RICHMOND, VA - Performance Food Group (PFG) has boosted its Board of Directors up to 10 with the appointment of Barbara Beck, Matthew Flanigan, and David Singer. These appointments are effective immediately.

“I am excited to welcome these three very experienced and exceptionally qualified directors to our Board,” said George Holm, Chairman, President, and CEO. “Barbara brings extensive general management, operational, and labor market expertise to our Board; Matt brings 16 years of experience as a Chief Financial Officer of a large, global publicly-traded company; and Dave, as a former Chief Executive Officer of a large public company engaged in the snack food business, brings significant management, strategic, and financial experience to our Board, as well as expertise in supply chain, logistics, and distribution matters. I look forward to working with our new Board members to support PFG’s continued growth and success.”

Beck recently retired from her position as CEO of Learning Care Group (LCG), a global-for-profit early childhood education provider. According to a press release, she served as CEO from 2011 to 2019. She currently acts as advisor to American Securities, the private owner of the company. Prior to joining LCG, Beck spent nine years as an executive of Manpower, including as President of Manpower’s EMEA operations from 2006 to 2011. Prior to joining Manpower, she was an executive at Sprint, serving in various leadership roles there for 15 years. Since 2008, she has served on the Board of Directors of Ecolab. She will serve as a member of PFG’s Compensation and Human Resources Committee and Technology Committee.

Flanigan recently retired from his role as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Legget & Platt, a global manufacturer of engineered components and products. He also served on the company’s Board of Directors for roughly 10 years. In 2005, Flanigan was appointed Senior Vice President and became Chief Financial Officer in 2003. From 1999 until 2003, he served as President of the Office Furniture and Plastics Components Groups of Leggett & Platt. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board and Lead Director of Jack Henry & Associates. He has also served on the Board of Jack Henry & Associates since 2007, and he was appointed Lead Director by the independent directors of Jack Henry & Associates in 2012. Flanigan will serve as Chairperson of PFG’s Audit Committee and as a member of PFG’s Technology Committee.

Singer retired in 2013 as the Chief Executive Officer of Snyder’s-Lance, a manufacturer and marketer of snack foods throughout the United States and internationally. He served as Chief Executive Officer and as a Director of Snyder’s-Lance from its formation in 2010 until his retirement in 2013. He was the President and CEO of Lance from 2005 until its merger with Snyder’s of Hanover in 2010. The press release noted that Singer has also served as a Director of Lance from 2003 until the merger with Snyder’s. He previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated from 2001 to 2005. Presently, Singer also serves on the Board of Directors of Brunswick Corporation, Flowers Foods, Hanesbrands, and SPX Flow. He will serve as a member of PFG’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Compensation and Human Resources Committee.

Congratulations to Barbara, Matthew, and David from all of us here at AndNowUKnow.

Performance Food Group

IRELAND - As of late, Lidl has been concentrating its efforts on boosting its presence across the pond. Just this fall alone, the discount grocer opened its largest distribution center in Great Britain, invested $19 billion into a British supplier agreement, and announced its goal of opening 230 stores in the U.K. by 2023. Now, Lidl is solidifying its latest efforts with its biggest investment in Ireland since it first broke into the market in 2000. The grocer opened a new €100 million ($110 million USD) distribution center, which news source Independent.IE reported will “future-proof” Lidl’s supply chain.

While the term “future-proof” does allude to Lidl’s efforts to bolster its supply chain capabilities, the term also describes how the grocer has decked out its new facility in green—as in the green of sustainability.

“By increasing our storage capacity and streamlining our supply chains, we will achieve even higher levels of efficiencies,” said J.P. Scally, Lidl Ireland’s Managing Director, according to the news source. “It is important for us that we ensure our building is future-proofed and that we are expanding sustainably. By investing at the scale that we have, we’ve ensured that we have the ability to supply Ireland’s growing population efficiently and consistently, long into the future.”

The 625,000-square-foot distribution center—which the news source noted is three times the size of Dublin’s Aviva Stadium—officially opened on November 22, 2019. The facility includes the largest solar array in Ireland that will generate a quarter of the facility’s energy needs, according to Independent.IE. Estimated to house 49 million items, the distribution center will supply Lidl’s 90 stores across Leinster and grow to employ 350.

As more retailers expand their grocery footprint, AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you the latest news and updates.

Lidl Ireland

DONNA, TX - Despite the inclement weather that keeps the industry on our toes this time of year in the northern hemisphere, Grow Farms Texas is ready and raring to go as we move through the holiday season. Tommy Wilkins, Director of Sales and Business Development, shares that Texas green and red cabbage will kick off December 2nd and will run through March with Mexico programs gearing up.

“We are expecting rain in growing areas of Mexico this week. Once we get dried out, our volume is expected to increase next week on green bell peppers and cucumber,” Tommy shares. “Eggplant and soft squash should begin in Texas later in December and with all the uncertainty around the politics of the tomatoes this year, we believe vegetables will increase to around 25 percent in plantings. Barring weather, we should have a steady promotable supply into March.”

With Grow Farms Texas’ ideal locations, loading in Texas is a freight savings along with time on the road heading East. As Texas continues to grow in crossings, this will continue to help get product to the stores quicker.

“As the menu increases you will see more mixers helping retailers be more efficient in getting deliveries more often at a shorter distance. Cucumber and green bells will be the workhorses, but incremental sales are an added bonus,” Tommy expresses.

In January, Grow Farms will start a beautiful colored bell pepper program to add to its menu. Additionally, hot peppers continue to be a nice addition all the way through Cinco De Mayo and jalapenos and serranos are very popular and have good volume coming.

“We are also looking to have a wonderful mango program this year. Volumes will increase for us on both yellow and round mangos,” Tommy adds. “This production will begin in February in good numbers and we will be working the next two months to put programs together to increase consumption and sales on mangos.”

One of the largest value propositions offered by Grow Farms is its desire to help make life easier for retailers.

“Ad quotes that some folks need weeks in advance as well as spot buys help navigate production. Working closely with the growers to promote volumes in line with production helps everyone,” Tommy says. “There has been significant conversation over the role Mexico plays in vegetable production. I am a proponent of trade. The work on good eating vegetables just gives retail and foodservice an opportunity to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables which aids in everyone's health. As we continue to build a central Mexico program, we strive to have year-round supplies on as much as we can.”

As we move into the Texas and Mexico seasons, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow for the latest and greatest on the market and more.

Grow Farms Texas

CALIFORNIA - Food safety is always among the first priorities, if not the very first, for the supply-side and buy-side alike. For leafy greens, this has not only shaped and reshaped practices, but has led to the inception of industry forces like the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) and the Center for Produce Safety (CPS). So much has been done that feelings like “frustration,” “heartbreak,” and “tragedy” were described for last weekend’s headlines warning consumers away from Salinas-area romaine lettuce.

Todd Linsky has been a member of the passionate fleet of produce advocates for three decades, representing and serving from multiple sides of the business, as well as on industry panels and boards that support and educate it. I had the opportunity to touch base with him on where he thinks we can go from here, as the industry continues to strive for the best food safety Mother Nature can allow.

Melissa De Leon: How were lessons learned from the last romaine lettuce-related recall applied this week, and where might initial mistakes have been made announcement-wise?

Todd Linsky: We determined the produce category and we determined the region, but I don’t think we were fast enough in determining if the product in question was in or out of the stream of commerce. This leaves us to question if the produce that has been stopped is even a part of the threat. The alphabet soup agencies [the FDA and CDC] were only able to determine a generalized location. From a liability standpoint the government demonstrated it was doing its job.

MD: The causes and exact origins of this, and the E. coli warning that preceded it, are still unknown, but is there an area you already suspect could be improved?

TL: As consumers we’ve gravitated to buying something at the lowest cost. That may work for durable goods, but in the produce game, shaving cost has meant a compromise in areas that affect my satisfaction, my taste, and my safety. Until we all get on board with the notion of driving positive cost into food and keeping some needed margins in the cost of operating our food system, nothing will fundamentally change.

MD: What questions could we in the industry ask ourselves to improve that perception?

TL: Are we teaching ourselves to rationalize and accept less than what we should expect? Are rudimentary efforts (the broad brushstroke) the best we can employ?

My concern is that not enough effort has been placed on the cost inherent to establish and maintain such a program. There needs to be a shared responsibility and the burden for this cannot rest solely with the grower. Sadly, the growers surrounding this confusion can rest uncomfortably in the fact that Salinas was the only region that suffered this time. This should have financial implications for all of us.

MD: What could the industry as a whole, not just romaine lettuce or even leafy greens suppliers and sellers, learn from these events?

TL: This will not be solved in the short-term unfortunately, especially in accomplishing what is needed for free. I think it is a lesson that any industry or business needs to understand in recognizing the importance of developing the systems and doing the heavy lifting required to grow safely, especially as the industry grows. Until technology advances and we can do something like put edible microchips on each lettuce leaf, we’re not going to see this get easier.

MD: With your years of experience and all the food safety scares you have witnessed, what is something to take away from this week’s E. coli warning?

TL: We are in a chaotic state, but I have hope that this state of nonequilibrium will lead to a process that includes a reasonable discussion and a willingness to make the sacrifices necessary to address the food safety dilemma.

Imagine that every grower, retailer, foodservice entity, wholesaler, and consumer were in sync. Understand, though, that today’s challenge is getting the cost covered. Everyone wants to be at an absorbable cost that is deemed necessary to make it happen.

While this ongoing effort continues, we will report on all the latest as we work to serve the produce industry.

BAKERSFIELD, CA - There’s only one thing more delightful than a well-decorated holiday tree and that’s a well-stocked organic onion display shining for all shoppers to see in the middle of the produce aisle. While retailers can’t go wrong with including any variety in their display, what will really set it apart from displays of years prior is the Cal-Organic logo glistening brighter than a star tree-topper on Christmas Eve.

I caught up with Bob Borda, VP of Organic Sales, to find out all that retailers need to know about Cal-Organic’s onions this holiday season.

“We’ve completed our organic onion harvest in the San Joaquin Valley, and we’re very pleased with the size and quality of our yellow and red onions. We’re seeing predominantly darker skin on our fall onion crop,” Bob began to tell me. “Strong yields and exceptional quality have put Cal-Organic in a good position to supply dry onions for the holidays and through the winter months. In fact, our supply of yellows should carry through winter and last until April when we’ll start offering our new spring crop. Red onions are looking good as well, and we anticipate strong supply through February.”

While demand is increasing with the biggest holidays of the year so near, Bob disclosed that this hasn’t created any lasting changes in market conditions. And with quality across all varieties looking to be in good shape, all that Cal-Organic has left to do is help retailers anticipate when the holiday rush will hit.

“Grimmway and Cal-Organic are well-poised to support promotions for red and yellow onions through the holidays,” Bob continued, before giving me a sneak peek at what other goodies Cal-Organic has for retailers this season. “We offer a wide variety of fresh vegetables that are perfect for seasonal cooking, and quality looks great among our full set of leafy greens, herbs, and, of course, carrots. We’re transitioning our growing region for organic vegetables after Thanksgiving, and our seasonal celery program should be in full swing by early December.”

Cal-Organic is truly the gift that keeps on giving! For more crop updates like this, keep clicking back to AndNowUKnow.

Cal-Organic Farms

SALINAS, CA - With the Thanksgiving pull behind us, growers and retailers already have their sights set on the big holiday push coming in December amidst a good market. Leafy lettuce and sturdy broccoli is in steady supply at this time of year for Ippolito International, and I got a chance to catch up with Dan Canales, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Processing, to see where the veg company is at now that it has transitioned into Yuma, Arizona.

“We have been harvesting iceberg lettuce, broccoli, romaine, romaine hearts, leaf items, and a few other items out of Yuma for a couple of weeks now,” Dan starts when I asked him how it’s looking in Arizona. “We expect good supply and excellent quality will continue over the next few weeks.”

Not only is Ippolito known as one of North America’s largest Brussels sprout growers and shippers, but the company also has an extensive western veg product lineup that continues to expand. With such an extensive array of fresh veggies to play with, it’s only natural that the company also has a value-added line. Dan further went on to state that the company is focusing a little bit more on that line, thereby extending Ippolito’s offerings for both retail and foodservice.

“Ippolito will continue to add value and service to the orders by executing on order fulfillment and an incredible list of items to make our customers’ stop at our facilities an efficient one,” elaborates Dan. “We are also investing and expanding heavily in our value-added lineup that will open up even more opportunities.”

And with growing consumer and produce awareness, the company hits both value and service for its customers through constant innovation and food safety practices.

“We are always striving to improve season over season with our improvement process, whether it be seed selection, ground base while always being on top of the latest food safety requirements,” continues Dan.

As Dan returns to ensure quality and value for Ippolito, stay tuned with AndNowUKnow as we keep you updated in all things fresh and green.

Ippolito International

UNITED STATES - Unfortunately, the E. coli O157:H7 investigation recently linked to romaine lettuce is not yet in hindsight, with new information giving the CDC reason to maintain its current advisory that consumers not eat romaine lettuce that was grown in the Salinas, California, region.

The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) is continuously monitoring the ongoing investigation, sharing that the last illness onset date has been extended to November 14, 2019.

“At this time, the outbreak has not been declared over. The investigation is ongoing to determine the source of contamination and identify any additional products that may be linked to the illnesses. No common grower, supplier, distributor, or food item that contains romaine lettuce has been identified that accounts for all illnesses,” the Association said in an email.

As of the November 26 updates by the CDC and the FDA, updated outbreak details include:

• Reported Cases: 67
• States: 19
• Hospitalizations: 39
• Deaths: 0
• Recall: Yes

To see the full reports from the two parties, please click through: CDC and FDA. The CDC has also released an updated timeline of reported cases since the last one on November 22, which can be found here.

In its announcement, the CDC continues to clarify only the Salinas growing region is to be avoided, assuring consumers that “most romaine lettuce products are labeled with a harvest location showing where they were grown.” It continues to clarify that hydroponically- and greenhouse-grown romaine, voluntarily labeled as “indoor grown,” from any region does not appear to be related to the current outbreak.

Our hearts are with all in our industry and those it serves who have been impacted by this E. coli O157:H7 outbreak.

UNITED STATES - Travelers across the United States are ramping up for one of the country’s most pivotal holidays of the year: Thanksgiving. Given that the tradition gathers all family members around a single dinner table, many Americans have already begun their holiday trekk. Meanwhile, Mother Nature’s stomach is rumbling in anticipation of massive storms expected to strike the western and central regions of America. Not only will this disrupt holiday travels, but it will impact our fresh fruit and vegetable supplies well past the Thanksgiving holiday.

According to npr, the National Weather Service (NWS) is painting a picture of stormy skies from California to Michigan, beginning yesterday evening and expected to last through Friday morning PT. Yesterday, we released a Weathermelon report that detailed multiple growing regions in California that will be hit by the initial storm, including Salinas, Oxnard, and Santa Maria. By Thanksgiving, these regions are likely to see over a half inch of rain and temperatures as low as 33 degrees. Moreover, several states in the Central U.S., such as Wyoming and Colorado, have already reported 30-plus inches of snow. But it doesn’t stop there—another storm is currently in the works, expecting to drop roughly a foot of snow across the country on Thursday.

The strongest storm, however, is moving in on us from the Pacific Ocean, according to the NWS. Creeping up on Oregon, the storm is expected to develop into a bomb cyclone, which means it is intensifying at an unusual rate. This will bring about blizzardy winds across the West Coast and two to four inches of snow in the Sierra Nevadas. As our local ag reservoir, the Sierras are completely tapped at the moment, and we’ll see this reflected in harvests through the year’s end. The northern-born storm will then move inland, threatening to bring flash floods to several of our Southern California growing regions.

Hunker down and hold tight to your gratitude, for this storm is sure to rock America’s proverbial boat. To see how growers fare following this massive storm, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.

LAKELAND, FL - Hand-in-hand with its ambitious growth plans, Publix has also been giving back to its community. Since 2009, the retailer has donated more than $2 billion in produce and other essential groceries to those who need them most. Now, Publix has pledged an additional $2 billion in food donations over the next ten years, kicking off the new decade with altruistic dedication.

“You can’t always see hunger, but it is all around us,” Todd Jones, CEO of Publix, commented. “As a food retailer, our greatest opportunity to give back is by helping to alleviate food insecurity. That’s why for more than a decade we have worked to ensure millions of pounds of food have reached people in need in the communities we serve.”

Every day, Publix associates gather foods that are no longer salable and as part of its food recovery program, the retailer donates it all to more than 100 Feeding America^® member food banks and other nonprofit organizations, according to a press release. Through the retailer’s program, these food banks are able to provide healthy and nourishing options to those who need them.

“For over a decade, Publix has partnered with Feeding America and member food banks to help provide nourishing food to our neighbors in need. We are grateful for our long-standing partnership and for Publix’s commitment to fighting hunger,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America.

Feeding America reports that nine million Americans in the Southeast alone don’t have enough food to eat. Every community that Publix serves has individuals in serious need of dietary assistance, a fact that is at the center of the retailer’s charitable efforts. Over its 90 years in business, Publix has worked hard to support the communities in which it operates, an ethos that goes all the way back to Founder George Jenkins, who laid the groundwork for a company with philanthropy at its very core.

We at AndNowUKnow applaud Publix’s dedication to the less fortunate and look forward to seeing how the retailer continues to improve its communities over the coming decade.

Publix

NEW ZEALAND - Kourtney Kardashian and—apples? Seems an unlikely fit, but hold onto your hats, produce industry. As one of the richest women in the world, she is more than capable of promoting an apple that has reached cult status. Which apple, you ask? Why, the Envy™ apple, of course!

Kourtney recently touted Envy on her lifestyle guide, POOSH, as “my favorite apple of all time—so crispy and sweet.” With POOSH’s social media reach that spans well over three million, this is quite the win for Envy!

“With its sweetness—delicately balanced with a zesty hint—and refreshingly crisp and juicy flesh, we believe Envy is the modern every-day apple for shoppers. It makes you feel good, anytime, anywhere,” said Cecilia Flores Paez, T&G’s Global Brand Strategy Manager. “We’re thrilled POOSH, a brand also dedicated to healthy and happy living today, is a fan of Envy and focused on a similar cause.”

T&G Global, Owner of the Envy brand, and POOSH further collaborated to convey the POOSH team’s Envy interest to its followers, now that apple season is underway and the holidays are full steam ahead.

POOSH touts Envy—whose flesh naturally stays white longer—as key in enjoyment and entertaining, including:

• Slicing to optimize the flavor experience: tasting Envy’s sweet flesh first versus the skin (Envy ranked No. 1 for flavor, texture, aroma, and appearance and independently tested against category stalwarts like Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Gala and newcomers like Cosmic Crisp)
• Incorporating Envy within cheese platters and as the lead ingredient in a deconstructed Waldorf salad
• Substituting chips with Envy—snack throughout the day, just as they are, or with favorite dips

Will all of the Kardashians join in on the Envy hype? Signs point to yes!

Envy™ Apple