NEW ZEALAND - Shipments of New Zealand-grown KORU® apples are here, Coast to Coast Growers Cooperative has announced. While KORU® is also now produced in the U.S., New Zealand is the source of the bulk of harvesting take place in the faraway, lush orchards of New Zealand, where the apple was first discovered and brought to market.

85 percent of this year’s New Zealand KORU® crop is being shipped to the U.S. for distribution and sales with the help of three suppliers representing the Coast to Coast Growers Cooperative: 

• New York Apple Sales, New York. Kaari Stannard, [email protected], John Cushing, [email protected], or Michael Harwood, [email protected] -  518.477.7200.
• Borton Fruit, Washington. Sky Johnson - 509.823.2745, [email protected]
• Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers, Washington. Bruce Turner, [email protected] or Shane Cass, [email protected] -  509.663.2191

The first May arrivals of KORU® have already been sold, with more containers to arrive later in May and over the next few months, according to a press release, meaning orders are still available for New Zealand KORU® apples in 12 kg. Euro and 18 kg. traypack cartons, and pouch bags!

“80 percent of these apples are in the three prime sizes, really perfect-size fruit,” explained Tim Byrne, Manager of Coast to Coast Growers Cooperative, adding that fruit quality is exceptional. “This is the third New Zealand crop, slated for export to North America. These apples are ideal in many ways – sweet flavor, crisp flesh, great color, and good size.”

“KORU® brings together the subtle sweetness of the Fuji with the Braeburn’s slight tang,” noted Byrne, who explained the cross is positioned as a premium apple, similarly to how Honeycrisp is. “It’s really an inspired combination, perfect for eating, baking, and cooking.”

KORU® apples are being supported with point-of-sale and marketing materials including display bins, high-graphic merchandising cartons, and pouch bags. Positioned to consumers with the tagline: “Escape Ordinary,” the brand is described as, “crisp, sweet, and naturally delicious.” These promotional materials can be obtained at no cost through the Coast to Coast Growers Cooperative supplier from which you order.

Only commercially harvested in New Zealand since 2013, more and more orchards are being planted with KORU®, with 15 growers in New York and another six in Washington.

To view a video on the growing and harvesting and grading of KORU® apples in New Zealand, watch the video above, and keep your eyes peeled for even more updates on the international apple season from AndNowUKnow.

KORU® Apples

FOWLER, CA - Summer is right around the corner, and with it, the demand for warm-weather treats and snacking opportunities. Now is the time for families to start thinking about what kind of snacks they want to provide for kids on vacation as we look towards June. 

“Sweetheart Mandarins are a great alternative to junk food items,” Bee Sweet Citrus President, Jim Marderosian, tells me. “They’re tasty, easy-to-peel, and healthy – making them the perfect summer snack.”

Bee Sweet mandarins are also available year-round. Once the company’s domestic season is over, Bee Sweet sources them through its summer import program which just begun. In addition to being child-friendly, easy-to-peel, and already a single-serving treat, Sweetheart Mandarins offer a multitude of health benefits. One mandarin provides an estimated 80 percent of the recommended daily Vitamin C intake, as well as nearly 10 percent of the daily recommended value of fiber.

Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents during the past 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By adding Sweetheart Mandarins into a child’s meal, consumers will be providing kids with a healthy snack while satisfying their sweet tooth. 

“Kids of all ages are sure to be huge fans of our Sweetheart Mandarins,” Marderosian, added. “They’re undeniably sweet and extremely healthy. What’s not to love?”

Sweetheart Mandarins are available at your local retailer, and mandarin-specific recipes can be found on Bee Sweet’s Pinterest account at https://www.pinterest.com/beesweetcitrus/.

Bee Sweet Citrus

CALIFORNIA - Coming off of some late spring rains in California and the recent Mother’s Day push for those fresh chocolate-covered strawberries, I checked in with growers to see how the season is looking as we approach Summer.

“Everything is looking good! Production continues to increase as Santa Maria will hit its "peak volume" of the season now through the next 2 to 3 weeks,” Naturipe Farms’ Director of Marketing, Kyla Oberman, shares with me, adding that there is plenty of promotable volume with both good quality and sizing.

Moving through to summer, Kyla says, “Salinas and Watsonville, CA, will steadily increase in production now through mid-June.”

Just before Mother’s Day, California saw rain throughout several regions of the state.

Dan Crowley, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Well•Pict Berries, tells me, however, that the rain event was negligible in the company’s Watsonville and Salinas, CA, growing areas.

“Amounts ranged from traces on our inland farms to 0.25 inches on our acreage by the ocean,” Dan says. “We are experiencing no damage on our inland farms, but 20-30% "cull rate" on the aforementioned coastal farms for the first round of harvest.”

As for the berries themselves, Dan reports that the flavor profile is outstanding on Well•Pict’s proprietary varieties, making it a challenge to keep up with demand.

“The volume shall continue to ramp up in Watsonville, CA, with plenty availability through May and into the Summertime for promotions,” he says moving forward.

And also under way are Well•Pict’s raspberries, which Dan says are looking excellent.

“We will have that excellent product to offer on promotions right along with the strawberries throughout the Summer.”

Cindy Jewell, Vice President of Marketing for California Giant Berry Farms, tells me that the company is expecting its Watsonville/Salinas supply to continue to increase as soon as warmer weather kicks in.

“We did have some rain last weekend and it has been cool and overcast all week this week, which has slowed things down in this region. The plants are loaded with fruit and bloom so, as soon as the weather breaks, volume will increase for the next several weeks and we should see that continue through June.”

Santa Maria is in peak volume now, Cindy says, with harvest in the region continuing and weather being a bit more cooperative. She adds that slight declines can be expected in volume over the next several weeks, but that demand from California Giant’s trading partners has been steady with many retail and foodservice promotions in place.

“We do also anticipate demand to be increasing as we approach the pull for Memorial Day right around the corner, and are already seeing a shift in demand this week.”

With everything lined up for Summer’s arrival, AndNowUKnow will continue to follow the latest in berry news throughout the season and beyond.

Naturipe Farms Well•Pict Berries California Giant Berry Farm

ROSEMONT, IL - US Foods has updated its IPO filing with the SEC, this time with a much higher value estimated.

Up until this morning, the estimated value for the foodservice company was upwards of $100 million, according to Fortune. Now, according to the SEC filing dated early today, May 13th, the company lists the proposed maximum as more than $1.22 billion.

As we reported recently, the company had just listed additional underwriters, now up to 14.

“We are offering 44,444,444 shares of our common stock,” the company said in the filing, adding that it is currently estimated that the IPO price per share will be between $21 and $24. “To the extent the underwriters sell more than 44,444,444 shares of common stock, the underwriters have the option to purchase up to an additional 6,666,667 shares from us at the initial public offering price less the underwriting discount within 30 days of the date of this prospectus.”

The net proceeds from US Foods’ IPO are intended to be used for repaying indebtedness, as well as for working capital and general corporate purposes.

US Foods reported $23.1 billion in net sales, $875 million in adjusted EBITDA for its quarter ended January 2, 2016. Currently, the company supplies over 250,000 customer locations nationwide, composed of 62 distribution facilities and approximately 6,000 trucks.

US Foods

SAN DIEGO, CA – As new food trends come and go, there’s a few in particular that seem to stick, bringing new innovations and tasty exploits to the industry. The latest comes in the form a double stout from Green Flash Brewing Company, starring the Serrano pepper.

Infusing the meaty kick of Serrano Chiles with a brown beer head, Dia De Los Serranos boasts a weighty 8.8 percent ABV to round out its acidic aromas. The company said that it cultivated the beer based on flavor-rich Mexican mole recipes. 

Paired with flavored hints of roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate, reviewers from both Paste Magazine and Mansfield News Journal described their personal liasons with the beer as rich experience, with a lasting and walloping pepper flavor at the end of each gulp.

As for food pairings, just how spicy can you go when considering a Serrano-centric beer? As Steve Goble of the Mansfield News Journal stated, “This beer is intense enough to stand up to any food you serve with it.”

Originally starting as a cask-only offering from the San Diego brewery, Dia De Los Serrano is now available year-round in 22oz bottles, making this an easily attainable flavor trend for the pepper enthusiast.

The Serrano pepper is a Mexican chili pepper that is 4.6 times hotter than a jalapeño, and ranks between 10,000 to 30,000 units on the Scoville Scale.

As Serrano peppers, and other spicy chilis continue to star in food and beverage trends across the board, I can’t wait to see which dishes and drinks I’ll have an excuse to seek out next.

Keep up your kick with AndNowUKnow as we continue to cover rising trends in the produce industry and beyond.

WATSONVILLE, CA – With more than 50 riders and 32 sponsors, this year’s classic Tour de Fresh event is already breaking numbers with donations and attendees. With a goal of raising at least $175,000 for Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, riders have already raised $27,132 for the July event.

“In order to meet our goal of placing 50 more salad bars in schools this year, we’ll need support from industry professionals, family, friends, and local community members,” said Cindy Jewell, Vice President of Marketing at California Giant Berry Farms, in a recent press release. “We want everyone who supports this event to feel a sense of ownership and pride, knowing that their contribution lasts far beyond 2016 - it provides fresh fruits and vegetables to thousands of students for years to come.” 

Participants are comprised from all areas of the produce industry, and will ride from Napa Valley to Monterey, CA, from July 26 to 28. As this year’s event takes place three months earlier than last, Tour de Fresh is encouraging everyone to share donation pages via social media, lead fundraising events, and involve their surrounding businesses and schools to help support the earlier sponsorship.

“We believe wholeheartedly in the mission of Tour de Fresh, which is why Sunripe Certified Brands has chosen to be a Premier sponsor this year,” said Jon Esformes, CEO of Sunripe Certified Brands. “It is our hope that companies and communities will rally together to support the riders who have committed their personal time to make a significant impact on the lives of thousands of students.”

Anyone who donates to a rider now through May 31 will be automatically entered into a raffle to win a $1,000 Visa gift card, courtesy of the following Premier sponsors:

• California Giant Berry Farms
• Church Brothers Farms
• Dole Fresh Vegetables
• Enza Zaden
• Fresh Point
• J&J Family of Farms
• Mission
• Sunripe Certified Brands
• Tanimura & Antle
• Tsamma

Tour de Fresh is presented by the California Giant Foundation for the fresh produce industry. Through the event donations, Tour de Fresh and Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools hope to supply over 50 schools nationwide with salad bars. 

For a full list of available Tour de Fresh sponsorships and riding opportunities, visit the website here or contact Brock Nemecek at [email protected].

Keep cycling back to AndNowUKnow as we continue to cover the upcoming Tour de Fresh event, and get registered now!

Tour de Fresh

BOISE, ID – As the retailer moves closer towards going public, Albertsons Companies has filed an amended S-1 form with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition to updating its finances to help secure its initial public offering (IPO), Albertsons proposed to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ABS.

“For fiscal 2015, we generated net sales of $58.7 billion, Adjusted EBITDA of $2.7 billion and free cash flow, which we define as Adjusted EBITDA less capital expenditures, of $1.7 billion,” the company said in a recent statement about its finances. “In addition to realizing increased sales, profitability, and free cash flow through the implementation of our operating playbook, we expect synergies from the Safeway acquisition to enhance our profitability and free cash flow over the next few years.”

Albertsons stated that the prices for its 65.31 million shares are expected to be in the range of $23 to $26, which if taken at the maximum price, would make the entire offering valued at roughly $1.953 billion. For an additional 9.796 million shares, the company said that it would have an overallotment option. 

The net proceeds from Albertsons’ IPO will be used towards fees and expenses that are related to the offering, to repay certain debt, and for general corporate offerings. 

The underwrites for Albertsons upcoming IPO are as follows:

As Albertsons continues to take steps towards finalizing its IPO, stay in sync with AndNowUKnow as we report on the company’s announcements and its affect on the chain.

Albertsons

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - In a partnership with The Produce Mom, Josie’s Organics has published an eBook titled, “Science Fair and STEM Project Guide” for use by teachers, parents, child educators, and students grades 3-8.

Filled with experimental projects using fruits and vegetables, the eBook helps students explore different areas of science. STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, represents a popular basis of learning where academic concepts are studied through hands-on lessons.

“When Cathy Burns and Bryan Silbermann encouraged PMA members to get involved with schools during the 2015 State of the Industry address at Fresh Summit, I knew one way to deliver upon this would be through our partnership with The Produce Mom,” said Karen Nardozza, who handles marketing for Josie’s Organics and Braga Fresh Family Farms. “The eBook is a great compliment to the recent salad bar donation Braga Fresh Family Farms made to Soledad High School. Josie’s Organics is honored to present The Produce Mom’s ‘Science Fair and STEM Project Guide’ – it will benefit many households, summer camps, and classrooms.” 

The eBook is available free at TheProduceMom.com/Science-Fair-and-Stem-Projects, and offers 15 different projects that use fruits and vegetables in a fun format. Ranging from germinating radish seeds, to dehydrating fruit, testing the PH levels of fruits and vegetables, and determining the water content in melons, the projects can be modified according to each student’s interests and abilities.

All projects offer the following: 

• A supply list
• Follow the scientific method
• Include step-by-step instructions
• Does not include conclusion to encourage experimentation
• Discusses topics like biological science, chemistry, physical science, and physics

“As a mother of two elementary school students, I know how popular STEM learning is among children, parents, and educators,” explained Lori Taylor, President of The Produce Mom in a statement. “Josie’s Organics and all brands of The Produce Mom Family are committed to helping children learn about fruits and vegetables so they’re more likely to try them and incorporate them into a healthy diet from a young age. This eBook is a great way to introduce kids to a variety of fruits and vegetables beyond the cafeteria or lunchbox. It’s incredibly rewarding to launch The Produce Mom’s new eBook series with a resource that connects fresh produce to science education.”

Courtesy of Josie’s Organics, the eBook also includes several videos about sustainability and farming organically, as well as useful tips to help choose, store, prepare, and learn more about fresh vegetables.

To see the eBook from Josie's Organics and The Produce Mom for yourself, click here.

Josie’s Organics The Produce Mom

LOS ANGELES, CA - Despite the controversy it has risen, a plan from the Los Angeles-based Cadiz Inc. to pump billions of gallons of water from a Mojave Desert aquifer to be sold in California still stands.

California’s 4th District Court of Appeal determined, after six rulings, to uphold state environmental reviews earlier this week.

The plan would include pumping as much as 16.3 billion gallons, or “as much as 50,000 acre-feet of groundwater,” to be exact, each year for the next five decades, The Desert Sun reports. The pump would go through 34,000 acres of desert Cadiz owns along Route 66 in both the Cadiz and Fenner valleys, and would be sold to Southern California districts.

But the company’s property is close to the Mojave National Preserve and surrounded by the newly-created Mojave Trails National Monument, causing some concerns for the environment.

Cadiz has been running its wells to irrigate almost 2,000 acres of farmland growing lemons, grapes, and other crops, while attempting to gain approval for the project. 

It hit a snag last October when it proposed to build a pipeline next to a railroad line to carry the water to the Colorado River Aqueduct with the Federal Bureau of Land Management, declaring that authorizing the pipeline would go beyond the rights originally granted to the railroad.

“This project has met every test,” Scott Slater, Cadiz’s President and CEO and Partner at water firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, commented, according to The Desert Sun. 

While the company argues its offer would provide needed water to a population of about 400,000 people, groups argue that this could cause damage to the environment.

“The reality is they haven’t even started the appropriate process,” said David Lamfrom, Director of the California Desert Program of the National Parks Conservation Association. According to the report, opposers like Lamfrom expect a thorough environmental review to be carried out under the National Environmental Policy Act before moving forward. “For them to use that railroad right-of-way, they would need to go through a federal process.”

In Congress, 15 California members have been listed as supporters of the Cadiz Water Project, while a group of 23 members of Congress from western states raised concerns with the 43-mile pipeline.

While those opposed say drawing down the aquifer would threaten springs and wildlife in surrounding areas, the court ruled against appeals by several groups. 

Both sides in the dispute have enlisted researchers to study the environmental impacts and the natural rate of groundwater recharge, each coming to different conclusions.

While this latest development may be taken as progress by Cadiz, the case looks to be far from closed. We will continue to follow the situation as it unfolds.

WASHINGTON D.C. & NEWARK, DE - Chairman of the Produce Marketing Association, Russ Mounce, and Chairman of the United Fresh Produce Association, Brian Kocher, sent out a letter informing members of a new initiative they have joined together on.

“In late 2015, the Boards of Directors of PMA and United Fresh formed a Joint Committee on Responsible Labor Practices,” the two Chairmen wrote. “The committee's charge is to evaluate appropriate labor practices across the produce and floral supply chain, potentially leading to an industry-wide, global approach to responsible labor practices and consistent expectations among trading partners and the public.”

Brian Kocher, COO of Castellini Group of companies, will lead on behalf of PMA, Co-Chairing with Walmart’s Senior Director for Responsible Sourcing, Wesley Wilson, on behalf of United Fresh.

Once final, the two associations plan to publicize the entire list of members. At its launch, the list is made up of 16 participants, evenly divided between produce suppliers and buyers, while respective staff CEOs Tom Stenzel of United Fresh and Bryan Silbermann of PMA lead the project.

“We want our members to know that this will not be a short process or an easy one. But, we believe this is a critical discussion we need to have as an industry. We anticipate this will be the beginning of a continuing dialogue with our members, the broader global produce industry and other stakeholders,” the Chairmen wrote, emphasizing that this is an important issue for the industry and that transparency is an increasing interest for stakeholders.

Also keeping in mind that multiple perspectives are critical to bringing consensus, and the wide range of diversity between different commodities in the industry, PMA and United Fresh want to meet with grower organizations, labor employers, and others serving different aspects of the supply chain to understand specific views.

“With foundational work behind it, the committee has now issued a Request for Proposals aimed at engaging a consultant with expertise in this field to help support the committee's outreach and work products,” the two said of the next step.

With a decision on the consultant is expected by June, a meeting is scheduled for later that month to review and approve a work plan for the selected consultant.

Keep checking in with AndNowUKnow for the latest strides in important industry initiatives for labor and beyond.

PMA United Fresh