WASHINGTON, DC - The agricultural industry takes tremendous steps to protect its workforce amidst health and safety concerns. Highlighting the extraordinary measures taken as of late, a national coalition of 64 organizations representing specialty crop producers recently sent a letter to congressional leadership.
“Farmers and ranchers are striving daily to ensure the welfare of their employees, in order to safeguard our food supply and bolster our nation’s response to COVID-19,” said Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia. “We are calling on Congress to extend current relief efforts for agriculture, and to include additional funding for personal protective equipment and other measures to offset the costs of maintaining an essential workforce during the pandemic.”
According to a press release, the letter details the collaboration between the agriculture industry, public health experts, and regulatory agency officials to develop best safety practices in the field and in packing, processing, and cooling facilities.
The total effects of the coronavirus are still in question, but as more information comes to light, fresh produce operators have taken the necessary steps in order to ensure the safety of our industry’s collective workforce.
“Given the strong food safety culture within the fresh produce industry, adapting and expanding our practices to protect workers happened quickly. The industry leveraged general recommendations offered by CDC, OSHA, and various state public health agencies, tailoring them to the specialty crop industry as needed to put worker safety first,” stated United Fresh Produce Association President and CEO Tom Stenzel.
Around the country, agricultural organizations have worked with farmers and ranchers to develop industry-specific training materials and programs to educate both the employer and the employee on critical guidance related to hygiene and sanitation, social distancing, and other recommendations to protect essential workers and slow the spread of COVID-19.
“Like many essential businesses, the agricultural workplace has responded in real time to evolving public health directives,” noted Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association President Mike Joyner. “Employees are the critical element to all agricultural operations, and employee safety is both a moral and financial imperative for farmers and ranchers.”
Updates surrounding COVID-19 continue to surface, and it is crucial that our industry receives support in its mission to protect fresh produce operators across the country.
As future rounds of COVID-19 pandemic legislation are debated, the coalition letter urges congressional leaders to acknowledge the widespread employee protection protocols already in place on American farms and ranches, and to provide additional support to help agricultural employers meet the needs of their employees.
“Farmers and ranchers across the country moved quickly to implement new employee safety protocols early in this crisis,” said National Council of Agricultural Employers President and CEO Michael Marsh. “While America was being placed on lockdown, agricultural employers were already at work trying to figure out how to best protect their employees and the public.”
Click here to read the coalition’s letter in full. As the fresh produce industry continues to evolve, AndNowUKnow will be here bringing you the latest and greatest news.
Western Growers Association United Fresh Produce Association National Council of Agricultural EmployersFlorida Fruit and Vegetable Association
SEATTLE, WA - Is Amazon thinking of launching a full-fledged foodservice delivery program? Though the answer to this question remains unclear, Eater reported that the e-tailer has rolled out a restaurant delivery pilot in its hometown of Seattle, Washington.
The news source revealed last week that “Amazon is quietly running an ad hoc free restaurant delivery service using drivers and vehicles that are no longer shuttling its corporate employees around.” The service only spans the restaurants that share the same building as Amazon, including eateries like Mamnoon Street and Marination—which Eater noted could be helpful in decreasing costs for restaurant tenants.
In addition to helping restaurant operators, the pilot also provides an opportunity for MV Transportation, the third-party company that drives Amazon employees to their destinations, to expand its own services. Once orders are placed with the restaurants, the pilot then works like other delivery offerings available in the market.
Though Eater speculated that Amazon’s latest move appears to be a “temporary offering for local businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic and, not, say, a precursor to a full-on Grubhub-like app,” AndNowKnow will continue to trail the e-tail giant as it expands its operations and introduces new innovations to the market.
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently filed an administrative complaint against Double D Sales Company Inc. as part of its latest efforts to enforce the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). To ensure fair trading practices within the U.S. produce industry, the USDA filed an administrative action against the California-based company for allegedly failing to make payment promptly to three produce sellers in the amount of $378,663 from July 2018 through September 2018.
Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
Double D Sales Company Inc. 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 a part of AMS’ 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.
HOUSTON, TX - Many in the industry have banded together to create innovative fresh produce distribution solutions. Brighter Bites, along with Queens Together, The Connected Chef, and City Harvest, have launched an emergency initiative to ensure that current Brighter Bites’ Queens-area families continue to receive the produce they were receiving before COVID-19. This program includes door delivery service, which fills the communities’ needs without putting families at risk and disrupting their everyday routines.
“Brighter Bites NYC is incredibly proud to partner with these local New York organizations to distribute nutritious food to families suffering during this time,” said Melanie Button, Regional Program Director, Brighter Bites. “As an organization, we were adamant that school closures would not stop us from continuing to feed families, but we knew that we would need to shift our model. We were impressed with what Queens Together was accomplishing and we reached out to see if they could support. They turned out to be the perfect partner to connect us with the right people and places to get this work done. That initial email sparked an incredible partnership and an amazing, community-based ground operation. Our work has been described as 'grassroots but gargantuan' and we couldn’t agree more.”
Distributions began on April 28 and will continue weekly as long as necessary. According to a press release, City Harvest has pledged 40,000 pounds of produce for distribution to families, including those in Jackson Heights, Woodside, Astoria, and East Elmhurst. All of these Queens neighborhoods have been especially hard hit during the pandemic.
Prior to the partnership, The Connected Chef served others in need in the community through its LifeLine delivery program. Its expertise in running the LifeLine program made it the perfect choice to execute a produce delivery program of this scale. The program will serve the 2,000 families who are enrolled in the Brighter Bites program at six schools in Queens. The program also aims to support the local economy, by re-employing chefs and cooks who have lost viable sources of food due to shortened hours and job losses to pack and deliver the produce.
“Queens Together is so pleased to be a part of this initiative,” said Jonathan Forgash of Queens Together. “We look forward to continuing this program and finding new ways to identify, package, and deliver nutritious food to those in desperate need across Queens.”
Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, Brighter Bites served over 25,000 families nationwide enrolled in the program across 100 schools, with each family receiving 25 lbs of fresh produce and nutrition education on a weekly basis. When COVID-19 hit, schools shuttered and families lost access to Brighter Bites’ fresh produce program.
As our industry’s best and brightest continue creating new solutions to navigate this crisis, keep checking back on reports from AndNowUKnow.
UNITED STATES - Two opposing weather patterns are poised to strike the United States due to a contorted jet stream. High pressure along the West Coast and a downstream dip in the East will soon result in a nation almost divided in half by two seasons: summer and winter.
Along the West Coast and the Southwest—including key ag states such as Arizona, California, and Texas—temperatures are expected to eclipse the above average zone by nearly 15 degrees. These areas have already seen extreme heat over the past month, intensifying the effects.
According to an article in The Washington Post, these temperature extremes are particularly—and strangely—severe for this time of year. In the East, the polar vortex will bring frigid air and temperatures closer to those seen in March.
Key growing regions are no strangers to these extreme heatwaves, and AndNowUKnow will keep its eyes toward the newswire and the industry crop and market updates.
ANAHEIM, CA - As the produce industry continues to grapple with the effects of COVID-19, trade associations have made the difficult and necessary decision to cancel upcoming events. The Fresh Produce and Floral Council (FPFC) recently announced that it too would be canceling this year’s EXPO.
In a statement to the industry, FPFC issued the following comments:
We hope everyone is well during this unprecedented time. On behalf of the FPFC board and staff, we wanted to update you on the highly anticipated Fresh Produce & Floral Council’s EXPO that was planned to take place this July 13-14 at the Disneyland Hotel. In working with Disney and following the guidelines set forth by the state of California in regards to the holding of large gatherings, this year’s event has been officially canceled.
We appreciate your patience as we worked through formalities with our vendor partners and we believe this is the best decision to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all our exhibitors and attendees. We are also extremely cognizant of the financial burden and impact COVID-19 has caused members of this industry as we are not foreign to its impact ourselves as a networking driven organization. We will continue to update our members and attendees with opportunities to hold our event in the near future. We remain hopeful and optimistic of an exciting future ahead of us as we creatively adapt to the current circumstances and look forward to gathering together in person when appropriate to do so. Do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Thank you for the continued support, stay safe, and we look forward to seeing you soon!
AndNowUKnow will continue to provide you with the most up-to-date information regarding the industry.
HOUSTON, TX - The fresh produce supply chain is a delicate ecosystem. Therefore, its control may only be placed in the hands of truly trustworthy industry advocates. Strengthening its own supply chain, Sysco announced that Marie Robinson has joined the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer.
In this role, Robinson serves as Sysco’s senior supply chain leader with responsibility for leading the company’s supply chain transformation aimed at accelerating profitable growth through more tailored supply chain solutions. According to a press release, this addition to Sysco’s leadership team is expected to accelerate the company’s supply chain on a global scale.
“I am thrilled to have a leader of Marie’s caliber join our team,” said Kevin Hourican, President and Chief Executive Officer. “She brings substantial experience leading international supply chain organizations, network transformation initiatives, distribution centers, and private transportation fleets at a global scale. Her previous success in driving change through partnerships gives me great confidence that she will help us successfully drive transformative efforts at Sysco."
Prior to joining Sysco, Robinson was Senior Vice President, Chief Operations, and Transformation Officer for Capri Holding Limited, the parent holding company of Michael Kors, Versace, and Jimmy Choo, where her responsibilities included logistics, distribution, supply chain planning, indirect procurement, industrial engineering, fulfillment operations, factory compliance, customer support, and call center operations.
Prior to joining Capri, she served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy, and Chief Operating Officer for Michael Kors Holdings Limited. Her prior experience also includes roles with ToysRUs, The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Smart & Final Stores, and Walmart.
As our precious supply chain continues to be handled with the utmost care, we will be here at ANUK bringing you the latest news.
RIO RICO, AZ - SunFed is a company that stakes its claim and its name on quality. By striving for Perfect Produce 365 days a year, SunFed is constantly reinvesting and recommitting to its priorities and, more than anything, its people. Even with the challenges imposed by COVID-19, SunFed is aligning itself internally with its employees and with customers as well, in order to find the opportunities that this moment in time can allow them.
“I am so proud of how our team has stepped up to the call of duty during an incredibly stressful and uncertain time,” Matt Mandel, Vice President of Finance and Legal, shares with me. “It takes a tremendous amount of resilience to be able to put your own personal fears aside, your own feelings of uncertainty about tomorrow, and show up every day and pour your heart into it. There is a reason Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue called food workers American HEROES.”
SunFed’s priority, first and foremost, is to protect the health of its workforce, supply-chain partners, and ultimately its customers. While the company’s internal food safety protocols have provided the team with a solid base to work from, when SunFed first started making moves in early March the team acted out of an over-abundance of caution to limit any unnecessary interaction and limit any potential transmission.
“We asked all of our office staff to work from home with a few individuals rotating through the office in order to take care of any tasks that are not able to be performed remotely. However, our biggest concern and challenge was our tremendous associates in our warehouse who have been unable to perform their mission-critical functions remotely,” Matt expresses. “In order to keep them as safe as possible from an invisible threat, we made sure that we secured enough PPE to be able to mandate and provide this potentially life-saving equipment to our entire staff. We enacted a mobile check-in system for all arriving truck drivers to limit in-person interactions as well as prohibiting anyone from entering the facility who were not employees or required federal inspectors."
SunFed also has routine wellness checks for all of its employees and is ensuring the team maintains a healthy physical separation from one another.
As Matt adds, employees are SunFed’s most prized asset and though the company may be operating a little more slowly than before, there is no price anyone can put on the steps the team is taking to protect the staff and keep them healthy.
“Our Perfect Produce® philosophy is what we aspire to, across every part of the supply chain we touch, and our amazing team is the fuel and the motivation for that vision,” Craig Slate, President and CEO, shares with me. “Because we are used to strict protocols, adhering to high standards, investing in the future, constant communication, having the perfect team, and always focusing on the ranches' success coupled with our customer’s satisfaction—we are better prepared for the unexpected. Our ranches and our field team in Mexico haven’t missed a beat in terms of food safety, production levels, and quality. Our warehouse squad has gone over and above to make sure SunFed receives quality produce efficiently, and seamlessly with a smaller staff and new protocols for loading and loading our trucks.”
The company has risen to the occasion in both integrity and grit, both Matt and Craig add.
“Our forward-looking plans include the addition of trucks which have given us and our partners confidence that we have a delivery solution even if there’s a shortage of equipment. And finally, if our partners want squash, cukes, Romas, or other categories packaged versus bulk because their customers are looking for more packaged produce—we have them covered,” Craig says. “We already have the package designs and solutions in place to move quickly from bulk to packaged.”
For more on the current evolution and status of SunFed’s Perfect Produce Program, check out this recent update as well.
Keep checking back with AndNowUKnow as we tap into the essential Mexican produce programs that elevate the fresh produce industry every day.
KEASBEY, NJ - Wakefern Food Corp., alongside member companies that own and operate supermarkets under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, and Gourmet Garage banners, recently announced monumental changes to the executive lineup. In its latest move, Wakefern promoted Laura Kind to Vice President of Brand Strategy and welcomed Ranjana Choudhry as Vice President of Advertising and Social Media.
Laura Kind has quickly built a strong track record since joining Wakefern in December 2018 as Director of Own Brands Marketing and Packaging. She was pivotal in driving the successful design, positioning, and launch of Wakefern’s newest Own Brand offerings, Bowl & Basket and Paperbird.
In her new role, Kind will oversee strategic brand management for the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, and Gourmet Garage banners, and work to uniquely differentiate these banners in the marketplace, shape their brand identities, and ensure connectivity in all customer-facing initiatives.
Prior to joining Wakefern, Kind was Director of Brand at Jet.com, a Walmart e-commerce company, where she built the company’s private label brand, winning several awards for its packaging and design. According to a press release, she has also held marketing leadership roles in the clothing retail sector. Kind has a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University.
Ranjana Choudhry joined Wakefern in March and brings more than 25 years of experience as a global marketing and communications leader to her new role at Wakefern. She will lead the Advertising and Social Media divisions to develop marketing and digital content strategies that harness the brands’ iconic promotions, and also introduce fresh, new campaigns across advertising and digital channels.
Choudhry began her career with Grey Advertising, a global marketing communications agency. She relocated to New York while working for WPP, a multinational advertising agency where she led more than 400 team members in 220 countries across Asia, India, Africa, Eurasia, Europe, Latin America, and North America for Colgate-Palmolive’s brands. Choudhry has a Masters in Philosophy of Advertising from Delhi School of Economics and a Masters of Commerce in Marketing from Shri Ram College of Commerce in India. Choudhry completed her Bachelor of Commerce from Jesus & Mary College, also in India.
Congratulations to Laura Kind and Ranjana Choudhry on these new and exciting roles!
SACRAMENTO, CA - California pear farmers have announced a joint pledge not to use post-harvest treatments like 1-MCP, noting impeding ripening could compromise the eating experience for consumers.
“Reducing waste is a great goal and is something we should all be doing to help the environment,” said Chris Zanobini, Executive Director of the California Pear Advisory Board. “But all too often we waste food in our own homes when we throw things away instead of eating them. Pears are a wonderful fruit in this respect. Consumers can ripen them on the counter to the desired state of ripeness and then store in the refrigerator until they want to eat them. Pears treated with 1-MCP may be thrown away because they never ripen. This can actually create more waste.”
According to a press release, the desire for longer shelf-life and waste reduction in the fresh produce industry has resulted in suppliers’ use of 1-MCP. Growers explain that while this might work well on items that develop their sugar and ripeness during growth, like apples, pears and fruits that ripen after picking could be adversely effected in quality.
Richard Elliot, Co-Owner of Stillwater Orchards, noted his ease in deciding to take this pledge.
“California pear farmers are committed to producing pears that offer the best eating experience for our consumers,” he said. “This is why we’re pledging never to treat our pears with 1-MCP. Which would you rather have—a fresh Bartlett pear that has been allowed to ripen as nature intended or one that’s been treated to last for months in storage and may never ripen? The choice should be pretty clear.”
California pear season starts in July every year. That’s when shoppers should begin seeing new crop Bartlett pears in-store grown by local farmers.
“What we’ve found in repeated experiments in our lab is that pears treated with 1-MCP take as long as three weeks to ripen and, in fact, they may never get soft and juicy,” explained Dr. Beth Mitcham, a Postharvest Researcher at the University of California, Davis.
IRI/Freshlook retail scan data analyzing the pear category over the past five years shows that since 2015, the pear category overall has seen continued decline. National retail dollar sales have declined $79 million (-16.1 percent) and volume also declined 62 million pounds (-19.2 percent).
Matt Hemly, Orchard Manager of Greene and Hemly in Courtland, also chimed in on the monumental pledge.
“When a consumer buys a pear treated with 1-MCP it won’t ripen properly,” he said. “Unfortunately, the consumer has no way of knowing if the pears they’re buying have been treated with 1-MCP. And they won’t know until they buy the pear, take it home to ripen it only to find it never does.”
California pear farmers take care to pick pears at a point when they have plenty of sugar, but they’re still green. Bartlett pears actually won’t ripen on the tree, which means they can be shipped without damaging the fruit. And because California Bartletts are not treated with anti-ripening products, these pears will ripen naturally. Once a consumer brings home a California pear, they can expect to enjoy a ripened pear full of flavor within a few days.
“We just don’t believe that 1-MCP is a smart choice for pears like Barletts that must ripen off the tree,” said Chiles Wilson, Owner of Rivermaid Trading Company.
As we look to a very fruitful summer, AndNowUKnow will continue to report the latest pertaining to our industry.