MOUND, MN - Growth is a natural part of owning a business. For a strategy-centric firm like GoldenSun Insights, growth will continue to happen. Recently, the company announced the signing of an agreement to sell the company to Randy Riley, Kroger's Director of Produce, and Jason Fuller, Vice President of GoldenSun Insights, effective October 1, 2020.

“I am excited to have Randy and Jason acquire the company. At our core, we are a strategy-centric firm with a deep understanding of retail, and the background of both these individuals will continue to strengthen our capabilities,” said Don Goodwin, Owner and Founder, GoldenSun Insights. “Randy’s expertise in retail and Jason’s deep knowledge of selling produce will help us better serve our clients through effective strategy and new growth opportunities.”

GoldenSun Insights is one of the only companies whose clients span from seed to retail, working with seed companies, grower-shippers, distributors, trade associations, and retailers. According to the press release, GoldenSun was founded by Goodwin in 2004. He will stay on in an advisory capacity to the company.

Riley started his career as a produce clerk in the stores and graduated to other roles such as produce coordinator, produce buyer, promotional planner, and category manager. Admired for his breadth of knowledge, he is a strategic thinker and is always looking for new and innovative ways of solving complex issues within the produce industry.

“Don and his team have built a unique company with a unique set of services from seed to retail for their clients,” said Riley on the acquisition.

Adding more than 20 years of experience, Fuller brings deep expertise and knowledge of the buy/sell process between growers and retailers. Fuller has developed the confidence of many retail customers because of his deep knowledge, integrity, and follow-through.

“We are excited to carry on Don’s vision of strategy, business development, and marketing into the supply chain and through retail,” said Fuller.

With such depth and breadth of experience coming into the fold, GoldenSun Insights can only grow and strengthen through its deep retail insights and supporting its clients with marketing and business development.

“My intention is to first focus on my health. I will be supporting Jason and Randy and their team part-time. I also hope to focus on expanding my role to work with Universities, Mergers and Acquisitions, and participation on boards,” commented Goodwin.

For more developments in the industry, keep a tab open for ANUK.

GoldenSun Insights

CINCINNATI, OH - We live in a world where technology contributes to nearly every aspect of our lives, but it still manages to surprise me when I see it applied to the world of grocery. Kroger is upping my astonishment with its newest partner, a software firm named Everseen. With this new partnership, the grocer plans to roll out artificial intelligence (AI) technology to 2,500 stores.

"By leveraging Everseen’s Visual AI and machine learning technology, we’re not only able to remove friction for the customer, but we can also remove controllable costs from the business and redirect those resources to improving the customer experience even more,” stated Mike Lamb, Vice President of Asset Protection, Kroger.

According to The Irish Examiner, Everseen’s tech uses cameras to monitor the checkout and self-scan areas, detecting each item customers put in and out of their carts. Similar technology is seen in Amazon’s Amazon Go marketplaces.

The software firm, which also collaborates with Walmart, has a goal to make retailers businesses more profitable and efficient.

“Everseen’s unique Visual AI technology is transforming the way retailers can manage their end-to-end operations to drive perpetual inventory accuracy, prevent stock loss, and empower autonomous processes,” said Chris Taylor, Chief Sales Officer, Evergreen.

As more retailers look to AI and begin using it in their daily operations, what will the next innovation be? I’m sure it’s just around the corner. Stay tuned with AndNowUKnow as we look ahead.

Kroger

SACRAMENTO, CA - With food safety top-of-mind for growers, retailers, and consumers, the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) has compiled the results of a recent member survey which details that producers are capable of quickly tracking product involved in an outbreak or recall. The systems allow producers to quickly track products that have been involved in an outbreak or recall, tracing them from the field where it was grown to the first customer who received it.

“Verification that a traceback system is in place happens every time an LGMA member is audited by the government, which occurs about five times per year under our program,” said Scott Horsfall, CEO of LGMA.“We can say with confidence that 100 percent of our members have a traceback system in place. Through this survey we hoped to better understand how leafy greens producers’ traceback systems are contributing to outbreak investigations and determine if there are additional requirements that could improve the speed and accuracy in finding the source of future outbreaks that may be linked to leafy green farms.”

The LGMA survey was sent out to each member to assess their traceability systems.

Of the 93 LGMA members, 52 of them responded, all of which answered a series of questions related to their respective systems. According to a press release, those who responded represented a wide demographic of operation types and sizes.

“The goal of this Leafy Greens Traceability Pilot is to explore what traceback information is needed to assist government investigations and to test how that information can quickly be shared in a format that allows it to connect the supply chain,” said Jennifer McEntire, Senior Vice President of Food Safety and Technology, United Fresh Produce Association, who is helping to coordinate the pilot. “The insights from the pilots will aid in more quickly and effectively locating the source of contamination during an actual outbreak.”

The survey found that the traceback systems in use are able to record information on activities including growing and harvesting products, and all of the systems reported can identify the grower, ranch, or field, and date of harvest for each crop.

96 percent of the traceability systems were able to even record information about the harvest crew that handled the produce.

LGMA’s survey went out after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration emphasized the importance of traceability systems in investigating future outbreaks.

“What we can conclude from this survey is that LGMA members are collecting detailed information through their traceback systems” said Horsfall. “But, in practice the system is not working as quickly as needed to prevent illnesses and identify the source of contamination. This underscores the need for the LGMA and the leafy greens industry to work more closely with the FDA to determine how traceback systems at the production end can better assist outbreak investigations.”

Of those who responded to the survey, 63 percent were still utilizing the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) for tracking and labeling its produce. The system was developed almost a decade ago to help standardize tracing through the supply chain, and LGMA has reported that it is working to create more advanced systems that could further help with future investigations and more accurate tracking.

To view the rest of the results from the survey, click here.

As food safety and tracking continue to take the spotlight, what new innovations will be developed to help growers in their traceability efforts? Keep reading ANUK for the latest updates.

Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD - Brighter Bites has long been an advocate for children and families. Increasing its program reach, the association is addressing food insecurity in Prince George’s County, Maryland. With the help of a new partner, Amerigroup and its generous donation of $40,000, Brighter Bites will be able to support nearly 9,000 more families.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a glaring light on how those living in economically disadvantaged communities without reliable access to fresh, healthy food are bearing the heaviest burden of COVID-19 infections,” said Northeast Regional Program Director of Brighter Bites, Melanie Button. “We are thrilled to join forces with Amerigroup to expand our reach throughout Prince George’s County and address food insecurity as a major social determinant of health. Together, we’re ensuring that families are not only able to put food on the table, but more importantly consume the right foods to keep them nourished and their immune systems strong.”

According to a press release, Prince George’s County was already struggling with food insecurity before the COVID-19 outbreak and now more than 30,000 of its residents are experiencing unemployment and food access disparities.

In order to address these rising levels of food insecurity, Brighter Bites’ program will help residents gain access to roughly 20–25 pounds of fresh produce each week, as well as an expansion of the organization’s school-based programming in the fall.

“At Amerigroup, we understand the vital role that healthy food can play in promoting the overall health and well-being of the communities we support and it is especially important for local youth,” said Vince Ancona, Amerigroup Maryland Medicaid Plan President. “We know that the food access gap for low-income Maryland residents has widened during the pandemic and our goal in partnering with Brighter Bites is to ensure that residents can obtain the food and resources they need to help them during this health crisis.”

Ever since the onset of the pandemic, Brighter Bites has experienced a surge in demand. Each week, it distributes 9,050 boxes of fresh food to more than 20 schools, churches, and community centers. Demand has increased at an unprecedented rate of over 500 percent since March.

We here at AndNowUKnow thank organizations like Brighter Bites for their dedication to helping those who need it most.

Brighter Bites

MEXICO - Mexico's growing regions are ripe with fresh produce as Bridges Organic Produce has announced an impressive outlook on its fall 2020 season. The company has begun with new crop organic items shipping out of Nogales, Arizona, with strong volumes of its robust lineup expected and start dates on schedule.

Slicer cucumbers are going strong, shipping from two grower partners with English cucumbers now available as well. Rico Farms label zucchini and yellow squash will start the week of September 21 with increasing volumes and multiple plantings throughout the fall and winter. Eggplants, hard squash, hot peppers, bell peppers, and melons will also be available during the season.

“One thing that feels different this season is increased customer demand for locked-in program volumes and pricing,” said Oscar Trujillo, Category Manager for Bridges Mexican program. “With the challenges of COVID-19 both on the demand and supply side, people are feeling a little bit more fragile and are looking for ways to secure supplies. These commitments feel like a good thing, providing stability for both ends of the supply chain. Due to this shift, open market buys might not be as prevalent or frequent as other seasons. We are looking forward to providing even better quality and stronger volumes overall, with fair pricing from reputable growers, as we have been doing for many years.”

To ensure the continuity necessary to satisfy customers, Bridges grower partner Rico Farms has further developed its already diligent safety plans to mitigate the COVID-19 risks as much as possible. With up to 600 individuals living and working onsite during peak season, keeping its staff healthy is paramount to keeping the farm and packing shed running smoothly.

The company’s top priority with these new protocols is to keep its staff safe. Rico Farms has onsite COVID-19 testing and workers are tested both before leaving their home communities to head to the farm as well as after arrival. While on location, workers are grouped into pods who work, live, and eat together to limit exposure. According to a press release, it has even adjusted the cafeteria and work schedules to allow this safe distancing. Other precautionary measures include vehicle sanitizers, COVID-19 and health education, and a 24-hour mobile health clinic. This is all part of the labor management strategy designed to keep workers safe and healthy.

Rico Farms is Fair Trade Certified, which has helped provide additional resources to the workers during this challenging time. Preventative care kits which included vitamins and thermometers were provided for the workers and their families to keep them healthy while they were away from the farm and all employees from last season were given food vouchers to be used for groceries in their home communities. During the summer months, as they prepared for the upcoming season, Rico Farms continued to make advancements at its new onsite bioFactory.

“We are continuously improving our Biofertilizer, by reinforcing our microbiology and adding more variety, so we can have stronger organisms in the soil,” said Francisco Tapia, Owner of Rico Farms. “Traditional organic and conventional practices use separated microorganisms when the reality in nature is that they all live together. We are imitating the way they live in nature to create our CONSORCIO (MICROORGANISMS CONSORTIUM). We are very excited about the new bioFactory projects in 2021 which include expansion to produce more microorganisms and biofertilizer, creating our own worm compost, producing a second biofertilizer that is high in nitrogen, and we will be running extensive on farm trials.”

Even with so much uncertainty in the world Rico Farms and Bridges Produce continue to be leaders in the organic sector.

“During these unprecedented times, when we are all struggling with the effects of a global pandemic plus massive wildfires and hurricanes, Bridges Produce has gone to great lengths to maintain a solid, stable, and reliable supply of high quality, nutritious fresh produce,” said Bridges Produce President, Ben Johnson. “When so much else is unpredictable and chaotic right now, our team is working tirelessly to maintain ample supply of great organic produce.”

Bridges Produce has an impressive supply of fresh produce in the pipeline, so get in touch with the grower as soon as possible!

Bridges Produce

VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA - Oppy’s exponential growth can only be supported by team members that have the expertise and industry know-how to keep the company’s expansion on track. Both Ray Reed and Andres Ribalta have been promoted to new positions in line with Oppy’s strategic growth journey.

Reed, who has been Oppy’s General Manager for Chile for over 15 years, will step into his new role as Director of Global Procurement as of October 1. In this position, he will focus on expanding and strengthening sources of supply and will work out of Oppy’s California offices.

According to a press release, Reed will be spearheading Oppy’s search for new partners alongside the task of nurturing relationships with its already extensive supply base.

Another key factor of his role is driving category growth, which will allow Reed to put to use his many years of expertise in grower relations. He will working closely with Oppy’s grower relations teams in the U.S., Mexico, Chile, Peru, and other partners in global markets.

Ribalta, who was previously Head of Oppy Categories in Chile, will step into Reed’s position as General Manager. He will report to Vice President of South American Operations Eric Coty. In this role, Ribalta will be responsible for procuring fresh produce for sale in North America, as well as overseeing Oppy’s Chilean export business, which currently supplies markets around the world such as Asia, Europe, and North and South America.

“With extensive knowledge of Oppy’s Chilean-based business and of our grower relations team, Andres, who joined Oppy in 2011, is the ideal candidate to succeed Ray,” Coty remarked. “We look forward to the enthusiasm that Andres will bring to this role, and the added momentum he will bring to the team as a whole.”

Oppy’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Doug Grant had the following to say of the new promotions.

“Oppy’s plans for the coming years target growth in local and international markets, and the latest promotions of Ray Reed and Andres Ribalta, proven company veterans who bring unrivaled experience, expertise, and vision, will enable us to accomplish just that,” Grant stated. “As Oppy continues to grow and strengthen its fundamental focus, it becomes imperative to ensure that the right people are in the right places within the organization.”

Congratulations to both Ray and Andres on these new roles!

Oppy

UNITED STATES - Investing in your workforce is one of the most lucrative money moves in retail, and Walmart has this strategy down pat. The mega-grocer has made some decisive moves to bolster its workforce this week, announcing significant wage increases for a network of 165,000 employees.

“This new structure is built around higher-skilled jobs of the future, and the compensation for those roles reflects that,” said Chief Operating Officer Dacona Smith in a statement, explaining that these wage hikes come in tandem with a total restructure of its workforce.

The new wage ranges for hourly team lead roles start between $18 and $21 an hour and can go up to $30 an hour in Supercenters. Through this new, tiered structure for team leads, Walmart is creating room for pay and career growth while investing in areas like pickup and delivery as customers increasingly turn to those options. Those parts of the business will only continue to grow, as reiterated in the statement. In addition, the company is investing in specific, skilled frontline hourly positions in Supercenters.

Smith concluded the statement by noting that these wage increases will be implemented as early as October.

For more of the latest updates in retail, keep clicking back to ANUK.

Walmart

NEWARK, DE - Providing the world with fresh produce gives us unique opportunities to make an impact. Industry champions like the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) are constantly seeking out those opportunities, and work to ensure leadership efforts do not go unrecognized. At PMA’s most recent Fresh Summit event, Joe Don Zetzsche, Director of BLOOMS® Flowers by H-E-B, introduced the PMA Impact Award during his comments as the incoming Chair of the Board of Directors. On stage, he explained the award’s purpose is “to honor excellence and inspirational actions of people and organizations helping to grow a healthier world.”

This week, PMA has announced the first three Impact Award laureates to be recognized for their transformative work. Each of the winners are featured in a mini-documentary that will be shared on PMA’s recently launched Impact Award webpage. The first winner named is Jones Valley Teaching Farm in Birmingham, Alabama.

“We know that one of the most powerful things a person can do to live a healthier life is to eat more fruits and vegetables, and establishing habits at a young age is key to lifetime produce consumption,” said Chief Strategy and Membership Officer, Lauren M. Scott. “Jones Valley Teaching Farm has created a community movement that helps children access and learn about farming through a meaningful hands-on experience that is shaping their relationship with food, providing a deep learning experience, and shaping their communities in a very important way. We are thrilled to recognize them with one of the first PMA Impact Awards.”

The Jones Valley Teaching Farm uses food and growing food as a platform for learning. Since establishing its first farm in 2007, Jones Valley Teaching Farm has grown over time to incorporate more farms, more school partners, and ultimately a broader impact. The organization boasts seven teaching farms, six of which are located on site at local schools in partnership with the Birmingham Public School System.

Five of these farms are currently in the Woodlawn neighborhood, meaning students can engage with the Teaching Farm’s education model for every year of their education from preschool to high school. Each of these farms, or learning laboratories, is also staffed with full-time instructors who work with the teachers within the schools to create customized curriculum to apply in-classroom learnings in a hands-on farm experience.

According to a press release, the program reaches over 3500 kids each year, who then go on to bring those learnings to their own communities. At this point, 25 percent of the organization’s staff is made up of graduates, a number that Executive Director, Amanda Storey, hopes to grow over time.

“That is intentional and is shifting the paradigm of non-profit and that’s important,” said Storey. “When it’s students who have been through the program and can then be able to direct it, that is community change. That is opportunity.”

The program has provided measurable change for the Birmingham community, with over 18,500 pounds of food harvested. The students select the produce to plant based on taste, curiosity, and consumer demand, as they even have a free after-school program called the Market Club where teams of students at each of the elementary school sites sell produce to teachers, parents, and community members. They apply math and communication skills as they get first-hand experience in marketing produce.

Perhaps the most powerful measure of all is how the students have demonstrated their commitment to learning and growing produce during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have seen kids dig up their backyard from March until June and plant food in their backyards because they couldn’t get to our farms,” said Storey. “That is a whole different level of impact on a community, on a neighborhood, on a family. Those are the skills that come with growing this food. Those are long-term solutions.”

PMA has launched a website to recognize the Impact Award winners and share their stories globally. Those interested in learning more, nominating someone for the Impact Award, or viewing the mini-documentary about Jones Valley Teaching Farm can find more information here.

Here’s to making a positive impact by advocating for fresh produce consumption!

Produce Marketing Association

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - Although consumers may assume that fall and winter production means a slower season for growers, they couldn’t be further from the truth. For year-round suppliers like North Bay Produce, these months are as busy as ever as transition plans take root. In order to better understand a multitude of category statuses, I turned to several members within the team.

“We’re in the middle of a heavy berry transition, particularly for our blues and blacks,” explained Ryan Lockman, Vice President of Sales and Procurement. “We’re moving out of our domestic growing regions of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Michigan, to growing regions such as Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Argentina, and Chile. September is the month for full-time blueberry transition for both organic and conventional. So far, the transition has been smooth with no gaps in production.”

As value builds at market, more consumers are chasing after the blueberry category.

“Big packs of berries continue to remain on trend,” Ryan remarked. “Since shoppers are making less frequent trips to the store, they want to offer larger pack sizes to help shoppers fill the gaps between shopping trips. With our steady supplies out of Peru, we’re able to accommodate their needs.”

Additional packaging changes, such as North Bay’s TopSeal offering on its blackberries and raspberries—a first for the company—make its berry program a must-have for the buy-side.

Similarly, the grower’s apple program is consistently delivering value for its customers. Just as consumers are shopping in bulk when it comes to berries, this trend also carries over to apples.

“It’s a pretty exciting start so far,” began Ken Korson, Apple Category Manager. “A lot of early varietal movement has been very good and now we’re adjusting to what people are buying. Retailers are incredibly active this year, with an overall increased interest in regional for apples.”

Offering 15 varieties, such as Evercrisp, which has consistently grown in popularity, North Bay offers retailers an abundance of program options.

“Our marketing campaigns are ramping up,” Brian Klumpp, Director of Marketing and Strategic Development, shared. “Working alongside our customers and buyers, we develop custom plans for each of our retail partners. This is how we drive sales and value for the apple category.”

North Bay is also looking at supply from Guatemala on veg items such as snap peas, French beans, organic French beans, and Brussels sprouts.

“We’re a one-stop shop, one-call solution for retailers looking to stock up on popular items within the produce department,” concluded Nick Osmulski, President. “With a wonderful transition on berries and apples beginning to take over other retail programs as we head into fall, we’re proud to work with our partners to deliver high quality produce.”

Centrally located and with top-notch supply chain capabilities to boot, North Bay should absolutely be on your list of supply-side partners.

North Bay Produce

SPRINGFIELD, MA - As companies continue to grow their business and footprint, new facilities are necessary to continue providing the quality service customers and shoppers expect. For Big Y Foods, that new facility is taking shape through its newest Fresh & Local Distribution Center. The new $40 million facility is slated to fully open in early 2021.

“It gives us great pride and honor to be able to help these young businesses, these young farmers, these young producers to grow their business and become successful,” said Charlie D’Amour, President and CEO of Big Y. “That’s part of the role we can play in the community. I would encourage folks out there who want to explore an opportunity to work with us to contact us through bigy.com.”

Big Y’s Fresh & Local Distribution Center provides local farmers and food producers with an efficient, one-stop location that saves them time and money related to delivering to individual stores. According to the press release, it also has state-of-the-art technology and temperature controls to help Big Y maintain and deliver at the peak of freshness to its customers.

Through Big Y’s Fresh & Local Distribution Center, 70 farmers supply Big Y’s stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut with 1,200 types of native fruits and vegetables each year, which accounts for more than 9,000 acres of farmland in the region. For many farmers, this partnership helps them grow their business and preserve farmland and open space in area communities.

“Big Y has been so instrumental in the local community,” said John Burney of Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. “They have enabled me to continue to grow my business and put 99 percent of my profits back into the farm to keep providing customers with locally grown produce.”

More than 3,000 different products from local food producers can be found at a typical Big Y supermarket. Big Y actively searches for new craft food artisans to bring into its stores and can provide them with support for marketing and packaging, help with barcodes, or even advice on business matters like insurance.

“One of my earliest memories was going around with my uncle to the farms in the summer months and buying peppers and tomatoes and corn,” said D’Amour. “You could just feel the camaraderie and the connection. I’m proud to say that that connection is still with us today.”

The new Fresh & Local Distribution center has close to 425,000-square-feet of space and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is located adjacent to Big Y headquarters at 2145 Roosevelt Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Keep checking back to ANUK as we bring the latest innovations and additions from the retail space.

Big Y Foods