THE NETHERLANDS - In a stunning combination of dexterity and nimble delicacy, a cooperative in the Netherlands has begun utilizing a piece of harvesting machinery which is able to sort approximately 6,600 lbs of currants in one run. 

As covered by video production company Tractorspotter, berry growing cooperative MaVeBo has entrusted its juice concentrate production capabilities to the mechanical hands of the Samson SFM Technology Blackcurrant harvester.

Looming over the plants to perfectly encapsulate a row of the plants, the harvester uses a series of rotating wheel-like and flexible spokes to deftly jolt the berries free from their branches. A conveyor belt then transfers the freshly freed berries to a nearby cart, housing twelve barrels to be filled by the berries.

According to Gizmodo, each of the twelve barrels will weigh approximately 550 lbs once full, making for a wide load of berries quickly collected. 

Want to see the piece of adept berry picking machinery in action? Check out the video below. 

 The harvester only requires four people to manage its operations, providing a steady stream of colorful berries off the branch and into the barrel. 

No word on how quickly the harvester can work, but our guess is that many a currant row falls victim to the effectiveness of the tech before its trove needs to be emptied.

Need more mesmerizing videos of ag tech and innovations? AndNowUKnow has you covered.

PHOENIX, AZ - Sprouts Farmers Market continues to make moves towards growth, this week confirming several new markets and a new addition to its Board of Directors.

Kristen Blum, current Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Frito-Lay, has joined the retailer’s leadership team as it simultaneously confirmed its plans to expand into the Florida market, as well as several others.

“Sprouts has become one of the largest natural and organic retailers and developed broad consumer appeal by making healthy living easy and affordable,” said Blum, according to a press release. “It will be a privilege for me to work with the Sprouts board and management team to help move the company’s long-term strategy forward.”

In charge of leading the technology agenda for PepsiCo’s $14 billion snack and convenient foods business, Sprouts CEO and Director Amin Maredia said that the team is very excited to add Blum to the board.

“Kristen’s strategic orientation, strong business acumen, and more than 25 years of experience in developing strategies and designing information technology solutions in the retail and consumer goods industries will be a tremendous asset to our company and our board,” Maredia said.

Additionally, the retailer confirmed that it is expanding into Florida, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, a move awaited for several years now. In a regulatory filing placed yesterday, August 9, the company listed Florida and multiple other states as a "mid-term expansion market."

Additional locations included:

• The Carolinas
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Arkansas
  
  

As we have reported previously, Sprouts has made moves to expand with more growth promised in the near future. Currently it has at least three locations, according to Tampa Bay, in the works but without a scheduled date to open.

As the Sunshine State continues to become an ever-increasing retail market, and more states continue to come into play, AndNowUKnow will work to keep you up to date on the latest.

Sprouts Farmers Market

BURLINGTON, WA - Looking for versatility, flavor, and eye-catching appeal in produce departments this fall and winter? Then look no further than Bay Baby Produce. With health and wellness top of mind, Owner Michele Youngquist joined me to talk all-things squash, and how consumers and retailers can tap into the growing category. 

When I ask Michele what’s new at Bay Baby Produce, she tells me, “The Personal Spaghetti Squash! It’s the perfect meal in a bowl for two.”

 Packed in a 35-pound box and stickered with a Southwest Spaghetti Recipe, retailers will not only be able to create a destination in the produce department, but they will be able to tease the palate as well. The Personal Spaghetti Squash has the same string-like meat and sweet mild flavor of the original spaghetti squash, but in a size that’s manageable for 2-4 people.

Many people are concerned about how to cook a hard shell squash and Michele has the answer. 

“Poke a few holes in the skin, like you would a potato, and place it in a baking dish with a small amount of water on the bottom. Cook it in the oven for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees,” she says. “Once you remove it from the oven, slice it in half and remove the seeds. Then it’s time for you to get creative with the delightfully nutritious meat.”

Not feeling creative? Visit the company’s website to get their Shockingly Delicious Squash and Pie Pumpkin recipes.

Retailers, having a hard time deciding which winter squash to carry this fall season? Try a custom mixed bin so your customers can experience all the savory squash flavors that fall has to offer. 

“I recommend purchasing bins to set your store then ordering 35-pound boxes to refill the bins as necessary,” Michele tells me. “The best part of the bin is that they are visually stunning. All the colors pop against each other for a visual pleasing display in what we call Nature’s Fall Candy.”

You can choose from the following varieties; Pie Pumpkin, Spaghetti, Butternut, Acorn, Delicata, Carnival, Red Kuri and Kabocha. 

A little known fact is that Pumpkin is fall's super-food. The seeds are packed with fiber, the meat full of vitamin A and antioxidants, and the oil helps lower blood pressure. Pumpkin is playing the starring role in the fall line-up but winter squash is also packed with nutrition. Add these to any recipe and you are looking at a healthy fall.

Bay Baby Produce

MORGAN HILL, CA - Sakata Seed America is taking a new approach to its annual California Spring Trials for seed distributors, growers, and other customers. This Friday, August 12th, the company will be hosting its first Retail Day at its Woodland, CA, station.

“Our Sales team is excited to give buyers the true grower experience at Retail Day. We have trials growing for a large amount of our products and can’t wait to demonstrate the difference in quality, taste, and appearance directly in the field,” John Nelson, Director of Sales and Marketing, commented in a press release.

This event will give retail and foodservice buyers a first-hand look at top Sakata varieties in the field. “Have you ever tasted a watermelon straight from the vine? It’s an amazing experience that we want to share with our downstream customers,” Nelson said.

So what can the buy-side expect to see at this premier event? Varieties such as the company’s number one selling long-shelf cantaloupe, Infinite Gold, as well as its line of specialty tomatoes packed with umami flavor.

Also in store are new broccoli genetics, which Sakata describes as having highly desirable attributes including longer shelf-life, deeper green color for optimal consumer appeal, and no purpling. New varieties the company expects to be top performers are Millennium and Diamante.

Baby leaf Spinach will also be on the menu, with a new offer.

“In 2016, UA201519B was named Race 16 by The International Working Group Peronospora,” said Delita Pardue, Product Manager. “We have tested our commercial spinach varieties for resistance and found that our main baby leaf varieties have resistance to Race 16, along with three of our processing spinach lines, and three of our oriental spinach lines–this is big news for the Sakata spinach program and for all of our customers.”

This joins the lineup of C2-606, Seaside, Riverside, Lakeside and Oceanside, all of which Sakata noted have been reported as performing well for growers.

With emphasis on the importance of understanding the story of ‘seed to table’ to share with consumers, Sakata looks to Retail Day to be its next addition to bridging gaps between different areas of the supply chain.

Sakata Seed America

WALES - Meet the man who casually grows 45-inch-long zucchinis, 120 pound cabbages, and broke the world record for the heaviest cucumber—Phillip Vowles. Raised in a family of 13, Vowles is no stranger to having many mouths to feed, so of course the next logical step was to grow massive veggies. 

“Big vegetables feed big families,” the Welsh veggie savant tells news source Great Big Story. “There’s a lot of love and care that goes into it.” 

Having been growing giant veggies for the past 30 years, Vowles broke his first world record 25 years ago. The award winner was a 18.5 pound cucumber, for which he still proudly displays the trophy for. Other veggies Vowles prides himself on are his 100 pound cucumber and 120 pound cabbage, the latter of which he says can feed up to 140 people at his local pub. 

“I’ve developed my own strain more or less now. I select my own seed every year—the biggest and the best seed—and it just seems to be improving.”

Besides his seed secret weapons, another tip Vowles offers to those looking to grow on a massive scale is to have a chat with your crops. But maybe don’t mention that to his wife. 

“I’ve got to be very careful, the wife is not about when I start talking to my vegetables,” he whispers, “but it's all good fun.”

Want to see the talented, and might I mention, adorable, Mr. Vowles for youself? Watch Great Big Story’s interview with him above.

EVENSVILLE, TN - Southern Valley has announced some big changes in play for its eighth season in Tennessee, following a year of growth in acreage and storage.

“We have always had pristine crops in Tennessee. Soon we will also have larger facilities to cool and ship those crops,” said Director of Sales, Dug Schwalls, in a press release.

In the last year, the company has doubled its facility space in the state, increased its acreage, and is now installing additional loading docks and high-humidity forced air capacity.

“We’ve worked really hard to put a team together to pack, sell, and ship the product that the farm has worked so hard to grow. In Tennessee, the weather is cooler, the views are beautiful, and the crop is outstanding,” Dug commented. “We are really excited for the changes that have been made and will continue to be made for Southern Valley Tennessee to become an integral role in our farming operation.”

With excitement for the potential the Tennessee farm presents for the future, Dug added that he looks forward to the farm’s role in digging Southern Valley’s roots deeper into Tennessee soil.

It is a process in the making since 2009, when the company expanded into the state for the summer season and solidified its offer of year-round produce to its customers. Partnered with Henderson Farms, the company added that the move to Tennessee, and Yucatan. Mexico as well, have not been without its struggles, but a marked success of growth for Southern Valley.

Now owned by Wanda Hamilton-Tyler and her son, Kent Hamilton, Southern Valley is a female-owned and family-operated farming company that has grown from a four-man,100 acre farming effort in South Georgia in 1987 to three farms in Georgia, Mexico, and Tennessee. 

With plenty in the works, the company looks to have much more growth on the horizon.

Southern Valley

ARLINGTON, VA – Expanding its U.S. footprint further for an even bigger global reach, Lidl has announced that the retailer will be building a new distribution center and a regional headquarters in Cecil County, Maryland. 

“We are excited to announce a new hub of operations for Lidl US in Maryland,” said Brendan Proctor, President and CEO of Lidl US. “This facility is an important step in building an efficient infrastructure that will allow us to deliver outstanding quality goods to our customers at the lowest possible prices. We selected Cecil County not only because it offers a central location for our distribution network, but also because it will be a great place for our employees to work and live.”

This investment into Maryland will consist of Lidl's third distribution center which is valued at $100 million, the regional headquarters, and the creation of 100 new jobs for the state, according to a Lidl press release.

The newest Lidl additions will completed no later than 2018, in time for the company to continue its current plan to open its first stores by that date. 

“We are proud that a growing global company like Lidl chose Maryland as its gateway to the U.S. market,” said Governor Larry Hogan, according to a Maryland Department of Commerce press release. “One of Lidl’s key guiding principles is providing its customers with outstanding quality at the best price. Maryland shares Lidl’s philosophy when it comes to customer service, and we are committed to attracting more companies like Lidl so that we can continue to provide Marylanders with excellent job opportunities.”

The Maryland Department of Commerce has approved a $360,000 conditional loan through the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Authority and Fund to assist with Lidl’s expected costs for the project. 

Likewise, the Cecil County Office of Economic Development will provide a $20,000 Workforce Training Partnership grant, and an additional $16,000 conditional loan based on the project’s goals for created employment. 

“We look forward to being part of this community and introducing residents in the area to a unique shopping experience that will be unlike anything else in the market. We thank Governor Larry Hogan, as well as leaders in Cecil County, for their support throughout this process,” said Proctor. 

Lidl is also eligible for various tax credits for its Maryland investment, including the state’s Job Creation Tax Credit and Enterprise Zones Property Tax Credit. 

Lidl’s U.S. company headquarters are in Arlington Country, VA, with regional headquarters and distribution centers located in Spotsylvania, VA, and Alamance County, NC. Thus far, Lidl has created more than 1,000 jobs at these facilities.

As Lidl continues to grow its plans and facilities, AndNowUKnow will have your up-to-the-minute news as the company inches closer to its U.S. debut.

Lidl US

LOS ANGELES, CA - As the focus on food safety continues to expand in the produce industry, 4Earth Farms has announced the hiring of Rusbelina Silva as its new Director of Quality and Food Safety.

“I am thrilled to be joining 4Earth Farms and the Food Safety Team, a team of dedicated food safety professionals that believe as strongly in food safety as I do,” Rusbelina commented upon her hiring. “For three years in a row 4Earth Farms has held a SQF Level 3 certification and just recently obtained the highest grade ‘A’ for the internationally recognized food safety and quality program BRC, Issue 7. I don’t think people in our industry really fathom how impressive that is. I will be challenged to figure out ways to make us even better, but I am looking forward to it!”

Prior to her joining 4Earth Farms, Rusbelina worked for tortilla giant Mission Foods for over twenty-three years, where she held positions that included Total Quality Manager and Total Quality Director. Rusbelina ended her tenure with Mission as Vice President of Total Quality.

“Food safety is not just good business, it is a moral imperative both to protect our customer’s brands as well as the health of the consumer,” shared 4Earth Farm’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Mark Munger. “As our company grows and adapts to new rules and requirements, Rusbelina’s experience and leadership will prove invaluable.”

Since earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemical Engineering with a focus on Food Science and Technology, Rusbelina has worked in quality assurance. She holds experience working with quick frozen vegetables, grains, salsas, and soups, where she was responsible for regulatory compliance and managing the microbiology laboratory, as well as quality assurance.

Us at AndNowUKnow look forward to the food safety innovations that will come out of this new partnership.

4Earth Farms

SCHENDECTADY, NY - Shortly after news broke that Price Chopper could be sold by parent company The Golub Corp., the retailer refuted the speculations.

“That would be rumor and innuendo, to which I will not respond," Mona Golub, Vice President of Public Relations and Consumer Services for Price Chopper, told Albany Business Review in response to the reports.

This is the second time in recent months that there have been whispers of a sale, most recently circulating in May and something that Golub commented as a yearly occurrence. "There is no truth whatsoever to this (annual) rumor,” she said, according to the report.

Amidst its investment to rebrand into its Market 32 concept, the company is keeping busy and reporting strong response to the change, to which Golub told Albany Business, “Customer response to Market 32 has been tremendous. We have a new board finance committee to explore capital opportunities to help us accelerate our conversion."

According to the company website, there are now nine Market 32 stores open–six in New York, two in Massachusetts, and one in Connecticut–with more on the way.

“Market 32 is an evolution. Our innovative approach to grocery shopping and our expanded offerings already reflect our guests’ growing interests and needs,” the company says of the newest approach to its 80+ year old chain.

Currently, The Golub Corp. owns 135 stores in six Northeast states. Should further details be released, AndNowUKnow will be sure to keep you up to date.

Price Chopper Market 32

SOUTHWEST U.S. & BAJA CALIFORNIA – As Tropical Storm Javier continues its eastward swirl towards the America's west coast, meteorologists are predicting that the storm will bring heavy rains, high winds, and possible flooding to the Southwestern U.S. as Javier moves close to Baja California. 

The storm inched in on the shores of Baja California last night and early this morning, according to Weather.com. Authorities have issued tropical storm warnings and watches for parts of Southern Baja California, and a hurricane watch from Cabo San Lazaro to Los Berriles. 

For these regions, officials expect winds to increase and remain gusty into Tuesday, predicting that damage could be caused to trees and power lines. Rainfall is expected between 3-6 inches, which could cause potential flooding.

The increased moisture and rains from the storm will also impact the Southwestern U.S. late tonight as the storm continues to move closer to land. These regions have also experienced localized flash flooding from thunderstorms over the past few weeks.

"Javier will help to enhance the stream of moisture that has already been consistently feeding into the Southwest," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda said. "Wednesday will hold the most widespread threat for heavy rain, thunderstorms, and flash flooding from Arizona and New Mexico, into southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado." 

Residents of these regions are cautioned to be aware of weather conditions are rainfall rates could commence in spurts and exceed an inch per hour across the Southwest, according to AccuWeather. Meteorologists say the regions to experience the most rain and flooding will span Phoenix and Tucson, AZ, to Deming and Silver City, NM.

Weather.com reported that Tropical Storm Javier is partially composed from the remnants of Hurricane Earl, which affected the Mexican coast and Belize.

As the storm progresses and impacts industry regions, AndNowUKnow will continue to have up-to-date announcements.