With 2015 just two days away, we decided to take a look back at all of the exciting events that have happened over 2014. For the third and final part of our Year in Review series, we chose to highlight some of the popular new products that we’ve covered throughout the year. While this list is certainly not definitive, it shows some of the great innovations that our industry is known for.

Grimmway Farms' TRUE Organic Juices

Grimmway Farms introduced TRUE organic juices in October to meet the growing demands of consumers looking for new options in the super premium organic juice category. All six vibrant, full-bodied varieties can be purchased in either single serve 12oz or multi-serve 28oz bottles.

“Given the increased popularity of organics, we believed that it was time to develop a juice that combines our home farm grown vegetables with premium fruits to offer a unique and great-tasting organic fruit and vegetable blend,” shared Steve Roodzant, General Manager of Beverage at Grimmway Farms.

Shanley Farms' Gator Eggs

Shanley Farms launched its Gator Eggs single serving avocados in March. The avocados come in a 6-pack carton (8 units to a case) with high graphic décor designed to be bright and attractive for customers to use in their retail efforts.

“Our goal was to provide consumers with an item better suited for single serving avocado consumption. Many consumers go for smaller sizes when adding avocado to individual salads and sandwiches or just as a snack in itself, so this was our way of addressing that avocado trend,” Megan Shanley of Shanley Farms told AndNowUKnow.

Stemilt's Fresh Blenders

Stemilt also launched its new Fresh Blenders™ product line in both sweet and tart apple varieties in order to tap into the growing juice and smoothie consumer movement. To help customers form a connection between the fruit and the farms it was grown on, Stemilt will be including the Mathison family and their message “from our orchards to you” on every Fresh Blenders package.

“Juicing and blending smoothies at home has taken off in recent years,and continues to grow in popularity among consumers across all age demographics,” said Roger Pepperl, Stemilt Marketing Director. “Apples are the perfect base ingredient to any juice or smoothie creation. Fresh Blenders is the perfect platform to directly market to this crowd and deliver them a great grab-and-go value pack.”

Foxy Produce's BroccoLeaf™

This September, Foxy Produce began shipping out a new, organic, non-GMO vegetable called BroccoLeaf™ to nationwide stores. This leafy green delivers a full dose of Vitamin C and is an excellent source of Folate, a key nutrient for heart health and pregnancy.

“It’s incredibly rare, in this day and age, to be able to introduce a new non-GMO organic vegetable into the market,” said Foxy Vice President of Marketing Matt Seeley. “We believe the potential for BroccoLeaf™ is massive and are very excited about consumers’ and retailers’ responses."

Sunkist Fruit 2.0

In September, Sunkist and Snack it Forward LLC launched a line of freeze dried fruit offerings under the new Sunkist Fruit 2.0 brand. This “new way to fruit” is a line of crunchy and crispy 100% real fruit items in a category that is growing double digits annually.

“Up until this point there hasn’t been a strong presence of freeze dried fruit at mainstream retail and there is no strong branded offering,” said Nick Desai, CEO of Snack it Forward LLC. “More recently though, freeze dried fruit has made a resurgence as the technology has improved, allowing us to offer great quality, flavor and an over 12 month shelf life in an amazing shelf stable 100% real fruit snack. It’s a pretty exciting arena to tap into.”

Tanimura & Antle's George T’s Special Colossal Romaine Hearts

Tanimura & Antle released a new lettuce variety in honor of its esteemed co-founder: George T’s Special Colossal Romaine Hearts. The new seed is a combination of two of George Tanimura’s favorite lettuce varieties, Iceberg and Romaine Hearts, joining Iceberg’s crunch and texture with the deep color and sweet flavor of Romaine Hearts.

The new Colossal Romaine Hearts will be packed in a 40lb. 24-count retro-designed carton, featuring the classic red and blue T&A label.

Kalettes™

In June, Tozer Seeds, released Kalettes™, a new kale and Brussels sprout hybrid. This new veggie has a flavor that is a fusion of sweet and nutty and combines the best traits fo its parent vegetables.

Tozer then entered into exclusive marketing agreements with six companies to grow and market Kalettes. The companies included are: 4Earth Farms, Classic Salads, Mann Packing, Ocean Mist Farms, Southern Specialties and WP Rawl.  Also in the agreement, Kalettes seeds are sold by Johnny’s Select Seeds to small farmers and home growers.

If you missed them, here are part 1 and part 2 of this series. It has been an excellent year, and we are looking forward to a great 2015.

Grimmway Farms

Shanley Farms

Stemilt 

Foxy Produce

Sunkist

Tanimura & Antle

Tozer Seeds

Welcome to What's In Store. The first colors of autumn used to signal the end of summertime treats including sweet, plump, juicy berries. But that was then and this is now with Driscoll’s fresh berry patch available all-year-round, from New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve. 

The year-round supply means shortcakes, cobblers, and fruit-topped waffles are always on the menu, and that also means improved sales in baking goods and dessert toppings.

Additionally, Driscoll’s is doing its part to bring shoppers to the market with dedicated campaigns targeting “foodies.”

New recipes, frequently promoted on their website and the daily post on Facebook and other social media outlets are leading people back to the dinner table.

Driscoll’s has been a fresh berry leader for close to half-a-century as they have continued to pioneer the field of natural breeding techniques in some of the world’s best growing regions.

Sales in the berry category have been outpacing other produce items for several years. Produce managers consistently note that a well-stocked ‘berry patch’ complete with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries has become a destination location in produce aisles.

Customers can find latest and best tasting new berry recipes from the company at driscolls.com.  And for promotional ideas and opportunities for taking advantage of raspberries during this peak season, contact a Driscoll’s sales representative. Thank you for watching What's In Store.

Driscoll's

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - While Target's expansion effort in Canada has certainly not gone as planned, recent improvement suggests that the retailer has a three pronged strategy to tackle the setbacks and restore the economic success it enjoyed throughout the 2000s. Business Insider notes that the retailer's shares are up 19% so far this year while recent sales have beaten Wall Street estimates. Take a look at how they've done it:

A New CEO

Replacing Gregg Steinhafel with PepsiCo veteran Brian Cornell has proved key for Target, according to Brian Yarbrough, consumer analyst at Edward Jones. Yarbrough explained to Business Insider how Cornell's new retail strategy has been key to the beginning of a Target turnaround.

"Bringing in the new CEO was the first step for Target," Yarbrough said. "He has a creative new perspective and isn't afraid to take risks."

Finding its Product Niche

Recognizing that Target would struggle to compete with rivals such as Wal-Mart and Amazon on consumer staples, Cornell has helped to re-adjust the retailer's focus back on the "cheap chic" home decor and apparel items where it can thrive.

"You aren't going to beat Wal-Mart and Amazon in those categories," Yarbrough explained.

A New Canadian Retail Plan

A new plan for Canada will be key to turning around Target's fortunes. While there is still an abundance of work to be done in this category, Yarbrough shared that the company's early moves to shutter underperforming stores and implement a new profit strategy are reassuring.

"Target Canada's future can only get better," Yarbrough said.

Where will the retailer go next? Only time will tell, but backed by Yarbrough's findings and the success TargetExpress locations have enjoyed in 2014, I would not be one to count Target out. Stay tuned for more.

Target

CARPINTERIA, CA - Alexander Ranch Inc. has been officially named Non-GMO Project Verified, signaling the company's compliance with the Non-GMO Project Standard to its retail partners and loyal consumers.

“Becoming Non-GMO Project Verified is a trustworthy and rigorous process, but worth it for our consumers’ health,” says Marlis Sonnen, Business Development at Alexander Ranch. "We at Alexander Ranch think that consumers should be informed when buying products for themselves and their family. We are proud to carry the Non-GMO Project Verification on our products.”

Alexander Ranch will be selling a wide variety of produce under this new Non-GMO label, including:

• Butter Leaf Lettuce (red and green)
• Oak Lettuce
• Little Gem
• Three in One
• Spinach
• Arugula
• Kale
• Water Cress

Congratulations on this impressive achievement, Alexander Ranch!

Alexander Ranch Inc.

CHARLOTTE, NC – The Cutrale and Safra Group has once again extended the deadline for the Chiquita tender offer. The new deadline is now January 5, 2015.

This tender offer, which prices each Chiquita share at $14.50/share, net to the seller in cash, without interest and subject to any required withholding taxes, is the capstone of months of negotiations between Cutrale/Safra and Chiquita.

The Charlotte Business Journal reports that 82% of the Chiquita shares have been submitted since October 27. That number is up from the 73.5% tendered as of the first week of December.

Cutrale/Safra has also taken initial steps toward paying off Chiquita’s debt as part of the acquisition. Last week, it notified Wells Fargo & Co. that it intends to redeem $42.5 million in debt the bank issued in February 2013, according to the Business Journal.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to track this acquisition.

Chiquita

Cutrale

Safra Group 

SALINAS, CA – The Agricultural Leadership Council (TALC) has been honored at the 23^rd Annual National Philanthropy Day Awards in Pebble Beach as this year’s Outstanding Philanthropic Service Organization.

“TALC is all about farm families and the companies that service and supply the agricultural industry helping agricultural workers and their families with their healthcare needs,” said TALC Founder John D’Arrigo, a third-generation Salinas Valley grower and President & CEO of D’Arrigo Bros.

TALC, which represents over 125 members in the Salinas Valley including D’Arrigo Bros. Co of CA., Driscoll’s, Taylor Farms and NewStar, was awarded for its more than $1.25 million to date in philanthropic support to Natividad Medical Center.

D’Arrigo added, “TALC is extremely pleased that the community recognizes the need to philanthropically support Natividad Medical Center and values our commitment to Natividad.”

According to a press release, TALC’s donations have supported breast cancer detection devices, critical care incubators for premature infants and Natividad Medical Foundation’s groundbreaking Indigenous Interpreting+ healthcare interpreting program.

Natividad Medical Foundation’s Indigenous Interpreting+ program is one of the few indigenous language interpreting programs in the United States. TALC’s contributions have helped provide trained interpreters to serve indigenous people hospitalized at the center who speak Mixteco, Zapoteco, Triqui and other native languages.

More than 27,000 indigenous people live and work in “America’s Salad Bowl,” and Mixteco, Triqui, Chatino and Zapoteco are in the top seven languages most commonly spoken by the patients. Since its launch in March of this year, Indigenous Interpreting+ had provided 1,000 indigenous language-interpreting sessions for patients at Natividad Medical Center, which includes almost 500 for indigenous languages.

It is always great to see industry members working together for a good cause. Congratulations on this award, TALC!

LOS ALAMITOS, CA – With the new year approaching, Frieda's Specialty Produce is sharing its insights into which food, nutrition, health and fitness trends will govern shopping behavior in 2015.

Plant-based Protein

Rising awareness about the importance of adequate protein consumption in a healthy diet is good news for more than just the cattle industry. In 2015, Frieda's is expecting a healthy boost for protein-packed vegetables like Colored Cauliflower, Purple Baby Brussels Sprouts, Green Artichokes, Edamame, Dried Blackeyed Peas and Frieda’s Soy Nuts.

Digestive Health

Frieda's market research also suggests that fermented products, such as the company's Kim Chee, Sunchokes®, Leeks and Pearl Onions, will be big winners of the 2015 health food movement.

Meatless Monday

Since 2003, Meatless Monday has encouraged shoppers to go vegetarian for the start of each new week and Frieda's sees evidence this movement is gaining increasing traction. The company is marketing its own nutritious Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Frieda’s Chow Mein Noodles, and Soyrizo™ and SoyTaco™ for Meatless Monday shoppers. More shoppers trekking down the produce aisle for Monday night dinners is good news for the industry as a whole.

Be sure to stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for more updates on the latest consumer trends expected to make an impact in the new year.

Frieda’s  

NatureSweet's Marketing Director Michael Joergensen sat down with AndNowUKnow to discuss the company's latest proprietary offerings. The 24 oz Cherubs pack is NatureSweet's newest value-sized addition to the tomato category. This proprietary package is designed for versatility, with ventilation holes at the bottom that can be used like a colander during rinsing.

NatureSweet is also excited for the potential of its Sunbursts yellow snacking tomatoes as well as the classic Glorys for 2015. The company's original offering, Glorys, is being re-launched starting January 1st with a new variety and package to show it off.

Also in January and February will be the launch of NatureSweet's consumer promotion Fame & Glorys. By entering, consumers earn the opportunity to win tickets to an awards show of their choice!

For more on these exciting topics, be sure to check out the video at the top of this page.

NatureSweet

CALIFORNIA - Growers in California’s San Joaquin Valley are preparing for frosty temperatures slated to hit this week. The latest weather reports suggest that the new year will be greeted by an unusually cold storm, bringing in snow and freezing conditions.

Temperatures are expected to drop as low as the middle 20s to near 30 degrees for a couple hours in agricultural areas during Wednesday night and Thursday night in central and northern areas of the state and Thursday night into Friday night farther south, according to AccuWeather. At the same time, a nearby storm will bring snow and cold rain showers to the passes and high deserts of California.

California citrus crops are expected to be relatively safe from the freeze thanks to the thicker rind, according to California Citrus Mutual, but other fruit and vegetable plants could be in danger if left unprotected. Last year’s seven consecutive nights of subfreezing temperatures incurred an estimated $441 million in lost revenue for San Joaquin Valley citrus producers due to freeze damage in December.

Meteorologists forecast snow to fall over the northern Sierra Nevada and over the high deserts. Wet snow could also reach lower elevations over the interior of Southern California, such as Palm Springs and the Mojave Desert, AccuWeather reports.

Little to no rain is forecasted in lower elevations with the storm over northern and central California.  Up to a few inches of snow is expected to sweep across Las Vegas, with the majority of snowfall impacting the mountains of northern Arizona, southern Nevada, and the Four Corners region.  

It is our hope that given last year’s experience, growers will have the tools they need to tackle this winter freeze. Stay tuned for further coverage. 

RALEIGH, NC  – Doug Stoiber, Vice President of Produce Transportation Operations for L&M Transportation Services Inc. (LMTS), has resigned from the company, effective January 2015.

“Doug Stoiber has been a valuable asset to LMTS for ten years, and his presence will be missed,” said Mike Devine, LMTS President.

According to a press release, Doug will be leaving to pursue a career as a recruiting consultant in the post-harvest produce industry.

In his new position, he will focus on produce businesses primarily located in the eastern and southeastern United States. Doug will be based in Wilson, NC.

Devine added, “We wish him well in his new endeavor as a recruiting consultant for produce industry positions.”

Good luck in your future endeavors, Doug!

L&M Transportation