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.
NEWPORT BEACH, CA - Chipotle has long been at the forefront of the fast-casual chain sector for its commitment to fresh and local ingredients across its menu. Now, the company is doubling down on this commitment by upping its investment in growers, farmers, and local fresh produce. This week, Chipotle published its 2019 Sustainability Report Update Update, in which it builds upon the goals set forth in its 2018 Sustainability Report and outlines its strategy to help farmers find homes for their product.
"The work we've accomplished in 2019 is exciting and sets the tone for our continued investment, growth, and support for the farming community," said Brian Niccol, Chairman and CEO of Chipotle. "We will leverage our economic influence to provide the education, training, and tools needed to cultivate the future of farming."
Caitlin Leibert, Head of Sustainability at Chipotle, added, "When you eat Chipotle, you are supporting a business with integrity that is actively fighting to Cultivate a Better World. As a very public and engaged brand, we have a great responsibility to ensure action and accountability in the areas of sustainability and transparency, and I am so proud of our success in 2019 and inspired for the future ahead."
Chipotle’s commitment to local farmers first began in 2016 after it created the Chipotle Local Grower Support Initiative, which provides financial support to small- and medium-sized growers of fresh produce for personnel, technology, training, and testing mandated for suppliers. Since its inception, the initiative has helped Chipotle increase its total purchases of locally grown produce by 20 percent in 2019 from 29 million pounds to 35.5 million pounds of fresh produce, according to a press release.
In addition, Chipotle is also supporting farmers with its Local Growers Program and its partnership with the National Young Farmers Coalition. As part of this partnership, the fast-casual chain is empowering the next generation of farmers by offering education, scholarships, grants, and three-year contracts to young farmers—with the company announcing this week that it is awarding 50 recipients $5,000 grants each.
"Young farmers and ranchers are providing food and essential services for their communities and are facing greater challenges than ever before," said Sophie Ackoff, Co-Executive Director of the National Young Farmers Coalition. "We are thrilled to partner with Chipotle to make an investment in this next generation and to provide critical funding to help them overcome the challenges they face launching and building their new farm businesses."
Lastly, Chipotle is supporting growth-stage ventures across the country via its accelerator program, Chipotle Aluminaries Project 2.0. This program aims to help advance innovative solutions in farming.
To find out more about all that Chipotle is doing to support growers and farmers, local fresh produce, and sustainability initiatives, click here for the press release in its entirety. And stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue bringing our produce industry the freshest news.
BAKERSFIELD, CA - Consistency in the fresh produce department is more essential now than ever, especially for those organic shoppers who have vegetables at the tops of their lists. Thanks to Grimmway and Cal-Organic Farms, retailers will get a bump in all-things value as the operations begin shipping freshly-harvested, new crop yellow, red, and white onions from Lamont, California. Cal-Organic is also shipping seasonal sweet corn in bulk cartons through June.
"Growing conditions have been ideal this year and we're expecting a good crop," said Bob Borda, Vice President of Organic Sales at Grimmway Farms. "While the desert experienced mild temperatures throughout the growing season, the overall condition and quality of our onion crop are excellent and we're looking forward to a great season."
So, what options can retailers look forward to? Cal-Organic is presenting organic yellow onions in 2- and 3-pound retail packs and red onions in 3-pound retail packs as well. In addition, retailers can expect white, yellow, or red onions in 40-pound bulk cartons filled with medium, large, or jumbo-sized bulbs.
Both Cal-Organic's onion and corn crops are fully integrated with Cal-Organic’s year-round vegetable program that aligns nicely with Grimmway's category-leading carrot business. This unique structure allows for seamless ordering and single-stop loading, combining top quality with convenience to suit all retail, foodservice, and industrial customer needs, according to a press release.
A division of Grimmway Farms, Cal-Organic starts its annual onion harvest in Coachella Valley before transitioning to Kern County in late spring and Cuyama Valley in late summer.
Come and get your onions and corn and fire up those BBQs!
SALINAS, CA - How do you breathe life into the multi-faceted mechanism that is your brand? I dove in with Moxxy Marketing’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Karen Nardozza, to further define this term that has become a necessity in differentiation.
“There are so many components to a brand, beyond your label or even your mission. It is how the outside world views you, and the story only you can tell,” Karen explains. “How do you get to the crux of what is important to you? What drives, differentiates, and empassions you? Each company is different, but when you deal in commodities, it is so easy to answer with quality, efficiency, or food safety.”
These seem to me like the go-to requisites of a produce brand, but Karen argues that is exactly why companies need to dig deeper.
“Because those things are necessary to keep a buyer buying, they aren't differentiators, they are the minimum requirements, and they certainly aren't what to build a brand around,” she points out. “How others experience your brand also needs to be in sync with the brand image you want to present.”
So, what can you build a brand around? When looking to examples, Karen points to two very different successes: Berry People, a relative new-comer, and the Southeast Produce Council (SEPC), an established and well-known representative of our industry that wanted a new website to reflect a new era.
“When it comes to the crux of a business identity, Jerald Downs of Berry People knew exactly what the answer was, and it is in the name: people,” Karen shares. “When your company says you want to be known for something, whether that is sustainability, authenticity, or, in this case, people, you must be that and uphold it.”
While this serves as a splendid example of how to find direction in your brand, Karen shares that a young company like Berry People is starting with a blank canvas and is free to picture anything. More frequent in produce are long-standing companies that want to make themselves more known to a new channel or generation of buyers and consumers while taking care to retain those who know and love them.
A perfect example of this is SEPC.
“I love SEPC’s new website direction because its challenge wasn’t just retaining its recognition, but also equal representation for the multiple regions and categories it champions,” Karen recalls.
Moxxy redesigned the council’s website after it revealed it wanted to go in a fresh direction with its brand, and Karen says she and her team had quite a time ensuring only the necessary parts of the slate were wiped clean.
“SEPC is very well known, so refreshing the website while holding onto established equity is a balance. But the team knows what differentiates them: traditional values and a long history. So, how do you take this into the modern age? In the end, it became the headline: Southern hospitality for the produce industry. Strong, clear, and easy to understand with nothing else like it,” Karen answers.
Within these two examples alone there is such a wide space of branding possibilities, filled with a multitude of alternative directions. When I make this observation, Karen assures me that, as each story is different, so is the path to their brand.
“A brand is so much more than visual identity, that is just a piece of it. This can bring some difficult conversations,” Karen explains. “Our responsibility is to guide our clients to the brand that is going to deliver success, and we take being a trusted advisor very seriously, even if it means not saying ‘yes’ to your first idea, or even your second.”
Digging into these conversations looks to be increasingly necessary as more and more industry experts theorize the current climate will warm consumers to cyber produce departments like never before.
As what defines all the components of our industry becomes more and more sought after, I can’t wait to see the strategies that emerge.
SACRAMENTO, CA - Well, shiver me timbers mateys! The Snack Cover Contest winners for April arrived on deck before I could even bring out my telescope! Our industry’s knack for finding buried treasure has blown me crew down in the latest round of our Find the Apple Contest. We thank ye for all the smiling faces—and some creative selfie-taking!—but alas, only two winners shall get our ANUK treasure of a $100 cash prize.
For the buy-side, we have a fresh face to claim our dubloons. Betty Tomao, Fresh Buyer, Produce Department - Supply Chain for The Save Mart Companies, slid in our inboxes to claim the buy-side title.
“Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic can sometimes be all work and no play. When I saw the email from AndNowUKnow and in the subject line it read, ‘Snack Contest,’ I had to make some time to play!” Betty said, dropping some lyrical skills in turn. “It was a bit of a challenge trying to take a selfie and point out the logo on my computer, but I improvised, made it work, and WON! Not sure what I am going to do with my winnings yet, but I am sure it will involve my grandbabies. Thank you for making my day a little brighter. Hope you are staying safe, sane, and healthy.”
On the supply-side, we also have a new defender on board. Douglas Groendyke, Food Sourcing Coordinator for Harvest Hope Food Bank, was the first in our inbox with his keen eye on the prize.
“Thanks for the email. I’m so thankful that I have won, as I enjoy reading the articles in The Snack Magazine. It’s such a fun and exciting contest each month,” Douglas commented, sharing he felt both thankful and blessed. “I’ll be using the money for new workout sneakers as I’m in need of two pairs.”
If you didn’t have luck this round, not to worry! Subscribe to The Snack Magazine here (subscription is valued at $129 per year) and keep an eye out for future contest announcements on ANUK for another chance at winning our cash prize.
April 2020 Snack Magazine-Volume 48
Remember that contest rules require submissions include a person pointing out the logo on the cover of The Snack Magazine, and the countdown only begins once we announce the contest in AndNowUKnow’s newsletter.
It does warm me heart to know our readers look forward to these contests as much as me and me crew. A hearty congratulations to our new winners! We’re off to bury our treasure in another Snack cover.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Expansion plans are always exciting to hear about, especially from movers and shakers in the industry like Meijer. The grocery giant is laying the groundwork for a $160 million project north of Dayton, Ohio, that could create 65 new jobs and generate millions in new payroll over the next five years.
“We are excited for this opportunity and working with the city and to continue to invest in the community with additional jobs and increased revenue for the City of Tipp City,” Ashley Mack, Real Estate Manager for Meijer, told council members.
According to the Dayton Business Journal, the grocer plans to develop a fully automated dry grocery supply chain facility on a 160-acre property adjacent to its existing 1.7-million-square-foot distribution center in Tipp City, Ohio. The new facility will serve Meijer stores throughout Ohio, Southern Indiana, and Northern Kentucky, and it “will play a key role in Meijer's continued growth” in northeast Ohio, according to a memorandum.
The 373,000-square-foot single-story expansion project began in March and should be finished by August 2022. Upon completion, the site will include 21,000 square feet of proposed office space connected to the main building. The site will also feature 493 truck loading dock spaces.
A site map details space for a "future addition," as well as a dedicated stormwater management area. Proposed stormwater management facilities include improvements to reduce discharge rates for Meijer's existing distribution site. New construction is valued at more than $71 million.
Meijer will transfer 225 workers from its existing distribution center to the new facility, which will create 65 new jobs in the next five years.
Will we see more of Meijer in the coming future? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the latest developments.
STOCKTON, CA - It is with excitement and a forward-looking vision that a new face has arrived at Fresh Innovations. Tim Stejskal joins the team as the new Chief Executive Officer of the sliced apple and fresh-cut fruit innovator.
“Fresh Innovations is one of those companies to have truly continued to look at innovation as a means for healthy eating, and I couldn’t be more honored to have been chosen to lead the company,” Tim stated. “The opportunity ahead for Fresh Innovations is vast, but to capitalize on it, we must have laser focus, move faster, and continue to transform. A big part of my job is to accelerate our ability to bring innovative products to our partners, build upon the culture of the organization, and have fun while doing it too!”
The industry vet brings a distinguished 20-plus year career with Dole Fresh Vegetables and most recently as General Manager and Senior Vice President of Sales and Innovation.
In his new role, Tim succeeds Toby Cohen who was the Founder and President of Fresh Innovations since 2001, and a leader in expanding the sliced-apple category. Toby will continue with the company as the Chief Strategy Officer, according to a press release.
With such a remarkable career, Tim brings extensive experience, leadership, and team building in the produce industry and product development to Fresh Innovations.
“We are very excited about the addition of Tim to the Fresh Innovations team. His experience and skillset are a great match as we continue to build Fresh Innovations as a leader in the industry. This also allows Toby to focus his efforts on product innovation and development, amongst other things, as he did in building Fresh Innovations into the success that it is today,” said Greg Richards, Chairman of the Board and Managing Director of Arable Capital Partners.
Arable Capital Partners is an investment firm with a focus on the food and agriculture industry.
“I look forward to working with Tim to capitalize on our recent major new customer acquisitions in the retail segment and in developing successful new product offerings across all segments of our business,” Cohen expressed.
Congratulations to Tim Stejskal on joining the Fresh Innovations team and to the company on your continued growth and success!
WATSONVILLE, CA - Who focuses on the health and well-being of the family like mom? Seeking to connect with the matriarchs of consumption on a resonant level, Driscoll’s launched a special content series that put several new faces to the berry behemoth’s brand by highlighting Driscoll’s moms. As retailers begin Mother's Day promotions—and understand the importance of social media in bringing shoppers into stores—the new marketing campaign is sure to up foot traffic in the berry category.
“For Driscoll’s to be relevant in such a context for millions of our consumers, we knew we needed to be authentic, candid, compassionate, and supportive,” said Diane Scalisi, Senior Digital Marketing Manager. “It was time to strip away all the fancy aspirational stuff, and just be real. So, we tapped into the experience of the moms within the Driscoll’s employee base to collect stories, challenges, tips, and photos of moms just trying to make it all work.”
Since April 3, Driscoll’s has introduced a new addition to the series every Friday on Instagram, featuring a mother in the Driscoll’s family sharing her experiences in her own words and pictures.
“The response of our special content series on social media has been very positive and well received by our community,” Ashley Enos, Digital Marketing Manager, commented. “Our berry moms resonated with the shared stories and echoed that despite all the chaos and messiness, there is love and joy found in the sweet little wins of the day.”
The company noted that, for thousands of moms everywhere, COVID-19 has led to a collapse of boundaries between work and home life, resulting in overwhelming feelings of loss of control. As the team stated in a press release, the normal rhythms of life have been upended, including losing childcare, working from home with a household full of energy (a baby, young children, a spouse), and uncertainty about what the future weeks and months will hold.
The content series will culminate on Mother’s Day with a special montage of photos and quotes from Driscoll’s moms and grandmothers on Driscoll’s Instagram.
With a large social media community, Driscoll’s brand recognizes a unique opportunity to provide helpful information that brings families comfort, develops comradery, and provides ideas for time at home.
To see the Driscoll’s moms, hear their stories, and share with your teams and customer base, you can go to the company’s Instagram account @driscollsberry.
LOXAHATCHEE, FL - It is a comfort to know that those who have passed away can live on in our memories. Carl Ream is one of those whose deep commitment will continue to flourish inside the stories the industry holds. The fresh produce veteran passed away Thursday, April 30, 2020, in Naples, Florida, at the age of 64.
J&J Family of Farms is mourning the loss of its longtime colleague and friend and honoring the memory of the man that brought a broad range of sales experience, knowledge, and leadership skills to the J&J team. And as the team shares, even beyond that, he possessed all of the qualities of a true friend.
“Working alongside Carl, you saw his passion to tirelessly serve the community and inspire others,” said Kohl Brown, Vice President of Sales. “Carl leaves behind an incredible mark on the produce industry, the community, and the team here at J&J Family of Farms.”
Carl worked with several import, domestic, and organic fresh produce organizations during his career and had more than 40 years of experience working in numerous produce industry positions. These positions included Sales and Marketing roles with retailers, wholesalers, and growers as well as management experience with Kroger in the 1970s and 1980s, according to a press release. Carl returned to J&J Family of Farms in 2015 managing a number of customers and growers.
“We at J&J feel fortunate to have spent time with Carl, listening to his stories and insights on the industry,” Brown expressed. “He wasn’t just our colleague, he was our friend and will be missed by many.
A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date via www.MullinsMemorial.com.
Carl is survived by three loving children, one grandson, two sisters, three nieces, and two nephews as well as four great-nieces and two great-nephews. Memorial Contributions in memory of Carl Ream are suggested to The Friendship House, 602 Main St., Immokalee, Florida, 34142, or Pawsitive Kid’s Camp, 3723 Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral, Florida, 33904.
We offer the indistry our deepest condolences and our hearts and thoughts go out to Carl's family, friends, and team members during this difficult time.
REEDLEY, CA - California cherries signal several key activities to come: a boost in fresh produce sales, merchandising opportunities, and the kick-off of the U.S. West Coast cherry season with the heightened demand that follows the category. Bravante Produce is gearing up for this advantageous time of year as the company launches into its California cherry season this week.
“Our Bravante Produce California cherry program is a perfect opportunity to offer that differentiation and excitement that consumers love in the fresh produce department—especially as a way to bring in nostalgia and positive experiences to rival the challenging climate of today,” Steve Shearer, Sales Manager, shares with me. “This will be our second year marketing our own fruit since our cherries have typically been packed by other marketers. This year, we are elevating the category as one that demands a premium and gives a premium experience at retail.”
The first variety to come off the trees will be Brooks followed closely by Coral Champagne. The Tulare variety will wrap up the California Season for Bravante. Sizing looks to be much better than last year, Steve adds, and quality looks excellent.
“Volume will be lighter industry-wide here in California, making for the always anticipated tight cherry market as the West Coast season gets underway,” Steve expresses. “Demand looks excellent for our U.S. retail and export partners.”
Excited to see Bravante’s cherries make their way onto retail shelves? So are we!
Stick with us as we keep you up-to-date with the latest on the West Coast cherry crop and the dynamic market ahead.