RIO RICO, AZ - SunFed has been known for 20 years as a premier grower, packer and shipper of fruits and vegetables in the fresh produce industry. As the industry continues to vie for a share of the consumer’s attention and pocketbook, the company is refreshing its current marketing efforts and designs while sticking true to what SunFed does best - flavor.

Inspired by 30’s and 40’s linear art, the Perfect Produce® program communicates a fresh new range of merchandising solutions focusing more on what the consumers want with bright packaging and designs, big bold colors and dynamic shapes and graphics.

“The consumer is drawn to flavor and differentiation, and SunFed offers great quality produce and consistency across the board,” Matt Mandel, VP of Sales and Marketing, tells me. “This new program raises the bar for our sales and marketing efforts moving forward.”

Included under the new design, are 6-count peppers, 2-count eggplant, 1 lb. mini cucumber offerings as well as 2 lb. cucumber pouch bags.

“For the consumer that buys attention with their eyes, our program offers the right ratio of color, imagery and text to drive traffic through produce departments,” Brett Burdsal, SunFed’s Director of Marketing notes.

In addition to tapping into their marketing savvy, the SunFed team has also announced a sponsorship of Olympic hopeful Sofia Arreola. Arreola is a National Track Champion and two time silver medalist at the 2013 World Championships.

She has achieved 27 national titles, and 6 gold medals from her participation in the Junior Pan-American games.

Sofia embodies the healthy, active lifestyle which aligns with SunFed’s own mission to promote and enhance the overall well-being of each consumer through fresh fruits and vegetables.

Congrats to the company on the new innovative marketing campaign. Stay tuned for more news on SunFed’s evolving program and produce offerings.

SunFed

Welcome to What’s in Store. It's RealSweet Peruvian onion season at Shuman Produce and this season is shaping up to be Shuman's best in years. Quality and volume are both looking outstanding and John Shuman, President and Director of sales, says promotable volumes are now available for its full range of size profiles. Shipments are expected to last through February 2015.

The Peruvian onion has a nearly identical flavor profile to the much-loved Vidalia variety. With shipments already rolling in, Shuman is poised to provide its retail partners with a consistent supply of the sweet onion taste consumers crave. This is key because consumers value the versatility and sweet, mild flavor of sweet onions. The demand for sweet onions is so great, in fact, that it acts as a principle driver of the whole onion category. According to Nielsen's Perishables Group research, nearly 30% of total onion category sales comes from sweet onions.

Shuman shares that sweet onions make great cross promotional centerpieces, especially during the fall months when tailgating is at its peak during football season. Pair them with ease with grill-friendly meats and veggies to please hungry football fans and give sales a boost.

As a proud supporter of National Breast Cancer Awareness month, Shuman's entire line of RealSweet onions - bags, bins, cartons and PLUs – is going pink this October. The grower will also be donating $10,000 to this very worth cause.

Count on Shuman Produce to fill your sweet onion needs all fall and winter long. Thanks for watching What's in Store.

Shuman Produce

CHESHUNT, ENGLAND – Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has begun a formal criminal investigation into Tesco’s accounting errors.

As we reported previously, Tesco released its 2014/15 Interim Financial Results last week, which showed that the retailer overstated its profits by £263 million (roughly $421.70 million).  That error had already led to the suspension of eight senior staff members, as well as the resignation of Chairman Sir Richard Broadbent, while the matter is investigated, though Tesco did state that there was no suspicion of wrongdoing on their parts.

Reuters UK reports that for the SFO to launch a full criminal investigation against a company or individuals it has to be satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe that conduct might involve serious fraud or bribery. Tesco says that it has been "co-operating fully" with the SFO, according to BBC News.

Simon Gompertz, a business correspondent for BBC News, said in an analysis that this is a major blow for Tesco.  Those found guilty of fraud can be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and the company could face unlimited fines, Gompertz states.

Robert Amaee, a partner at law firm Covington & Burling and former head of anti-corruption and head of proceeds of crime at the SFO, told the BBC, “The SFO will no doubt be engaging with the new management to review the scope and focus of Tesco’s ongoing internal investigation, and the steps taken for example in relation to the preservation of documentary evidence, and the interviewing of witnesses, some of whom have already been suspended by the company.”

The process could take years, with the agency taking months to sift through huge quantities of digital data and other evidence, while looking to identify and trace witnesses, according to Reuters.  At the end of the process, the investigation could still find nothing criminally amiss.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest on this developing investigation.

Tesco

SOQUEL, CA - SureHarvest is adding 3 new clients to the user base of its sustainability performance management software: SMIS. The reception for this product has already been excellent and now PRO*ACT, the California Cut Flower Commission and the Oregon Hazelnut Marketing Board, have signed up to take advantage of the benefits the platform affords.

“We’re honored to partner with these progressive organizations to implement the SMIS platform, which will empower them to manage and grow their industry-leading sustainability programs,” shared Dr. Jeff Dlott, SureHarvest CEO.

PRO*ACT has long been among the leaders for sustainability solutions in the industry. In 2011, PRO*ACT launched Greener Fields Together™, which was the industry's first comprehensive national farm-to-fork sustainability program, according to a press release. Starting this fall, PRO*ACT’s national farm supplier partners will be able to use SMIS in order to complete online surveys about their energy management programs. Using the built in information management and reporting functionality of the SMIS platform, PRO*ACT will be able to leverage this information towards improving the sustainability performance of its operations as well as those of its farm suppliers and over 60 distribution centers.

“The SMIS online platform will help streamline our sustainability efforts and bolster our continued commitment to sustainable agriculture,” says Max Yeater, PRO*ACT's President. “It will also bring value to all our Greener Fields Together value chain partners by storing critical sustainability information that supports our commitment to transparency.”

The Oregon Hazelnut Marketing Board, a fellow new SureHarvest client, lists over 650 growers who grow over 99% of the United States hazelnut crop among its members. Beginning this January, the growers and handlers which take part in its Hazelnut Sustainability Program will be able to assess their performance on important sustainability goals in a confidential, efficient manner.

Congratulations on securing these new clients, SureHarvest!

SureHarvest

SOLEDAD, CA – Braga Fresh Family Farms is headed back to The Balancing Act®, the award-winning morning show on the Lifetime® Channel, on Monday November 10 at 7:00 am ET/PT.

Rod Braga, President and 3^rd generation farmer, and food and lifestyle expert Chadwick Boyd, will return to the show with host Olga Villaverde to discuss organic produce, family traditions, and flavorful and festive recipes to incorporate whole vegetables into meals, according to a press release.

On the show, Braga will be sharing the traditions started by his “Nonnie Josie,” the inspiration for the Josie’s Organics brand, and Boyd will be sharing two specially developed recipes: Grilled Pear and Curly Parsley Crostini, and Roasted Sweet Baby Broccoli with Parmesan Pecan Gremolata.  The recipes were inspired by Josie and use farm fresh organic produce.

This show is the 3^rd installment of The Balancing Act’s “Paying tribute to America’s farmers” four part series.  To check out the first two installments, click here.

In case you miss the show, it will re-air on November 17 at 7:00 am ET/PT.

Braga Fresh Family Farms

Josie’s Organics

The following was copied verbatim from a press release:

Salinas, CA (October 28, 2014) – Today, Belli Architectural Group announced David Peartree has become a shareholder in the firm.

David, a LEED accredited professional (LEED AP) architect and board president of the American Institute of Architects Monterey Bay Chapter, joined Belli in 2010 as senior project manager to oversee facilities planning, design and construction for clients in agriculture, wine, government, education, nonprofit and industrial sectors.

Over the past nearly five years with Belli, David has applied his expertise on projects such as the Taylor Farms corporate office in Salinas, Misionero processing facility expansion in Gonzales, Goodwill Industries store in Salinas, Hahn Family Wines culinary center in Soledad, Hartnell College field house in Salinas, Salinas Valley Fair Orradre building modernization in King City, and various elementary and high school projects in Salinas, Santa Cruz and Greenfield.

Lino Belli, president/CEO of Belli Architectural Group and a second generation Salinas Valley architect, welcomed David as a shareholder, saying, “David has earned my utmost respect, as well as the respect and friendship of his coworkers, clients and our community, by consistently demonstrating exceptional professionalism, integrity, and genuine care for everything to which he applies his time and talents. Our community is fortunate David decided to call Monterey County home, and I couldn’t be happier he’s now an owner of the firm.”

David explained why becoming an owner of Belli is important to him, saying, “Belli has a solid reputation for quality, creativity and community service, and it gives me a tremendous sense of satisfaction and pride to contribute towards growing the firm and carrying on that legacy built by Lino and his father Ray.”

Prior to joining Belli, David was a senior associate with Jesse Bornstein Architecture and a job captain with Killefer Flammang Architects, both of Santa Monica. David holds a bachelor of arts in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. He serves as vice president/president-elect of the board for Ag Against Hunger, and chairs the Hartnell College Drafting Curriculum Advisory Committee. David lives in Pacific Grove with his wife, Nicole, and their 4 year-old son, Elliott.

Belli Architectural Group

KEENE, NH – C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc. has won the competitive bankruptcy auction for Associated Wholesalers Inc. (AWI) with a $288 million bid.

As we previously reported, C&S initially assumed the position of the “stalking horse” or initial bidder with a bid of up to $170 million, depending on various factors.

Mark S. Indelicato of Hahn & Hessen LLP told Law 360 that the price for the cooperative food distributer increased almost 70% to end at $288 million, almost $120 million over the original offer.

According to Indelicato, there were two bidders that went head-to-head at the auction.  Though he did not identify C&S’s challenger, Mark stated that the rival may be revealed at the hearing where U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin J. Carey will consider the sale.

In September, AWI filed for chapter 11 protection listing over $200 million in debts. According to Bloomberg, AWI’s White Rose unit has also filed for bankruptcy due to what Chief Restructuring Officer Douglas Booth called “compressed margins and fierce competition.”

Last month, Rick Cohen, Chairman and CEO of C&S, spoke on the potential acquisition saying, “The addition of AWI and White Rose would expand C&S’s footprint and enhance our significant capabilities in servicing independent grocers.”

Among AWI's listed creditors were food giants Tyson, Kellogg, General Mills, ConAgra, Smucker, Nestle, Kraft, and Dannon. According to Bloomberg, AWI owes as much as $100 million in debt to its various creditors.

Will the sale be approved, and will we find out the identity of the rival bidder?  Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for updates as we continue to track this story.

C&S Wholesale Grocers

Associated Wholesale Inc.

VENTURA COUNTY, CA - With day 1 a smashing success, day 2 of the Ventura County Sustainability Exchange kicked off with a series of exciting tours of the fields and facilities of some of the leading growers in the fresh produce industry. Attendees of this exclusive pre-Fresh Summit event were brought into the backyards of San Miguel Produce, Deardorff Family Farms and Houweling's Nursery, getting a personal look at what makes Ventura County a one-stop-shop for sustainably grown produce.

“The leadership that I witnessed during the Ventura County Sustainability Exchange was more than eye-opening; it was inspiring!” said Lori Taylor, the Produce Mom. “I honestly had no idea how much Ventura County contributes to American Agriculture. And everything I saw; from the way these growers treated the planet & their crop to the way they treat the men & women who are part of their team, really just makes me want to shop for their brands in the grocery store.”

The first tour of the day took guests to San Miguel Produce, where the grower put its use of soil moisture recorders on display. San Miguel uses these devices in order to improve the accuracy and efficiency of its irrigation systems and better budget its water usage. San Miguel also shared with attendees some of its innovative solutions to the labor challenges facing the industry, including its use of harvesting belts to increase yields by 10% and productivity by 25%. Finally, visitors were introduced to the 600 acres which San Miguel devotes to its organic crops in addition to its acres of conventional crops.

Deardorff was next on the list where VCSE attendees were welcomed by Tom and Scott Deardorff through a video. The two were unable to greet visitors in person as they were currently participating in the Tour De Fresh event. While there, attendees toured LEED certified headquarters for office, cooling and packing operations, as well as the facility's recent addition of 1,368 new solar panels on its roof. This addition will offset 40% of Deardorff's electricity usage, according to a press release.

“They say ‘you have to see it to believe it.’ The VCSE did just that - it brought the industry to Ventura County to SEE the amazing commitment to sustainability and it made BELIEVERS of all the attendees,” Tom Deardorff II, President, shared. “This event was a huge success in both educating the industry and creating valuable relationships across the supply chain. Everyone left fully aware that Ventura County is like no other produce region - it truly is home to the best innovators and dedicated champions of sustainability!”

Houweling’s Nursery was the last stop of the day. CEO Casey Houweling led guests on a tour through the company's history and the challenges growers are confronting today, as well as through its 5 acre solar system and three cogen systems. These systems are the first in the United States which produce electricity, CO2, heat and water all for use at Houweling's 125 acres of greenhouses.

Be sure to also check out part one of our coverage of this exclusive pre-Fresh Summit event!

Congratulations to VCSE and all of its sponsors, Cool Planet, Agromin, Driscoll's, Houweling’s Tomatoes, San Miguel Produce, Deardorff Family Farms, Limoneira, and Calavo, for putting on this exceptional event.  

Houweling's Tomatoes

San Miguel Produce

Deardorff Family Farms

WASHINGTON - Four PACA violators in Texas and Idaho have been restricted from operating in the produce industry, according to a USDA press release.

Mercatropic Corp., a McAllen, Texas-based company, has failed to pay a $40,110 award in favor of a California seller. Roberto De La Torre was listed as the Officer, Director, and major stockholder of the business.

Mega Avoconamex USA LLC, a McAllen, Texas-based company, was barred for failing to pay a $3,997 award in favor of a California seller. Miriam Del Carmen, Martinez Castro, and Ivan Domingo Ruiz Ponce were listed as members of the business.

The Best Sun Produce, a Dallas, Texas-based company, failed to pay an $18,021 award in favor of a California seller. Jose A. Rayas and Juan E. Torres were listed as partners of the business.

Blackbird Seven LLC, a Blackfoot, Idaho-based company, was restricted for failing to pay an $105,393 award in favor of an Idaho seller. Scott M. Phillips was listed as a member of the business.

In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims under the 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

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - The Allen Lund Company has promoted Nick Mihalopoulos to the position of Controller within the company.

"Nick has a tremendous understanding of the financial reporting process and regularly works with managers on expense analysis and operating efficiencies,” shared Steve Doerfler, CFO. “His attention to detail and technical understanding have enabled him to make a direct impact on the company's bottom line."

Nick has been a valuable asset for Allen Lund and shared how much he has enjoyed the time he has spent with the company to this point.

"Often times you hear companies talk about work and life as two separate components. For me, being at the Allen Lund Company, I see a unity between my work and life," he said. "Everyday is an opportunity to work with great people and support an industry leading service."

According to a press release, Nick began his career with Allen Lund in 2011 after working with PepsiCo. He graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a dual degree in Finance and Accountancy.

Congratulations on this exciting promotion, Nick!

Allen Lund Company