PLEASANTON, CA – As goers of this year’s FPFC could see by the giant truck in the parking lot, Veg-Fresh Farms showed up to the event in a big way, with new products and a new look. So what does all this newness entail? Director of Marketing Kate Reeb took a moment out of the bustling event to tell us about the company’s plans. 

“Veg-Fresh Farms has been in business for over 27 years,” Kate tells me. “When they moved to the Corona facility it opened up a world of opportunities.”

Opportunities like expanding into two new brands, Crystal Cove Berry Farms and Good Life Organic. But two new brands and expanded focus isn’t all on Veg-Fresh’s plate, as the company also released new products, like the Gems line, and sustainable packaging.

“They are selling way beyond any of our expectations,” says Kate with a smile, as she describes the recycled packaging now utilized by the company.

Want more innovative features and new product announcements from Veg-Fresh Farms? See the exclusive video above… 

Veg-Fresh Farms

BRAMPTON, ON - Loblaw has announced intentions to cut its prices in what seems to be an attempt to combat both competition in the retail sector and inflation in Canadian food pricing. 

Following the announcement of lower-than-expected supermarket division sales in its Q1 2016 financial report, Loblaw’s Executive Chairman, Galen G. Weston, told investors that the company is trying to find the perfect balance of increasing markdowns to entice more customers, while avoiding too much damage to its bottom line. In its first quarter, Loblaw backed off too much from discounting “while our competitors ramped up significantly,” which “hit us harder than we anticipated,” he explained. 

Loblaw has been seeing a stronger shift of consumer dollars towards discount formats, responding with what Weston calls a “measured” approach to lowering prices rather than outright slashing them.  

“Our view is that that intensity is going to continue to increase,” he said, according to The Globe and Mail. “We see inflation slowing down as the Canadian dollar continues to increase. We see consumer prices coming down in certain markets and in certain categories.”  

Peter Sklar, a retail analyst at BMO Nesbitt Burns, told The Globe and Mail that grocery prices will rise about 2 to 3 percent in 2016, compared with last year’s 4 percent jump. 

Other grocery players in the region like Sobeys Inc. and Walmart Canada have made moves to drop prices with Metro Inc. CEO Eric La Flèche, saying last month that pricing in certain categories has been “quite aggressive. … It’s very competitive out there.” Last fall, Metro’s Quebec stores reduced prices, and earlier sharpened pricing at its Food Basics discount banner. 

Highlights from Loblaw’s Q1 2016 financial report include: 

• Sales at stores open a year or more rose 2.6 percent (excluding gasoline sales), compared with a 4 percent gain a year ago
• Non-pharmacy same-store sales at Shoppers Drug Mart rose 8.2 percent
• Profit rose to $193-million, or 47 cents a share, from $146-million, or 35 cents, a year earlier
• Sales grew to $10.4-billion from $10-billion
• Adjusted profit was $338-million, up $37-million or 12 percent
• Common share dividend will rise to 26 cents a quarter, payable July 1, up 4 per cent from 25 cents 

Loblaw’s stock stayed mostly stagnant following the announcement, but fell a little over 1 percent.

As the Canadian grocery prices continue to fluctuate, AndNowUKnow will bring you all the details.

Loblaw

IMMOKALEE, FL - With sponsorships and upwards of 200 registrations, Lipman Family Farms was able to successfully raise $21,000 to benefit students through its fifth annual participation in a “Run for Backpacks” 5K and Junior Fun Run.

“Our ‘Run for Backpacks’ 5K is my favorite event of the year because it’s such a meaningful way to give back to children and families right here in our community,” said Jaime Weisinger, Community Relations Director for Lipman and Board Chairman for Lipman Family Foundation, according to a release.

The funds are enough to purchase nearly 1,200 backpacks filled with school supplies for local students, the company said, with the help of more than 25 local sponsoring organizations. Some of those included:

• Bronco Packaging
• Gargiulo, Inc.
• Intergro, Inc.
• Baker Hostetler Law Firm
• Rinker Systems
• Salazar Machine Steel
• Salee Productions
• Howard Fertilizer
• Henderson Franklin
• Insurance Company of America
• First Florida Integrity Bank

The successful event is one that Weisinger expressed the company would happily continue. “Encouraging education and healthy lifestyles is very important to us, and we hope to serve even more children in the coming years,” he finished.

The backpack giveaway will be hosted on August 6th, helping ensure that children have what they need in time for the start of the school year.

Lipman Family Farms

SANTA PAULA, CA - Mother’s Day is closer to hours than days away, and Limoneira sees the opportunity in the time remaining to ensure that lemons are on the mind.

Company spokesperson and Founder of Healthy Grocery Girl®, Megan Roosevelt, teamed up with MomsLA founders Yvonne Condes and Sarah Auerswald to create an all-day lemon-inspired menu to spoil moms.

To see the ladies’ collaboration, watch the four minute video above.

So what is MomsLA?

“MomsLA is super practical information for parents in Los Angeles,” Sarah explained as the three began to show off the meal ideas to spoil mom and, hopefully, inspire her the rest of the year.

“Although Mother’s Day is only one day a year, lemons are available to us all year long and Sarah and Yvonne were sweet enough to bring along some lemon-y treats to share with us,” Megan said.

From breakfast in bed, to a meal she doesn’t have to make, here is what Limoneira offers to feed moms on their special day:

Breakfast in Bed: Brown-Sugar Lemon Mascarpone Muffins

This breakfast pastry yields 12 to 16 muffins, so while mom doesn’t have to share, she definitely can. Using four whole lemons among its ingredient, they only take 15 to 17 minutes to bake, so you can still catch some Z’s before the morning surprise. For the recipe, click here.

Lemon-y Lunch: Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad

This zesty midday meal is something you’ll want to prep in advance, with the recipe calling to marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge. But having it prepared beforehand means more time to spoil moms anyway! For the recipe, click here.

Night In Dinner: Creamy Lemon Pasta

Finish off her day of not having to cook with a healthy, tasty pasta incorporating a pound of asparagus and, of course, two or three lemons. It’ll end the night on a high note and may even add to her bag of recipes throughout the rest of the year. For the recipe, click here.

Limoneira added that it has long asserted that lemons are one of the most versatile fruits.

“This spring, we also want to put our money where our mouths are and bring you some great tips for how to make this year’s celebrations just a little bit zestier,” the company said in a press release.

Even more recipes to push lemons for Mother’s Day and beyond can be found on the Limoneira blog, Lemons for Life home page, and Pinterest.

Keep checking in with AndNowUKnow for all the latest marketing ideas and offerings.

Limoneira

CALIFORNIA – As the rest of us prepare for the end of the week on the West Coast, rain and possible thunderstorms are beginning to make an appearance, with the potential of extending a few more days.

In a wide sweep of weather, California as a whole will be affected by a string of rain and storms which will provide some optimisim to the drought-afflicted region. AccuWeather.com reports that the bulk of the rainstorms, which began on Thursday, will hit on Friday and run through Saturday. 

Beginning in the northern half of the region, storms will expand across central and southern California before moving into Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Zapolski said in a statement that while the storms are not expected to be particularly severe, affected communities should still be prepared for sudden downpours, high wind gusts, and small hail. 

Officials have stated that flash flooding is possible over the next two days, with possible delays at airports throughout California. Also expected in the more desert-like areas of the state and southwest, are dry thunderstorms. 

While meteorologists hail the upcoming rainfall as a needed combatant to the drought still afflicting California, officials are still leery of the prolonged impact of the storms.

"A long-term drawback will be that the rainfall will spur growth of small brush," stated AccuWeather’s Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. "As this brush dries out over the summer, it could become the fuel for wildfires later on." 

For the most part, continued officials, despite some flash-flooding the storms will not be a washout. The storms are expected to expand further into the southwest states into the end of the weekend.

Keep your umbrellas handy and your inbox prepped, as AndNowUKnow continues to cover these California storms and other weather changes throughout the nation.

TAMPA, FL – In an effort to keep closely aligned with company and industry standards, IFCO North America has announced that it has finished installing SmartGuardian™ technology in all six of its Reusable Plastic Container (RPC) service centers in the U.S.

“Forward-thinking North American growers and retailers utilize IFCO RPCs to get their products to market, and SmartGuardian is the latest in a long list of factors that make IFCO RPCs a wise choice for the packaging, transportation, storage, and display of all categories of fresh food,” said Daniel Walsh, President of IFCO North America, in a press release.

Facilities now equipped with the monitoring technology are located at the following listings, as of these reported dates: 

• McDonough, GA (August 2015)
• San Antonio, TX (December 2015)
• Bolingbrook, IL (January 2016)
• Rancho Cucamonga, CA (January 2016)
• Portland, OR (January 2016)
• Fresno, CA (February 2016)

SmartGuardian is proprietary software that controls the company’s RPC cleaning and santitation process. By monitoring water pressure and temperature, detergent and disinfectant concentration and contact time, IFCO can ensure that each RPC is processed correctly. SmartGuardian sends an alert or stops the machine if one of those parameters is out of line.

Pallets of clean RPCs that have passed inspection receive a label with the wash location, machine, and date and time. From here, these up-to-code pallets are given to distribution where they are tracked until delivery.

“IFCO RPCs have developed a well-deserved reputation for safety, efficiency and sustainability,” finished Walsh. “As the market leader in reusable fresh food packaging, we constantly strive to improve our products and services, and SmartGuardian is the latest example of our commitment to that core principle.”

Keep up with AndNowUKnow as we continue to cover leading industry software and food safety guidelines.

IFCO

AUSTIN, TX - Whole Foods Market has announced some major moves for its 365 by Whole Foods Market banner this week. The company will take its total number of leases for the chain up to 19, adding six new locations in Akron and Toledo, OH; Bloomington, IN; Decatur, GA; as well as North Hollywood and Long Beach, CA.

“Created to complement our Whole Foods Market stores, our new 365 format will offer our same industry-leading standards and dedication to food transparency in a streamlined format designed around affordability and convenience and supported by enhanced digital experiences,” said Walter Robb, Co-CEO of Whole Foods, in a statement.

Despite a few rumblings in the financial community about the 365 banner creating some inside competition with the company’s flagship banner, Robb was sure to emphasize his confidence in what he sees as its inevitable growth. “We believe there is customer demand for both formats, and as a second growth vehicle, 365 allows us to attack the value-quality proposition in a new way, while maintaining the integrity the Whole Foods Market brand represents in the marketplace.”

Three 365 by Whole Foods Market stores will open in 2016:

• Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA, on May 25
• Lake Oswego, OR, on July 14
• Bellevue, WA, this Fall

As many as ten additional 365 by Whole Foods Market stores are expected to open in 2017. 

Along with the new store announcements, Whole Foods Market released its financial results for Q2 2016, revealing increased total sales reaching a record $3.7 billion. While comparable store sales decreased 3.0 percent, Whole Foods posted adjusted earnings of 44 cents a share, up three cents from Reuters’ analysts expectations of 41 cents a share.

“We produced record sales and operating cash flow, and returned $144 million of capital to our shareholders. Through our improved cost structure and expense disciplines, we delivered strong EBITDA in a challenging sales environment,” Mackey continued. “In addition to becoming more competitive on price, we are making measurable progress in fundamentally evolving our business and providing an enhanced experience for our customers across all platforms before, during, and after their visit.”

Other highlights from Whole Food’s Q2 financial report include:

• EBITDA was $353 million, or 9.5 percent of sales
• Produced $343 million in cash flow from operations 
• Invested $159 million in capital expenditures
• Returned $44 million in quarterly dividends to shareholders
• Repurchased $100 million or 3.5 million shares of common stock
• Ended Q2 with $1.1 billion of total debt and $1.3 billion of total available capital
• Repurchased $50 million or 1.7 million shares of common stock

Whole Foods stock jumped over 5 percent following the financial announcement, reaching $30.01 as of 12:56 PM EDT on May 5th. This brings the retailer up to a market cap of $9.66 billion.

As Whole Foods continues to rapidly grow both its sales and its 365 banner, AndNowUKnow will update you with the latest.

Whole Foods Market

SALINAS, CA - The City of Salinas, California has presented TransFresh Corporation with a special Business Award for the company’s milestone 50-years of successful and continuous service.  The award was announced at the Salinas City Council meeting in a gathering at the City Hall Rotunda on May 3, 2016. 

With headquarters in Salinas, TransFresh is a pioneering and established global entity with 50 years of experience in perishables transport.  Tectrol^® is the trademarked brand name for the TransFresh family of proprietary modified and controlled atmosphere systems and processes developed and owned by TransFresh.   

The TransFresh Tectrol Service Network™ services, markets and supports the Tectrol^® pallet and storage systems operations and technologies.  Since inception, TransFresh’s innovations in packaging, equipment and sealing processes have established Tectrol^® as the industry standard.

TransFresh

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on two produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).

According to a recent USDA press release, the following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

• McAllen Produce LLC, operating out of Weslaco, TX, for failing to pay a $9,601 award in favor of a Florida seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, DJJJ Trust and Lori J. Edwards were listed as members of the business.
• Nevada Farms LLC, operating out of Las Vegas, NV, for failing to pay a $7,567 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Javier Gonzalez, Nicolas Toro, Maria Toro, and Jose Toro were listed as members of the business.

The USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.

In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,700 PACA claims involving more than $66 million. Its experts also assisted more than 7,100 callers with issues valued at approximately $100 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.

Agricultural Marketing Service