MOBILE, AL - Look up to the sky! It’s a bird? It’s a plane? It’s … a drone?! With the ever-increasing use of drones for all manner of tech, we here at AndNowUKnow still couldn’t help our surprise when we heard that Rouses Markets is testing an unmanned grocery delivery pilot program—all with the help of drones.

“Drone delivery offers the fastest, safest delivery store to door. We should be able to get groceries to customers in 30 minutes or even less. Plus it’s more cost efficient, meaning we can save customers time and money,” remarked Donny Rouse, CEO of Rouses Markets, in a recent press release.

Partnering with Duece Drone to conduct this pilot, the experiment will roll out sometime this fall.

Rouses has taken to exploring new ways that shoppers—and retailers—can benefit from programs such as this, due to the fact that it’s more convenient and cost-effective. A win-win for all, I must say.

“We’re excited to partner with Rouses Markets and work together to alter the landscape of home delivery,” noted Rhett Ross, CEO of Deuce Drone, who also commented that Rouses Markets is an ideal test case for his company’s last-mile delivery solution because of its footprint and commitment to being first with everything.

Shall Rouses be the first to master drone delivery? AndNowUKnow will wait—and report—with bated breath.

Rouses Markets

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Grapes in the San Joaquin Valley of California are well under way, and not a moment too soon. With the state settling into the season, I touched base with Anthony Vineyards’ Rob Spinelli, Sales, to see how things are looking as operations crank up.

“We saw a really smooth transition out of Coachella/Mexico without much product left in coolers this year,” Rob shares, observing that growers were able to maximize fruit shipments before the move. “Toward the end of the season, the quality coming out of the desert, for Flames in particular, was not ideal, with lower color and size. This meant demand was up when met with the fresh, high-quality grapes we are seeing now from Bakersfield. This fruit has been desired and is moving well.”

Green grapes especially, Rob says, are looking great, with quality eating and decent volume. He projects that, as varieties transition toward the end of this month, we will likely see the market on greens specifically surge and then tighten, before balancing itself out in August. That is when most of Anthony Vineyards’ still-new sequence of specialty varieties will come on the scene.

“We get into our new specialized grapes in the next week, starting with our Candy Snaps and Sweethearts. Sweethearts will start at the end of July and then go about four weeks,” Rob explains. “We also started our organic grapes for all three colors, which continues to grow.”

Sweet Sapphires will then start the first week of August, followed by Candy Hearts and Candy Dreams in mid-August, making for what should be a domino-style succession for retail programs.

“Overall everything is looking really nice,” Rob concluded, ending our conversation with the eternal farming caveat that is Mother Nature. “She’s been good thus far—we’re supposed to see a heatwave in the coming days, but a little heat is usually nothing to worry about. As always, though, we’ll see.”

When the grapes are strong, summer smiles on. As we continue to follow all key fresh categories around the calendar, AndNowUKnow will bring you the latest.

Anthony Vineyards

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - New looks are always exciting to see, especially when leading produce innovators like North Bay Produce bring new packaging options to the table. The fresh provider is introducing new packaging to its fresh produce lines to reflect the high-quality products of the company.

“The first thing you will notice is the larger North Bay Produce logo,” commented Brian Klumpp, Director of Marketing and Strategic Development at North Bay. “This symbol, or our stamp as we often call it, remains the same as it has been for years and we think it represents well that we have farms all across the Americas and that we serve customers globally. By making the logo larger, however, we are simply trying to help people to know us better. NBP has an honorable history of being a quiet and humble company. We want to remain modest, yet let the world know why they should know us well.”

According to the press release, another noteworthy feature in the new packaging designs is the inclusion of the seal of the American Heart Association. For nearly 100 years, the American Heart Association has been known as the world’s leading organization dedicated to improving heart health and reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

North Bay believes it is important to let consumers know that its produce, combined with a healthy lifestyle, can contribute to improving their well-being. For these reasons, North Bay sought and has been certified by the American Heart Association’s Heart Check Food Certification program for its fresh produce.

“We conducted a national survey and asked hundreds of consumers whether the American Heart Association seal on our produce packaging was important to them; the vast majority said it most certainly was,” President Nick Osmulski explained. “We believe that listing the seal on our packaging will be helpful to consumers interested in making healthy choices."

Another prominent feature people will notice in the designs are the fresh, vibrant, and clean colors. The aqua color used in the conventionally grown produce, like the brilliant colors in the clear waters of Grand Traverse Bay where the company is headquartered, represents the pure and fresh fruits and vegetables that North Bay’s growers cultivate. In the organically grown products, the bright green color represents the “clean and green” practices that make Noth Bay’s organic produce so appealing. The vibrancy of the colors also indicates to consumers that there is a dynamic company behind the brand.

Retailers will be happy to know that by conducting nationwide surveys with hundreds of consumers, participants overwhelmingly chose these designs over others that were considered and said they would be more likely to select North Bay’s products because of the packaging.

“Our objective was that, in a quick glance, consumers would recognize that North Bay’s produce was clean, fresh, and great quality,” Klumpp stated.

Finally, as North Bay Produce is a cooperative, meaning that is are owned by their growers, the company wanted that clear on the packaging as well.

“We think it is important to let people know how our produce is grown and harvested and how directly it is provided to them,” added Klumpp. “Also, since our farmers feed their own families with their produce, the phrase ‘From our farms to your family. Naturally.’ summarizes best what North Bay Produce offers—the freshest produce right from where it is grown to you, while always using the best practices to assure the healthiest and finest tasting produce. Naturally.”

As industry leaders continue to roll out new and exciting programs and updates, ANUK will report on the latest.

North Bay Produce

UNITED STATES - Costco’s growth doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The wholesale giant recently opened up new branches in California and Wisconsin. Now, four new facilities are in its crosshairs for development. The retailer will be opening up four new locations within the next few months in Idaho, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Minnesota.

After nearly a year of construction, Costco in Idaho Falls, Idaho, officially has an opening date. According to local news source East Idaho News, the retailer is opening its doors on August 14. The 180,000-square-foot facility will be hiring positions in 34 departments, projecting to bring more than 100 jobs to the area.

In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Costco will be adding 459 jobs to a future operations center. News source The Oklahoman reported the retailer will be increasing its workforce from 1,044 to 1,503 new hires. According to the source, Costco purchased a four-story office building at 14501 Quail Springs Parkway for $25.4 million on May 21.

Another location set to be open later this year in November is in Plainfield, Illinois. This location will have a 152,000 square-foot store with a gas station at the northwest corner of I-55 and U.S. 30. Patch reported currently the closest Costco locations are in Naperville and Bolingbrook.

Last but not least, we sniffed out another site currently in the works in Duluth, Minnesota. The StarTribune reported construction on the location likely to start this fall on the approximately 160,000-square-feet facility. According to the news source, construction is expected to finish in the fall of 2021.

Where will Costco land next? ANUK will continue following the retailer’s trail.

Costco

ISSAQUAH, WA - Throughout the industry, labor challenges have been top of mind for fresh produce providers, especially for Vanguard International. CEO Craig Stauffer took to the virtual page in his recent release of “From Vanguard International CEO’s Desk,” discussing labor shortages and the future of automation.

“Growing fresh produce demands an extensive manual labor force that has always been a difficult order to fill. Although, with the emergence of a global pandemic and borders shutting down worldwide, is it ever top-of-mind even more so now,” penned Stauffer. “COVID-19 has presented a whole new set of labor challenges.”

Stauffer notes that most farm work can be attributed to laborer’s who travel from outside a nation’s own borders, which plays an important role year-round for a variety of pre- and post-harvest activities, including pruning, spraying, picking, packing, and storing. Because these jobs are often physically strenuous and span six to seven days a week during peak harvest periods, it is often a struggle to find homegrown residents.

Not only that, but COVID-19 has created further labor challenges.

“Over the past four months, governments worldwide began shutting down borders amid the pandemic, and uncertainty over labor ensued,” Stauffer continued. “Every grower is struggling with the new, almost weekly, changes to the rules around migrant labor, thus impacting accessibility to laborers who have often been with a grower for decades.”

With stricter measures in place to ensure the safety of both the country and produce, growers will likely need to adhere to new imposed standards such as:

• Quarantining migrant workers in physical-distanced housing for fourteen days upon entry into the country
• Ensuring physical distancing for workers while in the fields and orchards, reducing capacity
• Installing plexi-glass and other distancing measures in offices and on packing lines, reducing the pace of output and negatively impacting efficiencies

The New York Times reported that this concern is widespread. Farmers in countries such as Britain and Germany are feeling the strain of having a lack of harvesters, thus resulting in crops left in the ground.

“Growers are left with reduced labor to harvest crops this summer. In some cases, this will get resolved, but in others, by the time a resolution is found it will be too late for their crops,” explained Stauffer. “Without labor, the fruit cannot even be picked for donation to foodbanks, let alone sold normally [...] This is where automation on the farm becomes top-of-mind.”

Numerous technological advances have emerged as of late in the industry to help jettison fresh produce forward. Harvesting and packing operations have benefitted from these advancements, which is crucial now when the workforce has been reduced to help minimize the spread.

“Of course, there are many hiccups that come into play,” continued Stauffer. “A machine has to be gentle enough when picking that it does not ruin the fruit and it has to be sound enough to pass safety standards. But all in all, I believe our industry’s movement toward automation is incredibly positive.”

As with all innovations, the benefits of automations are key. Stauffer states that while pricey, technological advancements will prove their worth in the long run when it comes to filling in laborious positions that are typically difficult to fill.

“The goal with automation in farming is to replace jobs that are onerous and undesirable across the board,” Stauffer concludes. “Although expensive, when implemented accurately, they can have enormously positive returns on investment for growers, and at the end of the day, can help solve the growing problem of farm labor shortages around the world.”

Click here for the full letter straight from Craig Stauffer himself.

What new innovations will take precedence as we adapt to the challenges that have risen from COVID-19? ANUK will continue to report.

Vanguard International Group

UNITED KINGDOM - Asda is beefing up its delivery services in more ways than one this week. Rolling out a brand-new grocery partnership with Uber as well as one of the freshest produce delivery boxes on the market, the retailer is poised for explosive growth in the sector.

“We’re pleased to be partnering with Uber Eats to trial a rapid grocery delivery service for customers in Leeds and Birmingham,” said Simon Gregg, Vice President of Online Grocery at Asda. “This will give Asda customers more choice in how they shop with us and offer yet another way to quickly and conveniently get their favorite branded and own-brand products delivered to the doorstep. Customers can use the Uber Eats app to select from hundreds of items for delivery in the same way they would shop for a takeaway.”

Alongside its new partner Uber and its recently debuted grocery service, Asda is now trialing an online ordering service in two U.K.-based locations, according to Prolific North. With this offering, shoppers have access to over 300 of Asda’s grocery offerings.

In a press release, Asda also announced a fresh produce-forward launch in the delivery sector. Its latest food box, brimming with fresh fruit and vegetables, contains 18 colorful items and represents one of the best value supermarket fruit and vegetable boxes available.

“We’ve listened to which food box our customers want and have developed the contents to suit their needs: a convenient and cost-effective option full to the brim with the freshest fruit and vegetables,” said Graeme Fletcher, Project Manager at Asda’s sourcing and procurement arm, IPL. “Not only will it save them time, but the opportunities for creating delicious healthy meals and tasty snacks are endless.”

Will these strategies inspire like-minded moves across the pond? With these two new delivery capabilities in its back pocket, there’s no telling where this innovative retailer will go!

Asda

PHARR, TX - Nothing irks us at ANUK like crimes against our beloved fresh produce. We regret to inform you this afternoon that yet another shipment of fruits and veg was intercepted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility. This time, officials discovered $3,704,000 worth of alleged methamphetamine that was hidden within a commercial shipment of fresh produce.

“Our officers at the cargo facility are committed to upholding our border security mission while ensuring that legitimate trade is facilitated and reaches its intended destination,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas.

On July 6, CBP officers assigned to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge cargo facility encountered a truck with a commercial shipment of fresh produce arriving from Mexico. A CBP officer referred the conveyance for further inspection, which included utilizing non-intrusive imaging equipment, as noted in a press release. After physically inspecting the tractor/trailer, officers discovered 22 packages of alleged methamphetamine weighing 185.18 pounds (84 kg) concealed within the trailer.

CBP OFO seized the narcotics, the tractor/trailer, and the case remains under investigation by agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

As we all work to keep our fresh produce supplies safe, keep checking in on reports from AndNowUKnow.

WENATCHEE, WA - With the produce department on the frontlines of fresh, Stemilt Growers is answering the call to bring more insights and best practices to the teams that tip cherries right into the consumer basket. This summer, Stemilt is offering its in-person cherry education experience to the virtual stage for the inaugural Stemilt U: Virtual Cherry College webinar led by Tate Mathison, Stemilt's Director of Sales.

“One of the highlights of every summer is having produce friends visit our orchards to learn how World Famous Cherries go from our orchards to your grocery stores,” said Brianna Shales, Senior Marketing Manager. “Since COVID-19 has put a pause on in-person events, we pivoted and are now sharing the next best thing through this Virtual Cherry College webinar. It’s a great way to educate your entire produce or merchandising teams about where sweet cherries come from, how they are grown, and how to effectively market and merchandise cherries.”

The 60-minute webinar will be held on Wednesday, July 22 at 11 a.m. PST (1 p.m. CST and 2 p.m. EST). The webinar will take attendees through the cherry harvest, packing, and shipping process while showcasing the locales and differences of Stemilt’s season-long cherry program, according to a press release.

Featuring videos of Tate Mathison, and his father, fourth-generation cherry grower Kyle Mathison, the duo will discuss the environment cherries need to grow, show how cherries are harvested, hydrocooled, and packed, and explain their family’s farming roots that date back to the early 1900s. In addition, Roger Pepperl, Stemilt’s Marketing Director, and a former produce Buyer/Merchandiser, will share best practices for marketing and merchandising cherries. To top it off, the team will then host a Q&A session to ask the experts any pressing and curious cherry questions.

“It will be a packed hour of cherry education, entertaining family stories, and even a tour of our World Famous compost farm,” said Shales. “We encourage anyone in produce to attend, but designed this especially for produce buyers, merchandisers, ops specialists, and those on the frontlines—the hard-working produce managers and their team members.”

For added value, Stemilt University Online is an on-demand training program with cherry and apple courses that Stemilt introduced in 2019. The curriculum is video-based with a short quiz and certificate of completion, should you want even more reason to elevate your produce team.

“We really believe in educating retailers and produce teams about our World Famous Fruits,” said Shales. “The art of produce is something that is learned through time and experience, but we love to help that along by sharing our knowledge about apples, pears, and cherries with those who get to interact most with shoppers.”

Click here to register for Stemilt U: Virtual Cherry College. Registration is free and all registrants will receive a recording of the webinar for the benefit of continued insights.

A cherry for your thoughts? Why not!

Stemilt Growers

ORLANDO, FL - One way to elevate the mango category is with a partnership that promotes both sales and excellence. In an effort to achieve these goals, the National Mango Board (NMB) is revealing its sponsorship of the ongoing Kitchen Collaborative initiative in partnership with Flavor & Menu magazine.

“Kitchen Collaborative is a nod to the resilience and comradery that the foodservice industry shows us time and time again. The collaboration and willingness of the chefs to participate in this initiative have been astounding and inspiring”, stated Angela Serna, Marketing Manager at the NMB. “We continue to see tremendous growth of the mango category in the foodservice sector and look forward to new innovative and flavorful preparations of mango by talented chefs.”

This collaboration is part of the NMB’s foodservice marketing program. For a little background on these key players, Kitchen Collaborative is a recipe-development program organized by Summit F&B and Flavor & The Menu, with support from sponsor brands and commodity boards looking to help chefs create, inspire, and collaborate, according to a press release.

To boot, five talented chefs partnered with the NMB to develop high-value recipes and drive mango flavor ingenuity. These recipes are a play on the comfort style foods which are currently trending, with added twists on flavor and the incorporation of global cuisines—a key to teasing the taste buds of today's diners.

Check out these numbers if you are looking for that little extra nudge. According to the latest research from Datassential shared in a recent NMB webinar, mangos have increased 16 percent on menus within the past four years and are projected to grow another 10 percent in the next four years. Interest in mangos is likely to grow and the NMB is continuing to inspire menu development teams and invest in education and support to drive mango innovation in the foodservice sector, as consumers increasingly gravitate toward global cuisines.

The partnership helps further align NMB with is goals and initiatives as it showcases the creativity and innovation of chefs nationwide and the entire foodservice industry.

National Mango Board

FIREBAUGH, CA - Little changes can have a big impact. Every day, Peri & Sons Farms is exploring new ways to advance our position as a premier Certified Sustainable Farm. In our latest initiative, we’re working to reduce the amount of packaging on consumer products, without compromising food safety or visual appeal.

Here’s What's In Store with Peri & Sons Farms...

We’ve rolled out a series of process improvements to our onion packing production, managing to save 36 square feet of material per minute. This allows us to save enough material to cover a baseball field every four hours—over 33,000 square feet per day.

And that little bit of saving just keeps getting bigger—big enough to cover The Big Apple! In fact, after 315 days of packing our consumer onion products, we will save enough packaging material to entirely cover New York City’s 205-acre landscape.

That’s a lot of material that won’t go into landfills. And as part of our company-wide sustainable mission, we will continue to reduce product packaging and look for more sustainable packaging resources. These initiatives help Peri & Sons Farms keep overall operating costs as low as possible, provide the best products and value to our customers and consumers, and keep our planet healthy.

Peri & Sons Farms is dedicated to creating a healthy farming business that meets the needs of the present without compromising the future. We’re doing a little bit every day to make a big difference tomorrow.

Thank you for watching What’s In Store.

Peri & Sons Farms