ARVIN, CA - Relationships are an essential part of our business. And these days, the right partnership can create opportunities out of obstacles and generate momentum and value for retail partners. Country Sweet Produce (CSP) is a team that knows this type of vision well. Every day the team is out in the fields checking up on their 2020 onion crop so that they never miss a beat. Growing and packing south of Bakersfield, California, CSP and the Valpredo Farms group are proudly supplying organic and sweet onions from their family of growers, as they have been for almost 50 years.

“It’s remarkable and we are extremely proud to carry on the summer tradition here,” Michael Valpredo, fourth-generation family steward and the President of CSP, shares with me. “My dad was just telling me about how they used to field pack in the early 1970s. Things have really changed!”

CSP has risen to meet the needs and the demands of today’s changing market and consumer landscape over the past decade, as it builds value, brand loyalty, and consistency into its relationships along the way.

“From packing equipment to the types of packaging, so much has advanced, and especially on the farm side where we are really getting dialed in on the right varieties for what grows best here at the southern end of California's Central Valley,” Michael reflects. “Our sweet onions speak for themselves as they are truly a testament to a commitment by the entire team and their dedication through the years. We are very excited to get started here shortly.”

All early signs this year point to strong yields and an on-time harvest, which is set to start mid-May. Here in late April, Prescott Leyba, CSP Sales Account Manager and point person on the onion programs, offers his outlook for the upcoming season.

“More than anything, we are keeping an eye on the weather forecast and hoping for warm, sunny days. Our farm team does a tremendous job, and as soon as they say we’re ready, we plan on hitting the ground running into another successful season,” Prescott tells me.

The team at CSP looks forward to a long and successful onion campaign beginning in late May and extending through Labor Day.

If you ask me, the time is now to start bolstering those retail onion programs to respond to the consumer desire for high-quality onions in their shopping baskets.

Country Sweet Produce

UNITED STATES - The Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Virtual Town Hall series is a vital resource for the industry, serving up leading voices across the supply- and buy-sides. Next week’s Virtual Town Hall meeting will take place on April 29 at 12 p.m. EST and will feature top-of-the-line produce talent.

The session will center around a conversation with Soren Bjorn, President of Driscoll’s; Jin Ju Wilder, Director of Marketing and Business Development for Vesta Foodservice; and Joe Don Zetzsche, Director of Floral and BLOOMS Floral Shops for H-E-B. It will be moderated by Center for Growing Talent’s Executive Director Doug Bohr.

Bohr will lead a conversation with the panelists about workforce and talent management, an essential element for ag businesses at this time.

For those who have attended the Virtual Town Hall meetings previously, the insights and resources have proven to be invaluable. AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you in tune with the latest tools you can add to your industry toolbox.

Produce Marketing Association

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - If there’s one thing we can count on, it’s that GrubMarket will always be on the lookout for the latest strategic acquisition opportunity. In fact, when you search “GrubMarket” on the ANUK site, each search result revolves around acquisitions! Much to our delight, we learned of the company’s latest acquisition earlier this week when GrubMarket scooped up food distributor Chasin Foods.

“Chasin Foods is an incredibly well-respected and highly-regarded wholesale distributor in the Southern California region. We look forward to working closely together, and we are thrilled to welcome both Derek and Roger Chasin into the GrubMarket Family,” stated Mike Xu, CEO of GrubMarket.

The Chasin Foods team, which will keep its current leadership team of Derek and Roger Chasin, is highly-experienced in working with a vast portfolio of clients, including marketers, manufacturers, jobbers, schools, chain restaurants, single-unit restaurants, and large institutional accounts across Southern California.

Chasin Foods’ headquarters will remain in Southern California, as reported in a press release.

“GrubMarket recognizes the corporate values and philosophies of Chasin Foods, and they respect our focus on world-class customer service,” noted Derek Chasin, CEO of Chasin Foods. “Our company mindset will stay with us as we leverage this new relationship to reach more customers looking for an exceptional overall service.”

As Chasin Foods seeks its own expansion, it will be able to leverage GrubMarket’s supply chain network. Additionally, GrubMarket will be able to leverage Chasin Foods’ expertise to further bolster and grow its existing supply chain capabilities.

So, who will be next to join GrubMarket’s diverse portfolio of companies? As the wholesale leader continues to keep us guessing, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the most recent updates.

GrubMarket Chasin Foods

VALENCIA, CA - In a bid to help retailers keep consumers feeling bright in the days leading up to summer, Sunkist recently launched a new social media campaign #MySunkistTable. Registered dietitians are joining the team's table to educate shoppers on the nutritious benefits of citrus and the versatility of the fruit.

“The latest IRI data shows that oranges are up 60 percent versus a year ago,” said Christina Ward, Director of Global Brand Marketing. “Health and wellness are on top of everyone’s minds, and consumers are extra focused on vitamin C and fresh foods that have some shelf stability. When refrigerated and stored properly, fresh citrus can last up to four weeks, providing consumers with even more versatile options.”

According to Information Resources Inc. (IRI) data, produce sales are up as shoppers balance pantry staples with fresh ingredients for meal preparation. As these produce sales climb, Sunkist is encouraging consumers to build out those new healthy habits by sharing their citrus masterpieces on social media using #MySunkistTable and tagging @SunkistCitrus on Instagram.

“As consumers are social distancing, we’re seeing significant changes in shopper behavior and consumer eating habits,” said Cassie Howard, Director of Category Management, in a recent press release. “The IRI data also shows that people are reducing their number of trips to the store, doing more weekday shopping, and making more meals from scratch.”

Versatility is key in any department, and the ways in which citrus can be used is seemingly limitless. It can be zested, charred, preserved, added to spring mix salads, blended into smoothies, squeezed for fresh juice, cut into wedges and dipped in sugar-free chocolate, infused into water, and more.

To help keep consumers interested in all the different ways citrus can be applied to recipes, Sunkist is sharing new recipes, including orange almond ricotta toast, Moroccan chickpea citrus salad, and Cara Cara orange cardamom skillet pancake.

Sounds like a cross-merchandising steal! Keep reading AndNowUKnow for the latest in all things fresh.

Sunkist Growers

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - As great as a fresh, home-cooked meal can be, the allure of the convenience of favorite restaurants is always tempting. Now, SpartanNash is stepping in to keep that temptation alive and well. Ensuring that local consumers can still get meals from their favorite restaurants despite stay-at-home orders, SpartanNash recently launched an innovative pilot partnership with eight West Michigan restaurants.

“This is a win-win partnership for West Michiganders and local restaurants hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said SpartanNash EVP and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer, Lori Raya. “Restaurants are bringing team members back to work, while families can enjoy some of their restaurant favorites, discover new ones, and help their local struggling restaurants. Together, we can and will build stronger communities through these local partnerships. For more than 100 years, our company has been headquartered here and a trusted provider of food, medicine, and essential household goods. Supporting our local communities, farmers, and food producers has always been vitally important to us and drives our vision to be a best-in-class company that feels local, where relationships matter.”

Each participating restaurant will create its patrons’ favorite menu items, which will be sold at select D&W Fresh Market, Family Fare, Forest Hills Foods, and Ada Fresh Market locations. One hundred percent of the proceeds will be provided to the restaurants to help them remain strong during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a press release, participating restaurants include:

• Anna’s House
• Big O’s
• Cedar Springs Brewery
• City Built Brewery
• Donkey Taqueria
• Friesian Gastro Pub
• Osteria Rossa
• West Side Social

A complete list of restaurant menu items and the locations of the 25 pilot stores can be found at the SpartanNash website. The heat-and-serve meals will be located in the deli section of each participating D&W Fresh Market, Family Fare, Forest Hills Foods, and Ada Fresh Market location.

In developing the pilot program, SpartanNash’s retail, merchandising, and marketing teams worked quickly to identify a diverse group of local restaurants that could transition to preparing heat-and-serve meals for purchase at the grocery store. SpartanNash’s quality assurance, food safety, legal, IT, and corporate affairs teams provided guidance. West Michigan Tag and Label also came on board to work directly with the restaurants and donate the restaurant-branded and ingredient labeling at no cost as a means of supporting participating local restaurants.

“Being in the food business, whether a grocery retailer, wholesaler, supplier, or restaurant, we all have something in common: helping create an exceptional experience for the guests we serve,” said Raya. “Now, more than ever, we want to provide not only the financial support to our restaurants, but the emotional connectivity to some of West Michigan’s ‘must have’ menu options.”

Foodservice operators need our support now more than ever, so ANUK extends our thanks to all retailers, distributors, and fresh produce growers who are supporting this integral industry. Keep checking back in with us as we bring you the latest reports.

SpartanNash

SWEDESBORO, NJ - Collaboration is essential in the fresh produce industry, and as we have all fallen on such challenging times, this value has never been more important to uphold. In the spirit of collaboration, multiple growers of the SweeTango® apple variety are bringing life to the mantra “do well by doing good,” supporting food banks and feeding programs in communities hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

These awe-inspiring growers are also taking steps to protect their employees by implementing social distancing and other safety measures. SweeTango’s North American growers cooperative is moving to keep the supply chain flowing for this top-10 branded apple variety.

“In times of crisis, food offers more than nourishment, it gives comfort. It is our honor to give some small comfort to neighbors who are hurting,” said Jennifer Parkhill, Executive Director of Next Big Thing, A Growers’ Cooperative.

To help keep grocery displays stocked with SweeTangos, Next Big Thing’s Eastern Region continues to ship high-quality domestic SweeTangos while the co-op’s other regions have begun to import fruit from trusted partners in the Southern Hemisphere.

According to a press release, SweeTango growers from Nova Scotia, New York state, Washington state, and Michigan, have so far donated more than 100,000 apples to food banks.

Fowler Farms in Wolcott, New York, donated more than 100,000 SweeTangos to Foodlink, which supplies food to pantries across the state.

“What better way to give back than by giving one of the healthiest foods available?” Fowler Farms’ Austin Fowler, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, added.

Applewood Fresh Growers in Sparta, Michigan, has donated apples to help feed children who don’t have access to school meals due to the crisis, and to Feeding America to distribute to food-insecure Michiganders.

“Apples are an original comfort food, and SweeTango is an incredible apple,” agreed Applewood Fresh Growers’ Owner Scott Swindeman.

Stemilt has partnered with Rotary First Harvest to provide fruit that is distributed regionally through Northwest Harvest Food Banks. Scotian Gold in Coldbrook, Nova Scotia, Canada, has donated apples to groups including Feed Nova Scotia and Open Arms, which supply fresh foods to those in isolation with health risks and to families now facing food insecurity.

“There’s just something about taking a slurpy bite of a crunchy, juicy apple that is sustaining,” said Stemilt’s Roger Pepperl, Marketing Director.

Like other essential businesses in the produce industry, the SweeTango community is also managing the impacts of COVID-19 on their places of work, from figuring out how to practice safe social distancing or to telework, all while adapting to market changes.

“We do not underestimate the important role we have during this crisis. With schools and restaurants closed, families are relying heavily on their local grocery stores for quality fresh food,” said Dennis MacPherson, Director of Sales at Scotian Gold. “We’ve extended our work hours to meet demand and are collaborating with our retail customers to help keep their stores stocked. We will do whatever it takes.”

This is the first season that SweeTango apples have been available on the North American market after the New Year; the co-op reports growers harvested a record crop last fall, especially in the East, which has maintained its eating quality in storage. Austin Fowler remarked on this record crop, noting that "it just kept coming."

Meanwhile, Next Big Thing is tapping into additional supplies available from SweeTango growers in the Southern Hemisphere.

New York state SweeTango grower Jay Toohill of Corporate Sales at Chazy Orchards noted that fruit quality, flavor, and color are outstanding: “The way the fruit is holding up is exceptional, like no other year.”

That serendipity is now presenting opportunity for retailers who are racing to meet burgeoning demand from consumers who are eating three meals plus snacks at home.

“The quality of the fruit shipping after the New Year is showing us that this apple will store very well,” agreed Scott Swindeman. “The condition and flavor coming out of our controlled atmosphere rooms has been fantastic.”

The co-op’s Eastern sales desks continue to market domestic supplies of SweeTango remaining in storage in that region; Applewood Fresh Growers has also been marketing Eastern SweeTango supplies to retailers based in the central region.

“SweeTango’s flavor and crunch make it one of the best apples in the world,” said Pepperl. “Our biggest problem this season was that we could have had more volume.”

Meanwhile, Pepperl reports that supplies of SweeTango apples from Chile are now available in the West from Stemilt; while MacPherson reports Scotian Gold plans to import SweeTangos from New Zealand’s Yummy Fruit.

“SweeTango’s quality has continued to excel among all apples; this is a top-five trademark apple when it’s in the market,” added Pepperl. “When you talk to growers, it’s a rare occurrence that they don’t say SweeTango is one of the best apples in the United States. Even our competitors tell us this is a great apple. That has to influence retailers’ choices. The market is blessed with many varieties, so make great choices.”

Here’s to continuous collaboration amongst the fresh produce industry! Keep checking in with us at ANUK for more of the latest news.

SweeTango®

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - It’s all hands on deck in the grocery sector as operators from all industry’s come together to support this essential workforce. While Uber had previously been connected to the food business through Uber Eats, the delivery service is now joining the fight to fortify grocery retail. Launching a new program, Uber aims to contribute to the safe and healthy distribution of fresh groceries.

“This is just a start: We’ll continue to leverage our technology to quickly adapt and meet the changing needs of our business partners and customers, wherever they are,” the company stated in a news release.

Through the new Uber Direct platform, shoppers can order groceries online from select grocers and have them delivered contact free. To build out this delivery service, the company has partnered with multiple operators across the select markts such as New York City, Portugal, and Australia.

"Uber Direct builds upon Uber Eats’ recent expansion into grocery and convenience store delivery," Uber continued in its statement. "We’ve heard from retailers and manufacturers around the world looking to introduce delivery through Uber, as an operationally efficient way to reach their customers or manage internal delivery needs."

To read Uber’s statement in full, click here.

What will be Uber’s next expansion in the food sector? Keep clicking back to AndNowUKnow to find out.

Uber

WASHINGTON, DC - Having the right tools in your toolbox can be the difference between responding to challenges with actionable solutions rather than succumbing to them. Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) is making sure its grower, farmworker, retailer, and consumer advocacy partners have more than the right tools in their toolbox with its curated library of best-in-class resources and practices.

“As EFI-certified farms do everything in their power to keep workers safe while maintaining continuity of supply, they are looking to organizations like EFI to help them navigate this unprecendented situation,” said LeAnne Ruzzamenti, Director of Marketing Communications for EFI. “To this end, we are offering a variety of resources on our website, including educational materials to distribute to workers and suggested processes for communication, hygiene, distancing, and guestworker housing. We hope that the best thinking of worker-manager collaborative teams can assist other growers in keeping their workers safe and their businesses moving forward.”

EFI’s new library of resources will provide essential strategies for employee communication during the current COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other responsible labor and food safety practices.

“I have often remarked how thankful I am for the EFI workforce development model and the importance of worker-manager teams but that has never been more evident than during this crisis,” said Vic Smith, Owner and Chief Executive Officer of JV Smith Companies. “The ability for these already-established teams to be communicating and solving problems immediately as this issue gained traction has been critical in our ability to not only protect our workers, but continue to serve our customers.”

To curate its library and generate the necessary educational materials, EFI worked with its certified growers to learn from their worker-manager teams. As a result, the library contains the combined knowledge from worker-manager EFI leadership teams, who have been trained in communication and problem-solving skills to comply with EFI standards. During this crisis, according to a press release, these teams have come together to adapt public health guidance to the realities of modern produce production.

Some of the resources included in the library feature the following materials, practices, and strategies:

• Worker education materials in English and Spanish, highlighting preventative measures
• Guidance and recommended practices culled from industry sources and public health organizations
• Best thinking from farming operations with EFI worker-manager collaborative teams to create safety measures in response to the coronavirus

“The steps we are taking to ensure the safety of our team are evolving nearly every day, and we were happy to share our ideas and systems so that others in the industry can benefit from the thinking of our Process Improvement Teams,” said Marylu Ramirez, Human Resources Manager for Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce/GoodFarms. “Collaborating across the industry and relying on one another’s best thinking is exactly what we all need to help overcome this outbreak.”

Though these resources are readily available now, EFI is also looking to collaborate with other industry members on their ideas and COVID-19 strategies.

“I am proud of the work that EFI-certified farms are doing to keep workers safe and serve as a resource for other grower-shippers around the country,” Ruzzamenti concluded. “We did not envision that a pandemic would highlight the need for this programming, but we have always understood that a healthy and well-respected labor force is critical to a safer and continuous food supply.”

To access EFI’s resources, click here. And for more essential produce industry news, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.

Equitable Food Initiative

TEXAS - Though the move of late has been to minimize retail store hours, H-E-B is expanding its temporary hours of operation at its grocery stores across Texas in order to better serve its shoppers. The Texas chain is following in the footsteps of an improving supply chain and stronger product availability, as both will help H-E-B’s stores meet the current consumer demand for essential grocery goods.

“As we continue to monitor the spread of the pandemic, we are following guidance and advice from medical professionals and the CDC to make the best decisions regarding the health and safety of our Partners, customers, and the communities we serve,” H-E-B wrote in a press release.

Starting April 27, H-E-B stores will open at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. In addition, the grocer will also continue easing its product limits on many of its items and begin reopening popular departments, such as floral, bakery, and the deli.

“Our top priority remains protecting the health and safety of our partners and customers. Even with our extended hours, our stores remain diligent in following H-E-B’s strict hygiene and sanitation measures as well as proper social distancing protocols,” the Texas chain continued in the release. “We have dedicated teams of Partners and COVID Action Managers who are trained to ensure sanitation and social distancing procedures are properly followed.”

Earlier this week, Cub Foods also announced it would be going against the grain by expanding its store operations to 24-hour services. Will more grocers begin to expand their hours of operations as the supply chain continues to strengthen? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.

H-E-B

WASHINGTON, DC - Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a landmark initiative to support the produce industry. The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) detailed plans to launch a new “Buy Fresh” program in response to challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, pledging to purchase $100 million worth of fresh produce per month from regional and local distributors.

This program is a direct result of the United Fresh Produce Association’s efforts since its initial letter to the USDA on March 20 encouraging the development of a purchasing program that would provide financial relief for the fresh produce industry. United Fresh encouraged its members to apply to the program and attend USDA’s corresponding webinar that took place on Tuesday, April 21. To find out more about this monumental opportunity, I recently linked up with United Fresh President and CEO Tom Stenzel.

“A hundred million dollars a month is a significant amount of money. It's going to help many of the distributors, particularly those who don't have restaurant business right now,” he began. “At the same time, the food banks need fresh produce. Through this program, the distributor will get paid to repackage product and deliver it in more user-friendly ways to food banks.”

In the webinar, the USDA announced that on April 24 it plans to accept proposals and allow the suppliers to select which non-profit organizations they will distribute commodity boxes to on a mutually agreeable, recurring schedule. The awards are expected to be announced by May 8, and the program fully operational by May 15.

“We've talked with many of our suppliers about the program,” Tom told me. “Strawberry shippers, for example, have tons of product, and it's hard to move everything through retail alone. This program will facilitate the purchase of fresh produce and subsequent distribution to food banks. People in need don't just need canned food and dry goods. For them to get a couple of pints of fresh strawberries, what a joy. Hopefully, this kind of program can help everybody moving forward.”

Regarding fresh fruit and vegetables boxes, the USDA has outlined the following:

• Products and processing must be of domestic origin
• Consumer-friendly packaging required (but does not need to be retail packs)
• Awardees must identify and manage relationships with food banks and non-profits and come up with mutually agreeable delivery and box type terms
• Contracts will be issued in seven regions (Mid-Atlantic, Mountain, Mountain Plains, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Western) and proposals can be submitted for multiple or partial regions

According to a press release, full requirements and specifications will be available on April 24. In conclusion, Tom took a moment to recognize the hard-working individuals on the front lines of this pandemic.

“As always, we thank the people who are out there growing, harvesting, packing, and delivering, and the folks at the grocery stores who are stocking the shelves. A lot of us are back at home and kind of closeted away, but those folks are still out there bringing food to the American public, so we really do appreciate it,” he said.

United Fresh also hosted an informational webinar today, April 23, for the industry to better understand the process that USDA AMS will implement in its Coronavirus Food Assistance (CFAP) Purchase and Distribution Program.

Stay tuned in to reports from AndNowUKnow as we await more news on the USDA’s historic “Buy Fresh” program.

United Fresh USDA