CORONA, CA- The California melon deal is underway, and here to discuss the latest and greatest with Veg-Fresh Farms’ program is Dan Kerrigan, Sales Manager for the category, who shares the 411 on the company’s melon expansion. 

Dan got into melon sales with Turlock Fruit 23 years ago and has now joined Veg-Fresh Farms, bringing with him a conventional and organic melon program to round-out the company’s categories.

“Our growers have been very much involved in the planning this year with the expanded product line,” Dan tells me. “We will have organic cantaloupe, organic mini-seedless melons, organic galia melons, organic orange flesh, and organic honeydews. In addition, we will have a large program in conventional cantaloupes.”

Veg-Fresh begins to plan before the first seed goes into the ground. The company has its program laid out, summer promotions are in place, and retail partners lined up.

With the summer just around the corner, expect more updates on your favorite warm weather fruits and vegetables from AndNowUKnow.

Veg-Fresh Farms

FRESNO, CA- Fresh fruit grower Verne Crookshanks, Principal of Venida Packing, Inc., has been honored by The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) with the esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award. Recognized for both his time and accomplishments in the produce industry, Verne was honored Friday, June 3, 2016, at the Vintage Press in Visalia, California.

“We could not be more pleased that the Mentors’ Committee selected Verne Crookshanks for this recognition and award. Verne’s long-term commitment and support has been paramount to the successes of the fresh fruit industry and our Association,” said Barry Bedwell, President of CFFA, who spoke at the luncheon recognizing Verne.

As an active member with the CFFA, Verne has served on the Association’s Board of Directors for 40 years. He has also served as its Chairman in 1986-87.

The CFFA’s Mentors’ Committee, which names the recipient, is comprised of the Association’s five most recent Board of Directors chairmen, and accepts nominations from all past chairmen, according to a press release. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who is industry-oriented, has provided long-term, consistent service to the CFFA by serving on the Board of Directors or various committees for an extended period of time throughout their career, and is a person who has influenced CFFA and the industry in a positive way through their time and effort.

Previous Lifetime Achievement Award honorees include Sarkis Sarabian of Sarabian Farms, Herbert Kaprielian of CRJ Farming Co. LP, and George Caratan of Anton Caratan & Son and Blanc Vineyards.

Congratulations, Verne, on this incredible honor.

CFFA

BENTONVILLE, AR – As the company continues to explore various strategies to keep it ahead of its competitors, Walmart has announced both a new CEO for its U.K. supermarket chain, Asda, and received an updated “Buy” status from investment firm, the Jefferies Group. 

Jefferies previously had the retail giant listed as “Hold” for purchase on company shares, but updated Walmart’s share status on Monday in a research report to its investors, according to The Market Digest. In sync with this move, the firm also raised the Price Target of Walmart stocks from $60 to $82. 

This announcement from Jeffries is also aligned with other market analysts who have recently updated their stance on the company’s stock. The Market Digest noted that the Telsey Advisory Group recently marked Walmart as ‘”Market Perform” and raised its price target for the company, as did RBC Capital Mkts by slating Walmart as “Underperform” with a price target increase. 

As of June 6, 2016, at 4:11 p.m. (PST), Walmart’s stock was at $71.07. The price-to-earning ratio for the company was 15.73. 

Consumers and analysts alike could be responding to the company’s Q1 reportings which saw a reported $0.98 earnings per share, which was higher than the $0.88 estimated by analysts.

As we previously reported, Walmart recently released a statement that it was going to focus on executive and leadership decisions to maximize the company’s effectiveness in American markets. These strategies appear to be working in some regards as the company took the top spot in yesterday’s released Fortune 500 list. 

Moving to executive shakeups in the company’s overseas market, Walmart’s U.K. chain, ASDA, announced that its current CEO, Andy Clarke, will eventually be replaced by its incoming COO, Roger Burnley.

According to Bloomberg, Clarke stated that he took the time to find the right fit for the position, and the company will now be prioritizing market share over profit. Clarke said that the strategy will be three-years in implementation after sales for the company have fallen for seven quarters running. 

Walmart or Asda did not state when Clarke would be stepping down from U.K. operations or when Burnley would take his place. Burnley will join the company first as COO in October, coming from one of Asda’s leading competitors, Sainsbury's.

As Walmart continues its national and international strategies to remain on top, keep an eye on AndNowUKnow as we report on the retail giant and other industry financials.

Walmart Asda

WENATCHEE, WA- The key for retailers is to promote now. That is what Stemilt’s Marketing Director, Roger Pepperl, tells me as we discuss the compressed Washington cherry season and how even waiting a week can be a waste of precious time. Roger’s insights into the retail industry aren’t just from his many interactions and negotiations with the retail community, but from his own professional experience as a produce buyer and merchandiser for the Midwest supermarket banner Meijer.

“Being an ex-retail buyer, I can tell you that if you don’t have an ad now, then you will want to get in-store mechanisms and promotions in place ASAP and expand displays,” Roger says. “Our best-in-class retailers are creating in-store destination displays for their cherry categories to drive sales and take advantage of the early crop. As we speak, too many people are wasting precious time with a crop that is unbelievable this year.”

So what is the latest with the Washington cherry season? Roger tells me that prior to the high temperatures this week, there have been several weeks of moderate temperatures in the high 70s to the high 80s with cool nights, and this has brought on an excellent quality crop with large sizing and great flavor.

“Perfect growing conditions,” he says. “This year there are changes in timing for ad programs with 80-85 percent of the fruit shipped in June and July. With the season compressed to about an eight week window, this year will see challenges toward the end of the season for customers who don’t plan their schedules around this season’s new expectations.” 

While retailers look to capture every sale possible, Stemilt is now shipping Chelans and Glen Reds (a Sequoia variety) and has also been shipping the Coral variety. 

“We are winding down on Chelans and getting into Bings in a big way,” he adds. “Fruit has been extremely large with lots of 9.5 row, 10 row and larger with nice green stems and dark coloring.”

Next week 80-plus percent will be Bings, which offer high-flavor and will help to drive consumer demand. Stemilt is also packing yellow cherries and as this high-sugar, specialty cherry family continues to grow in popularity, so does demand. For yellows, the company is packing both organic and conventional Rainiers as well as the Stemilt-exclusive, Skylar Rae variety in limited volumes.

“We only pick the Skylar Rae cherries when they are 22 brix and higher. They are the firmest cherry we grow,” Roger says, adding that Stemilt is packing Skylar Rae in promotable volumes starting immediately and going for about the next four weeks. “We will have more and more volume as years go on to respond to the consumer’s desire for different cherry flavor profiles and eating experiences.”

Skylar Rae cherries will be sporting a new look this year with Stemilt’s aisle displays, which will feature a one-box display unit for Skylar Rae. These cherries will also be marketed in a new dome clamshell that features a high-gloss, metallic label.  A majority of promotions should be starting now and should be planned for the next 3 weeks, Roger notes, and with Rainiers sizing in the 8 to 9 row range, consumers will gravitate toward this variety.  

“For a full cherry season out of Washington, an average retailer is selling 5.4 percent of their cherry volume/pounds as Rainier cherries, and 8.8 percent of dollars are coming from Rainier cherries. That is for the national composite,” Roger tells me. “But our best-in-class retailers that are really focused on Rainers are seeing up to 9 percent of their pound volumes, and 12 percent of dollar volume, coming from Rainier sales. This is all based on capturing these ad periods.”

On the organic front, Stemilt is packing dark sweets and packing organic Rainiers as well. Organic Rainiers will be packed till June 20th and the organics dark sweets will be packed all the way into July.

From June 20^th to July 15^th, Stemilt will feature it’s largest Kyle’s Pick Cherry program ever. The Kyle’s Pick program features premium varieties and the largest sized fruit, including Stemilt’s Skeenas, that offer high-firmness and high-flavor that are 9.5 row sizes and larger and are picked for size, maturity, sugars, and firmness. These cherries will be showcased in pouch bags in order to help retailers merchandise while driving repeat sales of cherries this season.

From about June 7^th to July 1st, Stemilt will be promoting Cherry Festivals with a variety of different cherries on ad from dark sweet cherries to Rainiers and Skylar Rae- all at the same time.

So, what is Roger’s final piece of advice, as a former produce buyer? At least for this piece.

Don’t blink.

Stemilt Growers

HOKKAIDO, JAPAN – Japanese culture is no stranger to exorbitantly priced fruits, but the case could be made that the specific market for posh fruits has yet to see a produce item that is this adorable. Consumers can purchase Hello Kitty melons from online specialty gourmet foods shop Belluna, at the price of 5,500 yen, or roughly $51.26, each.

Grown in the prime melon cultivating region of Japan, these specialty Furano melons weigh roughly 3.97 pounds, but find their distinction in the Hello Kitty face seen in the netting. In addition to the familiar character’s face helping to amp up its consumer popularity, is a limited run of 300 melons. 

The Furano melons transform into the Hello Kitty variety about one month prior to their harvest when the image is carved on the surface of the melon, as reported by RocketNews24.com. Appearing initially as a bright green image in the flesh of the rind, the color then changes during the last weeks of the melon’s growth to take on the seamless and natural image that consumers covet. 

To add to the almost $52 price tag tacked to each melon, each customer will receive their gift packed in a special Hello Kitty box to round out the purchase. How’s that for a sweet deal?

Keep up with AndNowUKnow for more news in expensive produce, and to see which pop-culture figure the industry turns to next.

SALINAS, CA- The complex issue of food waste is present in communities, states, and across countries, and while it is not an easy one to resolve, the Monterey County Sustainable Working Group is driving efforts to address the ongoing issue. On Wednesday, May 26th, upwards of 50 representatives from local government, businesses, and nonprofits gathered for a two-hour luncheon in Salinas, California, to learn about and discuss food waste.

Nikki Rodoni, Founder of the Working Group, said, “Solving this issue of food waste is a complex endeavor, and there is no one-size fits all solution. This meeting was a great first step toward constructive collaboration to find solutions for how to measure and improve efforts in this area.”

In the U.S. alone, 40 percent of all food is wasted, according to the press release. In Monterey County, an area abundant in agriculture, more than one-in-ten people are food insecure, including families, children and the elderly. Attendees at the event learned the national food waste rate of 40 percent represents an annual economic loss of $160-220 billion. In addition, it also accounts for a loss of around 141 trillion calories worth of food.

Discussion and action around this issue has been continuing to gain traction in supermarkets, with government agencies, and even on social media where the Twitter handle @UglyFruitAndVeg has nearly 70,000 followers, the release adds. On a national level, the White House recently announced the ambitious goal of a 50 percent reduction in food waste by 2030 with a growing number of federal and state initiatives to reduce food waste along the supply chain. The Ad Council is kicking off a brand new “Save The Food” campaign. For context, the average family of four spends $1,500/year on food they don’t eat, the release notes.

San Francisco-based Dana Gunders, an expert on food waste with the Natural Resource Defense Council and author of  Waste Free Kitchen Handbook, gave the keynote speech.

"There's a real opportunity for the farm community to seize consumer interest in the topic in a way that helps fully utilize everything that's being grown,” Gunders said as she shared results from food waste studies around the country, which found that although food-recycling programs are more scalable, waste prevention, and food recovery programs are far more cost-effective. “We're already starting to see companies large and small embrace the 'ugly' fruit and vegetable movement, and I believe that's just the beginning. I truly appreciate this chance to discuss many of the issues around food waste with the group."

Wednesday’s event brought together individuals from higher education, waste management companies, agricultural companies, food banks, composters, trade associations, and county government.

Attendees discussed a number of waste-reduction strategies including gleaning, or recovering food from fields and orchards after all commercially viable product has been harvested since some of the biggest opportunities in reducing food waste can be found at the farm or processing facility.

As supporters of the cause, Growers Express—part of the original steering committee members of MCSWG—is also bringing the issue to light.

Technical Services & Sustainability Manager, Kris Gavin, of Growers Express will continue to be a catalyst for this important cause. Gavin is also part of the team working to encourage innovative ways to address the issue. “I’m pleased to represent Growers Express in our support of continued education, training and collaboration towards improvement of this far-reaching issue,” Gavin said. “It’s been top of mind with many consumers for some time now and will undoubtedly be into the future,” Gavin said.

Mike Harwood, Professor of Food and Agribusiness at Santa Clara University, said, “Growers need better financial incentives to glean their own fields at a profit.”

Addressing other food waste challenges including consistency in “Best Before” labels, consumer purchasing habits, portion sizes, food storage, and even food disposal strategies, Jeff Lindenthal with the Monterey Regional Waste Management District, stated, “The District processes more than 5,000 tons of post-consumer food waste annually… we agree it’s best to reduce, reuse and then recycle!”

Extensive resources go into food production and consumption, such as land, water, fertilizer, energy, transportation and labor. Diverse regions with varied challenges and strengths must approach the problem differently along with players in the food supply chain, from farmers, distributors and retailers, to restaurants, consumers and all the way to waste managers.  

While the Monterey County Sustainable Working Group continues to spearhead these efforts, continue to check back with us as we bring you the latest from Nikki Rodoni and her team.

SANDPOINT, ID – Litehouse Foods only weeks ago unveiled the new Simple Seasons additions to its lineup, and is now amplifying its fresh offerings with the announcement of another on-trend flavor product: Litehouse® Guacamole Herb Blend.

A varied offering of seven different herbs, Litehouse formulated the combined herbs and spices to offer a dash of convenience to the growing guacamole-making community. 

The AndNowUKnow team received this latest launch on our doorstep with a few suggested products to see what it could do. Both dried and freeze-dried, the following are included in the Litehouse® Guacamole Herb Blend:

• Cilantro
• Red onion
• Tomato
• Lemon
• Cumin
• Red pepper
• Garlic

As you can see, we experienced for ourselves the splash of flavor this new launch adds, as well as the easier experience of mitigated slicing and dicing.

“The secret to making perfect guacamole is perfecting the blend of spices,” Theresa Lindholm, Litehouse’s Brand Manager, said in a press release. “We’re excited to introduce a new and simple way to make homemade guacamole that will have family and guests begging for your secret recipe.”

The clear, presentable jar showcases the colorful blend, which still manages to look fresh and inviting. 

Litehouse® Guacamole Herb will be available in produce departments June 15th at a suggested retail price of $4.99 per jar, joining the company’s herb line of 17 different freeze dried herbs.

If you’d like to see your product in this segment, please send samples to 2005 Capitol Ave, Sacramento, CA, 95811.

Litehouse Foods

AUSTIN, TX - As Whole Foods continues its efforts to revamp the retailer’s Responsibly Grown Three-Tier Rating Program, the company is sharing its latest progress and highlights for the program thus far.

As we have previously reported, Whole Foods mapped out changes to the program since it was first introduced as growers voiced concerns over the “Good,” “Better,” or “Best” rating system which some thought devalued the complex structure required by the USDA to adhere to certified organic growing vs. conventional. Whole Foods is continuing to listen while keeping with that commitment to refine the program with these latest events and initiatives.

“Last year, we committed to providing more support and trainings for suppliers across the country to help them navigate our still new, online supplier review and approval process, and to understand new food safety regulations and traceability initiatives that are essential in our business together,” Matt Rogers Global Produce Coordinator for Whole Foods Market, tells me.

Rogers goes on to share that the company has done just that and then some, hosting 11 trainings across the country between January and April 2016 with a total of 450 attendees representing 340 fresh produce and floral suppliers.

“While sharing information about Responsibly Grown and our baseline supplier requirements were important parts of these trainings, we also brought in external experts to talk about the evolving produce business landscape including great presentations on Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) and food safety and the implications of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) for small farmers,” Rogers says.

These training events were led by both Whole Foods Market team members along with industry experts from the Produce Marketing Association, FamilyFarmed.org, and IPM Institute.

As Whole Foods noted earlier this year, the company would be simplifying how the program appeared in stores by moving to a single Responsibly Grown rating logo in late spring. That change is now reflected in stores. 

Additional goals to the program are:

• Updates to Whole Foods’ list of prohibited pesticide list are being made following the company’s pesticide policy of “[updating] as needed to ensure continuous improvement in pesticide risk reduction.” These will go into effect early next calendar year.
• All USDA’s Certified Organic produce and flowers at Whole Foods Market are now being granted a Responsibly Grown rating until Jan. 1, 2017, to allow Certified Organic growers more time to become rated under the program.
• Whole Foods is automatically awarding all Certified Organic products with additional points within the rating system. While the retailer has always awarded Certified Organic growers with automatic points and exemptions for their compliance with the National Organic Program (NOP) Standards, they have since added additional areas of overlap for which Certified Organic growers will be rewarded with automatic points.
• Whole Foods are adding support and training to help our growers through the onboarding process and new food safety regulations and traceability requirements. 

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we keep you updated on all things Whole Foods and the company's constant evolution. 

Whole Foods 

SALINAS, CA – As the state reaches its peak blueberry season, Naturipe Farms says that constant improvement, innovative methods, new packaging, and proprietary varieties are keeping the company ahead of consumer demand as the season moves north along the western coast of California. 

“We are in the back half of the peak in Delano, and heading straight into the peak of the Delta region,” said Brian Bocock, Vice President of Product Management. “The Delta growing area is a nice bridge of production between the California and Oregon/Washington seasons, providing a continuous supply of conventional and organic blueberries to our customers.” 

The company said that included in its harvest this year, is the Rocio, an early proprietary variety of blueberries which is typically larger in size, with a sweet flavor. 

Naturipe is also offering other varieties from this year’s crop, such as the Legacy and Draper. “Legacy and Draper from our northern California farms offer the best ‘late season California’ blueberries with their flavor, quality, and superior self-life,” said Mario Flores, Director of Blueberry Product Management, in a press release. 

According to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, consumer demand for blueberries has increased over the past nine years to find Americans now twice as likely to buy the fruit, said the company.

Naturipe grower-owners David and Kable Munger, second generation growers at the head of Munger Farms in the San Joaquin Valley, are matching this consumer demand with new strategies and improvements as growers. 

“It is our mission to deliver the highest quality berries to our customers and the consumers,” said the Munger brothers in a statement. “We are dedicated to finding innovative new technologies to improve and stay competitive in this ever changing marketplace.” 

Such dedication extends to a fully integrated farming family that now includes Kable’s children, Asha and Diwan, as the company continues to focus on improvement. 

“It is an honor to work alongside my family. My sister and I are very fortunate to have the support of not only our Dad and Uncle, but of our dedicated team and extended family here at Munger Farms,” said Diwan Munger. 

Naturipe also noted that the company has released a new packaging feature with a focus on the organic shopper with its a natural fiber, compostable organic tray. The trays feature heat-sealed packaging which upholds the company’s commitment to the environment with a 30 percent plastic reduction rate.

Keep up with AndNowUKnow as we give you the scoop on the latest proprietary varieties and innovations within the industry.

Naturipe Farms Munger Brothers, LLC