NEW YORK, NY - In a celebration of the independent restaurant owner, and perhaps a celebration of its extremely successful $1 billion IPO last week, US Foods brought five of America’s “hidden culinary gems” to cook up some of the hottest menu items in the country at the first-ever fully functioning outdoor kitchen in front of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). On Thursday, May 26th, from 9am to 12pm, the company featured independent restaurant owner/VIP Chefs to bring attention to this under-resourced sector of the $782 billion restaurant industry. 

“55% of America’s restaurants are independently owned, yet more than 60% close within the first year. US Foods wants to shine a spotlight on these local chefs and their impact on the way America eats today,” the company shared in a press release. “Industry group technomic predicts sales at independent restaurants and small chains to grow at 3.2% over the next five years while regional and national chains will grow at only 1.2% and 1.7% respectively, making this group an increasingly vital part of the American food industry.” 

US Foods invited the following five Chefs to cook at the NYSE, according to a press release:

Brian Ellis, The Smith – New York, NY:  

Brian Ellis has served as the first executive chef at the first Smith restaurant since its opening in 2007 in the East Village. The Smith now has 4 locations throughout Manhattan, with each menu featuring a selection of farm-fresh, familiar, and creative bistro dishes. The Smith works closely with local farmers and purveyors to source food from people they know and trust.

Ellis served Toasted Ricotta Gnocchi with White Truffle Cream.

Donna Lee, Brown Bag Seafood – Chicago, IL:  

With a vision for seafood, Donna Lee took it upon herself to bring Chicagoans fresh, quality fish accessibly, quickly, and affordably. Brown Bag Seafood is a fast casual restaurant, or as Lee calls it, a “glorified seafood shack.” Since 2014, the restaurant has been the go-to spot in the Chicago Loop to get reasonably priced seafood that is responsibly sourced, tasty, and healthful.

Lee served Crispy Cod with Summer Corn Slaw.

Kenneth Danko, Devilicious – Temecula, CA: 

For father and son duo Bob and Kenneth Danko, built their empire serving everything from truffle fries to pork belly sliders to duck confit grilled cheese sandwiches all over southern California. Their Devilicious food trucks have been recognized by The Food Network, The Cooking Channel, and recently spurred a brick and mortar restaurant serving the same “food so good it’s bad” in Temecula, CA. 

Dank served a Lobster Roll with Shallot Tarragon Aioli, alongside Devilicious! House Chips. 

Cristy Nolton, Yeah Burger – Atlanta, GA: 

Cristy Nolton and her restaurant, Yeah Burger, take burgers to the next level. Nolton serves up her organic, gluten-free, and eco-friendly fare that has made Yeah Burger one of the "10 Favorite Burger Spots" in America, according to BON APPETIT.

Noton served a Grass Fed Beef Slider, with Fig Jam, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese on a Brioche Roll.

Gaurav “G” Patel’, Eschelon Experiences – Raleigh, NC:  

Only 10 years old when he came to the United States with his family from India, G Patel did not speak any English, but already was growing small crops as child to earn money for school supplies. 21 years later, Patel is a staple in the North Carolina Triangle dining scene, owning six top-ranking Triangle restaurants and employing more than 300 people in the area. 

Patel served Pork Belly Al Pastor, with Smoky Stone Ground Grits, a Guajillo Chili Sauce, and Jicama Chow Chow.

Also served at the event was a vegetarian option, Pickled Superfood with a spicy sauce, and kale chips.

For more on US Foods and the company’s appreciation of this undervalued sector of the foodservice industry, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.

US Foods

SOUTH AFRICA - Citrus from South Africa is now in season, and as the program winds up, retailers can look forward to growing resources and initiatives to answer the increasing demand. The group Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA) is helping to drive those efforts this year, representing 230 South African citrus growers who consolidate their logistics, marketing, and sales efforts to bring the finest citrus fruit to market during the U.S. summer season.

CEO, Suhanra Conradie, spoke with me recently about this new era in growth for the group, and what we can expect as the summer gets underway.

“Summer Citrus from South Africa is available throughout the entire summer season. Because citrus is such a versatile item that can easily be enjoyed as a healthy and portable snack as well as a great flavor addition to summer grilling, beverages and refreshing desserts, there is no wrong time to promote it!” Suhanra tells me. “Retailers can expect easy peelers to be available as of the end of May, while navel oranges will follow in late June and can plan for promotional periods anytime during the summer months.”

As summer warms up, SCSA is evolving with a group-wide re-brand for expanded marketing efforts in 2016. Part of the brand’s marketing efforts include the launch of a new website this month along with a first-ever digital consumer promotion in July. Expect elevated social media presence and blogger partnerships throughout the summer as well.

With its four main import partners Seald Sweet, DNE, Capespan, and AMC, as well as current retail partners, SCSA is looking to build on its current program with new and continuing customer support.

“We are very fortunate to have such a fantastic group of partners,” Suhanra, says. “We certainly anticipate our customer base continuing to grow with the number of positive sales conversations our team is having.”

So, what has contributed to the increased demand for South African citrus?

Suhanra tells me that consumers are becoming more and more familiar with the fantastic flavor and sweetness of citrus from South Africa and realize the quality of fruit they are purchasing.

“We also fill a critical gap when U.S. citrus is not available. When compared to other summer fruit items, citrus provides an incredible value on a per pound basis. Budget savvy shoppers will be drawn to messaging that helps them shop smarter while still enjoying the peak of season flavor and quality,” she says.

Until this year, the group of citrus growers represented by this new brand was known in the U.S. market as the Western Cape Citrus Producers Forum. As SCSA examined how best to represent its products to a consumer audience and put the group’s best marketing foot forward, SCSA knew it wanted to have a brand that shoppers could connect with and easily understand. 

“Summer Citrus from South Africa was born from a desire to clearly communicate the seasonality and origin of the fruit. In designing the brand, it was important to us to create a logo that was crisp and clean – something that the modern shopper could relate to,” Suhanra adds.

SCSA introduced the new re-brand at Viva Fresh, but will have a much larger presence at United Fresh with a new 10x30 booth. Visit Summer Citrus from South Africa at booth number 1731 next month in Chicago, Illinois.

See you all there!

Summer Citrus From South Africa 

SANTA PAULA, CA - Limoneira is kicking off the month of June with a focus on changing the world of agriculture and the careers it employs as part of its commitment to sustainability.

“From our CEO, Harold Edwards, to our Lemons for Life spokesperson Megan Roosevelt and back again, every member of the Limoneira team is committed to supporting educational efforts in our community and beyond,” the company stated in a press release, commenting that service to the community is a big asepct of sustainability. 

One of the main points the company makes in serving and sustaining its community, is through education and fostering the future of the ag industry, citing that competitiveness in the global economy requires problem solvers, innovators, higher-level thinkers, and strong communicators.

One of the ways the company is working to foster this is by moves like that made by its CEO, Harold Edwards, who was a "Celebrity Reader" for First 5 Ventura County at the ABC preschool in Santa Paula this past May.

“It was a great experience for me, and it was a great experience for the kids,” Harold said on being a part of the Ventura County Star and First Five Ventura County's Read to the Kids campaign.

Likewise, Megan Roosevelt, who in addition to being official spokesperson for Limoneira’s Lemons for Life™ is Founder of Healthy Grocery Girl®, spoke with with Dr. Lisa Kessler, Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture, and talented ag students, Irena Ilic and Jose Bautista on May 20th

“Agriculture is one of the most important industries in the world. However, have you ever stopped to ask yourself where your food comes from?” Roosevelt posed. “When people think of the word “agriculture,” often farming is what comes to mind. However, agriculture consists of over 20 million people in America in 200 different job categories.”

While Limoneira notes that the more obvious careers in ag are directly related to the farm or ranch, only 10 percent of Americans of the 22 million, according to the release.

“Education in the classroom is only the first step, however,” Limoneira said. “Once those graduation caps have been tossed in the air, there is an entire world of careers in the world of agriculture right here in the United States that Limoneira wants to spread the word about.”

Some of the numerous careers in agribusiness can include:

• Agribusiness Management
• Agricultural & Natural Resources Communications
• Building Construction Management
• Agriscience
• Food Science

With a projected boost in job growth over the next five years, the company is practicing sustainability by contributing to its local communities and their education, through events such as educational tours, bringing students of all ages in to share its knowledge in both sustainable practices, and the intricacies of getting lemons to consumers around the globe.

To see more of what Limoneira does to give back to its communities, visit limoneira.com/agribusiness/lemons/community/.

Limoneira

GLENNVILLE, GA - As the Vidalia onion fresh season winds down in Georgia, Delbert Bland, President and Owner of Bland Farms, took the time to tell me about how product and demand have been looking in previous weeks, as well as a bit of what we can expect in the days to come.

“We’ve had a little bit of rain, nothing out of the ordinary, and a fairly decent harvest season,” Delbert explains, adding that Mother Nature has been good to the region this season as far as the usual heat challenges she would bring. “It’s not too hot right now, which is usually a problem right now. That hasn’t been the case this year so it’s been very good for us.”

Demand during the fresh season has been good as well, with Vidalias being grown in specific areas making for a good ratio of supply versus need.

“We’re experiencing a lot of demand because, as things get fresher, we don’t have a lot of areas that compete,” Delbert says, adding that the market is looking steady, but will likely spike as the season moves into storage crops today, June 1st.

“The market is doing fair, it will go up a bit because the charge will go up a bit more due to the cost coming out of storage.”

Delbert still anticipates volumes to stay fair during the storage season, however, adding, “Fresh onions are looking good so it should make for a smooth transition into storage. Overall it’s been a good season.”

Keep checking in with AndNowUKnow as we follow all key categories through 2016 and beyond.

Bland Farms

IDAHO FALLS, ID - Fresh potato company Potandon Produce L.L.C., is making moves to revamp its sales department, appointing a new Director of Sales and a new Foodservice Sales Manager through two in-house promotions.

Former Potandon Senior Sales Manager, J.P. Surerus, has now made the leap to Director of Sales. Bringing over 22 years of potato industry experience, according to a press release, the company says Surerus has a proven track record of leadership and business development. Surerus spent the past five years as a sales manager with Potandon.

The former Foodservice Sales Manager, Stephanie Bench, has been promoted to Director of Foodservice. While her past 10 years have been with Potandon, Bench is bringing over 25 years of industry experience to her new directorial role.

Ralph Schwartz, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the company, had this to say about the company’s new heads of sales divisions, “Both Stephanie and J.P. have been integral parts of the growth Potandon has experienced and they will be key players in leading the sales department into the future.”

It’s an exciting time to be part of Potandon Produce, and an exciting time to cover it, so continue to tune in to AndNowUKnow for more.

Potandon Produce

UNITED STATES - Each year, the United Fresh Produce Association honors a group of exceptional produce industry individuals in its Retail Produce Manager Awards Program. The 25 produce managers represented are selected from hundreds of nominations submitted by retailers and produce suppliers across the industry from supermarket banners, commissaries and independent retail stores. This year’s honorees represent 19 different states and two Canadian provinces. 

This past month, United Fresh’s Jeff Oberman kicked off a tour in partnership with Dole Food Company, to visit the produce manager honorees on their turf and see what separates them from their peers. Here, in this first article with more to come, I spoke with two retail leaders, Schnucks Markets and Hy-Vee, as they honored the team members that more than made the cut.

“This year, Dole and United Fresh have strived to enhance the year-round value of the program by visiting with each of the 2016 Winners in their stores,” Jeff tells me. “These top retail produce managers have been recognized for their commitment to fresh produce, innovative merchandising, community service, and customer satisfaction through the Retail Produce Manager Awards Program. The program was sponsored by Dole Food Company in 2016 and it is now in it’s 12th year.”

United Fresh and Dole have recognized many deserving industry members this year, and one of those incredible individuals is Jason Norviel of Schnucks Markets in Des Peres, MO. Tom Brendel, Produce Buyer for Schnucks Markets, took a few moments from his day to speak with me and share that Jason has an incredible way of adapting to the needs of the consumer while balancing the dynamic of the store.

“Jason’s department is always full and fresh and inviting to the customer,” Tom tells me. “His two biggest assets are his ability to rally his team and get them involved in the presentation and educations within the department, and second, he is very customer-oriented and always there to address consumers needs and questions. Jason truly deserves this award.”

In addition, Dan Hanson of Hy-Vee, Inc. in Mankato, MN, is another individual honored in the 2016 Retail Produce Manager Awards Program; not only for his ingenuity, but for his leadership.

Mike Orf, Assistant Vice President, Produce Operations, for Hy-Vee says, “We’re very proud to have Dan on our produce team. He is incredibly driven and passionate about growing produce consumption and reaching more consumers. He has a keen eye for merchandising and creates flair in his dynamic displays. Dan has been a great leader and mentor to many others.”

Dole also brought a team for the tour, and spoke to me about the important shoes these individuals fill.

"The role these produce managers have is critically important to the produce industry,” Bil Goldfield, Director of Corporate Communications for Dole Food Company, shares. “To consumers they are the unquestionable experts and extensions of the growers and the brands. The produce managers who are being recognized with this award are some of the best and most passionate about produce. All of us at Dole are aware of the relationship we share together, and we feel fortunate to have the opportunity to publicly say thank you and celebrate their success.”

Jeff and the Dole team have collected many wonderful insights during this part of the tour, with huge emphasis on the essential role produce managers assume to create a successful retail operation.

“A great produce manager can make a dramatic impact on increasing produce sales. Some have shared that a successful produce manager made a 20% difference in same store sales. This program is all about increasing sales and consumption,” Jeff says. “When I read about cut-backs in store-level personnel, it seems there will be long-term losses in sales as well as the customer ‘experience’ and these visits have proved that retailer’s need to invest in frontline personnel to increase sales, not cut costs of labor.” 

In many ways, by featuring these 25 Produce Managers on an annual basis through the Produce Manager Awards Program, United Fresh hopes to showcase their excellence, and motivate other retailers to support their front-line in store produce teams.

All winners will be the honored guests at the United Fresh 2016 convention, June 20-22 in Chicago.  Stay tuned for more behind the scenes commentary and insights from the Midwest swing of the Produce Manager Awards Program tour.

See you all in Chicago!

United Fresh Retail Produce Manager Awards Program

MISSION, TX - The South Texas Onion Committee (STOC) has announced it is looking for new members, currently seeking producer and handler nominees for Districts 1 & 2. District 1 includes the areas of the Coastal Bend and Rio Grande Valley, while District 2 covers the Uvalde/Winter Garden region.

“The STOC plays an important role in ensuring producers and handlers get the best price for their products,” Bret Erickson, STOC Manager said. “We are always looking for new folks to sit on the committee to create diversity and bring in some new energy.” 

According to a press release, the Committee is strongly encouraging the industry to nominate members who are women and/or minorities.

"I would like to encourage the onion industry to get involved,” shared Steve Cargil, onion grower and current Chairman of the STOC, who also noted a need for more industry participation. 

"Without enforceable standards, any and all onions could be shipped making it difficult to get the best price possible for high quality Texas onions,” Cargil added, explaining that Texas onions are inspected for consistent grade and size standards. “Our onion marketing order helps create a level playing field.”

The STOC will hold a nomination and budget meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, June 1, 2016 at the TAMUK Citrus Center in Weslaco, to which the entire Texas onion industry is invited to attend. For those interested in participating or with questions about eligibility requirements for serving on the committee, please call Lilly Garcia at (956) 584-9331 for more information.

Texas International Produce Association

CHELAN, WA - Chelan Fresh is excited to share the proprietary Orondo Ruby cherry variety, a naturally sweet, sizeable cherry that matures earlier than the native variety.

“The story behind the Orondo Ruby cherry is remarkable,” Mac Riggan, Director of Marketing for Chelan Fresh, stated in a press release. “It wasn’t created in a lab, but rather a gift presented by Mother Nature.”

First discovered in 2008 by fourth generation grower Marcus Griggs, the new variety yields an entirely different cherry from others in the family’s Washington orchard.

According to the company, this new cherry stood out by tasting sweeter than the tree’s native variety, while maturing earlier.

“Griggs rolled up his sleeves and went to work planting thousands of new trees to deliver Orondo Ruby to the masses. Now, those efforts are paying off,” Riggan said.

The Orondo Ruby’s characteristics include:

• Higher acidity and sugars than a Rainier or Bing, making it much sweeter
• A crisper skin than its counterparts
• Stores better and longer than most cherries
• Firmer skin with fewer blemishes and less splitting, shown by a 28-day storage test

The only downside, the company noted, is the variety’s short growing season, meaning a limited summer stock. Going to select retail markets, Chelan Fresh currently has a limited supply of the Orondo Ruby variety, available on the shelves starting around June 15th.

As more trees mature, the company looks forward to growing the variety’s yield and distribution.

You can learn more about this latest product, as well as other innovative Chelan Fresh products like Rockit Apples and Cup O’ Cherries, when visiting the company’s website at chelanfresh.com.

Chelan Fresh

MONTEREY, CA -  PRO*ACT is continuing to evolve as a produce supply-chain management company, with the recent addition of David Peterson in the newly created role of Senior Vice President of Sales. Peterson will be based in PRO*ACT’s Monterey office and reports to the COO.

“One of our initiatives this year, given our rapid growth, is to create a well-defined structure to support sales,” Brian Kane, Chief Operating Officer, says. “The new position of Senior Vice President of Sales will help to focus our activity on new opportunities as well as serving existing customers. David brings years of valuable experience to the role. We are fortunate to have him join our team.” 

Peterson brings more than 35 years of experience in agri-business leadership positions to his new role, including his time as Vice President of Procurement for Danaco Solutions in the company’s Salinas office, and also Senior Vice President Business/Agriculture Development for Sun World International in Bakersfield, California. Peterson has also held leadership roles such as General Manager of Produce for Sysco Corp., where he established one of the first centralized produce marketing and procurement operations in Salinas that is still around today, according to a press release.

Congratulations, David, on your new role with PRO*ACT and all that is yet to come!

PRO*ACT

CAMARILLO, CA - Houweling’s Tomatoes celebrated the Memorial Day Weekend with recognition from the fifth annual Governor’s Utah Energy Development Summit, having been named as one of four recipients of the Excellence in Energy Award.

“It is incredibly rewarding to be recognized as a leader and innovator for our Mona, UT, greenhouse farm,” Casey Houweling, CEO of Houweling’s, said, according to a press release. “The heat and CO2 capture technology cements the project as a crown jewel of sustainable agriculture, while opening up possibilities in a myriad of industries.”

The facility, Houweling’s Currant Creek Heat and CO2 Recovery Project at the Mona, UT, greenhouse farm, took nearly three years of vision, planning, and hard work to realize the company’s efforts for sustainable ag.

Houweling was in Salt Lake City to accept the award from Utah Governor Gary Herbert and Utah Energy Advisor Laura Nelson for the project that was selected from a crowded field of nominations. The plethora of choices, the company said, represented the exciting range of energy work underway in Utah today.

“Leadership in the energy industry is vital to ensuring that Utah has a bright future,” said Governor Herbert in a news release. “These companies are on the forefront of community impacts, environmental awareness, innovation and collaboration which are critically important efforts in our goal to power our state through responsible development.”

As we have reported previously, the 28 acre facility patented Ultra Clima semi-closed greenhouse design optimizes conditions effectively and efficiently, with close proximity to a natural gas power plant allowing Houweling’s to capitalize on the supply of traditionally wasted heat and CO2 available in the area.

Congratulations to Houweling’s on this state-level recognition.

Houweling's Tomatoes