​​ROCKINGHAM, VA - As trade news writers, we are fortunate enough to observe the countless growth initiatives undertaken by industry operators. Production practices are one aspect of the supply chain not to be overlooked, and Shenandoah Growers is one purveyor ensuring that innovation continues. As such, the grower was recently awarded Sunless Production System of the Year in the 2021 AgTech Breakthrough Awards.

"At Shenandoah Growers, we're humbled to receive this award from AgTech Breakthrough as a recognition of our deep commitment to our 'biology first, technology to scale' philosophy," said Ulf Jönsson, Shenandoah Growers' Chief Technology Officer. "Our LED-powered indoor bioponic growing platform increases yields while reducing waste and environmental impact, enabling us to provide consumers with fresh, sustainable, and affordable indoor-grown produce and leafy greens."

At its Biofarms, the company has developed and implemented a proprietary bioponic growing program that enhances natural processes with carefully controlled light spectrum and exposure timing as well as temperatures, humidity, and water regimen. These technology and biology platforms have advanced the production of fresh, indoor-grown produce that delivers on the company's four key promises: organic, sustainable, affordable, and accessible.

According to a press release, Shenandoah growers has focused its research and development efforts over the past 10-plus years on how to scale organic indoor food production to meet growing consumer demand for fresh and affordable produce. With impressive unit economics, capital efficiency, market reach, and product offerings, Shenandoah Growers is poised to deliver affordable USDA certified organic produce, grown indoors and in soil, at scale.

The mission of the AgTech Breakthrough Awards is to honor excellence and recognize innovation in a range of agricultural and food technology categories. This year's program attracted more than 1,500 nominations from all over the world.

"Plants rely on sunlight to feed and grow through photosynthesis, but with growing demand for fresh and affordable products and climate change is making it difficult for farmers around the world, we can no longer solely rely on business as usual food production techniques," said Bryan Vaughn, Managing Director of AgTech Breakthrough Awards. "Congratulations to Shenandoah Growers for winning the Sunless Production System of the Year award. By leveraging cutting-edge science and technological innovation, the company is delivering produce year-round—all while conserving natural resources and reducing planetary impact."

Congratulations to Shenandoah Growers on earning this distinguished honor!

Shenandoah Growers

SANTA PAULA, CA - Being steeped in the news of today, it can be tough at times to see the forest for the trees. But this, I have learned, is a term our industry may as well have coined for how much we put it into practice. One who is never shy about the details and how to balance them with the bigger picture is Limoneira President and Chief Executive Officer Harold Edwards, who took some time to help clear my vision of the California citrus groves.

“We were not alone in facing the challenges of the past year and a half, such as supply chain issues and logistic disruptions, labor issues, and foodservice challenges,” he points out, observing that it is resilience and leaning into the strengths that get any produce company through.

For Limoneira, those are high levels of fresh utilization, hitting FOB goals, and an expanded retail business coming off the 2020 shutdowns.

“We moved through our crop almost to perfection, getting in and out of the season early, which meant we sold fresh all the way through with a lot of volume. But, we saw dampened results from imports and logistical issues, just as everyone else experienced. It is focusing on the positive side that gets us through the rough patches,” he reiterates. “Happily, our fresh utilization has never been better.”

This is especially strong news because, Harold reminds me, citrus’ obstacles did not begin and end with the pandemic, which has successfully eclipsed so many pre-existing issues.

“We are making our way through not one but two to three difficult years, where connectivity and scalability have been pulling, and we are doing what we need to do and gaining in strength. As a result, and against the odds, we are seeing great potential growth and volume up by 1.5 million,” Harold says.

Much of the hidden success story here, according to the leader, is how many companies, Limoneira included, followed the wave to retail. Within that space, new opportunities and relationships were formed. Likewise, if partnership and communication were upheld with foodservice accounts, organizations found themselves with an expanded rolodex.

“For our part, we have been making investments in bagging equipment that further enabled this expansion of retail partnerships,” Harold shares. “We were able to successfully sustain foodservice accounts this year as we are slowly seeing reopens as well, coupled with the added retail business that I believe is here to stay.”

As we fall into the discussion of things opening back up, I ask about any spikes in demand on the foodservice side that indicate a return to pre-pandemic trends for that side of the business.

“There was certainly an initial euphoric response to restaurants opening again,” Harold observes. “We are starting to see that pull back a little bit. The demand is certainly there if we can get through the challenge of supply chain disruption, but the key takeaway there is that we are all in the same boat.”

We agree on this silver lining as we circle back to the struggles paralleling the victories. The supply chain continues to work to reprieve the line between the provider and the consumer, coupled with labor challenges and water access simmering in the background, but at the end of the day we are all in the same boat and there is a call to be answered.

“Despite the challenges, there is anticipated growth from the supply-side as foodservice recovers while retail maintains that growth. In that, it is important to remember that it is not enough to have any single aspect working to make that happen—at Limoneira we need the whole team to work together to see the success that we are achieving, and I believe we will continue to achieve,” Harold concludes.

With a balanced outlook and an understanding of what is needed to get things done, the forest, I am sure, will continue to remain in view for our industry and those we serve.

Limoneira

WENATCHEE, WA - Like a river rushes toward the ocean, shoppers will soon be rushing to grocery stores in search of seasonal pear varieties. Currently in the full swing of harvest for its Rushing Rivers^® conventional and organic Bartlett and Starkrimson pears, Stemilt is packing fruit fresh to order just in time to build out buyers’ back-to-school displays.

“It’s hard to believe we are already at that intersection between the summer and fall seasons for produce, but that’s what the start of pear harvest always signals for me,” said Marketing Director Brianna Shales, noting that early indicators point to a high-quality pear crop with a range of sizes for promotion and World Famous flavors. “Starkrimson and Bartlett pears are the first to come off the tree for Stemilt and are ready to promote at retail during the transition to fall sets and fall flavors.”

For the Starkrimson variety, supplies are trending toward normal fruit size, creating ample opportunities to promote bulk and bagged product at retail. Stemilt has two pouch bag offerings for this bright red fruit, including its back-to-school pack Lil Snappers^®. The 3 lb pouch bag is a great feature alongside bulk ads that feature red and green pears, a press release stated. Stemilt also has a larger 5 lb pouch bag pack for the Rushing Rivers pear brand.

“Starkrimson is a fantastic eating red pear and available for the early part of the pear season,” said Shales. “This year’s fruit is super juicy with high sugars and true dessert eating quality.”

Stemilt is actively harvesting its Bartlett variety and packing both conventional and organic fruit. Bags are a great opportunity for organic Bartlett, and Stemilt has a 2 lb Artisan Organics™ Lil Snappers option to help attract parents to buy organic and snack-ready pears. There are also key times in the early fall months to promote bulk organic Bartlett pears.

“Organic pears are a challenge to grow, but we’re a believer and long-time leader in them,” added Shales. “This year, we have increased volume on organic Bartlett as new acreage has come into organic production. Starting the season off with an organic Bartlett feature is a great way to build organic and pear sales.”

On the conventional Bartlett side, Stemilt will have a similar size crop as last year and is harvesting fruit to help with the extension of supplies into February. The grower will have good supplies of bulk and bag sizes, but fewer jumbo-sized Bartletts this year.

“We’re fussy about Bartletts and do all the little things during and immediately after harvest to ensure great condition and quality at retail,” said Shales. “Bartlett benefits from hydro-cooling soon after harvest and are packed fresh to order. We also utilize our RipeRite™ ready to eat pear ripening protocol and Thermal Tech ripening rooms to deliver a great eating experience from the very start of the season.”

Stemilt’s summer and winter pear varieties are grown in the Wenatchee and Entiat River Valleys of Washington. Great airflow, a mountain climate that protects pears, and volcanic soils all combine to make these locales ideal for growing pears.

“There are many layers that make our Rushing Rivers pears the best, but the locales these pears call home are the center of our brand and help connect shoppers to the flavor difference that we work hard to achieve,” said Shales. “A great experience will drive consumers to another purchase of pears, and that’s simply the best way to build the pear category.”

In September, Stemilt will begin harvesting winter pear varieties, including Bosc and Concorde. D’Anjou pears harvest next and start shipping in October following a cold treatment and ripening process that ensures ready-to-eat fruit.

Make room for these sales-driving varieties across the store and you are sure to see a rise in basket share for pears.

Stemilt

NEWARK, DE - As we have showcased here on AndNowUKnow, women in fresh produce are blazing their trails throughout the industry, and to promote their success, the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Center for Growing Talent (CGT) is gearing up for its upcoming Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference. Held September 12–14 in Santa Ana Peublo, New Mexico, registration for the event is coming to a close tomorrow, August 20, which will be the last day to get in on this exciting opportunity.

The conference will feature a host of amazing, insightful speakers, including Kindra Hall, President and Chief Storytelling Officer of Stellar Collective; Jade Simmons, Concert Pianist, Activational Speaker, and Chief Executive Officer of Jade Media Global; and Wendy McManus, Leadership Coach and Mental Fitness Trainer.

Additionally, moderators such as Cathy Burns, Chief Executive Officer of PMA, as well as Jill Overdorf, Director Business Development, Foodservice at Naturipe, will lead important discussions about personal and professional development.

To see the entire schedule for the conference, click here.

With health and safety top of mind, CGT has created a COVID-appropriate environment for all guests, staff, and vendors at the event. The health and safety guidelines for the conference can be viewed here.

If the Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference sounds like the perfect opportunity for you, be sure to register before the end of the day tomorrow, August 20, for your chance to attend. To sign up for the event, click here.

As these inspiring women prepare to share their tips and tricks for success, I can’t wait to see what they have in store!

Center For Growing Talent

CINCINNATI, OH - This week just got a little bit more exciting as it has been announced that our industry’s very own Lori Taylor, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Produce Moms^® has been selected to emcee at The Wellness Experience By Kroger^® this Friday. Taylor will take the main stage for the Veggie Eating Contest, joined there by Kroger’s Vice President of Produce/Floral, Miguel Garcia, who will be officially kicking off the anticipated event.

“I have been honored to represent the produce industry at all of Kroger’s Wellness Festivals. This is exactly the right place to meet and engage those consumers who already understand and value the wellness benefit of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, as well as those ‘newbies’ who are interested in making the commitment to a healthier lifestyle,” said Taylor. “When I share the mission and message of the produce industry with these folks, they, in turn, act as produce ambassadors spreading the word about eating more fruits and vegetables within their own communities. I look forward to The Produce Moms wellness partnership with Kroger continuing and growing for years to come.”

This is the fourth time that Kroger has requested Taylor represent the produce industry at the festival, which was co-founded by Kroger and singer Jewel, according to a press release. The event will happen over two days and will offer tools to help kickstart a healthy lifestyle with a health, nutrition, fitness, and music festival-style experience.

Throughout the Wellness Experience, attendees will get the chance to work with celebrity fitness trainers, hear inspirational speakers, get cooking tips, practice mindfulness techniques, and learn from health professionals about wellness.

Taylor will be emceeing the Veggie Eating Contest, where contestants compete to see who can consume the most produce in 10 minutes. At Kroger’s inaugural Wellness Experience, then called Wellness Your Way, she attended as a Kroger Health Brand Ambassador and appeared on the main stage to discuss produce with Tony Horton, Joy Bauer, and Mark Sisson. Taylor returned again in 2019, when she appeared as a panelist for the Dietitians Pick Presentation.

“As an expert and influencer, as well as a trusted Kroger partner, Lori brings the message to life of incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables as part of the wellness movement,” commented Colleen Lindholz, President of Kroger Health. “We recognize the importance of having the produce industry represented in a relatable, fun, delicious way and we are so proud to have Lori Taylor and The Produce Moms as part of our event!”

This year’s Wellness Experience By Kroger will happen in Downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, from Friday, August 20 through Saturday, August 21, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Congratulations to Lori Taylor on once again being selected to represent fresh produce!

The Produce Moms^® Kroger

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - Allen Lund Company is one service provider that has seen significant success over the past few years, and what better place to showcase that than this year’s PMA Foodservice show? As we perused the show floor, we had the chance to talk with Bob Rose, Vice President of National Accounts, about the recent growth the company has experienced—and what more could be on the horizon.

“We are so excited to be back,” Bob told us. “It's been two years. There've been a lot of clients we haven’t seen in person, although we’ve done zoom and chatting, but this is great. We’ve had a lot of great lunches and dinners with the different people that we used to do this all the time with.”

As the company celebrates the chance to have face-to-face interaction with many of its customers as well as meld minds with other industry leaders, Bob shone a light on the transportation maven’s upward trajectory and how it hopes to continue this trend going forward.

“The biggest thing for the Allen Lund Company is we’re growing in leaps and bounds," Bob continued. "We’ve been growing 30 percent annually over the last few years. We’re hiring quite a bit of people right now, and we’re looking for a few good people to join our company.”

To hear more of what Bob had to say about the company’s recent success, be sure to check out our exclusive video above.

Allen Lund Company

SALINAS, CA - Gear up folks, it’s crunch time! It’s not because we’re racing against the clock, but because the warm summer months and back-to-school season offer up the perfect opportunity to collect shopper dollars in the celery category. To get a deeper look at the current market, I got in touch with Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ Northern California Operations Manager, Martin Jefferson, and Senior Vice President of Sales, Rick Alcocer.

“Mother Nature has been very kind to us this season. Weather has been mild with few extreme swings,” Martin divulges to me on this season’s harvest. “In fact, quality has been very good, and we currently have promotional volumes available!”

Duda is currently growing celery in Byron Center, Michigan, and in Salinas, California. With ideal weather conditions in both regions, the supplier has enough volume to help its retail partners ramp up celery sales all season long.

“The warm summer months are a time to enjoy celery in its natural, uncooked state, whether chopped in a potato and tuna salad, smothered with peanut butter or almond butter, dipped in ranch dressing and hummus—or just eaten all by itself!” Rick exclaims. “Stores can cross merchandise celery with any number of dips and spreads, focusing on the fresh, crunchy experience unique to eating celery. It’s a great, healthy summer snack!”

If the warm weather isn’t enough to send every shopper into the produce department in search of that refreshing crunch, the back-to-school season sets retailers up for even more success, as this healthy offering serves as the perfect go-to snack for kids and adults alike.

“With the back-to-school season starting in the fall, celery sticks are a great snack to take to school or back to work. We offer a variety of fresh-cut, pre-washed and packed options that are perfect for a lunchbox or convenient as an after-school snack,” Rick adds.

Duda’s celery offerings also present retailers with the chance to drive repeat purchases. Once shoppers have a taste of these high-quality proprietary varieties, they’re sure to keep adding them to their carts.

“Our celery program is all done in house using our own proprietary seed varieties,” Rick concludes. “Duda Farm Fresh Foods provides the best celery eating experience available—based on flavor, texture, and color—and is grown both conventionally and organically.”

Buyers, bring these alluring celery varieties to your produce department and bask in the register rings that will follow!

Duda Farm Fresh Foods

IDAHO FALLS, ID - By definition, innovation means a new idea, method, or product. These three words are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the advancements that suppliers across the industry develop to continue pushing our industry forward. Southeast Produce Council’s (SEPC) Southern Innovations is a chance to highlight these cutting-edge advancements, and you can bet Eagle Eye Produce will be on the show floor.

“We’re happy to continue sponsoring and supporting Southern Innovations,” Dallin Klinger, Marketing Communications Manager, tells me. “This show is always a great opportunity to network, learn, see the latest trends in the industry, and find new ways to adapt and improve our company. It has been great being able to get together as an industry again this year, and we hope that continues moving forward. These shows are important to re-energize and have meaningful dialogues you can only have in person.”

During the show, Eagle Eye Produce will be showcasing the immense growth it has seen over the past year, as it has enacted crucial strategies to grow its current commodity programs and bolster its offerings. To do so, Eagle Eye has expanded its onion program with several key partnerships, which has more than doubled its acreage and exponentially increased its onion supply in both its Idaho and Oregon growing regions.

The supplier has also revealed investments across its potato, onion, watermelon, and vegetable packing and storage facilities all over the Western United States, implementing new state-of-the-art warehousing, packing, and sorting technology and equipment to reduce labor and improve quality. To further bolster its year-round supply, Eagle Eye has also expanded with brand-new climate-controlled potato storage facilities in Idaho.

“We’re optimistic about the upcoming season, which is set to be the biggest season yet here at Eagle Eye Produce,” Dallin adds. “Our messaging at Southern Innovations will be all about how we have gone back to our roots with smart innovations to ensure we can provide the best product we can as we strive to be the partner of choice for our customers all over the globe.”

To get a closer look at the expansions and advancements Eagle Eye Produce has made in the past year, don’t forget to stop by booth #210 at Southern Innovations!

Eagle Eye Produce

CHARLOTTE, NC - Exploring delicious, fresh-focused recipes from the comfort of my own home? Sign me up! Dole Food Company is continuing to provide virtual cooking instruction and nutrition education, this time announcing its largest virtual cooking class ever to inspire bloggers, influencers, and other food enthusiasts with easy and fun ways to cook healthy meals.

“Going virtual last year allowed us to share our healthy recipes and cooking tips with aspiring chefs and Dole and Disney fans across the country,” said Nutrition and Health Communications Manager Melanie Marcus, MA, RD. “It also showed the appetite that parents, grandparents, and heads of household have for making a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables more compelling for kids. Armed with those key learnings and an exciting new collaboration with Disney’s Ultimate Princess Celebration, we knew we wanted to make this year’s virtual party bigger and better than ever.”

According to a release, the Dole Virtual Cooking Class and Princess Banquet took place on August 5 and combined recipe preparation and in-kitchen cooking tips with presentations from Dole and Disney in support of its A Recipe for Courage and Kindness campaign.

Marcus hosted the Zoom Webinar event, leading over 50 food, health, nutrition, family, and lifestyle influencers through the easy preparation of three delicious recipes:

• Princess Pearls Punch: a blend of selected DOLE^® fruits, white grape juice, and pearl tapioca balls honoring Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid
• Te Fiti Fudgy Coco Cake Pops: a healthy, Disney’s Moana-inspired dessert made with DOLE^® Bananas, dates, cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, and coconut flakes
• Glass Slipper Veggie Tea Sandwiches: a vegetarian version of traditional tea sandwiches themed to Disney’s Cinderella

These three recipes are among a total of 20 original dishes inspired by Disney’s Princesses for the campaign, which continues through September 30. The virtual cooking class also included a recap of the Dole and Disney alliance, dating back to the 1970s, when Dole became sponsor of Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland. Virtual attendees also received updates on Disney’s Ultimate Princess Celebration and Dole’s nutrition education and recipe-development process, as well as dining etiquette tips to match the princess theme.

Dole originally planned for an in-person cooking class to support its “Now We’re (All) Cooking” initiative, but transitioned to a virtual event as a result of the pandemic. After witnessing its popularity, the company decided to roll out several additional virtual events to help parents get the necessary resources to build healthier homes.

Keep clicking on AndNowUKnow as we continue to report on the many strategies suppliers are implementing to boost the fresh produce industry as a whole.

Dole Food Company

NEW YORK - It seems every week we hear of another GrubMarket acquisition, as the wholesaler continues to expand at an aggressive rate. The company recently announced its completed acquisition of L&J Produce, a produce wholesaler in New York. This marks GrubMarket’s fourth acquisition in the state.

"This acquisition enables GrubMarket to reach a hundred million dollars of annual run rate revenue in New York, and further strengthen its producer relationships in the New York Metro Area in many categories. We are excited to welcome the L&J Produce team to the GrubMarket family. Together, we will build a greater customer base and a stronger digital producer network in the food ecosystem of New York and nationwide. We also look forward to working with L&J Produce team to digitally transform their business and operations via our best-in-class software solutions (WholesaleWare),” stated Mike Xu, Chief Executive Officer of GrubMarket.

According to a press release, L&J Produce is a key sourcing channel for fruits and vegetables in the New York Metro Area, and has deep relationships with domestic farms in New England, Florida, and California.

The company was founded in 2010 and supplies a wide range of products including local seasonal fruits, tropical fruits, and Asian vegetables. After the acquisition, L&J Produce will continue to be managed by its current leadership team.

"We are excited to join the GrubMarket family and embrace the new growth opportunities that GrubMarket's software technology and business network can offer. We look forward to joining GrubMarket's technology-enabled eCommerce platform and supplier network. Together, we aim to take L&J Produce to the next level of success,” remarked Joanne Chu, General Manager of L&J Produce.

Where will we hear of GrubMarket’s next deal? AndNowUKnow will be on the lookout for the latest.

GrubMarket