COACHELLA, CA - As we break into this first part of January and New Year’s resolutions align with fresh produce departments more and more, companies are rallying with their retail partners in order to bring flavor, quality, and color to the consumer basket. Prime Time sits tall as one produce partner hitting those goals on all fronts and with a year-round program to boot.

“We are currently growing bell peppers, sweet mini peppers, asparagus, and tomatoes in Mexico, and finishing the fall harvest of peppers in the California Desert,” Katy Johnson, Marketing at Prime Time International, shares with me. “From mid-December to mid-January, supplies remain constant, but promotable volume is limited. After the holidays, production will gear up on both field-grown and hothouse peppers, mini peppers, and asparagus. Promotions will be both available and ongoing throughout the Nogales deal and will transition back to production in the U.S. in the spring and summer of 2020.”

With the start of 2020 energizing the Prime Time program, the company has focused on filling the gaps in production for all of the year-round items in the product lineup. Ultimately, the weather dictates the success of these efforts as we all know in produce, but strategic planning in terms of growing locations and planting schedules has helped create a steady overall program for Prime Time customers with only minor fluctuations in supply.

“Peppers and asparagus are staples in the produce section, and being able to supply customers with product on a constant basis builds strong buyer-seller relationships,” Katy says. “Due to cold weather and the above-normal demand of the holiday season, prices remain strong and demand is high. Every pack size and quality level is in demand, and our harvesting and packing crews continuously do what it takes on a daily basis to keep our customers supplied with Prime Time products.”

In addition, Prime Time has a full lineup of packing options with peppers packed in boxes, bags, and bins in a complete range of sizes and combinations and mini peppers typically packed in 1 lb and 2 lb bags—also offered in bulk cartons.

“In 2020, we will be introducing Prime Time Organic sweet mini peppers, which is a new item, on a limited trial basis,” Katy reflects with excitement. “If successful, organic minis will become part of the Prime Time product family moving forward. Prime Time asparagus is available in a variety of bulk and bag options as well as organic and conventional packs as well.”

Now is the “prime time” to partner with this grower powerhouse and kick the year off right!

Prime Time Produce

DALLAS, TX - Stadiums are for sports events, concerts, obstacle course challenges, competitions, and, of course, avocados! This coming year, Avocados From Mexico (AFM) is partnering with AT&T Stadium to bring fans an avocado menu to rival for the remainder of the 2019-20 season of festivities.

“We are excited to partner with AT&T Stadium, a state-of-the-art arena, to bring healthy and delicious avocados to North Texas sports and music fans,” Avocados From Mexico President and CEO Alvaro Luque, stated. “AT&T Stadium is the perfect fit for our expansion and we’re excited to reach the massive crowds this venue accommodates.”

Working closely with best-in-class food and beverage provider Legends Hospitality Management, AFM will serve fresh guacamole at the club level and a “Suite-side” guacamole experience for suite-ticket holders, according to a press release.

In addition, and no matter what your ticket says, fresh avocado have been added to the menus of nine concession stands at the AT&T Stadium.

"We wanted to enhance the game day experience for our passionate fans, so partnering with Avocados From Mexico made sense to bring that something extra to game day,” said George Wasai, Director of Food and Beverage for Legends Hospitality at AT&T Stadium. “We look forward to continuing to grow this partnership and creating memorable food experiences for the fans at AT&T Stadium to come.”

AFM knows the value of a great partnership, having also teamed up with AvoEats at the American Airlines Center (AAC) in Dallas and Tacos Por fAVOr at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, as well as several additional team-focused partnerships across the country,

Congrats to AFM and the AT&T Stadium for this most recent endeavor and stay tuned for more avo-worthy news from AndNowUKnow.

Avocados From Mexico

SANTA PAULA, CA - Despite difficulties in the way of power outages related to the recent California fires and market fluctuation, Limoneira is looking to end 2019 on a positive note financially with a new milestone and plans for growth in place.

“As we enter fiscal year 2020, our grower retention is very strong, and we expect to increase our lemon market share again in fiscal year 2020. We are very well positioned for a return to solid growth and improved profitability and expect improved contributions from lemons, oranges, and avocados in this coming year,” Harold Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated.

EBITDA for fiscal year 2019 is expected to be in the range of $2.5 million to $3.0 million according to the financial report, while adjusted EBITDA for fiscal year 2019 is expected to be in the range of $1.5 million to $2.0 million.

“Fiscal year 2019 was a challenging year for our company due to the uncontrollable aspects of our business,” Edwards acknowledged. “Untimely and persistent rains dramatically affected lemons, higher temperatures affected orange pricing throughout the year and, as expected, our avocado harvest was minimal due to the prior year’s heatwave. Despite these challenges, our company still generated record revenue and expanded our market share. We also began realizing equity earnings from our real estate development, Harvest at Limoneira, and successfully closed a very important acquisition in Argentina, expanding our One World of Citrus.”

Additional avenues of growth include an additional 1,200 acres of non-bearing lemons that are estimated to bear fruit over the next four years, which the company said will enable it to achieve strong organic growth for many years to come.

300 of the 1,200 acres are expected to become full bearing in fiscal year 2021.

Limoneira also intends to plant an additional 250 acres of lemons in the next two years that it said it believes will further build its long-term pipeline of productive acreage, estimating it will increase annual lemon supply from its 2020 level by approximately 30 percent, or about 900K to 1.3M additional fresh cartons, as the non-bearing and planned acreage becomes productive. All this, the company pointed out, is based purely on its growth trajectory and doesn’t include “potential acquisition opportunities for the company in its highly fragmented industry.”

Click here to read the full fiscal report.

Limoneira

AUSTIN, TX - Organics is a growing sector that has quickly taken hold in the industry as a major driver for consumer purchasing habits. Whole Foods Market latched on to the movement early, and the concept of organics and health-forward, “whole foods,” has been a part of the retailer’s brand from the get-go. Whole Foods’ President and Chief Merchandising Officer, A.C. Gallo, was recently featured on the podcast Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, where he commented on the history and future of organics in the industry, detailing the origins of the movement and how the retailer plans to evolve and fortify the category.

“It wasn’t until 1979 when California passed their organic food law that there was a definition for what organic was, and it started to clean up that whole part of the business,” he said. “We really started to see more availability of organic produce especially through the '80s. Then in 1990, the federal government finally passed a law, and at that point there was a clear definition that everyone aligned to and that really started the explosion of organic foods.”

Once the category was clearly defined and established, it became obvious that organics was a designation in high demand among consumers. Gallo recalled how, as Whole Foods grew, the retailer began to realize there was a need to develop products and standards to address that demand. Throughout the years, Whole Foods kept bulking out its organic offerings and testing new initiatives, even though not all were successes.

“We created a program we called the ‘Responsibly Grown’ rating system that would rate farms based on their water usage, soil health, alternative energy use, and farm labor practices,” Gallo mentioned. “It turned out that it was just too complex for, and more than the consumer wanted to know. It was also confusing for our team members to figure out their ratings. Even some growers had issues with the rating system because some conventional growers actually got as high of ratings as some of the organic growers, and the organic growers weren’t happy about it! We realized that it was a good try and it didn’t work, so we backed away from it. So we’ve been thinking the last year or two about what we can do next.”

Regenerative agriculture is one hot topic on Whole Foods’ radar, and although the practice isn’t exactly mainstream, Gallo noted that some of the retailer’s suppliers are involved in regenerative agricultural processes, but that it is not clearly defined across all produce categories.

“One of the things we’re going to do this year is we’re going to spend a lot of time and energy looking into regenerative agriculture and how we can add that aspect to organic production and how we keep moving that forward,” he commented.

The full podcast can be found here.

Keep reading AndNowUknow for more insight on the shifting world of organics.

Whole Foods Market

VICTOR, NY - Apples are synonymous with holiday dishes. Whether they’re used in a savory stuffing dish or a tried-and-true cobbler, consumers look to the category for recipe inspiration. New York Apple Association (NYAA) is fueling this apple-recipe love with its second annual Holiday Extravaganza Retail Display contest. Cross-merchandising opportunities abound, from showcasing New York apples with baking ingredients to building large fresh cider displays. Retailers can even dip their toes into opportunities surrounding charcuterie plates with cheese and dip pairings.

Last year’s display contest was won by Susan Sarday of Big M Supermarkets in Windsor, New York. After winning, Susan and her husband Martin toured apple orchards and cideries across Western New York, tasting the best apple flavors that New York harvest season has to offer. Other contest winners were Gary Zimmerman of Mike’s Bi-Lo in Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania; Jeff Collins of Big M Supermarkets in Sherburne, New York; Saqrah Houck of Abundance Co-Op in Rochester, New York; and Kyle Russell of Honest Weight Co-Op in Albany, New York.

All one needs to do to participate in this year’s contest is snap a few photos of the store display and submit them by email to [email protected]. Grand prizes include three 1^st place $500 gift cards, five 2^nd place $250 gift cards, and ten 3^rd place $100 gift cards. The closing entry date is December 31, 2019.

Furthering the holiday excitement, NYAA is making how-to recipe videos available to retailers to engage consumers on its social media platforms. The recipe videos run from one to three minutes, during which instructions are given on how to make quick and easy apple recipes. NYAA President Cynthia Haskins informed me that these types of videos are extremely popular due to the inspiration they provide and their quick-to-view format on social media.

The how-to recipe videos are being made available to retailers to place on their social media platforms and website and combine the inspiration consumers love with the efficiency they crave.

“We are experiencing a successful click rate on social media when we showcase the recipe videos along with click throughs to our website and blog,” Cynthia told me. “We have been pleased with the results and will continue creating consumer resources.”

NYAA will also promote the Big Apple Salad Contest in early January of next year. This promotion invites New York apple lovers to strive for healthier eating in 2020, asking them to create and share delicious salad recipes that features Apples From New York™.

“Whatever your health goal—eating cleaner, feeling better, losing weight—salads are a deliciously easy way to eat better without sacrificing flavor or satisfaction,” Cynthia stated. “Apples add crunch, texture, and flavor—as well as nutrients and fiber-related fullness—to any salad. Plus, apple cider and cider vinegar make great salad dressings!”

For those who participate in the New York Big Apple Salad Challenge, NYAA will post certain recipes to inspire and awaken the taste buds.

Keep reading AndNowUKnow for the latest in what’s happening with New York apple growers.

New York Apple Association

WESTBOROUGH, MA - Christopher J. Baldwin is stepping out of his CEO position with BJ's Wholesale Club and into the role of Executive Chairman, effective February 2, 2020. Taking his place will be Lee Delaney, who currently serves as the President of BJ’s.

“This is an exciting time to be a part of BJ’s Wholesale Club, and I’m honored to lead this company and this great team,” said Delaney. “We have a strong growth strategy in place and will continue to focus on providing outstanding value and service to our members. I look forward to continuing to work with Chris as we take advantage of the opportunities ahead of us, producing profitable growth and shareholder value over the long term.”

According to a press release, Delaney joined BJ’s in 2016 as Executive Vice President, Chief Growth Officer. Before joining the BJ’s team, Delaney was a Partner at Bain & Company. He holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from the University of Massachusetts.

“Lee’s strategic vision and leadership have been instrumental in the transformation of BJ’s Wholesale Club,” said Baldwin, who will serve as a strategic advisor to Delaney in his new role of Executive Chairman. “We’re on track to deliver our fourth consecutive year of record earnings with strong cash flow and membership at historic levels. Lee’s knowledge of all areas of our business and strong record of driving profitable growth make him the ideal leader for our company. I look forward to working closely with Lee to ensure a smooth transition as we continue our transformation.”

BJ’s Board of Directors will also be welcoming Thomas A. Kingsbury to its ranks. The former CEO of Burlington Stores, where he served from 2008 to 2019, replaces Cameron Breitner, who will be stepping down from the Board. Kingsbury’s resume includes positions like Senior Executive Vice President—Information Services, E-Commerce, Marketing, and Business Development of Kohl’s Corporation; President and Chief Executive Officer of the Filene’s/Kaufmann’s division of The May Department Stores Company; and serving as a member of the board of directors of Tractor Supply Company.

“I’m thrilled to have Tom Kingsbury join our Board. His deep understanding of value retail and track record of building shareholder value will be extremely valuable as we continue to transform BJ’s Wholesale Club,” Baldwin continued. “Cameron has played a crucial role in the transformation of our company. We are all very grateful for his support of our work.”

Congratulations to Christopher J. Baldwin, Lee Delaney, Thomas A. Kingsbury, and Cameron Breitner on these next steps in their careers!

BJ's Wholesale Club

VANCOUVER, CANADA - Oppy is rounding out a successful 2019 with a significant honor. In addition to the produce provider’s ground-breaking year of operations, it has now been named one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures in the enterprise category, in recognition of its positive and performance-oriented corporate culture.

“Oppy’s ‘expect the world from us’ promise extends to our team as well as our customers and has served as a guiding light for our culture for many years,” Chairman, CEO, and Managing Partner, John Anderson, said in a press release. “Uniting to achieve shared and precise goals, we have managed to form a fundamental harmony that drives our business forward by empowering our people to do their absolute best. This is no easy task considering the complex and often turbulent environment we operate in. The exceptional teamwork and communication that is the norm at Oppy are at the core of our competitive advantage and will undoubtedly play an essential role in our success well into the future.”

The honor is bestowed upon Oppy by Waterstone Human Capital, Canada’s leading cultural talent management firm. The firm has run the national program for the past 13 years, and Oppy’s recognition this year is the second time the company has landed on the list, including its first appearance in the same category in 2016. Anderson also received a distinct honor in 2017 through the Canada’s Most Admired™ CEO program, highlighting Oppy’s leading role in Canada’s business community.

“At Waterstone, we believe corporate culture drives performance and that it’s an organization’s greatest asset,” said Marty Parker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Waterstone Human Capital and Chair of Canada’s Most Admired CEO Awards. “What’s remarkable about this year’s group of winning organizations is their commitment to corporate culture and their success in leveraging that culture as a competitive advantage. They each set a high bar when it comes to building great, high-performance cultures that ultimately drive organizational growth and power the performance of their teams.”

Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures honors best-in-class Canadian organizations who foster high-performing corporate cultures that help maintain a competitive advantage. The award selects ten companies as national winners, divided into three categories according to revenue from growth, to mid-market and enterprise, as well as a fourth category aimed at non-profits and the public sector. This year, an extra honor was added for an industry leaders category, recognizing organizations within a specific industry for their commitment to corporate culture. The winners of the award will be celebrated in a gala dinner in February 2020, hosted by Waterstone Human Capital.

Oppy is no stranger to this sort of accolade, and in the past year alone has earned recognition as one of British Columbia’s Top 100 Employers and was honored with an Industry Role Model award for the seventh year from the Produce for Better Health Foundation.

Congratulations to Oppy on this well-earned honor!

Oppy

LOS ANGELES, CA - When I think of the pinnacle of holiday spirit, the Allen Lund Company pops up at the forefront of my mind thanks to its 15 years of participation with Navidad en el Barrio. Like years prior, the Allen Lund Company helped secure donations of dry goods and perishables, which were then arranged in bags and baskets that will make for bountiful Christmas dinners for families in the Los Angeles area.

"We were so thrilled to be serving Navidad en el Barrio for the 15^th year," said Nora Trueblood, Marketing and Communications Director. "Each year our customers donate produce and dry commodities and, in the end, we delivered 15,000 Christmas dinner bags to families throughout Southern California."

In addition to securing this year’s donations, the Allen Lund Company also helped sort food and wrap gifts for families—all of which was accomplished thanks to this year’s produce donors, including Rainier Fruit, Sage Fruit, First Fruits, Cacique, Inc., Coca-Cola, Arizona Canning, Mission Produce, Mother's Nutritional Center, Randall Farms, Wada Farms, Wonderful Citrus, Kagome USA, Lundberg Farms, and Tanimura & Antle.

"Allen Lund Company also provides volunteers at the Navidad en el Barrio warehouse and this year were on-site at Catholic Charities to load bags of donations and distribute to 300 families,” continued Nora.

For the second year in a row, the Allen Lund Company also teamed up with Catholic Charities of Los Angeles to make the December 13 and 14 event one in which L.A. communities were given all that they needed to celebrate the December holidays.

For more fresh produce news that will make you feel warm and fuzzy this holiday season, stay right here with AndNowUKnow.

Allen Lund Company

THE NETHERLANDS - No matter how the ANUK team looks at it, we’re just not quite sure why those on the wrong side of the law prefer bananas as their fruit of choice when smuggling cocaine. Is it the shape of bananas? Their bright yellow hue? While we might never know, we do know that those who continue to attempt to bring the nefarious substance through ports by hiding it in the fruit will always be brought to justice.

This December, authorities in The Netherlands discovered 1,200 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment at a port in Vlissingen, according to the NL Times.

“The drugs have since been removed and destroyed,” police said to the news source.

While the industry can rest easy knowing no fruit (or veg) is being used to help our world’s worst carry out illicit deeds, this unfortunately was not the first incident this season. Earlier this month, 37 pounds of cocaine was intercepted in a different banana shipment, while 2,000 pounds of drugs were seized after being uncovered in an international fruit shipment.

AndNowUKnow will continue to keep your produce news above the law as we bring you the freshest and latest from around the biz.

CARLISLE, PA - It has been a big week in the way of implementing new strategies for Ahold Delhaize’s GIANT Food Stores banner, which seems to be vying for the best family destination to grocery shop. The company introduced a new partnership with the iconic Berenstain Bears franchise through a grand opening of The Berenstain Bears® Treehouse Wednesday at its flagship store in Camp Hill, PA. Not long after, the retailer announced it is introducing a kid-friendly augmented reality (AR) experience in 15 Harrisburg, PA, area stores this holiday season.

“Simplifying the shopping experience for the busy families we serve, so they have time to focus on what matters most—each other—is a constant priority for our team,” said Nicholas Bertram, President. “Since being introduced in 2005, our Treehouse space has been a safe and fun place for kids to be kids, one that parents can feel good about their kids being in as they shop, and that’s something we’re very proud to be able to offer families. A renowned Pennsylvania brand, The Berenstain Bears were a natural fit for us as we began to reimagine this space because for more than 50 years, they’ve helped create strong families and communities through their books.”

Berenstain will host two readings for local children in celebration of the grand opening and sign autographs. Children had the opportunity to make healthy bear-themed snacks, take photos with costumed Berenstain Bears characters, complete a treehouse activity and receive a free Berenstain Bears book, and receive an autograph from Mike Berenstain, second-generation author and illustrator of The Berenstain Bears series.

Through the new Berenstain Bears Treehouse, GIANT said it is bringing two local brands with shared values together to inspire the curiosity and creativity of children.

And just for the holiday season, shoppers can use their smartphones at select stores to play GIANT’S Snowflake Search, a new interactive game designed to engage and entertain children during their visit to the grocery store.

“At GIANT, we’re always looking for ways to deepen our relationships with our customers as well as ways to create an exciting and unique shopping experience inside our stores. By incorporating GIANT Choice Rewards into our Snowflake Search experience, we’re able to provide our digitally engaged customers with a fun and easy way to earn valuable rewards, which we think will be especially appreciated during the holiday season,” said Kimberly Mack, Manager of Digital Strategy and Media, in a press release. Mack explained that, as a parent, she understands firsthand how challenging a trip to the grocery store can be with young children, especially during the holiday season, promising this offers both innovation and family assistance.

Developed in collaboration with Irvine, CA-based Schiefer Chopshop, the system is believed to be the first web-based application of augmented reality in this capacity by a U.S. grocery retailer, according to a press release. While other companies are using AR to provide information on products, GIANT said it is harnessing the technology to add fun to an everyday task.

The activity offers customers the opportunity to earn up to 300 GIANT Choice Rewards points per game and a total of 1,500 points through January 30.

With much going on in such a short time period, it’s hard not to consider this a glimpse of what the retailer has in store for the New Year. Be sure that AndNowUKnow will be waiting to see what else is in store.

GIANT Food Stores