WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues its efforts to enforce the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) and ensure fair trading practices within the U.S. produce industry. Recently, the USDA filed an administrative complaint against Jones Potato Chip Co, operating in Ohio, for failing to make payment promptly to four produce sellers in the amount of $438,673 from November 2018 through March 2019.
Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
Jones Potato Chip Co. 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.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, CA - In order to grow, sometimes the literal definition is called for. By adding fresh faces to companies' teams, produce businesses find what’s needed to tap into new growth as a whole, as well as new growth in strategies, operations, and more. Hronis, Inc. recently added a new leader to its team in the form of Anthony Johnson, Domestic Sales Associate.
After graduating from California State University, Fresno, Johnson knew that the next step to take was in produce, which led him to work in cities around the United States.
“In that time, I have been fortunate enough to have acquired a wide range of knowledge and experience in the industry. I’m excited to be part of an exceptional organization with the outstanding reputation that the Hronis family has,” Johnson remarked in a press release.
From a young age, Johnson knew he wanted to work in the produce biz. He grew up in the Central Valley surrounded by the heart of some of our nation’s top producers.
Throughout his childhood, Johnson traveled throughout the Valley with his father to observe table grape and stonefruit operations.
Congratulations to Anthony on this new role!
BAKERSFIELD, CA - Bolthouse Farms has been making incredible moves within the produce space after coming under new ownership. New leaders, acquisitions, and more have abounded for the company, which is now doing its part to give back to the communities that help it thrive. It recently announced the implementation of a charitable giving program in partnership with Feeding America and other local organizations to support those impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The program will offer national support through Feeding America, as well as the four communities where Bolthouse Farms has a presence: Bakersfield, Santa Monica, California; Prosser, Washington; and Hodgkins, Illinois.
"At Bolthouse Farms, our efforts during this pandemic started with taking care of our employees' health and well-being first, and we are proud to do what we can to extend that to the communities in which we live, work, and play as well as across the nation," said Jeff Dunn, CEO. "Food banks across the country are seeing dramatic usage increases and healthcare workers are working in overdrive to keep up with the demands brought by the coronavirus pandemic. As a company that produces fresh and healthy food, we have a unique opportunity to make a difference and help feed those in need during these challenging times."
According to a press release, Bolthouse Farms moved quickly at the beginning of the pandemic to purchase food and other essentials for its employees and their families to ensure they had healthy, nutritious food and to help remove the stress of grocery shopping after work hours.
By extending its efforts to those in the Bolthouse Farms communities and around the country, the company has stepped up in the following ways:
- Feeding America Employee Matching Donation Program –Partnering with Feeding America to launch a matching monetary donation program. For each dollar any Bolthouse Farms employee donates, the company will match dollar-for-dollar up to $20,000. Additionally, CEO Jeff Dunn will personally match each dollar-for-dollar up to another $20,000 thereby tripling each employee's donation. Thus far, the company has already raised $8,800
- Local Food Bank Carrot Donations – Donating a full truckload of carrots—the equivalent of 25,000 meals—to each of the food banks in the communities surrounding its facilities: Community Action Partnership of Kern or Bakersfield, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank for Santa Monica and the Greater Chicago Food Depository for Hodgkins and a soon to be determined food bank in the Prosser, Washington, area
- Pop-up Grocery Stores at Dignity Health Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield, California – Donating carrots, salad dressings, and an assortment of beverages twice a week and to provide a place for healthcare workers from the two locations to shop for groceries after their long shifts
- Helping Feed Families in the San Joaquin Valley – Making two donations of seven 50-pound boxes of carrots per week, to the Cuyama Valley Family Resource Center (CVFRC)
The Feeding America employee donation match program began April 22. Food donations began going out to food banks the week of April 27.
As companies like Bolthouse invest in its communities to better the whole of the industry, AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
NEWARK, DE - As the country continues to battle through the challenges of COVID-19, many upcoming industry events we looked forward to have made the difficult decision to postpone for the safety and wellbeing of our industry. The team behind the 2020 Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Foodservice Conference has decided to postpone the event from this year to July 20-24, 2021.
“We’ve been in constant contact with the industry around the world and it is clear that now, more than ever, our members seek opportunities to make meaningful connections, spur innovative solutions, and share key insights that will help our entire industry move forward,” said PMA CEO Cathy Burns. “Just as we have for the past four decades, PMA is committed to bringing the foodservice community together. While we won’t be physically gathering, the spirit of PMA in Monterey will carry on in new ways. We owe it to our members and the industry to do all we can as they revitalize the foodservice industry.”
According to a statement released by PMA, the association has introduced its latest initiative, PMA Foodservice: Delivered, an innovative and immersive digital experience, providing the connections to people and ideas to help the entire foodservice industry around the world continue on the road to revitalization. This initiative is a joint effort between PMA and the Center for Growing Talent.
“Center for Growing Talent continues to meet our members and engage talent wherever they are,” said Center for Growing Talent Executive Director, Doug Bohr. “In the past two months, we launched a new series of events that have reached three times the number of students than in all of last year and provided unique networking and development opportunities for young professionals and women in our industry.”
Bohr continued, “This week, we announced a new virtual Wellness Walk and Run Challenge inviting members to join us in a multi-week event to support their health and wellness and raise funds to support our talent attraction efforts on behalf of the industry. We look forward to sharing our plans for how talent will be a part of the new Foodservice: Delivered event.”
PMA is dedicated to helping its members connect across the global supply chain and deliver on the rapidly changing consumer needs. Recently, the Joy of Fresh campaign was launched as a means to ramp up the consumption of fresh produce for consumers and to provide assets for PMA’s members.
“Consumers’ lives were changed so abruptly, disrupting in their routines including access to their favorite and familiar foodservice establishments,” said Lauren M. Scott, PMA CMO. “It’s inspiring how the produce industry has innovated and adapted to serve their customers in new ways. Everyone in the supply chain has the opportunity to understand the consumer as they have a direct impact on their business decisions, now more than ever before. I can’t wait for us to continue championing getting produce on the plates to deliver the Joy of Fresh.”
As our industry continues to evolve and innovate during these critical times, ANUK will continue to report on the efforts made every day.
SPRINGFIELD, MA - Big Y Foods is strengthening its marketing leadership team after naming Sarah Steven its new Senior Director of Marketing. She succeeds recently retired John Schnepp. In her new role, Steven will take on the grocer’s marketing efforts across its brands, including Big Y World Class Markets, Big Y Express Gas and Convenience, Fresh Acres Specialty Market, and Table & Vine Wines and Spirits.
"I am excited to dig in with the talented team at Big Y, to bring new concepts and ideas to the table, and to enrich the beloved Big Y brand with initiatives that will ensure its position as a leader in the competitive supermarket industry," Steven said, according to local news source iBerkshires.com.
Steven brings a wealth of marketing know-how to Big Y Foods’ leadership team. Over the course of her 22-year-long career, she has worked to develop global brands. She kicked her career off as an Assistant Marketing Manager for Pepperidge Farm. She then joined Godiva Chocolatier to lead the company’s global re-launch of core product lines. While with Godiva, she was promoted to the position of Business Director, Marketing. She has also worked for Iredale Mineral Cosmetics as its Director, Brand Advocacy and later its Vice President of Marketing.
Steven holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from Duke University-Fuqua School of Business.
As Senior Director of Marketing, Steven will report to Guy McFarlane, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and will lead grocer’s marketing team in developing digital initiatives and building out its customer base as it expands into new markets in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Congratulations to Sarah Steven on her new role!
EDMONTON, ALBERTA - If the food pyramid had a “comfort” category, potatoes would certainly be pictured. And at a time when everyone needs a little comfort, it’s no surprise that Creamers and others in the category have been flying off the shelves.
“It is a vegetable item that is not as highly perishable as other fresh produce items, and potatoes are familiar. There’s no learning what to do with them,” says Angela Santiago, CEO and Co-Founder.
As we discuss the pivot the COVID-19 pandemic demanded of our industry, and of her team specifically, Angela walks me through the impacts of this temporary normal.
“March was definitely the month all bets were off—we saw an incredible surge in demand in our products, and in the potato category in general,” Angela shares, explaining that though the unprecedented demand has since tapered off, the team is still well ahead in filling orders compared to previous years for April.
The big question, Angela points out, is how long the current situation will continue and what the return will look like.
“As an industry or a society, I don’t think we will all be going back in to work at the same time or on the same level,” she says. “Shelves are being emptied now not because consumers are panic-buying, but because it is difficult to keep up through the supply chain, leading to a second set of challenges coming our way. We’re doing everything we can to get our products to our retail partners and consumers quickly, and we’re optimizing our supply chain process in order to do this.”
In working to understand how to best help consumers, Angela is intrigued by both what they are buying right now and what they are pairing with Creamers. Specifically, she looks to how this reliance on buying Creamers can help spread spending to other produce items as well.
“Cross-merchandising or promotion is a great option, both to help dress up the Creamers in-store to get additional items off the shelf and to help families easily put healthy meals together,” she points out. “For produce, we recommend fresh herbs for flavor, and of course there are all sorts of salad options for potatoes. Partnering with other fruits and veg, as well as proteins is a great way to inspire shoppers, especially because many are looking for healthy mealtime solutions. Yes, this is a trend over the past decade, but it has expanded even further as COVID-19 prompts people to be more aware of their health.”
The other point Angela’s monitoring is how this might affect our industry online. Historically, fruits and veg are an area of grocery consumers wanted to touch and choose for themselves. But the Co-Founder sees the lasting effects of COVID-19 as a likely breakthrough in this area.
“Leading up to this, data showed produce lagging in e-commerce. This is one area I think a lot of work can be done to gain consumer confidence, and this situation might have done just that,” Angela says. “We have to accept this will be a larger part of buying habits, even pre-COVID, and there’s a lot I think we can do not just with online shopping, but even in telling our stories on our individual websites.”
For The Little Potato Company, education and inspiration have been a huge focus. Angela says her team is seeing the rewards of that now as massive traffic surges have hit its website, particularly in looking to recipes as consumers blaze through the typical ways of Little potato prep and begin venturing into the experimental.
“I know I have been doing a lot more home cooking, and I have never phoned my mother and mother-in-law so much to get recipes as I have these last few weeks!” Angela laughs. “It is more than cooking. It’s a tip of the hat to our past and being able to connect emotionally to our food through our parents and grandparents.”
Connection, comfort, and creativity. That is a takeaway from these dark days that I can certainly hold on to as we see our way through this uncertain time.
BENTONVILLE, AR - Amidst the industry’s current circumstances, many retailers have accelerated the launch of new strategies and formats. As delivery has become an integral part of the grocery supply chain, Walmart recently launched Express Delivery, a new service that delivers more items from the store than ever before to shoppers’ doors in less than two hours.
“We know our customers’ lives have changed during this pandemic, and so has the way they shop,” said Janey Whiteside, Chief Customer Officer. “We also know when we come out of this, customers will be busier than ever, and sometimes that will call for needing supplies in a hurry. COVID-19 has prompted us to launch Express Delivery even faster so that we’re here for our customers today and in the future.”
According to a press release, Walmart has accelerated the development of the service in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, having piloted Express Delivery in 100 stores since mid-April. The service will expand to nearly 1,000 stores early this month and will be available in nearly 2,000 total stores in the following weeks. Express Delivery allows customers to order across more than 160,000 items from Walmart’s food, consumables, and general merchandise assortments such as groceries and everyday essentials.
Express Delivery joins Walmart’s popular pickup and delivery offerings, all three of which are no-contact services for the customer. The new service relies on the retailer’s team of 74,000 personal shoppers who will pick customers’ orders. This includes additional personal shoppers hired specifically for Express Delivery. Walmart will utilize its existing lineup of delivery providers to take orders from a store to customers’ doors. Like Walmart’s pickup and delivery services, there is no markup on items.
Express Delivery also builds on the existing inventory of pickup and delivery slots available to customers, creating more opportunity for customers to shop Walmart when and how they want.
“We have an opportunity to serve our customers no matter what life calls for,” said Tom Ward, Senior Vice President, Customer Product. “Whether it be a last-minute ingredient, medicine when a fever hits, or the item you didn’t know you needed when checking off your chore list, time matters. Express is a solve for that.”
To get started, customers go to the Walmart website or app and search their ZIP code to see if Express Delivery is offered in their area. Here’s how it works:
- User Friendly Shopping: When customers are creating their order, the search feature at the top of the screen makes it easy to directly search for the exact item they need to add to their cart
- At Checkout, shoppers select Express: Customers proceed to check out, selecting Express Delivery. They will then pay for their order and sit back and wait for their delivery to arrive!
- Delivery: A delivery driver picks the order up at the store. They deliver to the customer within two hours. No money is exchanged at the door
Nearly every day in recent weeks, we have heard a new announcement about innovations in the retail sector seeking to help all in navigating the novel coronavirus pandemic. As more news comes to light, we at AndNowUKnow will bring you the latest.
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that New York Produce, Inc. satisfied a reparation order in the amount of $2,394 issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) involving unpaid produce transactions.
Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
The Secaucus, New Jersey, company has met its obligations and is now free to operate in the produce industry. Elio Valdivia was listed as a member of the business and may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.
PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in a reparation order being issued that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. The USDA is required to suspend the license on a business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA approval.
Once a reparation order is fully satisfied and it is confirmed that there are not any outstanding unpaid awards, the USDA lifts the employment restrictions of the previously named, responsibly connected individuals.
The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, 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 further information, contracts, and to read the press release in its entirety, please visit the link here.
ELGIN, MN - Biting into a crunchy apple instantly makes me feel healthier. The adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” still rings in my ears after years of hearing it. Consumers are currently looking for foods that support this healthful mindset, and Honeybear Brands is partnering with multiple organizations to ensure that supplies are replenished where they are needed. This includes hunger-relief charities such as Second Harvest and Twin Cities based non-profit Health Fair 11.
“We are fortunate that we have such a strong apple crop this year. Fresh produce is so essential to a healthy diet, especially at a time when people cannot get to the store as often as they might like to,” remarked Don Roper, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, in a press release. “We want to do our part to get healthy food into the hands of those who need it the most and encourage folks to eat apples as a way to help boost their immunity now more than ever.”
An innovative bit of marketing has some of the apple donations being generated through an Eat One Share One Pazazz Apple Challenge on social media. By sharing a Facebook post, consumers are able to help Honeybear donate a fresh apple to a local food bank. Retail partners are also getting on board by sharing the post and encouraging shoppers to do the same. The end goal is to donate 100,000 apples across the nation.
The press release went on to note that Honeybear Brands is also donating 1,500 Pazazz apples as part of Health Fair 11’s You Matter Snack Pack initiative, which provides free nutritious snack bags to people directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Fair 11 will distribute 1,500 You Matter Snack Boxes to the following four organizations: Twin Cities Mobile Market, Mary’s Place, Higher Ground, and People Serving People. Each provides basic food and shelter to people living on the margins of the economy even before the pandemic hit.
Paired with a Pazazz apple, each You Matter Snack Box contains a serving of grains, fruit, and peanut-free protein. The packs also include a ‘You Matter’ note as well as an activity card, and all are prepared using proper sanitation methods.
A commendable act on the part of Honeybear Brands! Keep checking back in with AndNowUKnow for the latest in fresh.
WASHINGTON, DC - The United Fresh Produce Association has named nine of the country’s top chefs and foodservice professionals, highlighting their culinary styles and backgrounds. Each of these food pros will be honored during United Fresh LIVE! as a part of the United Fresh Produce Excellence in Foodservice Award Program.FreshEdge™ is the sponsor this year.
“It’s always a privilege for us to recognize culinary stars who are creating Instagram-worthy dishes that thrill customers and lead to a renewed interest and excitement for fresh produce,” said Tom Stenzel, President and CEO, United Fresh Produce Association. “We are in awe of what this year’s winners have done for their concepts and their communities during this crisis. Whether changing menus overnight, donating meals to frontline workers, or banding together to support fellow culinarians in their communities, these chefs and foodservice operations are doing amazing things under incredible circumstances.”
According to a press release, this program honors chefs, the companies they work, and their creativity in highlighting fresh produce on their menus and introducing diners to new flavors. This year, the program also commends these workers for their fortitude in the face of adversity.
The 2020 Produce Excellence in Foodservice Award winners are as follows:
- Business in Industry:
- Chef Michael Smith, Executive Chef, Company Kitchen, Omaha, NE
- Casual and Family Dining Restaurants:
- Chef Travis Peters, Executive Chef, The Parish, Tucson, AZ
- Colleges and Universities:
- Chef Joey Bishop and Al Ferrone, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Fine Dining Restaurants:
- Chef Morales, Executive Chef and Owner, Katchka, Portland, OR
- Hospitals and Healthcare:
- Chef Laura Gomez, Executive Chef, The Stratford, Carmel, IN
- Hotels and Resorts:
- Chef Daniel Bruce, The Boston Harbor Hotel, Boston, MA
- K-12 School Foodservice:
- Chef Mike Yip, District Chef, Union Public Schools, Tulsa, OK
- Quick Service Restaurants:
- Marissa Thiry, Nutrition Specialist, Taco Bell, Irvine, CA
- Supermarkets & Retail Operators:
- Chef Randy Weed, Vice President Culinary, Plum Market, Farmington Hills, MI
“We’re thrilled to support this excellent program for the industry and honor leading chefs and foodservice professionals who are elevating the profile, and increasing the consumption, of fresh produce,” said Steve Grinstead, Chief Executive Officer, FreshEdge. “We are proud to support and recognize these nine winners for the important role that they play in showcasing our industry and introducing their customers to a variety of fruit and vegetable concepts.”
Nominations were submitted by produce companies and foodservice operations across North America. United Fresh then coordinated a review of each nominee's incorporation of fresh produce into menu development, use of food safety protocols for proper produce storage and handling, leadership in produce-related community service and special events, and recognition by their company and industry peers, the press release went on to note.
These winners will be celebrated and honored during the Retail-Foodservice Celebration at United Fresh LIVE! on Thursday, June 18, and will participate in education and networking events throughout the week. All hoping to join can check out this link here!