DUBLIN, CA - California is getting some much appreciated help from local tech companies to combat the state’s ongoing drought. A new innovative service from start-up TerrAvion provides thermal-based imagery that shows which farming areas are getting too much or too little water.

For $30 per acre, or less for farms with more than 300 acres, TerrAvion offers customers 30 sets of color, infrared, NDVI, and thermal imagery delivered overnight each week during the growing season. The company’s manned aircraft takes photographs as it flies over the fields and transmits the overhead images to the company’s OverView web portal, which growers can then view via computer or mobile device.

TerrAvion says its proprietary OverView technology can help growers show buyers, managers, or scouts everything they’re farming and compare it to what was seen last week, and the weeks before. By seeing which areas are in need the most, growers can also reduce water and energy use and farm larger areas with less effort.  

Demand is picking up for the start-up as growers start learning about the service’s extensive advantages. Cornell Wright, TerrAvion Co-Founder, tells CNBC, “We see a lot of interest from growers because of the drought. It definitely helps them find irrigation leaks and manage water more effectively.”

TerrAvion serves clients, particularly grape growers, who are farming for quality. For example, Coppola Winery, one of the company’s first customers, says the technology has “changed everything” for the company. Lise Asimont, Coppola Winery Director of Grower Relations, tells CNBC, “After having that technology, we’ve been able to fine-tune it so finely, that now we have so much more confidence and comfort in how we irrigate.”

CNBC reports that with a $500 billion market for water products and services, it’s not much of a surprise that TerrAvion is being backed by Y Combinator, a firm that provides seed funding for start-ups.

With so much potential to tap into a multi-billion dollar market, it’s likely we’ll see other start-ups, especially out of California’s Silicon Valley, to help tackle the drought. I’m looking forward to seeing what other services tech companies will provide to help growers across the state. 

TerrAvion

CASTROVILLE, CA - Joe Feldman, Ocean Mist Farms’ VP of Sales and Marketing, joins AndNowUKnow to share the company’s latest in fresh-cut Brussels sprouts. SuperShreds SuperFood™ and Quick Cook Sprouts™ come in a 12oz and 16oz bag and are presented in Ocean Mist’s award-winning innovative microwaveable pack with a zip lock. The steam pack gives users the option to pre-season the content to their flavor preference, reseal with the zip lock, and steam by microwave all within the same bag.

“With Brussels sprouts, the varieties have a great flavor profile to them,” Feldman tells AndNowUKnow. “It’s a very fast growing product for us and the industry.”

Ocean Mist grows Brussels sprouts year-round and also offers the product in a 10lb and 25lb bulk box. 

Check out the video above to see Ocean Mist's latest!

Ocean Mist Farms

UNITED STATES - The Produce Marketing Association (PMA), Western Growers Association (WGA) and Center for Produce Safety (CPS) have partnered to create Agricultural Water: Five-Year Research Review, a report focused on agricultural water and its impact on food safety.

This tool has been designed to help the industry evaluate and consider scientific research findings released over several years, according to a press release.  To read the full report, click here.

“I think it is often difficult for a grower or a handler to track the volume of relevant, industry-ready research that comes out of the Center for Produce Safety,” said Hank Giclas, Senior Vice President of Science, Technology and Strategic Planning for Western Growers. “It is even more challenging when you look back over the last six years at almost $14 million worth of funding for 85 different projects across almost two dozen institutions.  That is why I am very excited and pleased to work with the Produce Marketing Association to review and synthesize CPS output on a topic-by-topic basis.”

These are the four key areas addressed in the report:

• Human Pathogen Prevalence, Quality and Persistence in Agricultural Water
• Transfer and Persistence of Human Pathogens from Contaminated Agricultural Water to the Agricultural Environment and Produce
• Managing Agricultural Water Safety
• Tools to Assess the Risk Posed by Agricultural Water Use and Practices

“CPS has funded a number of agricultural water research projects throughout the United States. We appreciate the time and resources provided by the Produce Marketing Association and Western Growers Association to review the body of work and provide a comprehensive report for use by the produce industry,” said Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, Executive Director, Center for Produce Safety.    

This report comes after the release of the proposed produce safety rule from the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).  Dr. Jim Gorny, PMA’s Vice President of Food Safety & Technology, added, “It’s an excellent resource for industry members participating in the forthcoming FSMA produce rule policy debate regarding appropriate and effective agricultural water preventive control standards."

For questions about the Agricultural Water: Five-Year Research Review report findings or other research areas pertaining to food safety, science and technology, please contact CPS’ Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, PMA’s Dr. Jim Gorny, or WGA’s Hank Giclas.

Produce Marketing Association

Western Growers Association

Center for Produce Safety

PHOENIX, AZ - Sprouts released its Q2 financial report on August 7th, 2014, beating analysts expectations across the board. Net sales rose 20% over numbers from the same period in 2013 to $743.8 million and comparable store sales grew 9.5%.

"We are very proud of our continuing strong sales growth during the quarter and ability to leverage those sales into outstanding earnings improvement," said Doug Sanders, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sprouts Farmers Market. "These results give us confidence to increase our financial outlook for the year.”

Sanders also spoke proudly in Sprouts' financial statement of the success the company has enjoyed during the early stages of its Southeastern expansion.

“During the quarter, we opened our first store in the Southeast with tremendous response from customers," he said. "The early positive reception reinforces the broad appeal of our healthy, value-focused model and demonstrates our ability to deliver on our growth strategy."

For more on Sprouts' expansion efforts check out our previous article on it here.

Other highlights from Sprouts Q2 Financial Report were:

• Net income rose to $30.2 million with a diluted earnings per share of $0.20
• A 68% increase in adjusted net income to $30.2 million. During the same period in 2013 this figure was $18.0 million
• A 43% increase in adjusted diluted earnings per share to $0.20. During the same period in 2013 this figure was $0.14.
• A 31% increase in adjusted EBITDA to $69.1 million.
• A increase in Sprout's 2014 Guidance 

With numbers like that, I'll certainly need to look into picking up some Sprouts stock after my next payday. 

Other investors seem to agree with this sentiment, driving up the price of Sprouts stock 3.36% during Friday morning trading to $31.58 per share (as of 10:12am PST on Friday August 8th).

Congratulations on an impressive quarter Sprouts! 

Sprouts Farmers Market

FRESNO, CA – The California Grape & Tree Fruit League has announced that it will be changing its name to the California Fresh Fruit Association, a name with a nice ring if you ask me. According to a press release, the California Fresh Fruit Association believes that this new name will better reflect the diverse community of growers it represents.

“While undergoing a name change is no easy task, little has changed as we’ve made sure to continue with our responsibilities as usual,” said Barry Bedwell, President of the California Fresh Fruit Association. “As we began the process, we wanted to proceed with a name that accurately represents our members and the commodities they provide. We couldn’t be happier with our selection – California Fresh Fruit Association is exactly who we are and what we represent.”

According to a press release, the Strategic Planning Committee of 2013 was the first time the question of a name change was presented. With the completion of the Association's 5-year strategic plan, members were asked by the Board of Directors to consider a transition to a name which would better represent its multitude of members who grow an incredible variety of fruits such as grapes, blueberries, peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, pears, apples, cherries, figs, kiwis, pomegranates and persimmons.

The new name will be formally presented to executive and legislative officials in Sacramento, CA during the Annual Fruit Delivery on Tuesday, August 12th from 10:30am to 12:00pm. Afterward the Association will be celebrating this big move with an evening reception for government officials and Association members at the Esquire Grill.

According to a press release, with the exception of the name change the Association plans on continuing to conduct business as usual. It will continue advocating for the interests of its associated growers, shippers and marketers in Sacramento and Washington D.C. Its headquarters will remain in Fresno, CA.

California Fresh Fruit Association

SHERMAN OAKS, CA - Sunkist Growers recently brought together a group of influential registered dietitians for an immersing Sunkist educational experience in Southern California.  The event, hosted July 17th, included a grove tour, nutritional information seminar, as well as chef and mixologist demonstrations.  The day helped educate the guests about how both organic and conventional citrus is grown, the fruits’ nutritional benefits, and how lemons can be integrated into food and beverages.

To illustrate how to enhance everyday drinks using citrus, award-winning cocktail chef, Matthew Biancaniello, showed the group how to liven up water with fresh Sunkist citrus and other seasonal ingredients to make hydration healthier and delicious.

“Nutrition programming is so important for Sunkist and the produce industry as a whole,” said Sunkist Advertising and Public Relations Manager Joan Wickham. “We were pleased to invite this influential group of dietitians to a Sunkist family farm to share the care and dedication that goes into each piece of Sunkist citrus, and educate the attendees about the many nutritional benefits of citrus as part of a healthy diet. As we head into citrus season this fall, we hope to continue engaging with these dietitians to help us spread the word about citrus and healthy eating.”

The registered dietitians represented many different aspects of the food industry, with award-winning registered dietitian, nutritionist, Cordon Bleu-certified chef and author, Michelle Dudash, demonstrating how it is possible to cook like a chef while eating like a nutritionist. Over the past year, Michele has become a spokesperson for Sunkist S’alternative®—an initiative that promotes choosing an all-natural way to flavor food, boost potassium intake, and cut down on sodium using Sunkist® lemons as an alternative to salt.

Dudash introduced recipes on how to enhance meals with the versatile lemon, and also joined the group for the grove tour with the Sunkist growers, the Donlon Family.  The Donlons have farmed in Ventura County, California, for six generations and produce both certified organic and conventionally-grown lemons.

Sunkist Growers

HOUSTON, TX - Sysco Corporation's announced that its merger with US Foods has been delayed and could now close either late during Q3 or during Q4, pending approval by the Federal Trade Commission, according to The Wall Street Journal. The holdup is a product of the ongoing review process by the FTC, but Sysco is not concerned about the delay, saying that it still considers everything to be moving along smoothly.

"Transactions of this nature and complexity historically take on average nine to 12 months to close from the date of announcement...[but] the process is fluid, and it is not uncommon that timing expectations are adjusted," a Sysco spokesman told the Wall Street Journal.

The proposed $3.5 billion merger agreement, which would give the company 25% of the foodservice market share, is the first of its kind, and the need for the FTC to develop protocols to review a merger of this magnitude is the main source of the delay, according to Sysco.

The Wall Street Journal speculates that the delay could also indicate the need for Sysco and US Foods to divest themselves of some of their assets.

Sysco, however, demonstrated its confidence in the seamless approval of the merger by already announcing the senior executives who will be in charge of the company's operations in the wake of the deal. According to a press release, these executives are:

• Tom Bené: Lead of Domestic and International Operations.
• Scott Charlton: Lead of End-To-End Supply Chain Operations
• Chris Kreidler: Lead of the Finance Function
• Russell Libby: Lead of Corporate Affair
• Paul Moskowitz: Lead of Human Resources
• Pietro Satriano: Lead of Merchandising and Marketing
• Stuart Schuette: Lead of Sales and Sales Development & Strategy
• Wayne Shurts: Lead of Business Technology

Speaking about his newly announced team, Sysco President and Chief Executive Officer Bill DeLaney said, "Each of these individuals brings to the job a wealth of customer focus, personal commitment, industry knowledge and professional expertise. I look forward to working with this senior team upon completion of the merger as we continue to pursue being our customers' most valued and trusted business partner."

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for any future updates on the impending merger of Sysco and US Foods.  

Sysco

US Foods

DENVER, CO - WhiteWave Foods reported strong second quarter results thanks to its acquisition of Earthbound Farm late last year.

“Our second quarter 2014 results reflected strong operating performance all around,” said Kelly Haecker, WhiteWave Foods’ Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. “We delivered another quarter of robust topline growth, driven by strong organic growth in North America and Europe, as well as the addition of Earthbound Farm."

WhiteWave’s net sales for Q2 were $838 million. That number is a 36% increase from net sales of $616 million in the second quarter of 2013. Earthbound alone accounted for nearly 20% of WhiteWave’s increase.

WhiteWave's shares were up $3.16 to $32.84, a 10.65% increase, according to Yahoo Finance.

Earthbound Farm’s second quarter net sales totaled out at $153 million.  These sales were driven by its packaged salad category, which grew by 2% reaching a total of 24%.  Earthbound Farm is the leading share in the branded organic packaged salad category.

“We continued to experience strong growth across our businesses in the second quarter, with several of our platforms reporting record revenue,” said Gregg Engles, WhiteWave Farms’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “The increasing cost leverage as a result of our growth, along with the benefits we are starting to realize from the investments in our supply chain, led to strong operating margin expansion in the quarter. We are pleased with our performance and believe our innovative, on-trend and market leading brands will continue to fuel our growth, leading us to again increase our EPS guidance for the full year.”

Accounting for typical seasonality in Earthbound Farm’s business, WhiteWave expects to see net sales growth of approximately 30 percent, adjusted total operating income percentage growth rate in the low to mid-forties and diluted earnings per share between $0.98 and $1.00 in the third quarter of 2014.

For more information on WhiteWave Foods’ acquisition of Earthbound Farm, check out our previous article by clicking here.

WhiteWave Foods

Earthbound Farm

IMMOKALEE, FL – Lipman recently took a break from tomatoes to distribute more than 1,200 backpacks filled with school supplies to Immokalee elementary and middle school students at a community event.

“We look forward to our backpack distribution event every year because it’s such a meaningful way to give back to the families and children in the Immokalee community,” said Jaime Weisinger, Community Relations Director for Lipman. “Encouraging education is very important to us, and we hope to serve even more children in the coming years.”

The funds for the backpacks and school supplies were collected during Lipman’s “Homerun Harvest” softball tournament in April, according to a press release.  Everglades Farm Equipmant, Bronco Packaging, Aljoma Lumber, Bruno Air Conditioning, Immokalee Produce Shippers and Produce Connection were all sponsors of the event.

In addition to the backpack distribution, more than 30 local organizations provided information and services to families during the event, including Habitat for Humanity; Immokalee Friendship House; Naples Shelter for Abused Women and Children; University of Florida/IFAS Extension; Health Care Network of Southwest Florida/Marion Fether Medical Center; Susan G. Komen Network; Imaginarium Science Center; Boys & Girls Club of Collier County, and PACE Center for Girls. Representatives from the Immokalee Fire Control District displayed emergency vehicles, and the Sheriff’s Department’s Crime Prevention Unit provided educational materials.

Lipman

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bernie Thiel, who operates his family’s Sunburst Farms near Lubbock, Texas, has released an ad targeting Immigration Reform.

The ad, which is sponsored by the Partnership for a New American Economy and the American Farm Bureau Federation, showcases 10 acres of squash that Bernie had to destroy because of a shortage of workers. 

According to USA Today, the ad will appear in D.C. taxicabs, the Reagan National and Dulles International airports in the Washington area and movie theatres in 16 congressional districts.  It will also run at state fairs and rodeos in Idaho and Louisiana.  View the ad below:

“Our farmers are struggling to do their jobs because they don’t have the workers they need. So while Congress does nothing to address agriculture labor shortages, farms fail, food rots, and we import more produce from overseas,” said John Feinblatt, Chairman of the Partnership for a New American Economy.

Bob Stallman, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, shares the same sentiment.  “Ultimately, as a nation, we will decide whether we import our labor or import our food. While our nation’s current political climate makes comprehensive reform a challenge, we are determined that ensuring an adequate farm workforce and securing our borders are compatible goals that are worthy of continued pursuit.”

USA Today reports that a bipartisan comprehensive immigration bill passed in the Senate last year but not in the House.  Congress will be leaving at the end of the week for a month-long recess, and there is not much time before lawmakers end the session for November elections.

For more information on how to contact your representatives in Congress click here.

As this complex issue continues to develop, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latests updates.

Partnership for a New American Economy 

American Farm Bureau Federation