SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The “Adopt a Potato Farmer” program is the latest initiative Side Delights^® is using to generate awareness of the importance of each partner within Fresh Solutions Network. The program itself will utilize food bloggers and their audiences to shine a light on those farmers who bring delicious spuds to the consumer. Each food blogger was paired with a Network farmer to share their stories about growing Side Delight Potatoes. Questions asked included things like family farming history, reasons why potatoes grow so well in certain conditions, and why each farmer was passionate about growing for the Network.

“Busy shoppers are looking for healthy, convenient, and practical solutions to family meals. Meals create family memories which are elevated when the produce is grown where it matters,” said Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network. “These bloggers were able to experience first-hand how Side Delights potatoes go from farm to fork and are now sharing that knowledge with their audiences and grocery shoppers.”

According to a press release, each blogger then shared their own potato stories, highlighting their favorite potato recipes on various social media channels like Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter. In total, this garnered over 2 million views in the past 60 days.

The stories from these interviews are published now on each of the blogger’s sites. Each post includes a signature recipe with photos using Side Delights potatoes.

Some examples of blogger stories include:

Kristy Still’s blog, Mommy Hates Cooking, featured the following post about her interview with fifth-generation farmer Kelly Grotte, from MG Farms, who farms for NoKota Packers in North Dakota.

On the Simple Parent blog, Mariah Moon posted a recipe “The Best Potato Salad,” which was shared with her during her interview with Kathy Michael-Sponheim, from Michael Family Farms. This recipe is especially meaningful as it is from Kathy’s mother’s family recipe library.

Amber Edwards at BusyCreatingMemories.com, who grew up on a farm herself, interviewed Jill Crapo-Cox, a fourth-generation Sun-Glo of Idaho farmer, and shared her brother’s recipe for the “Best Homemade French Fries: Cast Iron Skillet Fried Potatoes.”

The company noted that locally-grown produce helps ensure sustainable growing practices, increased freshness, and a smaller carbon footprint resulting from reduced shipping. As more shoppers are acquainted with the advantages of eating sustainably-grown produce, they continue to seek out quality products that locally grown.

Keep reading AndNowUKnow for the latest in all things produce.

Side Delights®

VANCOUVER, CANADA - Another year is coming to a close, meaning another holiday season, and, of course, another Oppy-Ocean Spray® cranberry campaign. Oppy’s first shipment of the holiday delight is slotted for the first day of autumn, a-k-a September 23, a-k-a the best day of the year.

“The tradition is back!” said Tony Illiano, the Category Manager who leads Oppy’s exclusive annual Ocean Spray cranberry campaign. “We are excited to bring the essential berry of the season to our customers once again in this trusted brand. Ocean Spray is a farmer-owned cooperative, and grows cranberries in several North American regions, which have all experienced a good growing season, setting the stage for high quality cranberries on holiday tables this year.”

According to a press release, the cranberry is a perennial crop, meaning that a single vine can produce cranberries from generation to generation.

“Cranberries are one of only three native North American cultivated fruits,” said Eric Sinsigalli, Sales Director at Ocean Spray. “In essence, the way cranberries grow is naturally good for the environment because they are growing in a climate and region where they naturally occur. Due to this and other practices, every one acre of cranberry farm conserves over five acres of surrounding wetlands.”

Wisconsin growers expect to supply more of the new hybrid varieties of cranberries, known as HyReds and Scarlet Knights, which reach their peak color by mid-September. Recent favorable weather and agricultural conditions on the East Coast suggest that berry harvests in the region should be strong. Eastern Canadian berries are expected to have high quality and volume, based on warm, dry weather patterns. Following a record crop in 2018, fresh cranberry yields in the Pacific Northwest are forecast to be down this year. Finally, Ocean Spray’s organic cranberries are increasing in volumes now and can be expected to continue to increase going forward.

“We’ve developed a strategic relationship that our customers and their shoppers have responded to well,” said Brett Libke, Senior Vice President of Sales at Oppy. “Between produce and center store, Ocean Spray can have up to 52 facings at any given time. That’s a really powerful brand proposition, which we’ve grown together in produce, starting with cranberries over a decade and a half ago and adding a strong berry and citrus program.”

He noted that Ocean Spray’s presence in the produce department has risen significantly in the last two years, now that the brand extends beyond cranberries to include strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and citrus through its partnership with Oppy.

This season, Ocean Spray cranberries will be displayed in newly-designed 12-oz bags on free-standing display units along with specs on how to bring fresh cranberries into favorite holiday dishes. Last season, retailers saw a 78 percent year-over-year sales lift when using the Ocean Spray bins, along with a 147 percent increase in dollar velocity.

“Ocean Spray is excited to launch new fresh cranberry packaging this season,” Sinsigalli said. “The new graphics will continue to drive awareness of Ocean Spray’s heritage as a farmer-owned cooperative since 1930 while also showcasing the versatility of usage occasions for fresh cranberries through recipes.”

Cranberry sauce may be a family favorite on the Thanksgiving dinner table, but Ocean Spray and Oppy contest that fresh berries and other products deserve to be at the forefront as well. I, for one, maintain at least one bag of Ocean Spray dried cranberries in my pantry year-round. Us ANUK produce heads never cease to find new horizons in the industry, so stay with us.

Oppy Ocean Spray

CHICAGO, IL - It is with heavy hearts that we report that Frank J. Capone, a long-time leader at Dominick’s Finer Foods, has passed away. He will be greatly missed by the industry and all who knew him.

Capone was born in Chicago, IL on February 20, 1934, and was one of six children to parents Anthony and Josephine Capone. He started in the industry at a young age, when he began working at the South Water Market in Chicago. Capone worked for the LaMantia house until 1959, during which time he met and married his wife Angela Corso. The couple exchanged vows on August 11, 1959 in Lake Forest, IL.

He began working at Dominick’s Finer Foods in 1959, where he trained under produce buyer Mike Giunta. Capone traveled extensively to build his industry knowledge—he went to Michigan to learn about apples; California to learn about growing regions around Salinas and Central Valley; Nogales, AZ, to understand and learn about the Mexican import during winter months.; and Fresno, CA, and Pompano Beach, Florida as well. Over time, Capone grew into a formidable produce buyer.

Capone and his wife moved to Green Valley, AZ, in 1964, where they stayed for three years. During their time in Arizona, Capone worked as a produce broker for Dominick’s out of Nogales, and more importantly, the couple welcomed their first and only daughter, Jamie Marie Capone, in 1967. After Jamie was born, the family moved back to the Chicago area.

In the early 1970’s, Capone was recognized as the pioneer he was and became Dominick’s very first Vice President of Produce Operations. In that role, he was able to put produce on the map in Chicago and had many accomplishments. Capone built and organized the first produce buying team of over six buyers, and launched a marketing campaign to promote several new produce items at aggressive pricing. He also added a floral shop as part of the produce department in 1975 at Store #32 in Park Ridge, IL, and launched the first salad bar at Store #93 in Evanston, IL.

Capone departed from Dominick’s in 1988, at a time when the grocer had over 122 stores. From the early 1970’s until the time he left, Capone was lauded as a leader in the produce industry in Chicago, and an individual of great character, who took the meaning of the word ‘respect’ to another level. According to his obituary, his motto was, “to have the freshest produce in Chicagoland with the most variety with hundreds of specialty produce items at very competitive prices.” Capone and his wife later retired and moved back to their former home of Green Valley, AZ in 2005.

Capone passed away peacefully on September 11, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his wife Angela; daughter Jamie (Rick) Balmes; grandchildren, Rachel (Ryan) Eck, Grace, and Frank Balmes; great grandchildren, Dominic Capone and Ryan Eck Jr.; brothers, Anthony and Mickey Capone; and several nieces and nephews.

Our condolences go out to Frank’s family, friends, and industry colleagues.

LAS VEGAS, NV - The retail landscape has been steadily evolving to bring consumers fresh food, faster. One of the first online retailers to break that barrier is Farmstead, a company that offers fresh, high-quality groceries delivered for free, at lower prices than local supermarkets. Farmstead's concept falls in direct competition with retailers like Whole Foods, who are expanding their delivery services while still committed to their brick-and-mortar format. The company has recently announced its plans to expand its innovative “microhub” model to the Carolinas, following a first-of-its-kind partnership with grocery company Alex Lee—a parent company of Lowes Foods and Merchants Distributors (MDI).

“When we learned about Farmstead’s microhub approach, we recognized it would be a great model for expanding into new geographies where we don’t have physical stores,” said Kimberly George, Vice President, Communications and Corporate Citizenship, at Alex Lee. “This partnership will help improve the reach of Alex Lee in the Carolinas, and boost revenue with little risk. We’re excited to be the first to partner with Farmstead on this innovative approach to grocery.”

Farmstead’s microhub model originated in the Bay Area, which featured delivery-centric warehouses that serve a 50-mile radius, according to a press release. The inventive model is intended to hone efficiency and reduce costs, allowing the company to expand its reach in new markets without opening any brick-and-mortar stores.

“We built and perfected the microhub model in San Francisco, and showed that it’s possible to leverage technology and build strong supplier relationships in order to make online grocery profitable,” Pradeep Elankumaran, Founder and CEO of Farmstead, commented. “Now we’re ready to expand it to other geographies. This partnership with Alex Lee is the first of many we’re planning with grocery chains and distributors across the country.”

The rapidly-growing company has set its sights on North and South Carolina, which will mark Farmstead’s first expansion market, thought Farmstead has plans to expand nationally as well. The company will open several microhubs throughout the states, which will ease entry into new regions, reduce food waste by three to four times, and eliminate food deserts with fast, easy delivery options available to a wider area.

Consumers will greatly benefit from the company’s expansion, as they will be able to get exact orders with no markups, delivery fees, or stockouts. Farmstead supplies customers will high-quality produce, meat, and dairy items from local and national brands—all in one place.

Brick-and-mortar grocery stores can cost up to $10 million to build, take 18-24 months to construct, and often service only a five-mile radius. However, Farmstead’s microhubs cost $100,000 and can be constructed in under eight weeks, all while servicing a fifty-mile delivery radius.

Keep reading AndNowUKnow for more retail innovation news.

Farmstead Alex Lee

MISSION, TX - Later this month, the Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) will host two workshops at its headquarters, each of which will hone in on overcoming labor challenges that are prevalent in the industry. TIPA members as well as members from the Texas Vegetable Association, Texas Citrus Mutual, and South Texas Onion Committee, will have access to these free courses on September 24.

According to a press release, the first workshop will take place from 9–11 a.m., with a goal to help Texan growers successfully navigate the H-2A program and fill labor shortages. Growers are turning to the H-2A program to obtain seasonal workers, but there are a lot of details to consider. The course will help attendees learn the basics about the program, how to ensure compliance, avoid common pitfalls, and types of training that create seamless staffing transitions.

“We’re excited to bring in these expert speakers who can help our growers learn to maximize the H-2A program, fill labor shortages, and help both our growers and importers to better understand the importance of workforce development programs in preventing food safety issues while improving overall quality,” stated Dante Galeazzi, President and CEO.

Event speakers include Joe Martinez, Executive Director at CIERTO Global and Norma Encinas, H-2A Program Director at CIERTO Global. CIERTO is a certified farm labor contractor that recruits, trains, and places experienced agricultural workers from Mexico in farms in the United States with the mission of creating a professional agricultural workforce that is skilled, certified, and brings added value to the food supply chain.

Joe Martinez works with growers on “clean” recruitment which ensures brand integrity and continuity of supply. Martinez has worked closely with NGOs, the U.S., and foreign governments to address issues related to farmworker recruitment.

Norma Encinas has worked in the H2-A program for 10 years, successfully processing and delivering more than 10,000 workers to numerous companies throughout the U.S.

The second workshop, geared towards both domestic and international grower-shippers and importers, will be held from 1–3 p.m. The goal of this workshop is to showcase how workforce development drives social responsibility and bottom-line results. This includes understanding ties between organizational culture, worker engagement, productive workforce, and food safety. Attendees will learn about resources to help comply with the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices.

Speakers at the second workshop include Kevin Boyle, Director of Business and New Product Development at Equitable Food Initiative (EFI), and Kenton Harmer, Director of Certification and Impact at EFI. EFI offers solutions for the most pressing problems in the fresh produce industry. Its label is a sign of assurance that growers, farmworkers, and retailers have collaborated to create a culture of continuous improvement that engages everyone in the supply chain, raising the standards for food safety, farmworker communications, and production.

Kevin Boyle has decades of experience working with large corporations and governments to address major changes within industry supply chains, ensuring their ability to continue as high-performing organizations and quality workplaces.

Kenton Harmer directs the multi-stakeholder process that results in the standards, policies, and relationships that allow EFI to certify fresh produce under industry best practices.

Industry members who wish to attend the workshops may register online.

Texas International Produce Assciation

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.

HEAT WAVE COMING TO CALIFORNIA BERRY REGIONS

Get ready for an end-of-summer heat wave to hit the coastal veg and berry regions of California next week. The growing regions of Salinas, Santa Maria, and Oxnard will experience a prolonged heat wave starting this Saturday and going into the end of next week.

Current high temperatures in these regions are in the lower 70°s and low temperatures are in the lower 50°s, but by Saturday high temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80°s where they remain all next week. It appears Tuesday will be the peak of the heat with a high temperature of 87° and a low of 63° in Salinas.

These warmer temperatures should lead to a bump in production of berries, peppers, lettuces, etc. out of these regions.

VANCOUVER BLUEBERRY REGION TO SEE RAIN TODAY

Today, the border region of British Columbia and Washington just south of Vancouver will see 1.00” of rain with more to come later in the week. The high temperature today will be only 60° and a low of 48°. This is the first overnight low into the 40°s this summer. Temperatures will warm back up in the mid 60°s for the remainder of the week and lows will be in the lower 50°s.

SOUTH AFRICAN HEAT WAVE PICKS UP STEAM

The heat wave in the table grape and clementine growing regions of South Africa will intensify this week. Last Friday, we talked about temperatures warming up from the mid 60°s last week into the 80°s for early this week. Well, things have changed, and temperatures are expected to go higher with max temperature into the 90°s by Wednesday. Temperatures will peak on Thursday with highs for most regions in the mid 90°s and few isolated temperatures above 100°.

Keep an eye on clementine volumes if pulling from Africa and also the upcoming table grape season.

EASTERN U.S. TO COOL THIS WEEK

Regions as far South as Georgia and into Tennessee and as far north as New Jersey and into New York will see cooler temperatures come tomorrow. The average temperature will drop 10° from Monday’s max temperature to tomorrow’s max temperature. Highs will drop from the 80°s into the 70°s. These cooler temperatures will remain through Friday. On Saturday high temperatures will warm again back into the 80°s where they will remain next week.

HURRICANE CENTRAL

MEXICO

A larger area of low pressure located a few hundred miles South-Southeast of Acapulco, Mexico, is producing widespread showers and thunderstorms. Although the circulation of this system is not yet well defined, environmental conditions are forecast to be conducive for the development of a tropical depression within the next day or so. This disturbance is expected to move to the West-Northwest near or just offshore of the coast of Mexico.

Interests along the Southwestern coast of Mexico should monitor the progress of this system.

• Formation chance through 48 hours...high...90 percent.
• Formation chance through 5 days...high...90 percent.

ATLANTIC

The disturbance we talked about last Friday in the Atlantic has turned into hurricane Humberto and is currently spinning off the coast of Georgia due north of the Bahamas. The hurricane is projected to head Northeast out over the Atlantic without affecting any land in the U.S. No land areas in the U.S. will see any rain associated with this storm.

Thank you as always! We will be back later this week with another report.

Weathermelon

OXNARD, CA - It is no surprise that the country hosting this year’s World Avocado Congress is one that Mission Produce is keeping an eye on. Columbia has long been a focus for the company, and in 2017 Mission Produce partnered with Cartama, Columbia’s largest avocado grower. Now, the grower has announced an ambitious growth agenda in the company, with plans to increase its avocado production in the country over the next two years.

“Colombia will provide us with an added source of year-round, high-quality fruit,” said Steve Barnard, President and CEO. “Our goal is to plant an additional 1,000-1,500 hectares of avocado trees in Colombia. This fruit will supply our domestic and international markets such as the United States and Europe. We will also continue partnering with Cartama to support volume and growth. We are replicating our vertically-integrated, cutting-edge business model in this country.”

Columbia is an exceptional region for avocado production—the country’s growing conditions, market accessibility, and logistical abilities are ideal for this sort of growing operation.

“Colombia is unique in that it offers a year-round supply of fruit. Our country will act as a strong source for global avocados in the coming years,” commented CEO of Cartama Ricardo Uribe, in a press release.

This year’s World Avocado Congress in Medellín, Columbia, further cements the country as an avocado-growing powerhouse, and offers growers and producers a first-hand look at all Columbia has to offer.

“The World Avocado Congress brings people together to explore ideas and support the booming avocado category,” said SVP of Global Information and Industry Affairs Jim Donovan. “We are looking forward to connecting with professionals in Colombia—a country that will further the many opportunities that lie ahead for our industry.”

For all the latest in agricultural news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.

Mission Produce

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - With so many different formats and check-out options available to consumers, retailers must be proactive about keeping up with the competition. While Meijer has been busy branching out into new markets and testing out new store concepts, the retailer hasn’t neglected technological innovation. Meijer completed a 15-month initiative to test its new checkout service, dubbed Shop & Scan, at all its Midwestern stores, and most recently rolled out the program to 44 stores throughout Southeastern Michigan.

"As we've rolled the program out in six states, the response has been incredibly enthusiastic," said Stephanie Brackenridge, Director of Customer Experience. "Customers have appreciated the ability to have a choice in shopping how they want, depending on how their day is going. Many are finding the opportunity to personalize their store visit with a cell phone is a great way to save time and help avoid lines."

Shop & Scan offers customers the opportunity to shop and bag items as they go through the store, avoiding the dreaded checkout lines. Shoppers simply have to download the free Meijer mobile app, scan the barcodes of the items they wish to purchase, and bag their own groceries. Once their shopping is completed, customers can then scan their phone at a designated self-checkout lane and pay for their items.

According to a press release, the retailer’s mobile app has been downloaded more than 1.5 million times since its launch in 2018 in Grand Rapids, MI. Since then, the initiative has been expanded to other stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Even more telling is that once the app was downloaded, over 80 percent of Meijer customers have repeatedly used the Shop & Scan service during their shopping trips.

The retailer reports that its customers responded particularly well to the service’s integrated shopping list, running total, and the ability to clip any available mPerks reward coupons for items scanned.

For consumers, it’s all about the options, and the retailer also offers Meijer Home Delivery and pick-up services in all 246 of its stores throughout six states.

Will Meijer’s Shop & Scan influence more retailers to follow suit? Is this format the way of the future? Keep reading AndNowUKnow to find out.

Meijer

BENTONVILLE, AR - How many times have I lost myself on Buzzfeed’s Tasty Facebook page? Too many times to count. While I used to lament the fact that those recipes would go in one ear and out the other—I have the attention span of a goldfish—I no longer have to worry about that particular problem. Walmart teamed up with Tasty to launch a first-of-its-kind feature—shoppable recipes. Now, customers can add the entire ingredient list from a menu of 4,000 of those insanely mesmerizing Tasty videos right to their Walmart Online Grocery carts.

“Finding that perfect recipe, creating a grocery list, and finally getting to the store can keep any chef out of the kitchen,” said Janey Whiteside, Chief Customer Officer. “We’re excited to create a fun solution that feeds customers appetites to put time back in their busy schedules all while saving money with Walmart’s everyday low prices.”

According to a press release, the new Shoppable Recipes feature provides a seamless grocery experience for Tasty iOS app users, giving them quick access to ingredients. From the Tasty app, users are directed to the Walmart Grocery app or www.Walmart.com/Grocery, where they can view what’s in their cart, purchase the ingredients, and then schedule their groceries for either curbside pickup at a local Walmart or at-home delivery. With geo-specific capabilities to map a recipe’s ingredients to the products available at the closest Walmart location, the feature ensures that customers can access the exact items they need to whip together that tasty Tasty recipe. Picky eaters are also accommodated—customers can swap items within the Tasty app based on their preferences, be it price, brand, quantity, organic, or other dietary preferences.

“From watching a mesmerizing Tasty video to cooking it in your own kitchen, the missing link is buying the ingredients. More than two-thirds of our audience have made a Tasty recipe and 90 percent of Americans live within ten miles of a Walmart store, so we’re excited to build upon our partnership with Walmart and provide a new feature that will solve the pain point of grocery shopping and make it even easier for our audience to cook their favorite Tasty recipes,” said Ben Kaufman, BuzzFeed’s Chief Marketing Officer.

Will other retailers team up with influencer-esque companies? Keep reading AndNowUKnow to find out.

Walmart

SANTA PAULA, CA - Sustainability is one of the industry’s biggest buzzwords, and growers and suppliers are continuously making efforts to become more environmentally conscious. Calavo Growers took another step towards this ideal when it announced its publication of the first-ever sustainability highlights report. Published on the Calavo website, the report covers performance and sustainability-related initiatives across the enterprise, introducing a new sustainability policy and framework designed to organize environmental and social programs, as well as continuously optimize waste impact.

“I’m proud to introduce Calavo’s first report dedicated to our sustainability efforts. While environmental and social responsibility has been part of our corporate culture for decades, this is the first time we’ve put together a summary of related activities to share with our stakeholders,” stated Chairman, President, and CEO Lee Cole. “With the growing interest in sustainability from our customers, investors, suppliers, and communities, I anticipate this will be the first of many reports to come.”

The inaugural sustainability highlights report addressed consumer demand for more environmentally-friendly products, such as organic or fair-trade produce and greener packaging options, additional training programs to ensure all teams are equipped to uphold the company’s long-standing values, and plans to centralize environmental data collection to further understand and optimize waste impacts. According to a press release, the company has also formed a Sustainability Council comprised of representatives from each of its primary business units.

Full access to Calavo’s Sustainability Highlights Report can be found on the company website. We at ANUK love to see the wholesome sustainability efforts coming forth in our industry. Check back with us for more.

Calavo Growers