IRVINE, CA - Good morning, AndNowUKnow readers!
Today, I am bringing you some of the category and weather news from around the industry. Check back twice weekly to see the latest around all growing regions.
ANOTHER STORM HEADED FOR CALIFORNIA STRAWBERRIES
There is a storm destined to hit California growing regions next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The rain is predicted to start Monday night with the bulk of the rain coming Tuesday and lingering into Wednesday. Total rainfall over the three days is anticipated to be between .50” to 1” depending on the area. The majority of the rain will fall in the southern half of the state, hitting strawberry regions of Oxnard and Irvine. Totals in these regions will be 1.0”+. Although California is currently a small player in strawberries compared to Florida, if you are pulling from California you might want to take notice.
The desert regions will not escape this storm with Coachella receiving up to .50”. Santa Maria, which is about 100 miles north of Oxnard along the coast, is expected to see close to .75”.
CULIACÁN TO SEE MAJOR WARM UP NEXT WEEK
Starting tomorrow, temperatures in Culiacán will begin a five-day rise, most likely bring on more production. Temperatures this week have been in the upper 80°s in the region but starting tomorrow, look for max temperatures to reach into the 90°s and continue rising, reaching a maximum of 96° on Tuesday before beginning to cool down again toward the weekend. Although the highs will be cooler toward the weekend, temperatures will remain in the 90°s all week.
Look for production numbers across the board on all products to pickup next week.
FLORIDA WILL COOL OFF THIS WEEKEND
Temperatures in the southern Florida growing regions of Belle Glade and Immokalee had a maximum temperature yesterday of 93° but will be dramatically cooler today only reaching 76° and by tomorrow will only be 70°. The maximum temperatures will remain in the 70°s through Monday, and by Tuesday will climb back into the 80°s but will not see the 90°s at all next week.
Further north in the strawberry region of Plant City, temperatures will cool off even more with highs only reaching into the 60°s on Sunday, while lows will be in the 40°s tonight and tomorrow night.
Possible dip in production over the next few days due to these cooler temperatures.
Thank you as always! We will be back next week with another report.
BROOKLYN, NY - Welcome to the era of fresh vegetables! Between plant-based initiatives and increasing demand for health-forward food, vegetables are being reinvented to become a consumer favorite across the board. Ark Foods recently announced plans to expand its classic line of Veggie Bowls with four new flavors: Buffalo Cauli Mac, General Tso's Cauli, Alfredo Veggie Spaghetti, and Sesame Veggie Noodles. This launch will expand its best-selling category and cement Ark Foods’ foothold in the plant-based movement. To accommodate the brand’s rapid growth, Ark Foods is also opening a new 15,000-square-foot production facility in New Jersey.
"Our Veggie Bowl line takes crowd-pleasing veggies, such as cauliflower or rutabaga, and pairs them with plant-based sauces to create an indulgent, accessible, and healthy eating experience,” said Noah Robbins, Founder and CEO. "Vegetables are universal. This launch strengthens our mission to bring unique veggies to the masses."
According to a press release, the microwavable Veggie Bowls combine plant-based, housemade sauces with fan-favorite cauliflower florets or rutabaga noodles. Ark Foods Veggie Bowls feature clean, vegan sauces made from savory and wholesome ingredients such as cashew and butternut. These refrigerated bowls are designed to be a perfect side dish, snack, or light meal. The new bowls will be available in Midwest, Northeast, and North Atlantic Whole Foods Markets and Kings Food Markets locations with additional retailers to follow.
The company was founded in 2013 by Noah Robbins with a mission to transform agriculture in America. The brand started with shishito peppers and has grown to over 15+ SKUs for both wholesale and retail, including Veggie Bowls, Squash Snack Packs, Shishito Pepper Party Packs, and unique wholesale produce.
Here's to continuous plant-based innovation! Keep following along with us at AndNowUKnow as we cover the latest news in fresh produce.
MONTEREY, CA - This first week of March is already coming to an end, which means we're all that much closer to Organic Produce Summit 2020, set for July 8 and 9 this summer in Monterey, California. The association is satiating the public’s inquiries with the announcement of its second educational session: Opportunities and Obstacles for Independent and Natural Food Retailers.
“As conventional grocers and other retail channels continue to grow and provide consumers with greater availability of organic products, the organic shopper is no longer dependent upon traditional independent and natural food grocers. At the same time, smaller and independent natural food retailers have been a vital and integral part of the growth and education of organics with consumers,” said Susan Canales, President of Organic Produce Summit. “This session is a tremendous opportunity to learn more about the role of the independent and natural food grocer, and the opportunities available to differentiate themselves from other retail channels.”
According to the press release, the second educational session will be an examination and discussion of the opportunities and obstacles, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of attracting consumers for independent and natural food retailers. The session will feature an overview of the natural and organic retailer landscape moderated by Matt Olson, Vice President and General Manager for the Independent and Natural Food Retailers Association.
Sean Decker, Buyer for Hawthorne Valley Farm Store; Mark Squire, President of Good Earth Natural Foods; and Jonathan Steffy, Vice President and General Manager of Four Seasons Produce, will be discussing the challenges of competing against larger and national retail channels.
This session is the second of three informative educational sessions at OPS 2020. In addition, two of four keynote presentations featuring the Co-Founders of nationally acclaimed restaurant chain sweetgreen, Nicolas Jammet and Jonathan Neman, and Real Talk with Jim Donald, Co-Chairman of Albertsons Companies, have been announced as highlights of the fifth annual OPS.
Other educational sessions at OPS 2020 will include:
- Organic Sales Analysis and the Organic Consumer
- Is Regenerative the New Organic?
OPS 2020 also includes a selection of field tours for retailers and buyers, a gala opening-night reception, and a trade show featuring 152 producers and processors of organic fresh produce from across North America and the globe.
Over 1,600 attendees will meet July 8-9 in Monterey, CA, to exchange ideas, information, and insight of the organic fresh produce industry. Stay up to date with ANUK as we bring you more news for OPS 2020.
WASHINGTON, DC - PFI Express has satisfied a reparation order in the amount of $57,638 issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that the Valley Stream, New York-based company can continue operating in the produce industry upon applying for and being issued a PACA license.
Direct from the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service:
Romilda Silva was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder 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 USDA’s issuance of a reparation order that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed 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, USDA lifts the employment restrictions of the previously named, responsibly connected individuals. USDA will only reinstate the license of a business to an active status if all reparation awards are satisfied and if the license is not terminated.
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, 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, contacts, and to read the press release in its entirety, please click the link here.
HOUSTON, TX - It seems that Sysco is gearing up to make monumental waves in the industry. The global leader announced two new senior leadership promotions, naming Eve McFadden and Chris Jasper to take the reins.
Eve McFadden has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Legal, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary. McFadden joined Sysco in 2008, most recently holding the position of Vice President and General Counsel in 2019. Since joining Sysco, McFadden has provided effective leadership in the areas of employment law, antitrust compliance, and ethics and compliance. According to a press release, her skills in building strong partnerships within the business have contributed to the company’s success.
In her new role, McFadden will continue to act as general counsel, adding responsibility for Sysco’s Enterprise Risk Management function, under which she recently established a new team focused on developing a global framework for Sysco’s environment, health, and safety programs. Prior to joining Sysco, Eve worked in private practice at the nation’s largest labor and employment law firm, Littler Mendelson.
Chris Jasper, formerly the Market President for Sysco’s Midwest region, has been promoted to the newly created role of Senior Vice President and President, U.S. Broadline, reporting to Greg Bertrand, Executive Vice President of U.S. Foodservice Operations. Jasper has 25 years of experience at Sysco and has delivered effective and consistent results at the company during his career, including leading the implementation of several successful sales programs. He also previously served as Executive Vice President of Sysco Kansas City and President of Sysco Arizona.
In this new role, Sysco stated Jasper will lead all six U.S. Broadline markets, focusing on important strategic initiatives to transform Sysco’s business, and advancing operational improvements.
“I am pleased to recognize the promotions of Eve and Chris. As proven leaders at Sysco, they will play an integral role in identifying and vetting opportunities for accelerating our growth,” said Kevin Hourican, Sysco President and Chief Executive Officer.
Congratulations to Eve McFadden and Chris Jasper on their new roles!
ORCHARD PARK, NY - Tops Markets is running the race to complete nationwide expansion, rolling out restructures and hefty investments as of late. Most recently, the grocer invested $40 million to improve its New York-based stores. We received more news from Tops this week, once again launching a restructure by closing its Orchard Fresh store as part of an experiment to blitz the market with high-end retail experiences.
"The decision was not made lightly and is in no way a reflection of the performance or dedication of our associates at this location," the grocer said in a statement, according to The Buffalo News. "Since opening the concept store in 2013, a number of initiatives and programs have been developed and tested there that are now being incorporated into our recent and future Tops store remodels."
On Tuesday, Tops announced that it would close down its seven-year-long project in Orchard Park, New York. This format was created to compete with heavyweight organic grocers like Whole Foods and Wegmans. Tops made an effort to add organic and natural products throughout its supermarkets, elevating its status to catapult further expansion.
By testing this concept and acquiring new knowledge on the sector, Tops executives are using the Orchard Fresh store to redistribute its resources and continue going head to head with other grocers.
So, what will be Tops next move in the retail space? Keep following along with us at ANUK as we report the industry’s latest news.
ONTARIO, CANADA - ’Tis the season for recognizing outstanding management! Companies have been working toward maintaining their status as one of the industry’s best managed businesses, and Red Sun Farms has successfully nabbed its title once again. The company announced today that it has been named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for the eighth year in a row, maintaining its prestigious Platinum Club status.
“This recognition is a reflection of our commitment to spending time and energy to build and maintain good long-term business partnerships and the cultivation of a successful team,” says Carlos Visconti, CEO of U.S. and Canada operations. “In combination with our strong core values of Accountability, Collaboration, Trust, and Innovation, we are building an environment that makes Red Sun Farms the ideal partnership for long lasting relationships. Our Red Sun Farms family exudes these values in all aspects of our operations. This recognition reaffirms our position as leaders in the produce industry.”
Canada's Best Managed Companies designation continues to be the preeminent mark of business excellence and a source of genuine pride for Canadian businesses.
Over an incredible 27-year history, the program has fostered and celebrated Canadian business success. According to a press release, the network has continually become more powerful, innovative, and broad. Canada’s private companies have been and will continue to be the engine of Canada’s economic growth, creating jobs through innovation and entrepreneurial energy. These companies compete with the best in the world to be adaptable and sustainable in an evolving global market.
“For Canada to become the undisputed best place to live and work over the next 25 years, our businesses must do more. Learning how Best Managed companies drive adaptability, productivity, and profitability will help companies to succeed in a time of rapid change,” says Lorrie King, Partner, Deloitte Private and Co-Leader, Canada’s Best Managed Companies program.
To even qualify to compete, companies must meet the following criteria: revenue greater than $25 million CAD in the most recent year of operations; managing finances effectively, adapting to changing market conditions over the past three years; Canadian-owned private company, or Canadian-owned portfolio company controlled by Canadian venture capital and Canadian private equity firms, or Canadian-owned closely held public company with fewer than 50 percent of their shares or units traded.
2020 Winners of the Canada’s Best Managed Companies award will be honored at the annual Canada’s Best Managed Companies gala in Toronto on April 1, 2020.
Congratulations to Red Sun Farms on this incredible honor!
TAMPA, FL - No offense to William Shakespeare, but when it comes to “what’s in a name” anyone in marketing and brand management will tell you “everything.” Among the almost 300 exhibitors at the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure, tropical avocados was a name rolling off the tongue.
“These avocados could change the category,” Karen Nardozza, President and CEO of Moxxy Marketing, tells us when asked what retailers need to know about this up-and-coming variety option, which used to be called ‘green skin.’ “How many other categories, especially categories as big as avocados, can you say have only one variety on the shelf? As popular as avocados are, a large percentage of consumers only know Hass, because that’s all they see.”
Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely other varieties of this delicious green fruit, but as far as the consumer is concerned, Karen is not wrong. Unless you venture out of the United States, a vast majority of avocados that go in the basket are Hass. And Karen had a theory that tropical avocados could change that.
The company that heard Moxxy’s call to action and saw its vision for changing the face of the category was WP Produce. In partnership with Moxxy, the company’s Desbry brand of tropical avocados saw a new logo, redesigned PLU sticker, a new 2-count bag, in-store display bins, display-ready cartons (DRCs), and more.
“Southern Exposure is the Super Bowl for us and Moxxy absolutely nailed it,” Chris Gonzalez, Vice President of Sales at WP Produce, shares. “We love the new Desbry logo, and the name 'tropical avocados' is a game-changer. With the new branding, plus the new packaging and in-store displays, the show was a huge success. We’re already seeing growth and expect to ultimately change the avocado category.”
I know Karen to have great insight to the subtle shifts in industry trends and someone looking for the outliers amongst the mainstream. Avocados are not what I thought would fuel her fervor, yet she radiated contagious enthusiasm about tropical avocados.
“I am fully vested in seeing this fruit succeed and growing the category!” Karen shares. “It’s exciting that WP was the first to change their brand messaging and adopt Moxxy’s other strategic recommendations for retailer and shopper education. For example, this variety has a slightly sturdier texture, making it great for slicing and dicing, which also helps it hold up better in foodservice. It also doesn’t oxidize as quickly after being cut, so it’s fresher longer. So few know about it—but that’s changing! With our help, WP is getting the word out and distribution is expanding.”
Karen shares how distributors like Melissa’s love the “tropical” title and what resonates with it, and retailers like Walmart are already adopting the phrase in stores. This new twist is proving that there is a lot more to a name than William Shakespeare would have had us believe. Karen adds that buyers shouldn’t hesitate to add it to their buy sheets, especially with usage tips, recipes and other in-store materials ready to educate shoppers on its versatility.
Desbry is a premium brand that ships high-quality tropical avocados from the Dominican Republic year-round. As someone who will happily have a scoop of avocado with her avocado, I’m excited to see what this brand will do for the overall category.
HOUSTON, TX - The Texan food distribution giant is setting its sites on a global scale, recently approaching the German wholesaler Metro AG about a potential acquisition. If the proposition does go through, Sysco would expand significantly in Europe.
Talks are still being held, but Sysco has been in contact with Metro in recent weeks. Both companies are working with advisers on how to move forward whether the transaction follows through or not.
Metro would be “a perfect match from a regional perspective,” for Sysco, Baader Helvea analyst Volker Bosse wrote in a note to clients, Bloomberg reported, adding the suitor “could create a lot of cost synergies by downsizing Metro’s headquarters functions.”
Bloomberg further noted any transaction would be Sysco’s CEO Kevin Hourican’s first major move since he stepped in to lead the company earlier this year. Last month, we recently reported that Metro sold its Real hypermarket chain, but the wholesaler would still be able to offer Sysco access to hotel, restaurant, and catering clients throughout the continent.
Which way will the talks fall? Keep reading ANUK as we uncover more in the retail space.
IRVINE, CA - Dawn your onion goggles and tomato caps, folks. It’s time to break into Veggie Mode! The fast food chain Taco Bell is furthering its plant-based initiative, kicking off its all-new Veggie Mode campaign on March 12. With a single-swipe feature that transforms the menu to show only vegetarian items, Veggie Mode makes it easier than ever for consumers to gain instant access to Taco Bell's nearly 50 American Vegetarian Association (AVA)-certified items.
"We've been doing vegetarian for a long time, but that is not enough for us. People should be given more options than one plant-based choice," said Missy Schaaphok, RDN, Global Nutrition and Sustainability Manager. "At Taco Bell, celebrating vegetarian is more than just a trend, it is something we do every day of the week. With Veggie Mode, we are proud to make it even easier to order plant-based options that vegetarians and non-vegetarians can agree are delicious."
Taco Bell has also expanded its amount of AVA-certified vegetarian ingredients, now including fan favorites like Potato Bites, Chalupa shells, and Hash Browns. As always, customers can further customize their orders while in Veggie Mode, with a total of over 20 million possible vegetarian menu combinations—enough to customize a new meal every day for more than 50,000 years, according to a press release.
Veggie Mode brings access to an abundance of meatless options and makes it easy. With the press of a button, Veggie Mode unlocks new versions of classic Taco Bell menu items, including the options listed below:
- Beefy 5-Layer Burrito → Layered Vegetarian Burrito
- Chalupa Supreme → Black Bean Chalupa Supreme
- Chicken Soft Taco → Black Bean Soft Taco
Veggie Mode is another extension of Taco Bell's leadership in food and digital innovation, establishing plant-based offerings as a sustained focus area for the brand moving forward. These are the latest steps in Taco Bell's extensive vegetarian history, building off its first-ever dedicated vegetarian menu board in 2019 and a goal to be the top QSR for vegetarians in early 2020.
Will Taco Bell continue to stake its claim as a top produce-forward fast food provider? With innovations like oat-based protein in the works, there’s no doubt that this chain is fortifying its plant-based agenda. Keep following along with us at ANUK as we investigate Taco Bell’s plant-based crusade.