IMMOKALEE, FL - A major donation was given by Lipman Family Farms to the Redlands Christian Migrant Association’s (RCMA) Immokalee Community Academy. The $3 million check represents reportedly the single largest one-time private gift made to RCMA in its 47-year history.

“We are delighted to support RCMA, a dedicated organization that provides quality childcare, education, and resources to children in the Immokalee community in Florida, a community that feels like family to us,” shared Jaime Weisinger, Director of Community and Government Relations for Lipman Family Farms. “We look forward to seeing how RCMA will use these funds to positively impact the education and welfare of the children of our community."

As long-time supporters of RCMA, this is the largest donation Lipman has made to any one organization. The gift will support efforts to expand RCMA’s charter schools throughout the state, including a new campus in Immokalee, Florida.

According to the release, RCMA honored its many years of partnership with Lipman by naming its new campus in Immokalee as the Lipman Family Campus for Children and Families. A groundbreaking for the campus is scheduled for May 25, 2023.

“We are grateful for the commitment that Lipman has made with us to support our shared community,” said Isabel Garcia, Executive Director of RCMA. “Their generous donation is a historic one for our organization and a reflection of Lipman’s commitment to the families and future generations of Immokalee.”

Since the establishment of its first two childcare centers in Homestead, Florida, in 1965, RCMA has grown to 71 centers in 21 Florida counties. Serving the rural poor, most centers serve children of Hispanic immigrants working in the community, representing nearly 86 percent of the 7,600 students served. Through generous donations, RCMA has continued to broaden its range of programs.

A heartfelt round of gratitude to Lipman and RCMA for all the work they do for the community and our industry.

Lipman Family Farms

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - Asparagus, raspberries, blueberries—the list goes on! North Bay Produce is bringing a robust and high-quality lineup to retail shelves, and the grower is giving us the key to success through its latest crop update.

First up on the list is Michigan asparagus. According to the grower, the Michigan weather has cooled off during the last two weeks of April and the first week of May, pushing harvest dates back a few days at its northern and southern farms. North Bay has noted that conventional asparagus from its southern Michigan farm will be available around the second week of May.

“Our northern farms’ products should start filtering into the market during the third week of May unless we warm up quicker than expected and production increases,” the release went on to note.

Sharing its current berry production, North Bay currently has domestic blueberries coming out of Florida and Georgia, with the North Carolina season kicking off the second week of May.

“Over the next 10 days, we will see the most significant concentration of blues hitting the market as Georgia moves through this large crop,” the company stated.

The grower also reported conventional and organic raspberries coming out of Mexico, noting tight supplies for the first couple of weeks in May.

Blackberries round out the berry update, with outstanding quality coming out of Mexico. As volume has increased over the past week, North Bay expects strong volumes in May and advises retailers to consider booking ads on blackberries throughout May to usher in the summer months.

The grower also shared insights on its Michigan apples, which should be in bloom this weekend in West Michigan. With a host of top-tier varieties available in bags, totes, trays, pouches, and bulk bins, the supplier will have apples packed to order from May into June.

On the value-added veggie front, North Bay explained that Guatemalan pea production will slow to a crawl until the end of summer. For the first time in the company’s history, it will be leaning on Mexican production for its Snow and Sugar Snap peas. The grower has also noted that it is in good standing on its French bean production as well.

Click here to see the category-by-category update in full. Stick with ANUK for more updates.

North Bay Produce

MARLBOROUGH, MA - Three cheers for Bob Eddy! The President and Chief Executive Officer of BJ’s Wholesale Club was recently elevated to Chairman of the Board of Directors. In taking on this new role, Eddy succeeds long-time executive Chris Baldwin, effective June 15, 2023.

Eddy, who has served on the Board of Directors since 2021, joined the company in 2007. According to a press release, he was named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2011 and served as EVP, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer from 2018 to April 2021. At that time, he was appointed President and CEO.

Prior to joining BJ’s, Eddy worked for retail and consumer products companies as a member of the audit and business advisory practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Boston, Massachusetts, and San Francisco, California.

Rob Steele, the board’s Lead Independent Director, commented on the leadership transition.

“We have observed Bob’s clear passion for the company in the boardroom as well as through the successful execution of our long-term vision,” said Steele. “We believe that Bob’s role as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer will further strengthen the collaborative relationship between management and the board, balanced with appropriate oversight embodied in our independent directors and in my role as Lead Independent Director. I look forward to continue working with Bob as Chairman.”

Baldwin will remain on the company’s board as a Director.

“Bob’s strong leadership, strategic vision, and deep commitment to BJ’s have played an integral role in the transformation of our business over the years,” said Baldwin. “Having worked closely with Bob over the past eight years, both as a fellow Director and as part of the management team, I am confident that the combination of his leadership as Chief Executive Officer and guidance as Chairman positions the company well for long-term growth and value creation.”

We look forward to seeing what BJ’s does under this new guidance.

BJ's Wholesale Club

OXNARD, CA - The time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo has come, and Mission Produce reports that shoppers are hitting both retail and foodservice outlets to get their fix of fresh avocados. Galen Johnson, Senior Director of Foodservice Sales, gave me the inside scoop.

“During the last few weeks, foodservice customers have been preparing for the Cinco de Mayo holiday, which more than half of consumers plan to celebrate in 2023 according to a Mission Produce Avocado Intel Survey. The survey also showed that approximately 52 percent of consumers plan to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in 2023, an increase of 36 percent from 2022,” Galen told me.

With a plentiful supply of avocados across all sizes and grades from Mission Produce, both retail and foodservice customers can anticipate an opportunity to run promotions and generate sales this Cinco de Mayo.

“This year, the industry anticipates a significant opportunity for the foodservice sector to leverage the holiday in hopes of generating a spike in business,” Galen continued. “More than half of consumers intending to celebrate are planning to go out or order delivery, according to a Numerator Consumer Survey Report.”

As Mission suggests, some potentially effective methods to capture Cinco de Mayo sales this year include offering themed dishes, providing deals on chips and dips, and sharing small guacamole samples to inspire more orders.

“Cinco de Mayo is what Mission calls an ‘avo-cassion’—a holiday with avocados at the forefront. In a Mission Produce Avocado Intel survey, 60 percent of people associated avocados with Cinco de Mayo, and 68 percent associated guacamole with Cinco de Mayo. Additionally, 65 percent of consumers celebrating said they plan to purchase avocados,” Galen shared.

The Numerator survey found that despite inflation, approximately 80 percent of Cinco de Mayo shoppers plan to spend the same amount of money they did last year, or more. Those who plan to spend less money are planning to buy items on promotion, prepare budget-friendly foods, and use coupons in their Cinco de Mayo shopping, according to Mission’s survey.

“The industry anticipates a strong Cinco de Mayo this year for several reasons, including an increase in travel and hospitality, the holiday landing on the start of the weekend, and a strong supply of avocados from both Mexico and California,” Galen concluded.

Are avocados at the forefront of your Cinco de Mayo strategy? If Mission Produce is in your corner, I bet that is a resounding “yes.”

Mission Produce

ARLINGTON, VA - In a play to help farmers, ranchers, and other food businesses access new markets and navigate resources, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has selected the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Foundation to establish the USDA Northeast Regional Food Business Center. The new center will work with 11 states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

“The NASDA Foundation is thrilled to bring together state departments of agriculture in the Northeast and public-private partners Buffalo Go Green and Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement to build the USDA Northeast Regional Food Business Center. Collaborative partnerships and aligned efforts will enable a more resilient food system and focused support for local communities in the Northeast,” said Chris Jones, NASDA Foundation Senior Director. “NASDA Foundation thanks the USDA, Under Secretary Moffitt, and Secretary Vilsack for the opportunity to facilitate this cooperative agreement, and we look forward to serving the region and communities in numerous ways to uplift small and mid-sized food and farm businesses. Together we can and will do remarkable things.”

Through the Regional Food Business Center program, USDA will establish 12 Regional Food Business Centers that will serve all areas of the United States. These centers will focus on historically underinvested communities and will provide coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building for farmers, ranchers, and other food businesses.

The NASDA Foundation helps to enhance the American food and agricultural communities through education, outreach, and research to create more resilient, diverse, and competitive food systems. These are central tenets of the USDA Regional Food Business Center program.

Stick with ANUK to see how this program continues to expand and the benefits it has for growers in the produce industry.

NASDA Foundation

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - “Alexa, give me some recipes from The Produce Moms®!” This sentence will be uttered across the one in four United States households that have an Alexa device thanks to The Produce Moms’ (TPM) latest partnership with Amazon. The organization has just joined Amazon’s Influencer Program on its Alexa platform.

“We were invited by Amazon to participate in the Alexa Recipe Program,” said Lori Taylor, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TPM. “This invite-only opportunity places The Produce Moms content alongside national publishers such as AllRecipes, Food Network, and more. We have been working quietly on this project with Alexa for nearly a year, and we are thrilled to see our content go live. Not every invited creator had the proper website schema and content focus to qualify for the beta launch. It’s a great milestone for The Produce Moms, and a testament to our editorial standards. Our mission is to get more fruits and vegetables on every table. Being a select member of Amazon's premier Alexa recipe community will broaden our ability to introduce new users to TPM’s expansive catalog of recipes that showcase fruits and vegetables.”

Consumers can access The Produce Moms’ recipe library visually on Alexa Show devices with screens and audibly through all non-screen devices enabled with Alexa. This includes access to recipe videos, recipe hero images, step-by-step directions, as well as Alexa’s functionality to add ingredients to shopping lists and grocery delivery carts.

According to a press release, Alexa updates The Produce Moms content every seven days, offering users quick access to fresh content.

This is one partnership we are eager to hear more about, so stick with us.

The Produce Moms®

CORAL GABLES, FL - Showing its dedication to growth despite ongoing economic and industry challenges, Fresh Del Monte Produce recently released its financial results for the first quarter that ended March 31, 2023.

“Our first quarter results of 2023 are a testament to our focus on profitability as we continue to commit to efficiency and optimization of resources. Our gross profit and margin were strong, which reflects our ongoing strategic efforts to further increase our profitability,” said Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh, Fresh Del Monte’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “During the quarter, as part of our asset optimization plan, we finalized the sale of three underutilized properties. We are laser-focused on being flexible and agile and on identifying market opportunities that will increase shareholder value.”

Despite a decrease in net sales of $8.4 million compared to the year prior, Fresh Del Monte reported a rise in its gross profit from $89.8 million in the previous-year period to $97 million in 2023. According to a release, this was driven by higher per-unit selling prices across most categories combined with lower distribution costs.

Other highlights from the report include:

• Banana net sales rose from $406 million in the first quarter of 2022 to $425.1 million in first quarter 2023
• Net sales for its other products and services increased from $58.2 million to $60 million from the prior year period
• Adjusted EBITDA increased from $62.8 million to $65.1 million from the same period last year

Click here to read the report in its entirety.

What will the second quarter hold for Fresh Del Monte? Only time and AndNowUKnow will tell, so keep a tab open.

Fresh Del Monte Produce

HOUSTON, TX - Third quarter results are in, and they are showing surefire signs of growth for Sysco. In its latest report, the distributor revealed that its sales increased 11.7 percent versus the same period in fiscal year 2022, reaching $18.9 billion for the quarter.

“Sysco delivered another quarter of double-digit, top- and bottom-line growth, inclusive of volume and market share gains,” said Kevin Hourican, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our supply chain network delivered meaningful, sequential efficiency gains with improvements in retention, productivity, and operating expense leverage. We advanced our Recipe for Growth strategy with progress made with our digital tools and sales and merchandising initiatives. We are driving meaningful returns through our customer-focused work with Sysco Your Way and Sysco Perks. We delivered strong sales growth throughout the quarter, despite some industry softness beginning in March. In an evolving environment, Sysco is best positioned to weather the potential impacts, given our fully diversified business model. We expect our efficiency actions to accelerate, as we continue to invest to win for the long-term health of our business.”

In addition, the company’s gross profit rose by 13.9 percent from the prior year, elevating to 3.4 billion for the quarter.

Some of the other key highlights from the report include:

• United States Foodservice volume increased 6.1 percent versus the same period in fiscal year 2022
• Operating income increased 40 percent to $694.2 million, and adjusted operating income increased 27.8 percent to $735.5 million
• EBITDA increased 25.8 percent to $885 million, and adjusted EBITDA increased 19 percent to $899.7 million

“Our solid financial results for the third quarter included gross profit growth outpacing operating expense growth, which drove meaningful operating leverage and allowed us to deliver another record quarter of adjusted operating income,” noted Kenny Cheung, Sysco’s Chief Financial Officer. “Additionally, our free cash flow more than doubled to $980 million year-to-date. We also continued our balanced approach to capital allocation, returning cash back to our shareholders with share repurchases and dividends.”

Click here to read the results in full.

When it comes to industry updates and insights, ANUK is the place to be.

Sysco

SALINAS, CA - A chance to celebrate the mothers in our lives should always be met with joy and lots of fresh berries. I don’t make the rules! As we round the corner to Mother’s Day and retailers are prepping their holiday sets, I turned to Naturipe Farms for the latest berry deets.

“On the merchandising side, we’re leaning into the association between Mother’s Day and berries to drive consumers to purchase more berries,” CarrieAnn Arias, Vice President of Marketing, told me. “I mean, how many Mother’s Day brunches are accompanied by a delicious fruit salad? Setting up a display with several types of berries that brings to mind eating them all together can really help solidify this association. On the marketing side, we’re leveraging our social media to target retailers and consumers alike with vibrant pictures of our delicious fruit so that berries are top of mind when they go to the store or to restock their shelves.”

Naturipe is also highlighting its Mighty Reds™ Strawberries, an extra-large strawberry. Imagine those on top of a Mother’s Day dessert!

“We’ll be seeing a good crop of our jumbo Mighty Reds Strawberries for a limited time throughout May—just in time for Mother’s Day and National Strawberry Month!” CarrieAnn added.

With Mother’s Day in many ways being synonymous with berries, Naturipe always sees an uptick in sales around the holiday.

“We always recommend retailers put berries at the front of the produce section in large displays with seasonal or holiday-related designs,” CarrieAnn went on to say. “Our products also have easy-to-read labels that are clear and really make the fruit the star of the display.”

Once Mother’s Day passes, we round the corner to another key promotional window in the year.

“With kids getting out of school, we’re expecting to see an increase in parents purchasing berries at the store for at-home lunches and snacks,” she said. “Spring and summer are also the seasons most strongly associated with berry availability from consumers’ point of view, so as our domestic crops come into season, we’ll likely see that consumers are meeting that supply with increased demand. We’ve also seen consumers increasingly reaching for larger pack sizes, and that’s likely to continue this year.”

In addition, Naturipe is excited to have a strong start to its southeast blueberry season, where promotable volumes are coming out of Florida and Georgia. California’s blueberry season is also kicking off, and as you may have guessed, strawberries coming from California are plentiful right now as well!

AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you up to date on the latest in all things fresh.

Naturipe Farms

WILMINGTON, DE - That’s a wrap! Produce for Better Health (PBH) recently closed out its annual Consumer Connection Conference last month in Scottsdale, Arizona. The event brought a host of influential members together with a goal of improving fruit and vegetable consumption under the International Fresh Produce Association’s (IFPA) Foundation for Fresh Produce (FFP).

“The recent PBH Consumer Connection Conference highlighted our industry’s desire to come together—from suppliers, buyers, retail dietitians, to media influencers—and explore strategies and tactics to drive consumer demand for fruits and vegetables,” said IFPA and FFP Chief Executive Officer Cathy Burns. “Through the collaborative efforts of our Foundation for Fresh Produce and International Fresh Produce Association, our industry has considerable momentum as we strive to change the trajectory of human health and grow a healthier world for all.”

As highlighted in a press release, this event marked the first of its kind within the organization’s new positioning under the IFPA’s FFP.

During the highly attended event, 37 hosted VIPs magnified content, shared learnings, spotlighted inspirational culinary creations, and more to their consumer audiences. These positive messages reached nearly 2 million consumers, with over 2.5 million impressions on PBH’s social media channels over the course of the week.

“These metrics have doubled compared to the 2022 event, with a particular nod to an increase in LinkedIn posts from produce industry marketers, as well as a large interest in the Facebook Live Event, which demonstrates an energy of plant-passionate advocates orbiting us like we’ve never felt before,” said Katie Calligaro, Director, PBH Marketing and Communications, IFPA. “Arming consumers with hacks and tips for how to easily eat and enjoy more produce is clearly resonating with our audiences, and we were able to bring this to life for them by amplifying content influencers were posting and sharing in real-time. This unique approach firmly keeps consumers at the center of passion and produce.”

Educational sessions, networking receptions, meals, and PBH’s Signature Social Soiree Event made this an industry gathering not to be missed. In addition, attendees even kicked off the event with a Party For Produce: Celebrating The Power of Collaboration.

Click here to learn more about this successful event.

For more industry updates, you know where to click.

Produce for Better Health