SIERRA NEVADA, CA - California's farmers are looking towards the winter's storms to help rebuild the state's snowpack. Currently at 24% of normal levels for early December, this snowpack is key to providing California's farmers with the cruicial water they need throughout the year, according to ABC News. Enter this week's winter storm warning for the Sierra Nevada/Greater Lake Tahoe area, as the National Weather Service is predicting up to 2 feet of snow on the mountain between 4pm Tuesday and 4am Thursday from elevations of 7,000 to 7,500 feet.

Combined with the storms that California has enjoyed over the last week, these weather systems are promising some measure of relief for the drought striken state.

“The North Tahoe area has already received 10-14 inches of snow over the last 3 days,” Steve Hash of Steve Hash Farms/Tahoe, explained to me. He also noted that South Tahoe has received 5-7 inches over the same period.

It is necessary to note that this latest bout of wet weather has not made a significant impact on California's reservoir system or the California snowpack. The previous week's back-to-back storms have helped some cities in northwest California reach normal rainfall levels for 2014, however. For example, weather forecaster Austin Cross told ABC News that Redding has reached 124% of its typical yearly rainfall while San Jose is only a third of an inch shy of its normal 2.89 inches for the period.

Despite these gains, California's reservoirs and the snowpack remain significantly below their normal levels, according to CBS News. National Weather Service forecaster Eric Kurth shared that Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville are at 50% of their typical capacity for the start of December, while Folsom Lake is at 59%.

"Certainly we're quite a bit wetter than we were last year, especially to the north, [but] we're not seeing huge storms,” he said. "The good news is there's more storms on the way."

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for any future updates on the California drought and weather conditions relevant to the fresh produce industry.

THE NETHERLANDS – Oerlemans Foods, a grower, food processor and supplier, has joined forces with TOMRA Sorting Solutions by investing in a brand new steam peeling processing line.

“During a visit to another plant we have seen a peel separator in production, and we were impressed with the straightforward concept and effectivity of the system,” said Gerard Busser, Manufacturing Services Manager at Oerlemans.

According to a press release, the company researched various peeling solutions for its processing line against its performance criteria before choosing TOMRA.

“We considered other companies as well, but we decided to team up with TOMRA because they offer the best technological and technical solutions.  In particular, the efficiency and maintenance of the steam peeler is very good,” said Mr. Busser.  “TOMRA has a long history in steam peeling.  They have more than 40 years’ experience in supplying solutions to the global fresh and processed food industry.  We are convinced that this expertise gives them a competitive edge.”

The TOMRA steam peeling line at the processing plant in the Netherlands is made up of the Orbit steam peeler with the latest steam saving technology, the TOMRA steam accumulator and the DPS for low peel loss and dry peel separation.

The steam peeler can operate at a high steam supply pressure using a TOMRA steam accumulator to achieve very low steam times while providing minimal peel loss.  It includes TOMRA’s patented mixing process and TOMRA’s steam saving process, which enhances the efficiency of the peeling process.

“TOMRA’s steam peeling line highly exceeds our expectations.  The combination of the Orbit with the DPS showed substantial revenue improvements compared to the Orbit and brusher in our other plant.  This yield improvement was achieved even during the first production runs,” added Busser.

The design of the peeler helps to reduce the number of components to stock and maintain.  The drum drive bearings are made outside the chassis for easy inspection, maintenance and lubrication.  This new system helps to improve yield while and boosting long-term profit.

TOMRA Sorting Solutions

HERMISTON, OR - River Point Farms has broken ground on a new state-of-the-art 70,000 square foot whole onion packaging facility. The project, which is part of the company’s $17.5 million capital expansion plan for 2014 to 2015, is expected to finish completion by the end of July 2015.

“As we nurture our current customers and prepare for growth, seamless execution in packaging and shipping facilities is paramount to our success,” said Bob Hale, River Point Farms CEO. “The new packaging facility provides us with an opportunity to fully automate our whole onion sorting and packaging process with a high level of accuracy and efficiency and also allows us to convert our current packing facility into a state-of-the-art shipping facility.”

The new facility will feature best-in-class equipment that the company has strategically vetted over the last two years in preparation for its doubling of production and shipping capacity in the next twelve months, according to a press release. Until the day of transition, River Point Farms will continue to operate out of its current facility.

For a greater in-depth look at River Point Farms and its upcoming facility, check out our exclusive video here.

River Point Farms

BOISE, ID - Samuel Zell, the billionaire investor and Founder and Chairman of Equity Group Investments, has publically confirmed his interest in the over 100 soon-to-be divested Albertsons locations. 

“Obviously, like every deal it starts with price,” Zell explained during an interview with Fox News' Maria Bartiromo. “In this particular case, this is a $9 billion or $10 billion merger of Safeway and Albertsons with about 140 stores that they were forced to divest. Their focus is on getting the big deal done which creates a more opportunistic environment for taking care of the remnants.”

“We have a lot of confidence in the supermarket business,” he continued. “We've been in it before very successfully and we think this is an interesting opportunity and a good deployment of capital.”

Zell and his partner, Stuart Sloan, the former Chairman of Quality Food Centers, will be pitting themselves against Capital Management and Comvest Partners in this bidding race. So far, no actual bid amounts have been disclosed to the public.

Could Zell be on his way to becoming a big time player in the North American retail game? For now, it sounds like his interest is largely limited to this particular transaction, according to Zell.

“It's a one-off situation like most everything else that we're currently doing,” he shared.

It is nonethess interesting to see his focus honed in on our industry. It will be fascinating to see what role he could play going into the future.  

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for future updates on this bidding war as they develop. 

Albertsons

WENATCHEE, WA - Together with FruitTracker, Stemilt is releasing its first Stemilt-O-Graphic apple category report. This info-graphic reports on apple category performance across the U.S. for the month of October 2014 by comparing Nielsen scan data to its counterpart from the previous year, according to a press release. In doing so, it offers the industry a high-level look at apple category performance across the U.S.

Check it out for yourself below:

“The first issue of our Stemilt-O-Graphic shows that apples were once again a big part of the produce department in October 2014,” Roger Pepperl, Stemilt's Marketing Director shared. “On average, apples accounted for 8.1% of total department dollars in October, with Gala, Honeycrisp, and Red Delicious leading the way among varietals.”

“Additionally, more than two-thirds of apples were sold as bulk in October,” he continued. “This is an important sign of overall category health as bulk sales historically drive more dollars to the department than bags because of their higher retail price.”

Great work on the release of this first issue, Stemilt!

Stemilt

NICARAGUA – Construction will begin December 22 on a giant canal in Nicaragua that will join the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The International Business Times is reporting that executives from the Chinese contractor tasked with building the canal have announced the groundbreaking. 

The $50 billion project is projected to be built within five years with the target of becoming operational by 2020, according to Global Construction.

This new canal, which will span 278 kilometers (172 miles), will be longer, deeper and wider than the Panama Canal.

According to the International Business Times, government officials have hailed the canal as a way to lift millions of Nicaraguans from poverty.  Opponents to the canal have voiced concern with the impact on that country’s largest freshwater source, Lake Cocibolca, also known as Lake Nicaragua.

The construction will begin with the building of a port on the Pacific, which will eventually pass through Lake Nicaragua on its way to the Atlantic.

The project is expected to include two ports, an airport, a resort and an economic zone for electricity and other companies, according to Global Construction.  There will also be a 600-meter bridge that will cross over the canal.

Opponents are currently campaigning in the Parliament to invalidate the law that gave the canal concession to start.  To repeal the law, they would need a majority vote in the National Assembly.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to track this ongoing story.

LOS ANGELES, CA - Ölens Technology has a new tool for foodservice professionals and aspiring chefs which the company promises will make cooking the perfect artichoke a breeze. AndNowUKnow's staff was able to see Ölens' “Perfect Artichoke” in action at PMA Fresh Summit 2014 and witness its impact potential in the industry first hand. The Perfect Artichoke works by using the relationship between an artichoke's size and its proper cooking time to ensure that every artichoke is cooked to perfection.

“We've had the Perfect Artichoke in development for over a decade,” Co-Founder Ron Meritt explained to me. “It took hundreds of trips to the Farmer's Market and many more hundreds of artichokes cooked, but we were able to pin down the exact relationship between size and cooking time for the perfect artichoke. Our Perfect Artichoke conveys this to the user in a visual way which is immediately understandable and easy to use.”

To see how the Perfect Artichoke works in action, check out this video below from Ölens Technology:

Ölens Technology sees the Perfect Artichoke someday being widely used in home kitchens and foodservice establishments where speed, accuracy and ease of use are at a premium.

“One of the best things about the Perfect Artichoke is how it helps foodservice professionals plan their meals,” Co-Founder Paul McCloskey explained. “With it there's no longer a question about when to put in the pasta or take your sauce of the stove. The Perfect Artichoke reduces cooking time into a science.”

What could this product mean for overall category growth? Paul certainly believes the Perfect Artichoke could mean big things for artichoke consumption.

“I think some people get intimidated by the artichoke to be perfectly honest,” Paul explained to me. “We don't want anyone to miss out on the great taste of artichokes because they don't understand how to cook them. This was our motivation behind creating the Perfect Artichoke, which we envision as a potential big time driver of growth for the category.”

In addition to its Perfect Artichoke, Ölens Technology is also working on several other cooking aid products front-lined by the Perfect Potato. With a full range of products under its belt, Ölens Technology is looking to market its Perfect line as the place to turn to for cooking solutions. I know I'll certainly keep my eyes peeled on Ölens Technology for what this enterprising company comes up with next.

Ölens Technology

LEAMINGTON, ON – With family celebrations focused on food this time of year, Nature Fresh Farms™ is looking to help increase produce consumption with innovative recipe ideas that incorporate fresh produce to give new life to old family favorites.

“National campaigns created by PMA, United Fresh, CPMA, and the Produce For Better Health Foundation encourage increasing fresh produce consumption in your daily diet. We are reinforcing their message this holiday season by promoting unique recipe ideas online to help our customers make healthier choices,” said Andrea Quiring, Marketing & Social Media Coordinator.

The Nature Fresh Farms™ marketing team has been active on all of its social channels Wednesday and Thursday and will continue today to encourage its #VeryVeggieThanksgiving theme.

“We love seeing the innovative recipe ideas that people post online, it shows that they care about what they are cooking,” said Henry Furtado, Corporate Chef.

According to a press release, Furtado prepares over 150 meals for Nature Fresh Farms™ employees on a daily basis in the company’s state of the art restaurant-style industrial kitchen.  His recipes use Nature Fresh Farms™ greenhouse grown peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers and have been developed with a variety of taste buds and food preferences in mind.

“We develop recipes that anyone & everyone can prepare; from snacks to simple hors d’oeuvres, appetizers, and desserts that are out of this world like our Roasted Pepper No-Bake Cheesecake,” commented Furtado.

Check out a selection of Nature Fresh Farms'™ recipes by clicking here.

Nature Fresh Farms™ is currently shipping bell peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers from its Leamington, Ontario greenhouses.

Nature Fresh Farms™

SAN FANCISCO, CA - Fresh & Easy has announced a new partnership with the San Francisco-based startup Instacart. Now Fresh & Easy shoppers in the Bay Area and Los Angeles will have access to online grocery delivery, the first time the retailer has offered its customers such a convenience, according to a press release.

“We’re excited to work with Fresh & Easy to deliver groceries in LA and the Bay Area,” shared Heather Wake, General Manager at Instacart. “Our customers are always looking for healthy and fast meal options, and Fresh & Easy, renowned for its prepared meals, is an excellent partner to help meet that demand.”

“Partnering with Instacart is a win-win for everyone – our existing customers will now have a convenient and reliable delivery option for their favorite products, and we will be able to extend our reach to new customers who may not have had access to one of our stores,” agreed Mike Evans, Vice President of Marketing at Fresh & Easy. “Online ordering and product delivery have been major priorities for Fresh & Easy this year and we are glad we are able to launch with such a strong partner in Instacart.”

Instacart shared that there are plans in place to eventually expand this partnership into other areas where Fresh & Easy has a retail presence. Considering that Fresh & Easy has 167 stores across Arizona, California and Nevada, there could be considerable growth potential for this partnership.

Instacart has been on the rise in recent months, announcing new partnerships with other leading retailers, including Whole Foods. 

Congratulations on this new partnership, Fresh & Easy and Instacart!

Fresh & Easy

Instacart

WASHINGTON D.C. - The USDA has filed an administrative action against Snokist Growers, a Yakima, Washington-based company, for failing to pay for produce under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).

The company allegedly failed to pay eight sellers for 402 lots of produce valued at $696,853, according to a USDA press release.

Because of these violations, Snokist Growers will not be permitted to operate in the produce industry until July 25th, 2016. After this date, it will again be eligible to reapply for a PACA license.

Snokist Growers' principals, Belinda Cole, Jim Davis, Kailan Dunn, and Dave Olsen, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until July 25th, 2015. After this time, a company may once again employ these individuals, provided it posts a USDA-approved surety bond.

In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims filed under PACA involving more than $87 million. Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without the approval of the USDA. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA.

Agricultural Marketing Service