BALTIMORE, MD - A new market is being infiltrated by a peculiar looking array of fruits and veggies. Robinson Fresh is bringing its unique Misfits™ produce line to SHOPPERS FOOD & PHARMACY® grocery stores in Baltimore, Maryland, and with it, lower prices, and reduced product waste.

“We understand there is produce left in the field because farmers don’t think there is a market for it,” says Hunter Winton, Robinson Fresh General Manager of the West. “With the Misfits program, farmers have an outlet to sell more produce and customers have an opportunity to save money and help reduce waste.”

According to a press release, the United Nations estimates between 20 to 40 percent of produce harvested each year is thrown away for not meeting strict sizing standards required by store shelves. Misfits works with retailers like Shoppers to broaden the array of shapes and sizes accepted in stores, thereby curbing necessary waste and aligning with USDA’s goal of reducing food waste by 50 percent by the year 2030.

“It’s important to our company and it’s important to our customers that we find sustainable business solutions at a lower cost,” adds Mike Patterson, Shoppers Food & Pharmacy director of Produce. “We’re still providing consistent quality and taste, but these vegetables might look a little different than what’s normally on our shelves.”

Robinson Fresh’s Misfits program was designed to help unite consumers with perfectly delicious, but imperfectly formed, fruits and vegetables at a reduced price. Every week, the company says four to six seasonally available Misfit commodities will be delivered to shoppers. Collaborating with a handful of select retailers who align with the goals of the program, Robinson Fresh will then be selling Misfits at a 30 percent discount on average.

Here’s Robinson Fresh’s mission of a world with less food waste and more delicious fresh produce!

Robinson Fresh

PELION, SC - WP Rawl’s Nature's Greens® brand is expanding just in time for PMA Fresh Summit. The company has lifted the veil on a new product line, Seasoned Sautés™.

"As a company, our goal is to stay on top of trends. When I first read about plant-based proteins I was immediately inspired to create a meal replacement that did not require an animal protein at the center of our plates," Ashley Rawl, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Product Development, said on the launch, according to a release. "In addition to the great health benefits, these plant-based protein kits will bring a lot flavor to your table."

As Ashley explained, Seasoned Sautés™ are a line of innovative hot meal entrée items, packed with plant protein while offering convenience, nutrition, and excellent taste.

The meal solution kits are available in 16 oz bags, with three flavor profiles:

• Asian
• Fiesta
• Sweet Garden

Available in packaging that showcases the fresh product, WP Rawl explained that months of product development went into perfecting the Seasoned Sautés™, a solution for the on-the-go consumer that is looking for a nutrient, time-saving option for their families.  

The company teamed up with research and development experts, testing a variety of taste and nutrition profiles before then holding several focus groups. WP Rawls noted that the groups were made up of diverse participants from its target market audiences as it looked to learn more about their reactions to the new items.

Seasoned Sautés™ include all ingredients in a single bag, touting as many as 32 grams of protein and less than 7 grams of fat per package. You can see the latest addition to WP Rawl’s offerings at PMA Fresh Summit in Orlando, FL. They will be on display at booth #2255, and launch in retail stores this November.

WP Rawl

VANCOUVER, B.C. – In efforts to continue to promote forward-thinking sustainability in the industry, Village Farms subsidiary Village Farms Clean Energy, Inc., has partnered with the City of Vancouver to study the use of carbon dioxide from the city landfill to produce renewable electricity and heat for greenhouse operations, in place of that from burning fossil fuels. 

“Once again as a company Village Farms has aligned itself to be on the forefront of clean technology. We are pleased to be driving an initiative with the potential to place British Columbia on the leading edge of sustainability while helping to support an innovative and globally competitive agrifoods sector,” stated Michael A. DeGiglio, President and CEO for Village Farms.  

The company stated in a press release that the flared landfill gas was collected at the city landfill, then sent to Village Farms’ Delta powerhouse to combust it. Using this gas, Village Farms found there was a missed opportunity to use the existing carbon dioxide from the landfill in place of burning fuels.

The company performed months of research and assessment of 22 technology options, and found through the Carbon Dioxide Landfill Gas Capture Study three identified options that utilize several different technologies to separate and clean the carbon dioxide in landfill gas so it can be used on-site in Village Farms’ greenhouses, and also be sold to food and beverage processors in the Lower Mainland to enhance the sustainability of B.C. companies. The findings of the study would also contribute to Vancouver’s Greenest City 2020 Action Plan.

According to the study, the study found that carbon dioxide in landfill gas will result in greenhouse gas emission reductions of more than 19,000 tonnes per year, which is equal to removing 4,000 passenger vehicles from the road or consuming 45,000 less barrels of oil. 

The study reported that the use of landfill gas will also have a positive impact on local air quality, which is in line with central themes in local and provincial government plans and objectives. 

The Carbon Dioxide Landfill Gas Capture Study as conducted by local sustainability consultancy firm Hallbar Consulting, as well as in partnership with the Swedish Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, a world-leading applied research and development institute.

“This project is a no-brainer,” said Matt Dickson, Managing Director of Hallbar Consulting. “Everyone knows the importance of greenhouse gas emission reductions and the desire to grow the reputation of B.C.’s agrifoods sector as being green and clean.” 

Funding for the study was provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through federal adaptation programming delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C. Financial and in-kind supportive services were also provided by B.C. Greenhouse Growers Association, B.C. Food Processors Association, and Air Liquide. 

Village Farms stated that the next steps after the study will include meeting with local and regional government officials to discuss how to advance the project.

For more information on Village Farms’ sustainability iniatives, click here.

Village Farms

BANCROFT, WI - RPE is looking to spice up the upcoming show floor at PMA Fresh Summit with two new signature dishes to introduce to attendees. The dishes were cultivated through the company’s partnership with Chef Joey Elenterio, and will feature Tasteful Selections™ bite-sized potatoes and Old Oak Farms® new Party Potatoes. 

“We are extremely thrilled to continue our partnership with the artistic Chef Joey,” said Russell Wysocki, President and CEO of RPE, in a press release. “His creativity with each mouthwatering creation, using Tasteful Selections and Old Oak Farms potatoes, meshes perfectly with our goal to provide innovative solutions and recipe inspirations for our customers and consumers alike.” 

RPE will display its newest products and Impact Award nominees from the Tasteful Selections line, and will also introduce an Old Oak Farms® offering. RPE will be offering the following during the Convention and Expo: 

• Tasteful Selections: Take & Shake™ single-serve cups
• Tasteful Selections: Season & Savor™ microwavable trays
• Old Oak Farms® Party Potatoes
• Assortment of organic potatoes
• Variety of White Russet® brand potatoes 

Chef Joe Elenterio, who developed the signature dishes for the event using the company's purple potatoes and fingerling potatoes, has received 1 Michelin Star when he served as Executive Chef at Chez TJ in Mountain View, California. Elenterio has also served as Executive Chef in Tyler Florence’s Wayfare Tavern, and the Executive Chef and Partner at Cadence in San Francisco, California. 

Florence has also been honored in Zagat’s 30 Under 30, and was awarded with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Rising Star Chef award. 

To give the dishes a taste for yourself, get a glimpse of all of RPE’s offerings during PMA at its booth #235.

RPE, Inc.

PITTSBURGH, PA - In part of a larger business strategy to build a “next-generation” supply chain on a single platform, Giant Eagle has implemented Manhattan’s Transportation Management System.

“Manhattan’s single platform-based approach offers the distinctive competence and modern architecture necessary to drive reduced data flow, real-time visibility resulting in lower cost of ownership, and assist in fulfilling our ‘Vendor to Shelf’ initiative,” Rich Carryer, Senior Director of Supply Chain Systems at Giant Eagle, said in a statement. “We selected Manhattan because of its broad and rich TMS capabilities and our past operational success with its Warehouse Management System.”

Giant Eagle has more than 420 locations in six states, including:

• Pennsylvania
• Ohio
• West Virginia
• Maryland
• Indiana

The retailer, ranked 36 on Forbes magazine’s largest private corporations list and reporting approximately $9.5 billion in annual sales, said that this latest addition will simplify its IT infrastructure. With needs to respond quickly to changing consumer demands while supporting corporate growth and exceptional service, this new implementation reduces the number of systems from five to one.

“Our partnership with Manhattan Associates is a significant milestone in our overall transportation strategy,” Joe Hurley, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at Giant Eagle, commented. “We now have the ability to see orders from a network-wide perspective and can consequently optimize both shipments and electronic communication with shippers, manufacturers, distributors, transportation providers and stores—providing significant benefits to our operations.”

What other moves will the growing retailer make to further its growth strategy? Keep checking in with AndNowUKnow as we report on further moves with this and other moves in the retail market.

Giant Eagle

DENVER, CO and NEW YORK, NY - In a major move for the farmland real estate industry, Farmland Partners (FPI) has announced its intention to merge with American Farmland Company (AFCO), entering into a definitive agreement in which FPI has agreed to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of AFCO in a stock-for-stock transaction. While the exact terms of the agreement were not disclosed, the combined company will own more than $850 million worth of U.S. farmland assets, spanning 133,000 acres and 16 states.

“FPI's acquisition of these great assets assembled by AFCO will strengthen FPI's role as the leading public farmland real estate platform in the U.S.,” shared Paul Pittman, FPI’s Chairman and CEO. “This merger will significantly increase FPI's diversification across crops and geographies. Thanks to increased scale, we also expect to realize a reduction in overall costs as a percentage of portfolio value, creating superior value for our and AFCO's stockholders and our respective farmer partners.”

This merger will bring more specialty crops into FPI’s portfolio, according to a press release, which currently primarily consists of crops like blueberries, corn, and row crop farmland. The companies expect their new portfolio to consist of approximately 75% row crop farmland and 25% specialty crops.

“We believe this opportunity to join FPI's robust platform presents a meaningful opportunity to our stockholders,” Thomas S.T. Gimbel, AFCO's Chief Executive Officer, commented. “As the end result of a thorough process we commenced in April of this year, we are confident that the complementary nature of this transaction will accomplish our goal of enhancing stockholder value while preserving our core principles and continuing to execute on our vision for a scalable institutional, well-diversified, and high-quality portfolio of farmland assets.”

Paul A. Pittman will remain Chairman and CEO of FPI, D. Dixon Boardman and Thomas S. T. Gimbel, AFCO's Chairman and CEO, respectively, will join FPI's Board of Directors.

The following terms were reached under the new agreement:

• Each share of AFCO common stock and each AFCO operating partnership unit will be converted into the right to receive 0.7417 shares (or units) of newly issued FPI common stock (or units)
• On a pro-forma fully diluted basis, former FPI equity holders will hold approximately 65% of the combined company's equity, and former AFCO equity holders will hold approximately 35%
• The stock-for-stock merger is intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization
• The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of the requisite approval of both FPI and AFCO stockholders

As of now, both companies' Boards of Directors have approved the transaction, sending the transaction to their respective stockholders for approval. The transaction is expected either to close by the end of the year, or early during the first quarter of 2017.

Farmland Partners American Farmland Company

YAKIMA, WA - Domex Superfresh Growers® has added to the video series that gives a unique look into the growing side, this time featuring Chief Horticulturist of Kershaw Companies Dave Gleason on being about halfway through the apple harvest.

In this insightful video, Gleason discusses that looking ahead, Fuji, Cripps Pink, and the company’s signature, proprietary apple, the Autumn Glory®, are on the way.

“For us, we want to see an apple that first of all, is very pleasing to the person who eats it. We want an apple that gives a consistent, wonderful and exciting eating experience,” Gleason said. The company noted in a press release that, for Gleason and its growers, raising Autumn Glory trees has been a journey of finding the perfect variety.

“One that works for the growers from farm all the way to the finish line,” Gleason said of Autumn Glory. “We look for a variety that is easy to grow, productive, grows to the right size, is attractive and catches the eye, and an apple that consistently gives the right eating experience.”

Described as a complement to the season’s caramel and cinnamon flavors, delivering the tagline “Experience Autumn All Year.™”

Watch the video for yourself below.

Domex has wrapped up harvesting Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, and Gala apples for the season, and is currently in the midst of picking Red Delicious and Granny Smith.

As for its proprietary variety, the company is in its first stages of harvest now, with shipments to retailers slated for this fall.

Domex concluded that, after watching the Autumn Glory harvest all spring and summer, it is excited to finally share its signature apple with everyone.

Domex Superfresh Growers®