DONNA, TX – Kingdom Fresh Farms recently announced that its tomatoes have been non-GMO Project Verified. Beginning this spring, consumers will be able to purchase Kingdom Fresh tomatoes with the assurance of independently verified non-GMO compliance testing.

“This is very exciting for us,” said Guillermo Martinez, General Manger at Kingdom Fresh Farms, in a press release. He added, “We choose to get our products Non-GMO Project Verified because we respect the consumer’s right to know what is in the food they are eating, and it is a way of affirming our commitment to produce fresh and healthy tomatoes and vegetables.”

Kingdom Fresh obtained its non-GMO certification from The Non-GMO Project, a non-profit organization that conducts independent testing, auditing, and verification of commercial produce. According to its website, The Non-GMO Project has adopted consensus-based best practices in alignment with European Union regulations. The Non-GMO Project only confers Non-GMO Project labeling to fresh produce that passes its rigorous verification process.

Pick the freshest produce news stories right off the vine by reading AndNowUKnow.

Kingdom Fresh Farms

YUMA, AZ – When a wine connoisseur is selling a bottle, what is his focal point? What is it that hooks the consumer and brings them back to that brand time and time again?

The flavor.

President of the newly-unveiled Savor Fresh Farms, Milas Russell III, tells me this is what his company wants to bring to the specialty melon category.

“We find unique varieties that have different flavor characteristics, then tailor everything in our operation around continuously achieving that flavor component,” Milas explains. “For every melon Savor Fresh produces we are looking for the ‘wow’ factor. When you bite into one of our Kiss Melons, we want you to say ‘Wow!’”

The Russell family, partners behind the 30+ year melon grower Sandstone Melons, is moving to further delineate their flavor-based program by rebranding to Savor Fresh Farms. Milas and his family-owned and operated company want to continue to expand the consumer flavor experience in melons, feeling that this is the new direction for the melon category in general.

With the launch of a fresh name, the Russell family are bringing a fresh take on the entire category and are moving to achieve that unique flavor experience that consumers are looking for in their food purchases.

Milas continued, “While our roots are in an older company, we are a new company, moving in a direction dictated by the end consumer. We are looking at varieties in our fields all year long, looking for the ones that compel consumers to take another bite and the approach has been well-received by consumers.”

“Savor Fresh Farms has hit the ground running,” explains Milas. “We have strategic plans for expanding our Kiss Melon business under the Savor Fresh Farms umbrella in retailers across North America. Consumers ask for our Kiss Melons, we work with our retail partners to supply consumer requests, but sometimes answering those requests can get interesting. I had one man adamantly calling because he was sure his store had stopped selling our melons, I had to tell him that we were just out of season,” Milas says with a laugh.

Many have asked why Savor Fresh doesn't grow Kiss Melons in other regions to become a year-round provider, but, again, it comes down to the flavor.

“My father does all of our growing, and my mother directs all of the quality assurance out in the field, so she is the one making sure that what's being harvested meets the specifications of our brand.”

Milas explains that it is very much a family-run operation and that Savor Fresh just hasn’t found the flavor profiles it has come to expect in offshore trials. Savor Fresh takes a different approach to sales, in that it pre-sells a vast majority of its product.

“This approach allows us, instead of focusing on selling melons day to day, to concentrate on the flavor and get the best melons out of the field because sales are taken care of,” Milas explains.

Some of the partnerships the company already has in place include Sam’s Club, Walmart, H-E-B, Publix, Wegmans, and Loblaws, with more growth and program development slated for the future.

Being compared to the likes of craft beer and wine, and with aspirations to raise the bar in the entire specialty melon category, it will be interesting to see where this new name and direction takes the produce industry.

Savor Fresh Farms

SALINAS, CA – Tanimura & Antle and Monterey County were recognized for their joint efforts to develop the Spreckels Crossing farm employee housing community.

Both T&A and the county were awarded at The Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) Second Annual Regional Economic Summit. Spreckles Crossing will provide critically-needed housing for approximately 800 of Tanimura & Antle’s employees who would otherwise struggle for housing options in the Salinas Valley.

“It is a true honor for Tanimura & Antle to be recognized by the MBEP at this Regional Economic Summit, and to be the first recipient of the public-partnership award alongside the County of Monterey,” said Rick Antle, CEO and President of Tanimura & Antle, in a press statement. “Rarely does one have the opportunity to improve the community as this project has.”

T&A said it hopes that Spreckels Crossing will serve as an example to other large businesses in Monterey County, as housing for seasonal employees continues to be an issue. “Not only have we addressed the critical affordable housing need of our community, but we have also changed the lives of many people,” said Antle. “Hopefully this project will be an inspiration for others to do as we have, and keep the momentum going!”

Employees have already begun moving into the fully furnished apartments at Spreckles Crossing, and the final phase of development will be completed in June. The company said there will be a formal ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration later this summer.

Congratulations to Tanimura & Antle and the County of Monterey on their recent award. For the latest developments in the produce industry, keep reading AndNowUKnow.

Tanimura & Antle

KINGSVILLE, ON - New acreage, new products, and new packaging mark an exciting burst into spring for Mucci Farms, and I was lucky enough to get Stephen Cowan, Key Account Manager for the company, to share all the details with me.

“We’re expanding our cucumber range, so english cucumbers, mini cucumbers, and cocktail cucumbers, [adding] a 30 acre range there,” Stephen reveals.

Additionally, there will be a new 16 acre range coming in for the company’s hydroponic strawberries, helping Mucci to continue steady growth in its newest item, Mucci Smuccies. 

Mucci has also recently introduced its new Hot Shots, a variety pack of peppers that is sure to heat up retail sales for the company.

“The Hot Shots range from seven different varieties, ranging from mild to extremely hot,” Stephen adds while he’s describing the new product. “We’ve got the Scoville meter on there, so you’re going to know what you’re getting yourself into.”

Stephen also shared with us the company’s latest packing innovations, including delving even further into the snacking category with some fresh new top seal packaging.

Want to learn more about what’s coming up next for Mucci Farms? Watch my full video interview with Stephen above.

Mucci Farms

SALINAS, CA – The Nunes Company, Inc. has announced that its new website to showcase its Foxy-branded produce line is going live. The timing of the website launch coincides with the company’s increased organic production, and emphasis on sustainable practices.

“Our all-new website and strong social media presence gives us the ability to have a meaningful dialogue with our consumers and retail partners about what we do,” explained Matt Seeley, VP of Marketing for Nunes, in a press release. “From our progressive farming practices to our food safety standards, our new website is a showcase of The Nunes Company’s commitment to continually improving the health of our land, vibrancy of our communities, and quality of our products.”

Nunes said that the new website will host a variety of features to help customers better understand the Foxy brand and its offerings, including:

• Artful video segments to showcase Foxy's produce
• Vibrant new recipes
• Consumer handling tips
• A new customer blog promoting sustainability and healthy lifestyle practices

To emphasize its commitment to sustainable growing methods, the new site will highlight where each Foxy product is grown, as well as how The Nunes Company manages soil health and seed selection for optimal quality and freshness.

Nunes co-opted the help of design firm MJR Creative to develop the new Foxy.com web experience. “We’re thrilled with the result of our collaboration and opportunity to support Foxy in their mission to connect with consumers and inspire healthy lifestyles,” said Geoff Johnston, Account Director at MJR Creative Group.

You can check out the new online home of Foxy Produce by clicking the link below, and as always we’ll dish up the latest produce news at AndNowUKnow.

Foxy Produce

KINGSVILLE, ONTARIO – Del Fresco Produce has announced the introduction of Organic Mini Cucumbers to its offering of products. The new mini cucumbers are part of the company’s forward leap into the surging organic produce market.

“We noticed that more and more of our customers were asking for organic products and we have responded,” said Ray Mastronardi, Vice President of Sales, in a press release. The company said rising consumer popularity with mini cucumbers made the product an obvious choice for Del Fresco’s organic lineup expansion.

Del Fresco also announced its intentions to expand the organic lineup even further than the cucumbers. “This is a small step to a larger plan. We will continue to explore other organic options in the near future. We are resilient in our approach to stay competitive, as well as satisfying our customers’ needs,” explained Del Fresco President and CEO, Carl Mastronardi.

Del Fresco said its full-52-week organic mini cucumbers are the latest sign of growth for the company, which has recently expanded both in greenhouse acreage and warehouse facilities.

Harvest the freshest produce industry insights by reading AndNowUKnow.

Del Fresco Produce

NEW YORK, NY – So how exactly would a watermelon cross-examination go, if one had the popular fruit in the suspect's seat? Jimmy Fallon proposed to find out in a recently aired Tonight Show skit. 

Spawned from a live-streaming app experience between Buzzfeed and Facebook Live, which garnered over 800,000 viewers in 45 minutes, Fallon decided to put the internet-renowned “watermelon challenge” to his own test to hone in on the trend.

“That’s a bigger audience than a lot of TV shows have right now,” the host said of the numbers pulled from the Buzzfeed and Facebook Live partnership. The audience laughs. “And some people are saying that that stuff might be the future of television. Well, NBC noticed.”

The screen cuts to black, and viewers are treated to a spoof of a hypothetical fifth installment to the television franchise Chicago, by Dick Wolf. Wolf’s fourth, and real, portion of the series, Chicago Justice, recently began filming in the Windy City.

So just how would a watermelon fare across the table from an insistent pair of fictional detectives, armed with an endless supply of rubberband incentives? Did everything go red? Find out above, in this latest episode of Chicago Melon…

ISSAQUAH, WA – With partnerships, expansions in offerings, and rumors of a hike in membership prices, Costco looks to be positioning itself for further growth in the market.

UBS Equity Research Analyst Michael Lasser wrote after a recent interview with Costco Executives that the company has expanded products that drive shopper traffic, including its assortment of fresh items and, in some locations, on-site bread baking.

Now Lasser and Fortune both note that a boost in the cost of membership could be on the horizon, which last year brought the company $2.5 billion in revenue.

A hike in membership prices, Fortune notes, is something that usually only happens every five years, the last being in 2011.

The boost would be the latest in a series of strategic moves for Costco. In addition to expanding its fresh offerings, the retailer was also named one of the biggest in organics last summer and has recently launched a program to widen its net for organic supply.

As we previously reported, Costco recently announced big moves to look for partners with which it could finance the purchase of organic land, and position itself for more access to organic produce.

“The conditions are in place for Costco to bump up its membership fee early next year,” Lasser wrote in his report, which included that the current membership rates, ranging from $55 and $110 depending on the kind of membership, could go to $60 and $120 some time in early 2017.

Costco’s stock recently saw a 1.7% boost after increasing its quarterly dividend by 5 cents, from 40 cents to 45 cents, and continues to remain steadily in the green.

With a trajectory aimed towards boosting its reach in fresh, both organic and conventional, it will be interesting to see what the chain’s strategy delivers next.

Costco

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Supervalu has announced its Q4 2015 and full year 2015 financial results, revealing a boost in net earnings, but revenue that has fallen 10 percent over the same period last year. As the company approaches a potential spin off of its Save-A-Lot business, these falling revenues and same-store sales for Save-A-Lot in the most recent quarter may keep some investors wary of moving forward.

This past February, the company added its new Chief Executive, Mark Goss, a former advisor and consultant specializing in assisting grocery clients on several multi-billion dollar acquisitions, divestitures, and investments in food retail, distribution, and consumer packaged goods sectors. 

He said of this quarter’s results in a statement, “Although fourth quarter sales were softer than we had forecast, I am optimistic about our future prospects and pleased at our ability to manage adjusted EBITDA to finish in-line with our expectations. We have a lot of positives to build on as we move forward.”

In all, Supervalu reported an increase in earnings to reach $52 million, or 20 cents a share, up from $39 million, or 14 cents a share, in the same quarter a year earlier. Excluding debt refinancing, store closures and expenses related to the potential Save-A-Lot spinoff, adjusted per-share earnings rose to 23 cents. Revenue fell 10 percent to $3.95 billion, and Save-A-Lot same-store sales fell over 2 percent. 

The company has already made moves to restructure the company's revolving credit facility and has found cheaper financing, as well as cutting its debt by $169 million during the past fiscal year. While this is presumably to set itself up to aid in a Save-A-Lot spin off, too much fall off in revenue could potentially keep investors from powering the move forward. 

Luckily, results weren't too far off of most analysts' expectations, with analysts polled by Thomson Reuters forecasting 19 cents a share in adjusted earnings on $4.02 billion in revenue. The company's stock was up almost 3 percent following the announcement afternoon.

Supervalu

MIDWEST & TEXAS - Strong weather is forecasted beginning today for Texas and the greater Midwest region, including large hail, rain, high-speed winds, and a tornado warning.

"It's certainly possible we could see several tornadoes during the day on Tuesday," Bill Bunting, Chief of Operations at the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, told CNN. "Some of them do have the potential to be strong -- an EF-2 or greater, which is winds over 110 mph, strong enough to cause structural damage to well-built homes."

CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar advised that this could amount to a “tornado outbreak” in multiple states, with some twisters on the ground for 30 minutes or longer.

The areas on alert for damaging weather, including baseball-sized hail, winds up to 70 miles per hour, and the possibility of a tornado, are:

• Plains states, beginning in central and eastern Nebraska
• Central and eastern Kansas
• Much of Oklahoma
• Northern and central Texas

The tornado threat is forecasted to begin this afternoon, according to the report, with a possible peak later this evening, bringing some severe weather that is forecasted to last through the night.

Though it looks as though South Texas shouldn’t see any extreme patterns, Dallas, Waco, Austin, and San Antonio, Texas are included in the forecast area.

Once the initial peak passes, Weather Channel reports that the system looks to advance East on Thursday, with more widespread storms across Texas Thursday night.

It is still too soon to tell how strong the storm will be later in the week, and whether or not the tornado threat will remain. Rain and large hail, however, are a more solidified expectation going into Friday.

AndNowUKnow will continue to track the weather pattern and any potential influences it may have as more details become known.