WASHINGTON, DC - Cleveland, Ohio-based Produce Packaging has posted a $100,000 surety bond with the USDA as a means of employing Andrew Weingart. Weingart is the former President and stockholder of Forest City Weingart Produce Co., a company that the Agricultural Marketing Service found committing violations of the PACA in September of 2018.

Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:

Any PACA licensee wishing to employ individuals who have failed to pay a reparation award, or have been subject to a USDA disciplinary action, must post a USDA-approved surety bond. USDA will hold the $100,000 bond for four years and nine months, providing assurance to the industry that the firm will be able to pay for produce purchased and to conduct its business according to PACA rules.

The PACA Division, which is a part of AMS’ Fair Trade Practices Program, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to the 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.

For further information, contacts, and to read the press release in its entirety, please click here.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service

LOS ANGELES, CA - Wonderful Halos has officially launched “Camp Halohead,” a first-of-its-kind original entertainment property to debut from a produce brand. The family-friendly, animated YouTube series, created by Wonderful Pictures in collaboration with Six Point Harness Animation, is upping the stakes of healthy eating messaging by introducing consumers to their new favorite healthy do-gooders.

“We’re delighted to introduce ‘Camp Halohead,’ a safe, animated entertainment series on YouTube that shares a positive message that families can feel good about and enjoy watching together for free,” said Adam Cooper, Senior Vice President of Marketing at The Wonderful Company. “‘Camp Halohead’ viewers will also have fun hearing some of their favorite YouTube stars’ voices like Ryan of Ryan’s World and Evan of EvanTubeHD, two of the biggest kid-stars on YouTube today who make special guest appearances in the ‘Camp Halohead’ series.”

The series features five original episodes all set at “Camp Halohead,” where mandarin campers go to earn their halos, one good choice at a time—because only the best mandarins earn their halos, according to a press release. This season, consumers can join Clemmie, Bud, and Tango on an adventure where they’ll learn to make good choices while trying to save all mandarin-kind so that all mandarins can make it to the good place (inside kids’ bellies).

As part of its YouTube screen debut, Wonderful Halos held a private screening and after party at the ArcLight Cinemas and the new Cayton Children’s Museum in Santa Monica, California, with celebrity and influencer guests in attendance.

The latest marketing innovation from Wonderful Halos only furthers the brand’s “Good Choice, Kid®” national advertising campaign, which celebrates kids and adults who make good choices by choosing to be active, kind, and healthy with Wonderful Halos.

To watch the series with your own two eyes, visit the “Camp Halohead” YouTube channel and follow along on Instagram @CampHalohead.

AndNowUKnow will continue to report on exciting produce launches like this, so stick with us.

Wonderful Halos

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Plant-based meals have been gaining popularity for some time, and the numbers prove it—category sales grew by 28 percent and were worth $210 million last year. As the holidays arrive, consumers are faced with meat-heavy meals that feature turkey, ham, beef, and more, often leaving those craving fresh veggies with few options. Side Delights^® aims to tackle that gap in seasonal dining with a curated list of wine and potato pairings to offer a delicious alternative.

“An increasing number of shoppers are integrating vegetarian, whole foods, and plant-based diets into their holiday meal planning,” said Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network, in a press release. “Side Delights’ mashed, baked fries, and homemade chips pair well not only with wine, but also bring out the best in any holiday meal.”

The Fat Cork, a popular champagne website, suggests pairing some bubbly with homemade oven fries or thick-cut potato chips, as the salt from the fries or chips balances out the acidic wine. Inspiration for this pairing dates back to the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch, in which the iconic Marilyn Monroe arrives at her neighbor’s house with a bottle of champagne and a bag of potato chips, and suggests they dip the chips in their champagne. Shoppers can stock their cart with champagne or any sparkling wine and hit up the produce aisle where they can find the ingredients for Side Delights Easy Homemade Potato Chips. The delicious chips are as good for entertaining as they are for snacking on while preparing a seasonal feast. And for those who prefer French Fries over potato chips, Side Delights also offers a healthy alternative to fried fries with its Family Favorite Baked Fries.

Side Delights also took inspiration from the November 2019 issue of San Francisco Magazine, which suggested a pairing of mashed potatoes with Sauvignon Blanc—one that combines the crisp citrus notes of the wine with the buttery richness of the potatoes. A perfect platform for flavors, potatoes offer a range of tastes and applications that go well with any kind of wine. Baked potatoes, with the earthiness of its skin, are an ideal match for earthy red wines with intense minerality. Side Delights recommends Classic Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes to serve this holiday with the aforementioned wines, or any refreshing beverage being served.

For more ways to tie fresh produce in with the holidays, keep reading AndNowUKnow.

Side Delights^®

SEATTLE, WA - Before the proverbial dust had settled after Amazon’s new banner announcement, the e-tailer swooped back into the newswires. While its new banner—set to operate in Los Angeles—is still in the planning stages, Amazon has plans to open cashierless supermarkets as soon as next year.

According to a report from Bloomberg, these new store formats expand upon the Amazon Go technology, tech that could potentially be licensed to other retailers in the future. A person familiar with the project noted to the news source that Amazon is testing the Amazon Go tech in a 10,400-square-foot retail space in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Amazon’s original plan, the person noted, was for Amazon Go to be a larger format store. The retailer introduced the concept two years ago, which has since expanded to a network of 21 locations. Most of these current locations are roughly 2,000 square feet and stock convenience items like grab-and-go meals. With improved technology, Amazon plans to return to its original vision and launch a 30,000-square-foot location—roughly the typical size of a supermarket.

It is worth noting the incredible effort that goes into making a format like Amazon Go operate. People familiar with the matter explained to Bloomberg that Amazon spent millions of dollars on cameras, networking gear, and servers in the first store alone. Engineers are stress-testing the camera arrays in the Capitol Hill location with large groups of people, ensuring that the Go tech works in larger formats.

Will Amazon’s new banners further cement its position in brick and mortar? AndNowUKnow will continue to report the latest in all things retail.

Amazon

SALINAS, CA - When you hear Mother Nature knocking at your door, you better answer quickly, because she’s a lady you don’t want to keep waiting. Weather changes can happen at the drop of a hat, and while growers need to duck and weave the whole year ‘round, transitioning crops to new regions can be especially tricky. Like many growers, Church Brothers Farms is transitioning out of Salinas, California, to Yuma, Arizona, and like many, the weather has been a major factor in timing and supply.

“We're not playing in a dome, we're playing with Mother Nature,” Jason Lathos, Manager of Commodities, told me. “Mother Nature is our opponent—we're playing in an outdoor arena. Weather has been a factor for the last four lettuce markets in the last year, and that's exactly what's happening now.”

Church Brothers Farms has seen a gap in its transition between growing areas, where one area finishes early, and another finishes late, which Jason says comes as no surprise, given the mercurial weather this season. The Salinas Valley saw a wave of abnormally warm weather, resulting in an early finish to the grower’s Salinas crop. At the same time, in Yuma two significant storms swept the region, bringing cold weather and unfavorable conditions with them, including rain, hail, and lightning.

Church Brothers Farms had intended to start at the end of October, but that start got pushed back two weeks. Contending with the weather can require some predictive thinking, and with the Salinas crop finishing early, and the Yuma crop starting late, choosing the right varieties is key.

“Iceberg lettuce is basically a three-month crop, and you're planning the varieties based off of normal weather patterns,” Jason explained. “So, if you had a cold-weather variety planted, but when you're getting close to harvest it's hot, you have the wrong variety. Mother Nature is always the key. You never know what those crops are going to do.”

Consumer buying trends are another thing that can wax and wane with changing temperatures, according to Jason, so buyers can expect to see a decrease in short-term demand as 70 percent of the U.S. experiences temperatures of 32 degrees or lower. Keeping one eye on the sky and the other on the market is critical for balancing growing capabilities with demand for products.

“You try to connect all the dots, and the next thing you know, you were right or you were wrong,” Jason commented. “But for the short term, it's been very active. For the long term, to be determined. Keep an eye on Mother Nature.”

For more crop insights, keep reading AndNowUKnow.

Church Brothers Farms

CHELAN, WA - ’Tis the season for greens, reds, and golds, which means that the apple display is already festively decorated if you have Honeycrisp and Granny Smith in stock. And, as I hear it from Mac Riggan, Director of Marketing at Chelan Fresh, this is the year among years for these two apples.

“Right now, quality is fantastic and volume is ample when it comes to these two varieties,” Mac shares. “Both have a lot of big sizing and value pricing, Honeycrisp especially, a holiday merchandising dream for retail.”

The retail promotion opportunity is so good that Mac says if someone had told him five years ago the sizing Chelan Fresh is currently seeing would be offered at today’s prices, he would have said “yeah, right.”

“We can currently offer maximum value to where everyone in the supply chain can win, especially as high quality, big size, holiday fever, and value pricing all come together,” he continues.

Chelan Fresh is particularly excited to be able to serve its growers, customers, and the consumers all in one fell swoop, and it shows in its current winter-inspired offerings. If you need a little extra inspiration for your produce department, Chelan Fresh has revived last year’s festive winter merchandiser, including the jolliest snowman you ever did see on pop-ups and shopping bags.

“When it comes to merchandising, everyone has their own strategies. But you can build big displays this time of year without worrying about shrink, and there are all kinds of cross-merchandising opportunities with Granny Smith and Honeycrisp for the holidays. Granny Smiths, specifically, are an amazing apple for baking, and their green color resonates with the holiday season,” Mac advises.

Whether it is holiday festivities or winter baking fever, this is hopefully one key ingredient for your recipe of seasonal success in fresh produce. As we continue to report on all the key categories throughout the industry, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow for the latest.

Chelan Fresh

BERLIN, GERMANY & CINCINNATI, OH - Urban and farming may sound like opposing words but the produce industry is hard at work to make these two seemingly dissonant situations coexist. Kroger recently announced a partnership with Infarm, an urban farming network, stating that both companies will bring modular living produce farms to North America. “Delivering produce picked so fresh you can see the roots,” this partnership between Kroger and Infarm marks the first-of-its-kind in the United States.

"Kroger believes that everyone deserves to have access to fresh, affordable, and delicious food, no matter who you are, how you shop, or what you like to eat," said Suzy Monford, Kroger's Group Vice President of Fresh. "Our partnership with Infarm allows us to innovate by combining ground-breaking in-store farming technology with our passion for fresh, local produce and ecological sourcing. Kroger is excited to be first to market and offer the best of the season, and we're proud to lead the U.S. on this journey."

According to a press release, the living produce farms will launch this month at two of the 15 stores planned at QFC, one of Kroger’s banners, at locations in Bellevue and Kirkland, Washington. Using hydroponic technology, the produce will grow on site at the participating QFC stores, removing the need for extended transportation and storage and producing a more eco-conscious product. The farms are designed to scale and will provide shoppers the freshest and most sustainable living produce options available.

"We want to make fresh, pure, tasty, and nutritious produce available and affordable for everyone," said Erez Galonska, CEO and Co-Founder at Infarm. "Kroger's commitment to innovation, quality, and flavor makes them the perfect partner with which to launch our business in the United States and for the first time in North America."

Through this partnership, the retailer continues to invest in its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact plan, which aims to end hunger in local communities and eliminate waste across the company by 2025.

How will this new partnership impact Kroger's current fresh produce supplier relationships? Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we wait for the answers.

Kroger Infarm

NOGALES, AZ - The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a Federal Order on November 15, 2019 that will go into effect on November 22. This Federal Order will implement new testing protocols and expand visual inspections of tomatoes and peppers shipping to the U.S. from Mexico in order to prevent the spreading of the tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), which has recently been found in tomatoes imported from Mexico. Following the announcement, esteemed members of our industry celebrated the move as a means of safeguarding the United States from the virus and pursuing an integrated protective solution to this threat via a science-centric approach based on verifiable, transparent data and methodology.

“Thankfully authorities at USDA and the corresponding agencies in Mexico and Canada have been coordinating for several weeks on an integrated approach,” said FPAA President Lance Jungmeyer. “USDA said it urgently wants to establish the science, and we agree. Along with the regulatory agencies, the industry looks forward to learning how we all can help stop this plant disease.”

According to a press release from the FPAA, the virus does not affect humans or animals but is an immediate concern to agriculture, which is why the border inspection of seeds, transplants, and fruit by CBP/APHIS will be implemented by the Federal Order until the agency reviews the science and determines how to best address this issue.

The Produce Marketing Association’s Bob Whitaker, Chief Science and Technology Officer, joined Jungmeyer in supporting the USDA’s latest move. He also outlined the new testing protocols and inspections that address three identified pathways for the transmission of the virus, which include the following:

1. Seeds: The Federal Order requires testing for all tomato and pepper seeds that are entering the United States from Mexico. The Mexican government agency, Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASICA) will be testing all shipments of seeds before they are permitted to cross the U.S. border and providing appropriate paperwork to ensure completed testing.
2. Transplants: The Federal Order will institute new testing protocols for tomato and pepper transplants being shipped to the U.S. All testing will be performed in Mexico by SENASICA, who will issue paperwork to confirm negative results has been completed. Facilities who receive transplants from Mexico will also perform testing and the order requires the facilities to destroy all positive shipments. Additionally, the USDA will also require Canada to inspect tomatoes and peppers prior to export to the United States.
3. Retail: Due to the nature of transmission of the virus, it is unlikely that an infected product at retail will lead to the spread of the disease to greenhouses or fields. For this reason, and because infected fruit is not a public health risk, the USDA has deemed it is not justifiable or practical to regulate the movement of the products. However, due to the volume of tomatoes and peppers that are supplied by Mexico, the Federal Order will expand visual inspections by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at ports of entry and CBP agents will test any fruit showing symptoms of the disease. Any shipments with a positive test will be turned away at the border.

The FPAA also affirmed that it is working with the USDA to minimize any delays or negative business impacts from the inspections and anticipates tomato and pepper supplies remaining robust as producers throughout Mexico begin to harvest their winter crops.

For more fresh produce news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.

FPAA PMA

QUINCY, MA - Ahold Delhaize is adding fresh talent to its leadership team for its New England-based Stop & Shop banner, with a new executive in its finance division. Mary Lynn Phillips has been announced as Stop & Shop’s new Senior Vice President of Finance, effective December 3. Phillips will play an integral role in the retailer’s multi-year initiative to refresh more than 400 of the brand’s stores across the Northeast.

“We are incredibly excited to have Mary Lynn Phillips join the Stop & Shop team as we continue to reposition our brand for the future and build a strong foundation for growth,” Gordon Reid, President of Stop & Shop, commented in a press release. “Phillips’ leadership capabilities along with her broad financial and operational experience in highly competitive markets will help drive Stop & Shop’s financial performance in 2020 and beyond.”

With more than 30 years of experience, Phillips has spent her career developing strong financial disciplines for national retailers. Most recently she served as Chief Financial Officer for Stuart Weitzman in New York, New York. Phillips also held the role of Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer for Talbots, Inc. in Hingham, MA, and before that VP Finance and Operations for Coach’s North America Division. Phillips began her career as a Senior Auditor at Ernst and Young.

Congratulations to Phillips on the new role. AndNowUKnow is excited to see the great things she’ll do with the Ahold banner.

Ahold Delhaize Stop & Shop

IRVINE, CA - Good morning, AndNowUKnow readers!

Today, I am bringing you some of the category and weather news from around the industry. Check back twice weekly to see the latest around all growing regions.

RAIN AND COOLER TEMPERATURES COMING TO LARGE SWATH OF SOUTHWEST U.S. AND NORTHWEST MEXICO

There are two storms converging over Southern California, Arizona, and Northwestern Mexico over the next few days. Remnants of Tropical Storm Raymond coming up from Mexico will drop over 1” of rain in the next few days throughout the greater region of Northwestern Mexico and the southwest of the U.S. This storm will mix with a cold trough coming down from Alaska, bringing colder temperatures to the area.

Many major growing regions will see rain and cooler temperatures from these storms.

In Mexico, the following major areas will see rain today and tomorrow: Culiacán and Los Mochis, Sinaloa. Both are preparing for the start of their winter deal. Ciudad Obregón and Hermosillo, Sonora, are still shipping fall vegetables and melons. In Baja CA, the regions of San Quintín and Ensenada will see rain. San Quintín is still shipping tomatoes and other shade house vegetables while Ensenada is shipping berries. All these regions will see cooler temperatures this week and into next.

In the U.S., Yuma, AZ, will see over 1” of rain between today and tomorrow. The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood watch for all Southern Arizona. Yuma is kicking off their winter wet veg crop.

This storm will clear out by Wednesday but then the cooler air coming from Northwest will come through dropping temperatures 10 to 15° overnight.

Expect maximum temperatures in Yuma to go from 80° today to 69° on Thursday with minimum temperatures in the low 50°s.

The coastal California regions of Oxnard, Santa Maria, and Salinas will not see any rain from these storms.

CHILEAN BLUBERRY REGIONS EXPERIENCING HEAT WAVE

Major blueberry growing regions of Chile are currently experiencing above average temperatures. Since last week, maximum tempeartures have been in the upper 80°s and will peak today with maximum temperatures in the mid 90°s. The average high temperature for this of year is 76°. These warm temperatures will continue through this Friday before beginning a cool down on Saturday. Next week, maximum temperatures will be in the mid 70°s with minimum temperatures in the mid 40°s.

Look for a possible uptick in production this week.

These same locations are production areas for peaches, grapes, and nectarines out of Chile which should begin shipping sometime next month.

CALIFORNIA COOLDOWN BEGINS TODAY

California coastal growing regions experienced above average temperatures this past weekend with areas such as Oxnard reaching 93° on Sunday and Santa Maria getting up to 88°. Minimum temperatures were in the mid 50°s. These warmer temperatures should have helped the strawberry production.

Things will change tomorrow as the cooler air moves in and drops maximum temperatures down to 61° and minimum temperatures in the mid 40°s. Look for production from these areas to slow down.

In the San Joaquin Valley, where lettuces and grapes are still be harvested, look for maximum temperatures to drop from the mid 70°s down into the mid 60°s starting tomorrow and minimum temperatures will also drop reaching a low of 37° on Sunday and next Monday.

HURRICANE CENTRAL

Remanence of Tropical Storm Raymond is now dropping rain over the states of Sinaloa, Sonora, and Baja CA, Mexico, as well as Southern Arizona. There is no further activity in the Pacific at this time.

In the Atlantic, there is a disturbance about 500 miles east of Puerto Rico. This disturbance is expected to travel northwest avoiding any islands before turning north out into the Atlantic. We will update you Friday as to any changes.

Thank you as always for your support. We will be back later this week with another report.

Weathermelon