MONTEREY, CA - The Organic Produce Summit (OPS) is an event I mark on my books well in advance—it’s simply that good. For those looking to attend the fifth annual OPS, general attendee and retailer registration is now open. The event, which is dedicated exclusively to bringing together organic fresh produce, growers, and shippers with retailers and buying organizations across the globe, is slated for July 8-9 at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, CA.

“It’s hard to believe this will be the fifth OPS and it’s a tribute to the entire organic fresh produce industry for their commitment in making the event so successful. We’re grateful for the support our sponsors, exhibitors, and the retail and buying communities have shown for OPS and look forward to making OPS 2020 the best ever,” said Susan Canales, President. “We are finalizing the educational sessions and have a great lineup of keynote presentations scheduled. Combined with a sold-out trade show, we’ll have an energetic two days of information, education, and networking for over 1,600 attendees.”

With planning of this year’s program underway, OPS 2020 will again feature a sold-out trade show floor featuring over 150 producers of organic fresh produce, networking with over 300 retailers from across North America, and a series of informative and insightful educational sessions and keynote presentations from leaders in the organic fresh produce industry.

According to a press release, OPS 2020 will announce one of the event’s Keynote presenters next week, as well as finalized educational sessions in the coming weeks.

Among the educational sessions on track for OPS 2020 are:

• The Future of Organic in Foodservice
• Is Regenerative the “New” Organic?
• Organic Data Dive and Analysis
• Labor and its Impact Throughout the Organic Supply Chain
• How Do Independent Retailers Handle Organic?

In addition to the opening of general registration, OPS is pleased to offer approved retailers and direct-to-consumer organizations complimentary registration for OPS 2020. Registration for all approved retailers and buying organizations includes admittance to all OPS activities and events, such as the opening reception, field tours, educational sessions, keynote presentations, and trade show.

Looking forward to another show filled with organic goodness! Stick with AndNowUKnow as we continue to cover the latest news about the trade show circuit.

Organic Produce Summit

HARRISON, NY - While Wegmans has recently branched out beyond its home turf, that doesn’t mean the retailer isn’t still focused on the state of New York. This week, Wegmans announced it is continuing to up its store count in the Empire State with a new store in Harrison, New York.

The new supermarket location is long-awaited by locals, according to a press release, and as such, Wegmans has already began preparing the store’s staff, hiring 220 full-time employees last year and now looking to hire 280 part-timers across all departments. Remaining openings include full-time positions in the produce department.

“We’re looking for friendly people who are enthusiastic about food and eager to help our customers enjoy delicious, easy meals,” said Store Manager Matthew Dailor, who joined the company as a part-time parking lot attendant 25 years ago. “We’ll provide all the training needed to be successful because our employees receive some of the most in-depth product, service, and culinary education in the industry.”

The 121,000-square-foot Harrison store will offer traditional grocery goods as well as feature an expansive variety of restaurant foods, including The Burger Bar. The location will officially open on June 7, 2020, at 106 Corporate Park Drive.

AndNowUKnow will continue to follow along with the latest grocery retail movements, so stick with us!

Wegmans

SALINAS, CA - Jim Roberts, former Vice President of Naturipe Farms, is stepping into the newly-created role of President of Sales. Having been with Naturipe Farms for more than 15 years in a variety of sales and management roles, Roberts is prepped and ready to advance the efforts of Naturipe’s hardworking sales team.

“Jim is one of our most experienced and trusted leaders with a great reputation among our team members and in the produce industry,” said Larry Ensfield, Chairman of the Board. “Under Jim’s direction, we will continue our commitment to serving our customers and consumers with a wide variety of healthful products that deliver excellent product quality and service and continued market-leading innovation.”

Before he started working with Naturipe, Roberts spent the first 20 years of his career in grocery retail, during which he held various roles. These included working in store management, produce buying and merchandising, category management, and a role as Senior Manager for Perishable Procurement. He earned a bachelor’s of science in Marketing and studied Engineering at U-Mass and Salem State College.

Congratulations to Jim on this new role! AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the latest promotions, new execs, and more.

Naturipe Farms

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has decided to continue sanctions on produce business SCC International Inc. for failing to meet its contractual obligations to the sellers of produce it purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). The Rio Rico, Arizona-based company was formerly restricted for failing to pay a total of $248,852 to numerous sellers and now continues to be restricted for failing to pay a $3,742 award in favor of an Arizona seller.

Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:

As of the issuance date of the latest reparation order, Sergio Chamberlain was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.

Prior to the issuance of this most recent reparation order, numerous reparation orders were issued against SCC International for failure to pay a total of $248,852 to numerous sellers. SCC International has not made payments to the previous sellers within the time designated in the reparation orders. As a result, the sanction period levied against the firm and its principal has been extended to reflect the violations.

These sanctions include suspension of the business’s PACA license and barring the principal operator of the business from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA. By issuing these penalties, USDA continues to enforce the prompt and full payment for produce while protecting the rights of sellers and buyers in the marketplace.

PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in USDA’s issuance of a reparation order that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors or major stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA approval.

The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.

In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 7,800 callers with issues valued at approximately $148 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.

To read the direct press release from the USDA, click here.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service

SANTA CRUZ, CA - If you are looking for what’s hot and what’s not as we move into these first months of 2020, peppers are sure to come in as a winning program staple for retailers looking to promote flavor, health, and aesthetic appeal in their fresh produce strategies. Jacobs Farm del Cabo is lighting up produce spreads this winter with an array of items ranging from Cherry Bomb, Jalapeño, and Shishito peppers to Padron, Serrano, mini sweets, and Cabo Diablo peppers—a hot pepper mixed variety pack.

“As U.S.-grown supplies tighten during the winter, Del Cabo’s production in Mexico fills the supply gap for those loyal chile connoisseurs,” Kyla Oberman, Marketing Manager, shares with me. "We introduced the organic Cabo Diablo Hot Pepper Pack in early 2019 in response to consumer’s changing tastes and it has been a real draw for the pepper destination at retail ever since. This pack provides home chefs with an ideal seasonal mix of medium-to-hot peppers to use in their culinary creations.”

As Kyla adds, according to a 2019 Kalsec Hot & Spicy Food Industry Insights, 50 percent of global consumers choose spicy options when dining out and when making meals at home. The organic and Fair Trade-certified Cabo Diablo Hot Pepper Pack, in an 8 oz and bulk sizes, brings a mix of colorful, exciting pepper varieties that showcase the best of Del Cabo.

“These unique and specialty varieties for our Cabo Diablo program include Black Hungarian, Brazilian Atomic Starfish, Chery Bomb, Guerito, Jalapeño, Lemon Spice, Orange Peter Pepper, Sugar Rush Peach, Serrano, and Serrano Tampiqueno,” Kyla says. “The retail pack will include a mix of three to five varieties of these peppers based on seasonality.”

Winter supply out of Mexico is ramping up with pepper volumes peaking now through March traditionally. Jacobs Farm del Cabo’s current pepper harvest regions include Baja California North/Ensenada, Maneadero, Torim, Zaragoza, and San Jose Del Cabo.

With chili peppers’ unique health benefits as well as expanding consumer tastes driving their increasing demand, Jacobs Farm del Cabo is offering a winning program for retailers to tap with rock star differentiation to boot.

Jacobs Farm del Cabo

IRVINE, CA - After an increase in the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) was implemented on January 2, 2020, Western Growers stood alongside the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) to urge the U.S. Senate to address the agricultural labor crisis.

The AEWR is the U.S. Department of Labor-regulated hourly rate that agricultural employees are required to pay to H-2A temporary foreign ag workers and domestic workers in corresponding employment. The AWC wrote in a letter to the Senate that, among other things, the AEWR is “an inflated wage rate produced using flawed survey data that does not take into account the value of other expensive benefits provided to the workers.”

In conjunction with this letter, Western Growers’ President and CEO Tom Nassif issued the following statement:

“In an era where many family farms are struggling to make ends meet, labor remains one of the most pressing—and expensive—challenges jeopardizing the future viability of U.S. agriculture. [The] AEWR increase by the U.S. Department of Labor further strains the ability of American farmers to access and afford a legal, stable supply of labor to harvest our fruits and vegetables, and perform many other tasks on the farm,” Nassif began. “In Arizona, California, Colorado, and New Mexico—which combine to produce two-thirds of all fresh produce grown in the U.S.—our farms have now experienced an average AEWR increase of more than 23 percent over the past two years; the AEWR already substantially exceeds the minimum wage rates set by these four states. As any business owner can attest, it is difficult to remain profitable in the face of such significant and repeated surges in labor costs.”

He continued, stating that “this unsustainable rise in AEWR costs has been remedied in a bi-partisan bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives last month. The product of months of cooperative negotiations between representatives of major stakeholders, including both agricultural employers and farm workers, the House bill limits future AEWR increases, providing relief and certainty for American family farmers. Beyond the AEWR, the House bill also addresses two other key elements of the agricultural labor crisis: providing an earned pathway to legalization for existing workers and modernizing the existing H-2A system, making the program available for the year-round needs of certain agricultural businesses, including dairies, nurseries, and mushroom producers.”

Nassif concluded his statement by urging the Senate to take this matter seriously.

“As the AWC letter states, the onus is now on the Senate to craft a companion bill that addresses the core components of the agricultural labor crisis and levels the playing field for American farmers,” he stated. “To be clear: There is no tomorrow, there is no next month, there is no next year. The time to act is now. In this spirit of urgency, we look forward to engaging with the Senate and producing a legislative solution that is mutually agreeable to Congress and the Administration.”

As always, stick with AndNowUKnow for the latest agricultural news.

Western Growers

ST. LOUIS, MO - Opening up the new decade with transformation seems to be the running theme of most retail news lately. Hitching its train to this wagon, Save A Lot recently announced an agreement with the majority of its lenders so that it might recapitallize the businesss. Under this new agreement, the discount grocer will receive $138 million to strengthen its business and accelerate its transformation plan.

“The agreement with our lenders is an important step in securing Save A Lot’s long-term success,” said Kenneth McGrath, Chief Executive Officer, in a recent press release. “This is a significant statement of confidence in our business and gives us the appropriate levels of capital to compete effectively. We have an amazing group of retail partners and team members who provide Save A Lot shoppers with high quality products at low prices every day. This new investment is an endorsement of their hard work and dedication to our customers.”

The press release noted that this agreement also provides for a reduction of indebtedness of over $400 million, strengthening Save A Lot’s balance sheet and significantly reducing its annual interest expense. Subject to approval, the retailer expects the deal to close in the first quarter of 2020.

Keep reading AndNowUKnow for the latest in retail, strategy, and more.

Save A Lot

WATSONVILLE, CA - Joe Barsi is stepping into a new role with California Giant Berry Farms with his recent promotion to President after serving almost two years as Chief Operating Officer. The move will help the berry provider start the new year and decade off strong by paving the way for a robust future.

“I am humbled and honored to be chosen by the owners to lead California Giant Berry Farms into the future. It is a company with a strong culture of quality, philanthropy, and fairness in all we do. I will make it a priority that we maintain our company culture as we continue our growth in the berry industry,” said Barsi.

While with California Giant, Barsi has worked closely with the company’s board and senior leadership team on its strategic planning and succession planning process. In addition, he’s helped the berry grower continue its foreign expansion and bolster its sustainability efforts, including guiding the corporate offices toward Zero Waste certification in 2020.

“We are excited to work with Joe in this new leadership role. He has helped take our company to the next level over the past two years, and we look forward to him leading as President as we enter a new decade here at California Giant,” said Bill Moncovich, Owner/Partner who will continue as CEO of California Giant, while Frank Saveria will continue as Owner/Partner of the international berry company.

According to a press release, Moncovich and Saveria are very pleased to have Barsi at the helm as the company as a whole continues to build a strong reputation as a trusted quality brand for its consumers and trading partners.

Congratulations to Joe Barsi on this exciting promotion!

California Giant Berry Farms

NEW YORK CITY, NY - Trader Joe’s is starting the new year, and new decade, off strong, already having opened its first new store in 2020—today! Back in May, the cult grocery icon announced its plans to introduce its ninth store in Manhattan, which supported its urban expansion both in New York state and across the country.

“We’ve consulted our maps and compass and have found a terrific location for a store in New York (East Village), New York,” read an announcement on Trader Joe’s website, which disclosed that the grand opening of the new store took place today, January 6, 2020.

In addition to its new East Village location, Trader Joe’s is also rumored to be eyeing Long Island as another spot to keep upping its store count. The double whammy of possible New York state store openings further supports the grocery chain’s growth initiatives, which at the end of 2019 helped Trader Joe’s debut new stores in Idaho, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.

Where will Trader Joe’s maps and compass take it next? A first-ever market for the retailer? Or maybe another metropolis already bursting with TJ’s stores? Wherever it goes, AndNowUKnow will be sure to report.

Trader Joe's

IDAHO FALLS, ID - Unfortunately, when consumers pick up a potato at the grocery store, they most likely only see what’s ahead in its life cycle, a.k.a. whatever they plan to make for dinner that night. As hardworking individuals with their hands in the soil, the team at Eagle Eye Produce envisions a more comprehensive understanding for consumers and industry members alike. Transforming imagination into action, the grower invested in a few time lapse cameras to record its potato fields in Eastern Idaho, capturing over 6 months of footage and compiling it into the video below.

“We launched this project to help connect the customer to the growing process,” said Dallin Klinger of Marketing and Communications. “We feel it is extremely important for people to understand where their food comes from and to understand the natural process behind it. When you look at a bag of potatoes in the produce aisle, it's easy to forget the generations of growers that work around the clock to ensure you get the best quality product. After watching the six months compiled, it’s easy to see the hard work and dedication that goes into this process. We are hoping this project and other projects in the future will help continue to bridge the gap between the farm and the fork.”

With over 20,000 acres grown and harvested annually, Eagle Eye Produce has become one of the largest potato growers in the western United States. According to Dallin, Eagle Eye’s potato season kicks off with planting in early April to early May. After 14-16 weeks, the grower begins to separate the vines in order to promote maturation of the potatoes. Then, as summer turns to autumn, the potato harvest kicks off.

After carrying out the two-pronged process of harvester and crossover, the potatoes are transferred to a 10-wheeler truck to be sorted and transported to a storage cellar. The potatoes are then inspected by skilled sorters who remove weeds, rocks, and look for any imperfections in the field-fresh-potatoes. Once inspected, the product is stored in regulated storage cellars, where it will remain until being packed. Each cellar holds millions of pounds of potatoes which can be stored for several months, ensuring a year-round supply of premium Eagle Eye Produce potatoes.

The grower’s exclusive potato harvest time lapse can be viewed above or accessed via the company blog. For more influential initiatives in produce, keep a tab open for us at ANUK.

Eagle Eye Produce