RALEIGH, NC - L&M companies has announced the completion of a 20,000-square-foot-facility just in time to kick off its Midwest summer season.

The Hamilton, Michigan-based warehouse just cut the ribbon on new state-of-the-art cooling, multiple temperature zones, and new offices.

“It’s great to have a new facility to work out of,” said Jake Parker, an L&M Product Manager that has spent the last five seasons in the state, according to a release. “We are off to a really nice start–beginning with the harvest of beautiful, dark green cucumbers last week and moving into bell pepper and hard squash harvest in about two weeks.” 

L&M will be shipping a number of vegetables from this newest location, including:

• Pepper
• Cucumbers
• Chiles
• Yellow
• Zucchini squash
• Eggplant
• Cabbage
• Hard squash
• Pumpkins
• Ornamentals

Parker handles the sales side of the business, according to L&M, working closely with Daryl Coffey, who manages the farming side, on a joint venture to plan for L&M’s future for the past three years.

“I have been working with growers and product in Michigan for five years and Daryl is the best,” Parker said of the partnership. “He is an expert farmer and exemplifies customer service. He’s a pleasure to work with every day and we are proud to welcome him into the L&M Family.”

Of that future, and the company’s plans for growth in the Midwest, General Manager of Vegetables for L&M Greg Cardamone expressed enthusiasm.

“The diversity and quality of products from Michigan are truly impressive and we are excited to be growing our business here,” Cardamone said. “This is an important link for our company. It completes L&M Farm’s goal of growing vegetables year round for our customers – providing the control of the product that allows us to meet our customer’s need and deliver the freshest vegetables from one of the finest growing regions in the country.”

The season is currently anticipated to go from early July through early October, according to the company, who added that it is bringing an experienced team from its southern farms up to Michigan.

As we continue to keep our pulse on industry growth throughout this summer and beyond, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.

L&M Companies

CHILE, NEW ZEALAND, & WASHINGTON – As the industry shifts regions in apple harvesting for the upcoming domestic season, companies across the board are gearing up for a volume-filled year, aided by prime growing conditions in the Northwestern part of the U.S.

Stemilt is gearing up for a high-demand year, matched by exceptional quality and volume for the company following prime growing conditions. As Communications Manager Brianna Shales recently told me, Stemilt is anticipating a crop of larger-sized apples and is especially excited about the qualities of its signature variety, Pinata®, premium Honeycrisp apples, and industry-leading Pink Lady® and Fuji programs. 

Stemilt’s Artisan Organics™ apples are up in volume as the company has completed the transition of new acreage to organic. “We are now 30% organic on all apples, which is helping us meet the high consumer demand for organics,” Brianna says.

Stemilt starts harvest in mid-August with the Gala variety, and picks until late October with Pink Lady®. The company focuses on picking at maturities that are optimal for storage and the consumer eating experience. Aztec is a new strain of Fuji that Stemilt has pioneered to offer premium-quality Fuji apples year-round. 

Also new for Stemilt is a consumer-focused website called “There’s an Apple for That.” 

“It’s a digital tool that helps introduce new flavors of apple varieties through their best usages or pairings. It’s a great piece for retailers to promote bulk apples around in-store, while also integrating with their digital teams to promote produce on social media,” finishes Brianna.

As Chelan Fresh prepares to harvest out of North Central Washington, Director of Marketing Mac Riggan says that the company is preparing for good-sized apple crop, with an estimate of 12 million boxes for the season.

“We’ve had very good weather this spring, with virtually no frost and warm weather which promotes good cell division,” Mac says. “We had a beautiful bloom period. We’re already seeing a lot of high-colored apples this far from harvest yet. We’re optimistic for this season.” 

Chelan Fresh expects to see good export and domestic sales this season, due to the size, shape, and color coming from its crop. Mac says that Chelan Fresh is pairing its promotable volume with a wide array of POS materials, specifically “to engage and influence the tastes of the young, kids 13 and younger, to become lifelong apple consumers,” he says.

Chelan Fresh will supply Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, Canadian Ambrosia, Granny Smith, and the exclusive Rockit Apple this season, in addition to other varieties. 

As David Nelley, Executive Category Director for Apples and Pears at Oppy, tells me, the company is gearing up for a high-demand year, with quality selections of JAZZ, Envy, and Pacific Rose varieties. 

“Our three varieties are really finding their footing. Large retailers are eager to stock all three, and even award them private label status,” David says of buy-side demand. JAZZ, Envy, and Pacific Rose are growing in both acreage and market demand, with higher interest in Asian markets as well. 

Oppy is currently in prime selling season for its JAZZ and Envy apples from Chile and New Zealand as part of its year-round supply, and ramping up for Washington-grown JAZZ apples starting the second week in September. Envy and Pacific Rose will follow shortly after.

“July has given us outstanding apple-growing weather in Washington,” David says. “We are happy to report that in these early days, JAZZ apples are sizing up over last year’s profile.” 

Oppy is offering promotional activities both locally and nationally through retailers, tailored to store formats and specific shopper styles for the category.

CMI is around two to three weeks from its normal season in Washington. As Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing, recently told me, the company is currently packing Early Golds this week before starting limited supplies of its Gala variety in the second week of August. 

“We are very excited about the quality and sizing we have coming in this crop. We expect a spectacular crop of Ambrosia, and increased quantities of our #1 selling Daisy Girl organics,” Steve says. CMI has been selling out of Ambrosia, due to its wide domestic demand. 

Steve divulges that the company has seen better apple growing weather this year over last, with cooler weather with sunny days. CMI is expecting its Washington crop to 20% larger than last year, with increases to its branded apples like Ambrosia and Kanzi.

Starting this fall, CMI will also be selling its own crop of Jazz, Envy, and Pacific Rose apples to consumers, supported by a range of sales support tools. Retailers can take advantage of POS materials, two and five box shippers, and custom display materials.

Giumarra Wenatchee is in peak season for its apple program out of New Zealand and Chile, as Jason Bushong, Division Manager, recently told me. 

“We have good fresh arrivals to finish out the summer. We have a full plate of Royal Gala, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Cripps Pink, Fuji, as well as new proprietary varieties, Diva and Lemonade,” Jason says of the company’s prospective lineup this year. 

So far into the season, the company has experienced weather patterns which have produced nice volumes and quality of fruit, Jason continues. “Quality this year has been very good,” he says.

“This year, we’re offering a full array of POS material, packaging styles, and demo support- particularly on our new IP apple varieties, which we are introducing,” finishes Jason.

As companies ramp up their Northwest apple production, stick with AndNowUKnow as we keep a close eye on the market.

Stemilt Growers Chelan Fresh Orchard View Cherries CMI 

OAKBROOK, IL - In an effort to expand its use of locally-grown produce, McDonald’s is now adding its Gilroy Garlic Fries to nearly 240 of its Bay Area locations. After a successful test at four restaurants earlier this year, participating McDonald’s restaurants will have a gradual rollout of the new product, which will be available by July 27.

“McDonald’s Gilroy Garlic Fries is a unique, regional offering that is tailored to Bay Area tastes,” explained Nick Vergis, Co-op President of the company in the San Francisco Bay Area. “The innovation of this new menu item is due in large part to our local franchisees and their commitment to providing food our customers want.”

The garlic used by McDonald’s is grown in the Santa Clara Valley, approximately 80 miles south of San Francisco in Gilroy, California. Garlic lovers and Bay Area residents may already know the city is commonly referred to as, “The Garlic Capital of the World.” Made-to-order in each kitchen, the product is made by tossing French fries with a purée mix of garlic from Gilroy, California’s Christopher Ranch. Other ingredients in the Gilroy Garlic Fries include olive oil, parmesan cheese, parsley, and a pinch of salt.

According to a press release, the fries themselves are made with North American-grown potatoes that include Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet, Blazer Russet, Ivory Russet, Umatilla Russet, and Shepody.

As we previously reported, McDonald’s entirely sold out of its Gilroy Garlic Fries the first week it was made available. Will this larger launch see similar success? And will it prompt McDonald’s to venture into other locally-grown produce options? Only time will tell, but AndNowUKnow will be sure to update you.

McDonald's

KEENE, NH - C&S Wholesale Grocers will be closing two facilities, both in Indiana, come September.

The two warehouses are located in Indianapolis and Yorktown, respectively, and will result in about 187 layoffs combined.

Indianapolis Haulage LLC and Indianapolis Logistics LLC filed mass layoff notices last Friday, July 15, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal, 116 employees in Indianapolis and 71 in Yorktown. The dates listed for layoffs are between Sept. 16 and Sept. 29.

Employees are both union and non-union, and nothing was reported about the process beyond the filing for the layoffs.

According to the report, the closures could be linked to SuperValu Inc.’s announcement earlier this month of its having entered into a long-term supply agreement with Marsh Supermarkets as its primary grocery supplier. Its current contract with C&S Wholesale expires on Sept. 24.

C&S Wholesale has also been in the midst of an entire reorganization plan, announced last October, the latest of which involved the reopening of its shuttered Maryland distribution facility.

AndNowUKnow will keep you posted of this and other moves in the retail market as news becomes available.

C&S Wholesale Grocers

NOGALES, AZ & VOORST, THE NETHERLANDS - In a new collaboration, Wholesum Harvest has partnered with Vitalis Organic Seeds to launch 'Vitalis Born, Wholesum Raised,' which will see tomatoes marketed by Wholesum and grown with Vitalis organic seed getting a new label. The new label was designed to celebrate the organic integrity of the product, from seed to store.

"We arrived at this decision through rigorous trialing of genetic material under multiple organic production systems and locations, combined with a varietal selection process prioritizing flavor and quality," explained Jessie Gunn, Marketing Manager at Wholesum Harvest. "Through this quality mark, we are demonstrating our commitment that organic agriculture should start with organic seed."

Wholesum’s partner in this launch, Vitalis Organic Seeds, is a breeder and producer of certified organic vegetable varieties for the professional market. Together, the companies worked to identify the best varieties for Wholesum’s production systems and markets.

"We are able to communicate with our vegetable breeders traits that have been identified as uniquely required by organic growers," said Erica Renaud, Business Development Manager of Vitalis Organic Seeds. "Ultimately, Vitalis can develop and choose varieties that Wholesum will brand and take to the organic marketplace."

All Vitalis seed production, handling and breeding techniques are USDA NOP certified and compliant with COR (Canada) and SAGARPA (Mexico) standards. According to a press release, Vitalis only uses traditional breeding techniques and is committed to non-GMO breeding. The large Vitalis portfolio is the result of empirical field observations and selection with organic growers in open field, tunnel, and heated greenhouse production systems.

SACRAMENTO, CA – As the industry and the state of California await the fate of the rumored water tunnels running from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, it appears the prospective plan has cleared another hurdle after the most recent ruling by the California Supreme Court. 

The courts ruled yesterday that, if enacted, Governor Jerry Brown’s $15.7 billion plan to build the two tunnels would not have to pay landowners rent to access thousands of acres of private property for the project’s preliminary tests, according to news source scpr.org. 

State officials argued prior to the ruling that the impending tests would not significantly damage the land, and the state should only be required to compensate those landowners whose land suffered any actual damage or interference. If the state had lost the ruling, it could have added millions of dollars to the Governor’s plan. 

The two tunnel project would install four-story high pipes underneath the ground for 35 miles, taking thousands of gallons of water a second from the Delta to cities and farmland in the southern regions of the state. 

The testing will require access to around 150 properties, spanning tens of thousands of acres throughout the San Joaquin, Contra Costa, Solano, Sacramento, and Yolo counties, as was listed in court documents according to scpr.org.

Environmental testing for the project would include soil samples and trapping certain animals, while geological testing would include boring holes up to eight inches in diameter, and 205 feet into the earth. After the testing, the holes would be filled. Opponents to the plan are concerned that the testing will destroy land, and disrupt fertilizer and pesticide use.

As the state and its opponents inch closer to a final decision regarding the water tunnels and use of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, AndNowUKnow will have your up-to-the-minute news on this and other water debates.

ZAANDAM, NETHERLANDS - The 13-month-long process of marrying European retailers Ahold and Delhaize is set to come to a close tomorrow, July 23, the companies announced.

Currently, the only thing preventing the $28 billion merger is FTC approval, the last regulatory okay the deal needs, which has not yet been announced. The companies have, however, divested 86 U.S. stores to several established retailers to ease any of the FTC’s concerns, and appear confident that those concerns have been abated.

“Subject to completion of the merger on July 23, 2016, ordinary shares in the combined company, Ahold Delhaize, would begin trading on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels with ticker symbol AD on Monday, July 25, 2016,” both Delhaize and Ahold stated in separate press releases, adding that Ahold Delhaize American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) will trade over-the-counter in the United States.

As the two have approached the end of this month, and likewise the end of the prelude to being one international retail giant, Delhaize’s stock has steadily climbed since June, standing yesterday at +.04% to $28.13 USD per share. According to the company, today, July 22, should be the last trading date of the Delhaize ordinary shares on Euronext Brussels.

If the FTC gives the go-ahead, it would mean the end of a deal just over a year in the making, not to mention a failed attempt to bring the two together back in 2006/2007. As we await news of whether this merger will be made before the month is out, as both Ahold and Delhaize have continually strived for, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.

Ahold Delhaize

WATSONVILLE, CA - Wendy’s attention to berries is garnering national attention, having just been featured in a comprehensive New York Times piece about “the dawn of freshness.”

Included in the feature is the partnership California Giant has with Wendy’s to provide fresh blackberries for its menu.

“Once people see blackberries in a Wendy’s salad, the writing’s on the wall that it’s going to be a new consumer trend and that there’s going to be a higher consumer demand for blackberries moving forward,” Cindy Jewell, Vice President of Marketing for California Giant, told the New York Times.

As we have reported previously, California Giant’s strawberries have been featured in Wendy’s menu items, and the fast food chain has recently turned its attention to blackberries as well. In turn, as the New York Times noted, the berry company has worked with its growers to meet Wendy’s blackberry requirements and told the publication that “the willingness of its independent growers to adjust their crop for a single customer was unprecedented.”

In the piece, the publication reports that Wendy’s customers may not be aware of all the work that went into getting the fresh, seasonal ingredients for the Wendy’s Summer Berry Chicken Salad, and the number of people behind it.

By featuring the work and the stories behind meeting fresh demand, the “farm” in bringing farm to the fork, that is being brought to the forefront of reading consumers.

To read the full New York Times article, click here.

Continue to read AndNowUKnow as we look to see recognition of fresh produce and the people of our industry on the rise.

California Giant Berry Farms

NEW YORK - The state of New York has officially issued a drought watch, the first of four levels of state drought advisories ("watch," "warning," "emergency," and “disaster”). This is the first drought watch in the state since 2002.

"While most public water supplies are still generally normal throughout the state, below normal precipitation over the last nine months, low stream flows, and reduced groundwater levels have prompted the need for this action," explained New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos, in a statement. "We are encouraging residents throughout the state to conserve water whenever possible during the coming months."

While there are currently no statewide mandatory water use restrictions in place, according to news source The Bradford Era, local public water suppliers may choose to require them depending on what the local need is.

According to the latest report from the National Drought Mitigation Center, nearly one quarter of New York state is in a severe drought and about 47 percent of the state is in either moderate or severe drought.

Other highlights from that report include:

• Nearly 17 million New Yorkers live in areas affected by the drought
• Forty-one percent of New York is in the pre-drought phase of "abnormally dry"
• The only areas that are not dry or in drought are the Mohawk Valley and the northern half of St. Lawrence County

While it is too early to tell how this may affect the state’s fresh produce industry, it's important to note that there may end up being water restrictions in the future if the state increases the drought advisory from “watch,” to one of the higher levels. AndNowUKnow will provide the industry with updates as we continue to look to the state’s water supply.