FOWLER, CA - Vitamin C is essential to good health, and don’t we know it here in the produce industry! As consumers around the nation continue to invest in their health, Bee Sweet Citrus has launched a month-long campaign that’s designed to showcase the positive correlation between vitamin C and fresh citrus fruits.
“You, Me, and Vitamin C is a strategic campaign that’s tailored to the everyday consumer,” stated Director of Communications Monique Bienvenue. “Our goal is to equip our audience with the knowledge they need to make healthy food choices, as well as promote the benefits of incorporating citrus fruits into their diet.”
Throughout the month of July, Bee Sweet’s marketing team will tailor its social media content to promote the benefits of vitamin C, as well as the different ways consumers can supplement their immune system with citrus fruits, according to a press release. As the company steams forward with its summer citrus program, Bee Sweet’s digital platforms will be supplemented with variety-specific recipes, infographics, and company-sponsored contests. One of Bee Sweet’s long-time industry partners has also teamed up with the company to add another engaging component to the campaign.
On July 9, Bee Sweet Citrus and Produce for Kids will be hosting a Twitter Party, or a live Q&A chat, with Twitter users across the nation. While families continue to adapt to changes implemented by COVID-19, the two organizations will be sharing healthy recipes for families to make together, engage in dialogue focused on citrus handling and storage tips, and discuss the role that citrus can play in strengthening one’s immunity.
“Right now, boosting immunity is top of mind for the thousands of families who engage with Produce for Kids daily,” stated Produce for Kids Managing Director Amanda Keefer. “We are excited to be part of the Bee Sweet You, Me, and Vitamin C initiative delivering recipes, tips, and ideas through our Twitter Party and beyond.”
Bienvenue continued, “When our marketing team initially spoke about the elements of this campaign, we knew that we wanted it to have something for everyone. Whether you’re a parent looking for fun and creative ways to pass the time, or you’re a foodie interested in learning what makes citrus so special—we’ve designed this campaign with everyone in mind.”
The health-forward movement gets more creative every day, so keep a tab open for ANUK.
CASTROVILLE, CA - Ocean Mist® Farms is joining the ranks of leading organizations as it announces the Blue Zones Project approval of its Monterey, California, worksite. The artichoke grower received approval in May 2020 after meeting 78 points on the worksite pledge and engaging 44 percent of its staff in Blue Zones Project activity (88 individuals).
“This is a huge accomplishment for Ocean Mist Farms,” said Lupita Renteria-Galvan, HR Benefits Manager and the Wellness Committee Chair at Ocean Mist Farms. “Becoming an approved worksite demonstrates the commitment you have to your employees’ health and well-being. Ocean Mist Farms is recognized as a community leader in workplace wellness and joins a network of respected organizations across our community.”
With this recognition, Ocean Mist Farms is the fifth-largest employer to become an approved worksite. According to a press release, the company is represented among respected organizations such as Taylor Farms Headquarters, Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, Montage Health, VNA, and the Monterey County Office of Education.
Ocean Mist Farms’ well-being initiatives and accomplishments include the following:
- A fitness center to all employees, including easy access to physical fitness activities, showers, and changing facilities that encourage physical activity during the workday
- Five Blue Zones Parking spaces located the furthest distance from the entrance are available for employees. Creating Blue Zones Project parking spaces that remind employees parking farther away is one way to easily add more physical activity to their day
- Free annual onsite biometric screenings (blood pressure, body mass index, glucose, cholesterol, etc.) in an effort to educate employees about their health risks and, if needed, how to improve their health
- Consistent social activities for Ocean Mist Farms staff members and their families to encourage teamwork and collaboration by having healthy relationships among co-workers
- Ongoing onsite developmental workshops, seminars, and/or lunch-and-learns to all employees. Ocean Mist Farms partners with community wellness programs such as Health Promotion at Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System and Blue Zones Project to offer these workshops
Together, Ocean Mist Farms and Blue Zones Project Monterey County will continue the work of empowering employees to take charge of their health through continued Blue Zones Project activities and principals.
Click here to learn more about how to get involved in Blue Zones Project Monterey County.
Which industry leader will become Blue Zones Project approved next? Keep checking back to ANUK as we bring the latest.
SEATTLE, WA - Amazon continues to make waves on the newswire as of late. The e-tail giant pledged $2 billion in a sustainability initiative and most recently made a landmark $1 billion acquisition. Now, the behemoth is dropping another half billion, this time as “Thank You Bonuses” to front-line workers who were with the company throughout the month of June.
“Our front-line operations teams have been on an incredible journey over the last few months, and we want to show our appreciation with a special one-time Thank You bonus totaling over $500 million,” said Amazon Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations Dave Clark.
The move comes after the e-commerce giant eliminated a $2 hourly wage bump and double overtime pay for frontline workers at the end of May. Clark released a notice detailing full-time employees of Amazon, Amazon-owned Whole Foods, or drivers for delivery service partners will get $500; part-time employees or drivers will get $250; front-line leaders at Amazon and Whole Foods will get $1,000; and delivery service partner owners, who help get packages to customers, will get $3,000. Drivers for Amazon Flex who worked more than 10 hours in June will get $150.
According to CNN, Amazon stated it has taken a variety of steps to prevent the spread of the virus, including making more than 150 “process changes” to its operations to enhance safety. When reporting its first-quarter earnings, the e-tailer said it spent more than $600 million on coronavirus-related costs during the first three months of the year and said it expected these costs could grow to at least $4 billion in the second quarter.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the latest in the retail and grocery sector.
PORTERVILLE, CA - Two new certifiable sales leaders are joining Homegrown Organic Farms and its team of organic innovators. This week, Amanda Vietti, who has been with Homegrown since December 2019, and Stefaun Avakian, were named the grower’s new Sales Account Managers.
“I feel very blessed and excited to be a part of such a wonderful team. I am looking forward to the challenges this new role will bring and I am thankful for the opportunity,” Vietti shared.
Prior to serving on Homegrown Organic’s team, Vietti was a Sales Associate with another San Joaquin Valley produce marketing company. She graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a BS in Agricultural Business in 2013 and is still a firm believer in the university’s motto of “learn by doing,” according to a press release.
Avankian just joined the Homegrown team in June of 2020. He brings five years of industry experience to his new role, which includes time spent with Imperfect Foods as a Produce Buyer. He graduated from California State University, Fresno, in 2017 with a BS in Agricultural Business.
“I am excited to begin this new organic adventure with the Homegrown team,” Avankian said. “I appreciate the strong leadership and team mentality within the organization as well as its strong values-based foundation.”
The addition of Vietti and Avankian will help Homegrown Organic Farms prepare for its upcoming organic grape and citrus seasons. In addition, the two will help the company as a whole drive continued growth well into the future.
“As the company continues to grow, we continue to add extremely talented men and women to our staff. I’m thrilled to have both Amanda and Stefaun join the team,” said Craig Morris, Citrus and Grape Category Director. “Both individuals are dynamic and possess solid skills and industry experience and are poised to serve our customers and growers well.”
Congratulations to Amanda Vietti and Stefaun Avakian on their new roles!
UNITED KINGDOM - It appears that 33 new Aldi stores could be touching down in markets across the United Kingdom very soon. Recent reports from across the pond revealed that the grocery chain is on the lookout for new store locations as it continues its expansion drive around the world.
“Aldi is growing rapidly, and we are welcoming around a million new customers into our stores every year,” said Ciaran Aldridge, National Property Director for Aldi UK, according to Ludlow & Tenbury Wells Advertiser. “But there are also hundreds of towns across the U.K. where there is not an Aldi, meaning there are hundreds of thousands of people who can’t easily access the high quality, affordable food our customers love. We are willing to explore all opportunities, including developer-led schemes or existing retail unites.”
The news source reported that Aldi is planning on opening nine new stores in Worcestershire towns, where it is looking for freehold town-center or edge-of-center sites for development. In addition, Aldi has identified 13 new store locations across Nottinghamshire, according to NottinghamshireLive, and 11 new supermarket locations across Hertfordshire that could welcome a new branch, according to HertsLive.
Each prospective site would be around 1.5 acres, which would house a 20,000-square-foot store.
Why the massive expansion, you ask? Aldi’s latest push for new brick-and-mortar stores is part of its target project to open 1,200 stores by 2025. Currently, Aldi operates 880 stores across the U.K.
How will Aldi’s latest expansion affect the grocery market as a whole? And how will this growth bolster its partnerships with suppliers? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
THE GLOBE - What a rollercoaster ride the industry has been on this year, but also, how adaptable we have become. Both agile and nimble in nature, every corner of the fresh produce sector has seen its challenges and its successes and aligned with the greater good to raise the bar on fruit and veg consumption, access, and the health of the industry and those in it.
As we all get our bearings—as much as we can in the present and near future—our team at AndNowUKnow, along with Full Tilt Marketing, thought we would see how you are all individually doing in this tumultuous time.
Please check out this brief survey below. And yes, it is anonymous, so feel free to be open and to share this with your industry friends as well.
Check out the AndNowUKnow and Full Tilt survey here:
Or, you can view the poll in the window below! We truly appreciate your time.
Our hope is to collect the sentiments of a wide-ranging group as we further seek to unite alongside one another, bring about a collective understanding of where we are, and a place for compassion to thrive in.
We are also open to any other feedback that may not be included here. I would love to hear from your directly at [email protected].
A big thank you to our industry friends on the assist! From your friends at AndNowUKnow.
SALINAS, CA - Ah lettuce, an essential player to most salads or the base to delicious wraps. The crispy crunch makes any plate refreshing, making the category a necessity for summer dishes. As the country continues reopening, Ippolito International’s Bill Vargas, Lettuce Commodity Manager, gives the lowdown on what retail partners should expect this season.
“Currently, Ippolito is fully in the summertime season. In terms of harvest, we’ve been running a bit ahead of schedule, and our quality has been strong,” he says. “Although we continually trial new lettuce varieties, the ones we’re harvesting within our Salinas Valley blocks are similar to what we used last year.”
In a typical season, Ippolito’s summer plantings would reflect the expectation of supply from local growers, but changes in the norm coupled with the impact of the coronavirus has the grower projecting supply to be a little tight, and perhaps sooner than normal.
“Our sizing and color are consistent, and we’re keeping a close eye on a quality pack, so we’re keeping our customers happy,” Bill continues. “As the summer season progresses, our supply is already constricting—which we expect to continue throughout July and August, especially if the weather stays warmer.”
Despite fluctuating daily temperatures through the Salinas Valley, Bill says the harvest is still going on smoothly.
“We experienced a minimal amount of tip burn due to the weather, but the quality has been strong for the most part,” Bill explains. “Our harvest crews have put in a little bit more effort throughout our lots, but this is becoming less of a concern as the season continues.”
As temperatures turn up, retail sales will sizzle this season as consumers get in the outdoorsy mood. Stick around with AndNowUKnow as we bring you the latest the industry has to offer.
WASHINGTON, DC - As part of its efforts to enforce the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) and ensure fair trading practices within the U.S. produce industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has filed an administrative complaint against LoneStar Produce Express LLC. This is not to be mistaken with Lone Star Citrus Growers—a different company entirely.
LoneStar Produce Express LLC, operating from Texas, allegedly failed to make payment promptly to nine produce sellers in the amount of $283,844.
Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
LoneStar Produce Express LLC will have an opportunity to request a hearing. Should the USDA find that the company committed repeated and flagrant violations, it would be barred from the produce industry as a licensee for three years, or two years with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond. Furthermore, its principals could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for two years, or one year with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
The PACA Division, which is part of the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Fair Trade Practices Program, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to the PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, the 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.
DALLAS, TX - The USDA has announced it will be extending contracts to some well-performing contractors for the “Farmers to Families Food Box” program. DiMare Fresh has been approved for a second round of funding by the USDA. The initial round of Farmers to Families Food Box Program contracts will be completed on June 30, and DiMare Fresh will continue to provide essential support through the next performance period of July 1–August 31.
“As a family-owned business that’s over 90-years-old, and as farmers ourselves—we are appreciative to be involved with the USDA and this very worthy, and much needed, Farmers to Families Food Box Program,” said Tony DiMare, an Owner at DiMare Fresh. “We would like to thank our suppliers in the farming and shipping communities, as well as our people who have stayed committed and have been working non-stop since day one delivering the boxes. We also extend our gratitude to the non-profit organizations and their mostly volunteer staff for distributing the boxes within the communities.”
Since May 15, DiMare Fresh has packed and delivered 1,434,000 boxes, at over 27,246,000 pounds, according to the release. By June 30, DiMare Fresh will have supplied food boxes to over 225 individual non-profit organizations and food banks.
While delivering primarily in the state of Texas, the company has also made deliveries in four additional states in the Southwest region. The goal with the next round of funding will be to continue to keep the existing non-profit organizations supplied, add new groups to begin receiving product, and enter additional states in the Southwest region.
“Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the need for food assistance has increased drastically and the Houston Food Bank has ramped up its distribution significantly,” said Brian Greene, President and CEO of the Houston Food Bank. “As we work to provide a steady flow of nutritious, healthy food to our communities, this support from DiMare Fresh is absolutely crucial. We are grateful to be able to count DiMare Fresh as a partner in addressing hunger and food insecurity in Texas and nationwide.”
DiMare Fresh will continue to utilize its long-standing relationships with local and regional food banks and other nonprofits, such as the Houston Food Bank, North Texas Food Bank, Community Table, and Brighter Bites. This second round of funding will continue to allow DiMare Fresh to expand to other hunger relief organizations and operations working to provide those in need with fresh food.
“The recent USDA Farm to Table Program has proven to be a real cooperative winner between the government, produce growers, produce distributors, ministries, and churches,” said Bryan Herr, Vice President of Creative Outreach Ministries in Conroe, Texas. “Having previously been in the produce business for thirty years, I know how much work is involved in securing, packing, and delivering millions of pounds of product to folks in need. DiMare Fresh has done an excellent job providing high-quality product in a timely and efficient manner. By working together, an untold amount of people in need got access to fresh, nutritious produce in a time of great hardship. Congratulations to all involved for a job well done.”
On April 17, 2020, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to assist farmers, ranchers, and consumers in response to the COVID-19 national emergency. In response, AMS developed the Farmers to Families Food Box Program and partnered with national, regional, and local suppliers, whose workforce has been significantly impacted by the closure of restaurants, hotels, and other foodservice businesses. Suppliers pack food products into family-sized boxes and then transport them to food banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other non-profits serving Americans in need.
ANUK will continue sharing the good deeds that industry leaders continue to perform as we navigate this pandemic together.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - What a time to be alive in the foodservice sector. Heavy hitters are making aggressive moves in the space, and Uber is one such mover and shaker making headlines this week. The delivery behemoth recently made a takeover offer to buy Postmates for roughly $2.6 billion.
According to a report from The New York Times, three people familiar with the matter spoke on behalf of Uber. The two companies, these people noted, could reach a deal soon—rumors were still swirling that the deal may have been finalized last night, although no news has yet surfaced on that front.
Those who spoke to the news source cautioned that the deal could fall apart, as these talks are still very much in process. However, if this acquisition were to go through, Uber’s foodservice delivery operation, Uber Eats, could see a boost.
Representatives from Uber and Postmates declined to comment on any potential deals.
What does this potential acquisition mean for the foodservice sector? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the latest.