen an upturn, from initially being down around 90 percent to around 30 percent now. Employees safeguards at harvest and at packing sites continue to be paramount for Index Fresh and its grower partners.
“We are also looking forward to the new plantings from the Olmos mega-irrigation project coming into production,” added Cavaletto.
Keep a tab open for ANUK as we continue to uncover the season’s freshest supplies.
ATLANTA, GA - EarthFresh Foods is revolutionizing the potato category with its newest packaging format. The potato grower recently announced its new, complete product line of organic and conventional potatoes packed in 100 percent compostable paper bags.
“We are doing our part to help keep the world a cleaner place by offering environmentally friendly, compostable paper packaging,” said Jessica Hughes, Director of Innovation. “This new product line up is a win for the environment and the consumer.”
With plastic waste becoming a bigger issue every day, consumers are becoming more mindful of their plastic use and looking for sustainable alternatives. Paper packaging is becoming the consumer’s choice. Nielsen research shows that 73 percent of global consumers say they would definitely or probably change their consumption habits to reduce their impact on the environment, as stated in the release.
“We know that shoppers, especially millennials, will try new products based on sustainable packaging,” explained Hughes.
The new sustainable packaging is available in all pack sizes, including baby potatoes in 1 lb and 1.5 lb bags and A and B size potatoes in 3 lb, 5 lb, and 10 lb compostable paper bags. EarthFresh’s compostable packaging requires less carbon to produce and returns nutrients back to the Earth.
Innovative creations and sustainable thinking abound in the fresh produce industry, and ANUK will continue to report on the latest.