YAKIMA, WA – Bringing its appreciation for hard work and commitment to a new realm, Domex Superfresh Growers has announced that it has undertaken a new sponsorship. The company will be sponsoring Alpine Ski Racer Virginia Wade in the upcoming Special Olympics World Winter Games.

“Sponsoring Virginia on her Olympic journey aligns with the Superfresh culture, which is about working hard, and being the best you can be,” said Robert Kershaw, President of Domex Superfresh Growers. “We prioritize healthy employees, encouraging lunch-hour exercise with trained fitness professionals. The Kershaw family also has a deep history of supporting children through Children’s Village, meeting the needs of children who require special health care needs, and Madison House Youth Center, which offers an after-school and summer safe haven for Yakima youth.”

The company described the accomplished skier as vivacious, bubbly, and a determined athelete. Virginia will turn 16 this week on October 27, 2016, and is a younger athlete in the games. Virginia will represent one of two Washington women competing for the U.S. in this World Game, and will compete in the giant slalom and super-G courses.

Virginia has won multiple medals for the Skihawks Racing Team in Snoqualmie Pass in Washington, and was ultimately chosen to join the U.S. Women’s Alpine Racing Team for the World Special Olympics for her noted accomplishments. According to a press release, the next Special Olympics World Winter Games will take place in Austria in 2017. 

“I will ski on the high mountains. I take the chair lift to the top of the race. My type of skiing is downhill, slalom, and giant slalom. I don’t really know the difference between them,” wrote Virginia in an article she penned about what she is looking forward to the most at the World Games. “I start at the top of the mountain and race around poles to the finish lines at the bottom of the mountain. If I do really well, I’ll win a gold medal. I have a bunch of medals from competing in Special Olympics events. Wish me luck!"

Domex will follow Virginia on her world journey and help her prepare for the World Games from purchasing new gear, to Virginia’s practices with the team this December, through to the final competition of March next year. 

“Virginia has always worked hard to do her best, but ultimately, her goal is to have a good time,” said Catherine Gipe-Stewart, Marketing Coordinator for Domex Superfresh Growers. “I’ve known Virginia for over ten-years, and it’s been a true joy watching her grow into the smart, strong, and beautiful young woman she is today. I remember skiing with her when she was just seven-years old. If she made a mistake she would just laugh it off and keep going. The glass is always half-full for Virginia.” 

Virginia is currently a freshman at Roosevelt High School in Seattle, WA. You can join Domex in following Virginia’s journey to the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017 by watching the official trailer here, or checking out Facebook. 

Good luck and speedy racing, Virginia!

Domex Superfresh Growers®

SEATTLE, WA - You’ve probably been hearing plenty of buzz from analysts watching Amazon slowly roll-out plans for its takeover of the brick and mortar grocery business, but little has been revealed about the company’s long-term plans. Now, new documents uncovered by Business Insider reveal the e-commerce giant is planning an attack on the U.S. market with as many as 2,000 AmazonFresh-branded stores over the next ten years.

Amazon plans to start slow, operating a 20-location pilot program for its brick and mortar locations. The documents reveal that by the end of 2018, we could see stores pop up in places like Seattle, Las Vegas, New York, Miami, and the Bay Area.

If successful, Amazon will then begin rolling out a possible 2,000 "multifunction" stores across the U.S., with the company proposing an aggressive launch schedule of 200 stores per year. Also on the company’s radar, Business Insider suggests, is a new generation of distribution centers to aid in store growth.

“Multifunction” likely refers to the company’s penchant for experimenting in both "click-and-collect" drive-up spots, as well as traditional stores. The 20-store pilot will involve ten of each, pitting AmazonFresh against both e-commerce type shopping services, as well as rivals like Walmart.

Although it hasn’t been made public what an Amazon grocery store will look like exactly, Bloomberg compares its drive-through spots as "gas station” types, while The Wall Street Journal makes a "convenience stores” comparison for the more traditional locations. Business Insider revealed that the documents say the drive-through spots will be 10,000-square-feet in size, while physical stores could go up to 30,000-square-feet.

AndNowUKnow will continue to keep our eyes out for even more details on what these locations will look like and where they will arrive, so keep following us for updates.

Amazon

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on two produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).

According to a recent USDA press release, the following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

• Bonert’s Incorporated, doing business as Bonert’s Slice of Pie, operating out of Santa Ana, CA, for failing to pay a $641,672 award in favor of a Washington seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Michael Bonert was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
• Empire Produce Int. LLC, operating out of Hialeah, FL, for failing to pay a $28,090 award in favor of a Georgia seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Anthony R. Haile was listed as a member of the business.

The USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA, which includes buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry. All oversight of actions related to PACA are conducted by the AMS, an agency within USDA.

In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. Its experts also assisted more than 8,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $140 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service

SACRAMENTO, CA - State and local elected officials, ag industry members, and managers of regional water, labor, and business gathered to mark several milestones in California’s Sites Reservoir water storage project.

“Sites is a local project with statewide benefits,” said Kim Dolbow Vann, Colusa County Supervisor and the Sites Project Authority’s Chair, according to news source Daily Democrat. “The project will be owned, managed, and operated locally, but in a way that integrates with—and relieves stress on—the state’s burdened water system.”

Milestones the group gathered to honor included:

• AB 2551 signed into law, giving flexibility in construction methods to help ensure the project gets done on time and on budget.
• Some 34 agencies now participating in the project.
• Sites Project moving into a new office in Maxwell, near where the reservoir would be built.

Republican Senator Jim Nielsen, a co-author of AB 2551, said that many worked hard to write and pass the Proposition 1 Water Bond.

“The people are promised the first significant surface water storage since the State Water Project was initiated with the building of the Oroville Dam and conveyance systems,” Nielsen continued. “Now we can take the next step to assure an ample and quality supply of water for the generations to come by building Sites Reservoir.”

Only about 500,000 acre-feet of water held in the reservoir is expected to be available for use, the report noted, with rules of the bond mandating half the water go towards public benefits like the environment, recreation, and flood control.

“Family Water Alliance, Inc. and their Sacramento Valley Fish Screen Program have worked to protect and save California fish species for over 20 years,” said Nadine Bailey with Family Water Alliance. “Our organization supports the Sites Project because it is a solution that will protect California family farms and our fishery resources.”

About 250,000 acre-feet of water will be available for investors, and Sacramento Valley has already signed on to purchase about 128,000 acre-feet of water annually for its water districts.

Investors have been asked to offer upwards of $60 per acre-foot of water they pledge to receive in order to move the project forward, with a deadline in place to ask the state Water Commission to pay half the estimated construction cost of $4.4 billion by June of 2017.

Jim Watson, manager of the Sites JPA, told the source it will provide that request once the Water Commission has made some important decisions this coming December.

NOGALES, AZ – Veg-Fresh Farms is doubling down on its commitment to growing its Good Life Organic™ offerings from the newly-built Nogales location with a new team leader.

The company has hired 10-year produce sales veteran, Mario Yubeta, as Sales Manager, who will lead a new Sales Assistant, as well as two QC team members to receive, perform QC functions, and ship product. Yubeta’s sales team is expected to work seamlessly with Veg-Fresh’s Good Life Organic™ sales team in its Corona, CA, headquarters. Yubeta will report to Good Life Organic™ Category Manager, Anthony Innocenti. 

“Not only does Mario possess a solid background in produce, he was also born and raised in Nogales and brings exceptional local knowledge and expertise to the table,” Randy Cancellieri, a Partner at Veg-Fresh Farms. “He has a full understanding of all aspects of the Nogales produce season.”

According to a press release, the Nogales location provides convenience to customers throughout the Midwest, East Coast, and the South, who will now have better access to loading organic veg from October through June. 

Cancellieri continued, “As our Good Life Organic™ program continues to expand and offer more products and services, our customers became more vocal that they wanted to load organic vegetables in Nogales and save both time and money on transportation.”  

To learn more about the company’s Nogales facility from the company themselves, check out the company’s website, https://vegfresh.com/nogales-facility/.

Veg-Fresh Farms

ORLANDO, FL - Excitement is high for NatureSweet as the company embarks on a mega new marketing campaign. Not only will the company be highlighting its new Tomatoes Raised Right initiative in the coming months, but NatureSweet is continuing to take the snacking tomato game by storm with two new pack sizes.

“In life, when you feel the best around something, it's because you’ve worked hard for it, and nothing comes over night,” Brand Manager Lori Castillo tells me as I steal her away from the PMA Fresh Summit show floor. “And that’s just like our tomatoes.”

Tomatoes Raised Right helps to highlight the company’s vertical integration, from seed to store. Lori stresses the fact that it’s the company’s associates that really make it all happen for the company, hand-picking each tomato and nourishing them from the very start of the growing process.

This comes at the same time as NatureSweet introduces two new pack sizes—an 18 oz Cherub pack and a 16.5 oz Constellation Medley pack. “This adds value to our consumers. They still get the same great taste and same great quality, and everything else they’ve come to expect from NatureSweet,” Lori explains to me.

Want to learn more straight from the expert’s mouth herself? Watch my full interview with Lori above to hear all the juicy details.

NatureSweet

SEATTLE, WA – As retailers strive to lock down consumers in the competitive Chicago and Dallas markets, the buy-side segment will have one more contender in their midst. Amazon has announced that its e-commerce grocery delivery service has expanded to the aforementioned cities.

“We continue to expand AmazonFresh into new regions so that more and more customers can take advantage of the service,” said Ben Hartman, VP of AmazonFresh. “Whether they are busy with family, work, travel, or something else, we believe all Prime members will enjoy the convenience and flexibility of AmazonFresh, in addition to the vast selection and low prices that the service offers.” 

This new expansion set, according to a recent press release, will allow consumers in each city to place orders for fresh fruit and vegetable items with same or next-day delivery. 

ChicagoInno reported that Chicagoans will now have the AmazonFresh delivery options alongside other platforms Peapod and Instacart. Texas TechPulse stated that its arrival in Dallas marks is the first Texas-based location for AmazonFresh.

To further entice consumers into biting into its grocery delivery service, the company also indicated that new customers to AmazonFresh can start a free 30-day trial of the e-commerce subscription , and also receive $25 off their first order of $75 or more. This program will be available for a limited time only as the online retailer looks to gather new customers. 

Initially launched in 2007, AmazonFresh has also launched services in Northern Virginia, Boston, Baltimore, and London this year. The e-commerce option has also expanded its services to more locations within 10 more states which had previous access to the service.

As Amazon continues to expand its online grocery service in new and existing cities, AndNowUKnow will have the latest in its impact on the buy-side market.

AmazonFresh

RIVERHEAD, NY – A new sweet onion, as easy on the eyes as it is the tastebuds, is hitting U.S. shores from across the pond. Imported from Stourgarden Farms in England, The Pink Onion™ by Fresh from the Start™, is milder and sweeter than red or yellow onions, with a unique visual appeal thanks to its delicate pink color.

“As the exclusive partner with Stourgarden in the United States, we are excited to bring retailers and foodservice another onion option,” said Dan Dubinsky, SVP Sales and Marketing at Fresh from the Start, according to a press release.

The Pink Onion™ launched stateside with a 15/3 count, pillow wrap package. The high-graphic package includes a tray which tells the interesting history of the pink onion, as well as a recipe and health benefits. Loose pink onions are also available for foodservice.

This unique onion is pink in color on the inside and outside. With a subtle and sweet flavor, it contains less pyruvic acid and higher brix than other varieties. These onions tout a wealth of health benefits, and are delicious raw, grilled, roasted, and pickled.

Originating in the 1800s Coastal France and slowly working its way across Europe, this unique variety has been popular in France and Britain and is now making its way to the United States. Fresh from the Start™ has exclusive rights to Stourgarden Farms pink onions in the United States, you can learn more about these sweet, subtle, pink treats at ThePinkOnionUSA.com.

For more news on the latest imported fruit and vegetable varieties, continue checking back with AndNowUKnow.

Fresh from the Start ADS

MEXICO - Strawberry growers are asking for help from Michoacan state leader Silvano Aureoles Conejo and the local Congress, alleging they have fallen victim to an international fraudulent scam.

Those that were affected had to put up their combined properties valued at 400 million pesos (about $22 million), plus default interest to bring the case to court, according to news source La Voz de Michoacan, and are seeking aid from legislation to revisit the issue.

The producers said that in 2013 they came to the realization that they had “received credit” from a Guadalajara, Jalisco-based company for finances they never applied for or received, affecting their credit negatively. While the report did not say how bad the impacts were, the company growers named responsible had also allegedly allocated resources to other local fruit companies without ever actually providing funds, according to the source.

When brought to court in 2014, the judge ruled against the growers, finding insufficient evidence. Now the producers are imploring Governor Conejo to intervene on the matter, as the group had to put up their combined properties and are looking to help save not only their land and production, but their reputations as well.

AndNowUKnow will continue to report as this story develops.

VIDALIA, GA – Amidst the bustle of the PMA Fresh Summit show floor, Giro Pack, Inc. reported increased traffic to its booth as attendees collected to see the company’s ‘Ultrabagger.’ The high-tech bagger offers nine different bag styles in just one machine.

“Customers continued to ask for a machine that was versatile enough to accommodate constant changes in demand,” stated Josh Logsdon, West Coast Sales & Marketing Manager for Giro Pack. “The Giro ‘Ultrabagger’ allows packers to remain agile and respond to fluctuations in pack styles–without the capital investment of adding additional equipment.” 

The ‘Ultrabagger’ produces each of its nine bag varieties with Giro’s soft woven net and high-graphic printed film. The soft net bags offer the company’s customers high-visibility of the products encased in the bags, paired with increased breathability and improved shelf-life. 

Bags produced from the ‘Ultrabagger’ can also have handle or finger holes to make for easier handling and transportation, according to a recent press release. Each bag is also available in standard and soft versions to accommodate a diverse selection of categories and their needs, including apples, avocados, citrus, onions, potatoes, and more.

The nine different pack styles available through the versatile ‘Ultrabagger’ are as follows: 

• Ultrabag
• Ultrabag Fashioned
• GirSac
• GirSac Fashioned
• MiniBag
• GirPlus
• GirPluSac
• Window Compact
• Window Ultrabag 

The company stated that it continues to receive positive feedback regarding one of the industry’s most flexible automated bagging machines. Giro’s “9 Bags ­– 1 Machine” marketing campaign also helped drive traffic to the company’s PMA booth, which touts the machine’s flexibility. 

For more information on the ‘Ultrabagger,’ contact the Giro Pack team by reaching out to [email protected].

Giro Pack, Inc.