FRIESLAND, WI - Fall is when potatoes are the most abundant and at their peak freshness, according to Christine Lindner, National Sales at Alsum Farms & Produce. The company has finished harvest and anticipates having a good supply remaining strong into the winter months. Wisconsin has excellent quality and a full spectrum of varieties and size profiles to offer the potato category. To get a sense of where Alsum stands in all of this kerfuffle, I spoke with Christine about the state of its potatoes.

“Alsum Farms finished our harvest at the end of October,” Christine told me. “We are now pulling potatoes out of storage bins. As the holiday season approaches, we continue to increase the number of russet potato loads washed and packed as Thanksgiving nears to accommodate for the peak of fresh market demand for potatoes.”

Prolonged wet conditions in late September and early October hindered harvest in Wisconsin, which coupled with freezing temperatures in mid-October forced Alsum to leave about 150 of its 2,700 acres of potatoes in the ground. As a result, its potatoes will have a small-to-medium size profile, although the yield is still about the same as years prior.

With the impending fate of the holiday season, growers are feeling the pressure on their promotional volumes. Potato prices are well above last year’s market as the mid-November trend is increasing exponentially. Even so, Alsum is well-positioned for a successful holiday rush.

“Holiday dinners bring families together for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and many retailers build potatoes as a staple of these gatherings. For just pennies per ounce, potatoes offer some of the best nutritional value of any food,” Christine explained. “For the holidays, we are offering a 20-pound Russet baker pack—as families gather around the dinner table as it provides the best value. Additionally, we are promoting ad volume for b-size red and gold potatoes. This size potato can help retailers bring a fresh offering to the category at a great value.”

Retailers, be sure to check out Alsum’s offerings as you assemble your potato displays. For more categorial updates ahead of the year’s busiest season, keep reading AndNowUKnow.

Alsum Farms & Produce

TEXAS - Onions have long been a necessary ingredient in many cultures, with a definitive flavor that brings tears to the eyes—usually. This is an increasingly busy category as it becomes more and more necessary to have the right onion for whatever purpose it might serve. And Texas Sweet Onions, or Texas 1015's, as many call them, holds their very own space in America’s domestic offerings.

“What makes Texas onions so great is they’re the first new crop onions produced domestically. Consumers love these varieties of onions because they have less peruvix (the acidity that makes you cry) so they’re not only great to eat sautéed or grilled, but they have excellent crunch and a milder flavor so that they can be eaten fresh, too. Salads, burgers, and sandwiches just aren’t complete in the spring and summer without Texas onions,” Dante Galeazzi, President and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association, shares.

As 2019 winds down, the new year isn’t the only thing approaching.

"Texas 1015 is the first domestic sweet onion on the market for the new year, and one Texas retailers, and retailers in general, really seem to want. We differentiate from other onions on the market in that our growing regions are a bit more spread out than alternative sweet onions, which we do intentionally to help us avoid weather issues," Ted Brasch, Sales Manager at Crescent Fruit and Vegetable, says.

Promotional periods for the Texas 1015 tend to kick off in the spring and go into mid-summer, most commonly during Semana Santa, Easter, Memorial Day, and Father’s Day.

“Thanks to the unique, mild winter weather South Texas enjoys, we can provide the earliest true sweet onion of the year, which perfectly aligns with springtime barbeque weather. Because the Texas 1015 is a short day onion grown throughout the winter, you end up with a crisp, mild, perfectly juicy sweet onion available as early as March,” Courtney Schuster of Rio Fresh, shares.

Trent Bishop, Vice President of Sales for 1015 grower J&D Produce, marks the onion as a traditional calendar event.

“The 1015 signifies the official start of the domestic sweet onion supply. The Texas sweet onion is as distinctive as the state from which it originates and has been the official state vegetable since 1977. There is always an energy and excitement added to the category when consumers learn that Texas 1015 onions are available or about to become available,” Trent says.

If Mother Nature cooperates, I’m assured that there is no reason promotional volumes wouldn’t be available as early as St. Patrick’s Day and as late as the 4th of July, just in time to complement Texas cabbage, greens, and watermelons.

“Texas onion plantings are well underway. At this point, a majority of the crop is in the ground and the weather has been great,” Dante concludes, meaning equally great quality for buyers.

If there is anything life in the produce industry has taught me, it’s that on time is late, Mother Nature always has the final say, and the next season will be here before we know it. So if you aren’t already planning for the 2020 season of Texas 1015, there is no time like the present!

Texas International Produce Association Rio Fresh J&D Produce Frontera

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