LORAIN, OH - Meijer is expanding its presence in Northeast Ohio with five new superstores. Over the next two to three years, the chain plans to add new Ohio locations in Lorain County, Avon, Bainbridge, Mentor, and Stow.

"Lorain looks like a perfect location as part of our push into Northeast Ohio and the Cleveland area," said Meijer Senior Director of Communications Frank Guglielmi, according to source Cleveland.com. "Now, the closest Meijer stores to Cleveland are in Sandusky and Mansfield. We would like to change that with the sites we have either purchased or put under contract.”

The Avon, Mentor, and Stow locations are slated to open first, in 2019, with the Lorain and Bainbridge stores following in 2020. The company currently has the strongest presence in Michigan, with 100 stores on the map. These new locations would give Ohio the second strongest presence, bringing the state’s store count up to 42.

"Lorain is very pleased to have a new Meijer store come to our city," said Lorain Mayor Chase Ritenauer, according to the the source. "Meijer is a great company and they are expected to employ hundreds of people in higher paying jobs to our city."

Meijer stores are typically divided in half between food and merchandise, and run approximately 190,000-square-feet. The new stores in Northeast Ohio are expected to offer a bakery, a butcher, a seafood counter, and a pharmacy.

This news comes on the heels of the appointment of new CEO Rick Keyes in early December.

As the retail chain expansion continues, AndNowUKnow will be on the trail.

Meijer

VALENCIA, CA - With excellent quality, flavorful fruit, Sunkist’s Navel orange season has commenced. The company predicts strong performance in both the domestic and export market this season.  

“Navel oranges are the quintessential orange,” said Joan Wickham, Director of Communications. “With its iconic balance of sweet and tart flavors and deep ties to the holiday season, the Navel orange is sure to catch the eye of consumers this December and beyond.” 

And retailers looking for a sustained supply of the staple fruit beyond the time for stocking-stuffers can take heart; the company’s Navels are available through June of next year.

Sunkist’s holiday-themed packaging and vibrant display units can help retailers catch shoppers’ attention and encourage purchase with educational facts and usage information. And retailers courting more adventurous-eating consumers can take advantage of the company’s especially robust Cara Cara crop.

“Our Cara Cara Navel season is just beginning, and we are looking forward to a very strong crop this year,” said Joan. “Nutrient rich, beautiful in color, and deliciously sweet—this variety holds tremendous promise for growth as consumers become more familiar with its delicious flavor and health benefits.”

Because Cara Caras Navels are orange on the outside, but contain extraordinarily sweet, pink flesh, consumers may mistake them for other Navel varieties: “Since Caras look like Navels on the outside, it’s important that retailers educate consumers about the differences that make this variety unique–its incredibly sweet flavor and nutrition profile,” Joan added. 

Sunkist offers point-of-sales materials, including customizable display bins, to help retailers educate consumers on the unique merits of the Cara Cara. 

Sunkist

PLANT CITY, FL - With a strong strawberry market leading us from fall into winter this year, Florida strawberries will be a welcomed addition to the country’s supplies as we look to the New Year. As berries across the board continue to see growth in demand across demographics, Wish Farms is ramping up its Florida season to meet the holiday push all the way through Valentine’s Day.

Owner Gary Wishnatzki stepped out of the field for a few moments to share the latest on the Florida strawberry season with me, and what we can expect as we move into 2017.

“We began harvesting in early November with both conventional and organic production which will continue to increase as we make our way toward the New Year. Our team shipped about 65,000 crates out of Florida last week, and are looking to ship about 120,000 crates in the coming week,” Gary said, noting that weather has been great so far this season bringing on great flavor and quality. “We’ve had a warm fall this year, but nothing like last year. The cold temperatures have been much more frequent this Florida season, than in 2015. At this time last year, we were not seeing blooms coming out until nearly January.”

Last year, the plants were not as productive for Wish Farms, due to the consistently warmer temperatures for that time of year, causing many of the plants to slow production or shut down, Gary adds.

“Strawberries need some chill to keep them in a productive cycle to stimulate plant growth and put on flowers,” he shared.

While Wish Farms is shipping mainly out of Florida, they are also still harvesting organic strawberries in Santa Maria, California. Organics have been a huge area of growth for Wish Farms, as the team continues to identify opportunities to grow its acreage and respond to the rising retail and consumer demand. Currently, about 10% of Wish Farms’ strawberry program is organic, but continues to increase year-over-year.

The Florida fresh season will be running full steam ahead into March and April, with the first push coming on in late December and into January. Production is slated to ramp up again in early February and into March, with a peak just in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Our big push is mid- to late-February for Valentine’s Day promotions. Retailers should plan ahead this year and create big displays around both Florida and California strawberries to increase traffic through the produce department and drive sales in the lead up to the popular holiday,” Gary shared.

It looks to be a sweet start to 2017 for strawberries lovers, and produce departments across the U.S.

Wish Farms

COLIMA, MEXICO - The Colima Volcano, one of Mexico’s more active volcanoes, and reportedly referred to as the “volcano of fire,” put its region on alert with four major eruptions toward the end of last week, as well as continued exaltations yesterday and today.

430 miles west of highly-populated and travel-centric Mexico City, the 12,533-foot volcano’s activity spurred authorities to evacuate hundreds from Colima and nearby Jalisco, according to The Daily Mail.

Initial activity began last week, with lava spewing from the volcano on Friday. According to news source El Universal, National Coordinator of Civil Protection, Luis Felipe Puente, reported that exaltations last night with medium ash were spewing as high as 1,800 meters, or just over 1 mile.

Activity has continued into this morning with lower ash content, launching as high as 2,000 meters, or just over 1.2 miles, above the peak.

While still on alert with the areas cleared of locals, including an exclusion zone of about seven miles in Colima and five miles in Jalisco, these are not near the activity seen Friday as balls of fire, smoke, and ash shot into the sky.

Wedged between Jalisco and Michoacán, noted produce in Colima are bananas and tropical fruits, amongst other agriculture. While it does have its own airport about 9 hours from Mexico City, it was not reported if air traffic was shut down due to the volcanic activity.

AndNowUKnow will continue to report any developments on the situation.

AUSTIN, TX - As reported by the Austin American Statesman, as Whole Foods continues its uphill battle against its organic retail competition, the company has gotten some less than favorable news from stock exchange giant Nasdaq. The New York-based financial institution has announced plans to drop Whole Foods from its Nasdaq-100 index. 

As explained on its website, the Nasdaq-100 is a list of 100 of the largest domestic and international non-financial companies listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization. Since 2013, Whole Foods’ market cap has declined from more than $22 billion, to sitting around $9.9 billion currently, Yahoo Finance reports.

“We remain focused on our plan to position the company for continued success,” Whole Foods stated, according to The Austin American Statesman. “We believe we have the right strategies in place to position the company to produce strong results and returns for our shareholders over the long term.”

Why has the company's market cap been falling over the last few years? Analysts mainly cite increased competition from other organic and healthy-focused retailers, especially with newer and oft times cheaper combatants like Aldi and Lidl taking the stage. 

The company’s fourth quarter financial report ended September 25 revealed that total sales increased to a record $3.5 billion with earnings per share at 28 cents. However, Reuters analysts had projected an earnings per share of 24 cents. 

According to Nasdaq, the Nasdaq-100 index is re-ranked each December. This year, as a result of the re-ranking, four companies will drop off effective December 19:

• Whole Foods
• Bed Bath & Beyond
• NetApp Inc.
• Stericycle Inc.  

Being added to the index are:

• Cintas Corporation 
• Hasbro Inc.
• Hologic Inc.
• KLA-Tencor Corporation

With an entire year to once again ramp up its share value and market cap, will we see Whole Foods make another appearance on the coveted list? AndNowUKnow will keep bringing you the latest.  

Whole Foods

MAZATLÁN, SINOLOA, MEX - Former President of the Mexican Association of Protected Horticulture (AMHPAC) César Campaña Acosta passed away this week. He was known as a visionary leader with over 20 years of experience in the agricultural industry.

An accomplished grower, Campaña Acosta was born and bred into the industry. He and his brother Francisco were the third generation to oversee Agricola Campaña, a producer and exporter of grains and vegetables, according to a press release from Eleven River Growers.

Campaña Acosta was passionate about growing and committed to the positive impact the industry could have.

“Agriculture is a way of life,” the veteran grower said, according to news source El Debate. “It’s a noble activity; it’s to provide food for humanity.”

The industry veteran had recently been named President of the Commission for Research and Defense of Vegetables (CIDH) and had previously served as President of AMHPAC, in addition to being an active member of the Farmers Association in Culiacan (AARC), the Confederation of Agricultural Associations of the State of Sinaloa (CAADES), and Eleven River Growers.

Campaña Acosta passed away on December 12.

We at AndNowUKnow would like to offer our deepest condolences to Campaña Acosta’s family, friends, and the many affected by his passing. 

LEVERKUSEN, GER – Moving one step closer to merging Monsanto’s operations with its own, Bayer has announced that the Monsanto shareholders have approved the impending move. The companies have been working toward this update since the merger was announced in September.

"The acquisition of Monsanto is driven by our strong belief that this combination can help address the growing challenges facing farmers and the overall agriculture industry today and in the future," said Werner Baumann, CEO of Bayer AG. "Together, Bayer and Monsanto will be able to offer the new, innovative solutions that our customers need. We look forward to completing the transaction and working closely with Monsanto to ensure a successful integration."

Monsanto held a special meeting of shareholders today to discuss the company’s merger with Bayer. According to a press release, around 99 percent of all votes cast were in favor of the merger. This number, in a preliminary tabulation, represented around 75 percent of all outstanding shares as of November 7.

Monsanto shareowners will receive $128 per share in cash at the merger’s close. The shareholders also approved the proposal to approve on an advisory basis certain compensation that may be paid or become payable to the company’s named executives in connection with the merger.

"We are pleased we received such strong support from our shareowners," said Hugh Grant, Monsanto Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "This is an important milestone as we work to combine our two complementary companies and deliver on our shared vision for the future of agriculture. By bringing together our expertise and our resources to drive this shared vision, we can do even more together to benefit growers around the world and to help address broad global challenges like climate change and food scarcity."

The final voting results of Monsanto’s shareholders on all covered agenda items will be filed with the SEC in the company’s Form 8-K, in addition to being available for viewing here. 

Bayer and Monsanto’s closure is still subject to customary closing conditions, including the necessary securement of required regulatory approvals. Bayer, with Monsanto’s support, has submitted a number of filings, including the U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino Act filing.

The merger is expected to close by the end of 2017.

As the two companies move ever-closer to combined entity, AndNowUKnow will have the latest news as it unfolds.

Bayer Monsanto

WASHINGTON, DC - Always looking for new dishes and produce-infused meals, today’s consumer gains ideas for new plates and time-tested favorites from the passion and creativity of a segment that our industry knows well; foodservice. Thus, United Fresh is looking to honor another wave of culinary innovators with this year’s Produce Excellence in Foodservice Awards. 

Mary Wright-Rana: Ten years ago, in 2007, our team at PRO*ACT spearheaded the Foodservice Awards Program together with United Fresh after seeing the opportunities in honoring retail produce managers. This is a unique chance to yearly and publically recognize the important role that foodservice, chefs, and culinary experts play and influence on our side of the industry. The commitment to produce is apparent in so many different aspects of foodservice, and there’s a constant dedication to moving produce to the center of the plate that is unique and should be celebrated. By honoring foodservice operators and their creativity, this program brings the importance of foodservice directly to produce and increases consumption across the board.

Q: As you’ve sponsored the program over a decade, how has it evolved?

MWR: The program first kicked off with five different categories to honor chefs, and it’s grown steadily ever since. This year we’re adding Hospitals and Healthcare, and Hotels and Resorts to our list of new divisions which also includes K-12 School Foodservice, and Colleges and Universities. That makes eight categories total. As interest has grown over the years, we know that it’s also important to expand the categories to include recognition for the diverse possibilities that each sector offers. Our first year we had 59 nominations, and we are expecting to surpass last year’s number of 124 nominations with this year’s program.

Q: What type of chefs and operators does the program aim to honor?

MWR: The chefs we expect to see this year are going to springboard using produce as the center of the plate and really take it to the next level. That means, not just plating produce simply, but using different combinations and creative styles to make produce visually appealing and easily recreated. Our award winners translate fresh fruit and vegetables into further innovations, and methods of consumption. In that sense, we expect strong representation from the K-12 side of foodservice, and the healthcare arena. Chefs who operate in environments that serve quantity and quality, and emphasize new understandings of what a good meal is, are highly valued by the Awards Program.

Going forward, some of the challenges on the foodservice side will be the education of the end consumer, taking social media use even further, and focus on regional products to supplement creations. These same challenges are ones that we also see on the fresh produce side, and we look forward to rewarding innovative solutions to these issues within the Foodservice Awards Program. 

Q: How does foodservice uplift our industry, and what can honorees expect going forward?

MWR: One of the reasons we started the Produce in Excellence Foodservice Awards Program was to emphasize the passion for produce that is inherent in these chefs and operators. That passion, and need to see what’s new and innovative, is something that goes hand-in-hand between the foodservice and fresh produce industries. The United Fresh team, from Tom Stenzel through the whole organization, supports this program with such care and continued focus on how it can evolve.

Seeing how innovation continues to expand during the conference, especially for all the new things in store for 2017, is truly an amazing thing. We tell people that whenever they get an award, they are part of the PRO*ACT and United Fresh families; and seeing how chefs over the years are able to use this program to help make their dreams come true is a depth of emotion that you can’t find anywhere else. We can’t wait for everyone to see what this year has to offer!

As trends and culinary experiments continue to swirl throughout the foodservice realm, exposing more consumers to the possibilities of produce, United Fresh and PRO*ACT will seek to add more nominations to the over 880 influencers submitted over the years. 

Each of the eight innovative chefs selected for each category will be provided complimentary airfare and registration to United Fresh 2017 and two nights hotel accommodations, in addition to receiving a Commemorative Award and on-stage recognition during the Retail-Foodservice Celebration dinner. 

Know your own foodservice pioneer who matches the innovation of the Produce in Excellence Foodservice Awards Program? Keep pushing produce forward with your own nominations.

United Fresh 

GALT, CA - In the produce industry, it’s not every day you get to see the real impact of the year’s hard work on the children we aim to serve. So, when the United Fresh Start Foundation invited some of the supporters of this year’s Tour de Fresh to see firsthand the effects of their 300-mile bike ride and the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative, it’s not surprising that several jumped at the chance.

Last Tuesday, December 6, the Galt Elementary School District in California hosted produce industry salad bar donors and myself at both the River Oaks and Valley Oaks Elementary Schools. We were able to meet directly with the foodservice administrators responsible for implementing the six donated salad bars, and even better, in my opinion—seeing elementary school kids actually clamoring to eat their fruits and veggies! 

“I’m so happy to have been able to attend the Salad Bar visit and see first-hand how receptive the children were to the fruits and vegetables,” Allen Satterlee, Customer Service Manager for Vegetable Seed Sales, Sakata Seed America, Inc., told me when I asked him about his experience at the event. “The Salad Bars are such a great tool to bring healthy choices to the children. The fresh fruits and vegetables that the children grow to like in school will trickle into their households and community. This experience has made me look back and appreciate so much more the 3-day 300 mile bicycle Tour de Fresh I participated. Sakata Seed America employees, friends and family raised funds to help get these bars into the schools and allowed me to go the distance. Thanks to the United Fresh Produce Association for this wonderful program.”

Allen, Adam Linder of CHEP, and Katie Van Camp of Renaissance Food Group were all riders that supported the schools’ salad bars, and Kelly O’Halloran from Bayer was also on hand to show her support for the foundation’s hard work. Also in attendance at the event were Jan Burkett and Lupe Brunone from FreshPoint–Central California, the school district’s produce distributor.  

“Visiting the schools, seeing students select fruits and vegetables from the salad bars and talking with students and school officials about how much the children enjoy eating fresh produce was a very rewarding and educational experience,” said Linder, CHEP USA’s Strategic Account Manager for Produce.

I also spoke with Galt Elementary School District’s Food Service Supervisor, Nick Svoboda, who  explained that exposing students of families with less financial income to fresh fruits and vegetables at school is an excellent way to get them to make healthier choices.

“The salad bar donation is an outstanding upgrade for our School Nutrition program. The new salad bars will be marketed as 'Garden Bars'  and will be utilized with 3 purposes,” Svoboda said. “One, bringing fresh fruit and vegetable choices to the students in an appetizing and appealing presentation. Second, as a tool to expose students to new and unique choices they may not have the opportunity to experience at home. Third, as a tool to engage students in making a healthy difference in their families food choices. In hopes if a student tries a new to them fruit or veggie choice on our Garden Bar and likes it. In turn, when at the market with their family, the student will request the parents to purchase these healthy choices.”

Jenny Maloney, Bayer’s Food Chain Sustainability Manager, commented on her company’s efforts to support the salad bar donation as well, sharing, “Bayer is committed to supporting salad bars for schools as a strategy for increasing children’s access and consumption of healthy, fresh produce. Our support for the Galt District dovetails with our support for the United Fresh Start Foundation and their mission of increasing children’s access to fresh produce. We are especially pleased to support schools in an agricultural community, like Galt.” 

The United Fresh Start Foundation is a founding partner of the national Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative, which to date has donated salad bars to over 4,800 schools in all fifty states, according to a press release. The Foundation has been working tirelessly with the produce industry, healthcare organizations, non-profits, and allied businesses to support salad bars for schools as a way to increase children’s access to and consumption of fresh fruits and veggies every day at school. 

“We always appreciate the opportunity to connect produce industry members with schools receiving salad bar donations,” added Andrew Marshall, Director of Foundation Programs & Partnerships, United Fresh Start Foundation. “This week’s event was a true example of the Foundation bringing folks together for a common cause, supporting schools in their efforts to provide children with greater access to a variety of fresh produce choices.” 

A big thank you to the United Fresh Start Foundation, the Galt School District, and everyone involved for allowing me to learn more about this awesome program, and for letting me hang out with some very fun, very veggie-hungry kiddos!

United Fresh Start Foundation

ARLINGTON, VA - Lidl continues to make moves to grow its presence in the U.S. before opening its first stores. The retailer has reportedly bought up another site, this time in Philadelphia, for $2.88 million.

“They came in very aggressively with a lot of capital, with the intention of buying the best real estate in every one of the nodes in this entire area,” said Lars Kerstein, a Vice President with brokerage Metro Commercial Real Estate, according to The Inquirer. “They’re trying to blanket the region.”

While Kerstein is not currently involved in any deals entailing Lidl, he said that some of the chain’s moves, like that of choosing a location near a Walmart Supercenter and ShopRite store, add to its confidence of being able to compete with the big names in our market.

The latest spot is two parcels of land equaling about four acres, about $720,000 per acre, placing it just outside of the city’s center.  

As we reported previously, Lidl is looking to own and operate up to 150 stores, mostly on the east side of the U.S., by 2018 alone. Already it is holding hiring events, the most recent taking place today in Eastern Carolina for stores it is building in Greenville, according to local news source WITN. While the plan is in motion, open dates for the retailer’s first U.S. stores have still not been released.

Will Harwood, Lidl US Public Relations and Communications Manager, declined to discuss specific locations with The Inquirer, but said the company is “actively preparing a number of sites in the area, and throughout Pennsylvania.”

While there haven’t been solidified announcements for its U.S. debut, the retailer appears to have its plans locked on several shopping hubs and a desire to make a big entry. AndNowUKnow will report on any updates with this and other expanding names in the retail market.

Lidl US