WATSONVILLE CA - Driscoll's has awarded a $10,000.00 grant to Whole Foods Market's Whole Kids Foundation as part of its school garden grant program. According to a press release, this generous donation will fund the creation of five new edible school gardens, an invaluable tool for fostering healthy relationships between school children and the food they eat.

Working with the Whole Foods Foundation on this project was an easy decision, according to Maria T. Cadenas, Community Involvement Manager for Driscoll’s, because of the common core values the two companies share.

“We are excited about our school garden partnership as it will foster the knowledge of where our food comes and the people that make it possible – from the farmworker to the farmers,” she said. “We are pleased to help build a more inclusive, connected and economically vibrant community.”

“We are excited to partner with a company like Driscoll’s who has a deep passion for growing nutritious food,” agreed Nona Evans, Whole Kids Foundation Executive Director. “Their support of our school garden program will empower thousands of students to develop that same passion and increase their willingness to try and eat fresh fruits and vegetables.”

Driscoll's employees will be selecting the schools to receive this grant money through a nomination process.

Formally established in 2005, the Driscoll’s Philanthropy Program works under the mission of using Driscoll's core values, passion, humility, and trustworthiness, to transform the communities around them, creating amazing places to live for the people who call them their homes.

The Whole Kids Foundation works with local communities to help create and maintain sustainable school gardens. It has also awarded grants to to schools that educate children of migrant and farmworker populations.

This is a great cause these two companies are working towards. Feeling a connection with the food they eat is certainly something schools should be teaching their students, and it's great to see Driscoll's and Whole Foods Market giving these schools the resources to do just that.

Whole Foods Market

Driscoll's

WILMINGTON, DE - In the wake of the bankruptcy filing of Associated Wholesale Inc. (AWI), Reuters is reporting that C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc. has reached an agreement with the wholesaler to acquire the majority of its assets at a court supervised auction in which C&S will be acting as the lead bidder. 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.”

During the announced auction, C&S will be assuming the position of the “stalking horse” or initial bidder, and will be subject to higher or stronger offers.

“The addition of AWI and White Rose would expand C&S’s footprint and enhance our significant capabilities in servicing independent grocers,” said Rick Cohen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for C&S.

According to Reuters, White Rose generated about $1.1 billion of annual revenue prior to 2013, making it an appealing buy for C&S if the company believes that it can turn the business around. Based on the company's statements, C&S certainly sounds confident in its ability to do this.

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.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for any further updates on this upcoming auction and decisions of AWI and C&S.

C&S Wholesale Grocers

Associated Wholesale Inc.

The retail industry has lost one of its own with the passing of Claude Moldenhauer, Kroger's former Vice President of Produce and Floral. Claude served at Kroger for 38 prosperous years, helping to build Kroger's strong foundation and message, before retiring in 1999.

Before joining Kroger, Claude attended the University of Minnesota where he graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration, followed by a Masters of Business Degree from the University of Toledo.

Always an active member of his community, Claude was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Greensboro while also serving on the University of Georgia Agriculture Board, as President of the Reynolds Plantation Men's Club, and as Public Relations Manager for Greene County Habitat for Humanity. He also had a passion for golf, tennis, boating and physical fitness.

With his passing, Claude leaves behind his wife of 54 years, Diane Moldenhauer; two daughters, Julie M. King and Lynda S. Hawk; son, Jeff Moldenhauer; sister, Wanda Templin, and his loving seven grandchildren, four nieces, a nephew, and beloved dog, Betsy.

His family has announced that Claude's funeral will be held at 10:00 am on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at the First United Methodist Church, South Campus, 4741 Carey Station Road, Greensboro, GA, 30642 with Rev. Mike Morgan and Pastor Merry Grayson officiating the ceremony.

Mourners are also encouraged to attend his celebration of life gathering in Loveland, Ohio.

According to his obituary, donations in his memory can be made to the Greene County Habitat for Humanity or The Alzheimer's Association.

AndNowUKnow would like to offer our heartfelt sympathies to Claude's family and friends. He will certainly be missed.

PARLIER, CA - Custom Produce is in the middle of its grape packing operations and things are currently moving along well for this experienced grower.

“We've finished packing our Flame Seedless and Thomson grape varieties already,” Owner Ted Torosian shared with ANUK. “We're beginning operations on several of our other varieties as well which should carry us through the fall into early winter. Barring any weather issues, we'll be packing a lot of volume over the coming week.”

Next on Custom Produce's agenda is packing its Crimson Seedless and Autumn Royal varieties. After that, it will be moving operations into Red Globes and Autumn Kings. By late December to early January it will have transitioned to its Chilean fields to continue the harvesting and packing process.

Volume in general is excellent at Custom Produce this year, even with berry size slightly smaller than last season. The reason for this reduction in size is still unknown, although Ted does speculate that high heat in the valley along with a lack of rain could have played a factor.

Despite the slight decrease in berry size, Marvin Farris, Custom Produce Owner and President, says that quality this year is excellent. Under both Ted and Marvin's leadership, the grower has a crop on its hands with very good sugar content during a season characterized by phenomenal movement on grapes.

“Especially with the back to school season already upon us, demand is excellent right now,” Marvin said. “At both the retail level and in the foodservice industry, there is a very healthy appetite for our grapes.”

Custom Produce has all of its varieties available to retailers in standard pouch bags and clamshells.

Congratulations on another excellent season, Custom Produce!

Custom Produce

Lucky's Market has been featured in the latest edition of AndNowUKnow’s print publication, The Snack Magazine. Peter Gialantzis, Lucky's Vice President of Purchasing and former twelve-year Whole Foods Supply Chain and Product Management Executive, shares how this retro organic grocer continues to grow while keeping its focus on community and 'Good Food for All.'

Check out The Snack article by clicking here, or read the full text below:

Good Food for All

“Good Food for All.” These words are always the first and last you’ll see when you take a journey through this retro up-and-coming organic grocer. Simple, yet sophisticated. It’s a philosophy that’s instilled in every single square inch of the store. From the spacious, colorful produce aisles to the eclectic bakery and deli sections, this independently owned and operated market takes grocery atmosphere to a whole other level. With its 1920s era American art deco aesthetic and evocative décor, you might just think you’ve taken a trip through time. Old-fashioned, down to earth style. Welcome to Lucky’s Market.

Food is the connection that ties everyone together at Lucky’s. If you ask founders and chefs Trish and Bo Sharon, they would have to agree. Their vision was to create a grocery store with a genuine, personal touch that offered quality products at an affordable price. Driven by their passion for food, Trish and Bo opened such a store over ten years ago in Boulder, Colorado. It was only a modest 13,000 square feet, but it was adored by the community. The neighborhood-focused, anti-corporate concept gave shoppers a very comfortable, vintage shopping experience, but it was the fresh local, organic, sustainable, and traditionally crafted foods that kept them coming back for more. The first Lucky’s Market was successful since day one, and Trish and Bo sought to expand their concept further in Longmont, Colorado. Although the store was larger in size at approximately 24,000 square feet, the same spirit and ideology of Trish and Bo’s “good food for all” translated over smoothly.

Peter Gialantzis, Lucky’s Vice President of Purchasing and former twelve-year Whole Foods Supply Chain and Product Management Executive, tells me that the reason the company is so different from other organic grocery stores is that it combines the best of both conventional and premium markets to offer a better value for shoppers.

“We’re looking to compete with the premium markets in terms of quality and merchandising, and to compete with conventional markets on price. We’re the best of both worlds,” he said, making a note of the fact that Lucky’s doesn’t have centralized purchasing and packaging. “Lucky’s is a young, local company. We aspire to grow decade-long partnerships and foster partnerships that are sustainable. We’ve grown quickly, and we will continue to grow quickly.”

"Our food must be presented in an accessible and approachable way."

Indeed, since those first two stores in Colorado, the company has expanded nationally into Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Michigan, and Wyoming, and has continued to see positive reception in each community. People may have different tastes, but Lucky’s is always received in the same exact way no matter which city it’s in. Peter says that the reason Lucky’s is so successful is because it hasn’t had a broad brush approach to expansion. In fact, a lot of its products are sourced from ten miles away. Lucky’s commitment to local suppliers is what allowed the company to grow the way it has so far. Rather than taking a strictly bottom line approach, they look at which neighborhoods need their concept the most and fill those demands and opportunities. Lucky’s isn’t about taking a behemoth, bulldozer approach to expansion. This isn’t a traditional corporate growth strategy.

“It’s just not as fun that way!” he laughs. “We figure it out with our locally grown and sourced program. Our food must be presented in an accessible and approachable way. We don’t want to aspire to change the world through broad initiatives. We want to become part of the community and have a strong and giving presence.”

Lucky’s is about giving people a shopping experience they won’t forget. It’s a place where people can hang out and participate in community activities such as weekly grilling events, but it’s also a place where they can be in and out in five minutes. Although, with such a fun, carnival-esque aesthetic, why would you want to leave in just five minutes? No matter where you go or where you look, Lucky’s always has a fun, eye-catching display or sign that takes you back to a simpler time. The bright, vintage design is ironically what keeps the store fresh and engaging in modern times, and the enthusiastic, artistic approach brings out the best in each store section. The vibrant produce section invites shoppers to a broad, colorful collection of fruits and veggies, while a sign overhead with an orange slice declares, “Squeeze the Day.” The beer bar, Bits & Bites, offers shoppers a place to hang out and take a swig out of Lucky’s beer jugs or sample its house-made potato chips and pretzel bites. Lucky’s deli section boasts house-smoked and house-cured natural meats, all locally sourced, with cheeses and antipasti galore. The bakery provides foodies with “build your own” style pizzas, with cured meats from the store butcher, homemade and hand-tossed dough, veggies from its farmers, and handcrafted sauces. The secret ingredient? Love. Lucky’s wants to be a positive contributor to the community.

"Lucky's friendly, knowledgeable staff is the melting pot of the food industry."

The centerpiece of every Lucky’s store is always fresh produce. Everything in terms of store design and advertisements revolves around produce.

“We have a higher percentage of produce sales than any other company that I am aware of,” says Peter. “Produce drives our decision making process. It starts with produce, and everything else follows suit.”

Lucky’s friendly, knowledgeable staff is the melting pot of the food industry. It’s a very diverse group, with a staff that comes from conventional markets, chef backgrounds, and of course, farming backgrounds.

“We challenged ourselves to strip out anything that isn’t necessary,” Peter continued. “We only wanted things that mattered to people. We have great expertise in our produce buying team; we know how and where to find the best product at the best costs… but what matters most is that customers can trust our quality 365 days a year, and we’re meeting or beating the conventional chains on price seven days a week. There’s no reason why anyone wouldn’t want to shop with us.”

Looking ahead, Lucky’s anticipates opening at least ten stores over the next year, covering a very wide part of the country. There’s a big opportunity for new players to enter the market, and Lucky’s is looking for communities that yearn for good food at good prices. That means a strict commitment to keeping products local.

Simple and fresh, with strong passion for good, local food. That is Lucky’s in a nutshell. It’s the unrelenting commitment to quality food, quality service, and quality relationships with its suppliers and shoppers that makes Lucky’s so lucky.

Good food for all? I agree.

Lucky's Market

The Snack

WASHINGTON, D.C. – There is no end in sight for immigration reform as President Obama has delayed executive action on the issue until after the November midterm elections.

“When I take executive action, I want to make sure that it’s sustainable,” Obama said in a clip from NBC’s “Meet the Press” last week.  “What I’m saying is that I’m going to act because it’s the right thing for the country.  But it’s going to be more sustainable and more effective if the public understands what the facts are on immigration.”

This is a reversal of a promise that Obama made in June saying that he would use his executive power this summer to change the nation’s immigration system after a year long effort to enact compromise legislation failed.

The New York Times quotes a White House official as saying, “Because of the Republicans’ extreme politicization of this issue, the president believes it would be harmful to the policy itself and to the long-term prospects for comprehensive immigration reform to announce administrative action before the elections. 

Immigration activists are upset over the delay that Republicans are calling a purely political move.

"Instead of doing what’s right for the economy, farm workers and the country, he broke his promise to the millions of immigrants and Latinos who are looking for him to lead on this issue in the wake of Republicans’ dysfunction and obstruction," Arturo Rodriguez, President of the United Farm Workers of America, told The Hill.

The Washington Post reports that though Obama rejected criticism that the postponement was a political move to help embattled Democrats in the midterms, several Democrats have publicly called on Obama to delay or abandon his executive action plans over the last several weeks.

In a statement, the White House vowed that Obama will act before the end of the year. 

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to cover this complex and important issue.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – As part of her initiative to educate consumers on where their fresh produce comes from, Lori Taylor, The Produce Mom, took a tour of Tanimura & Antle's growing, harvesting, and Field-Packed for Freshness® operations in California’s Salinas Valley.

"It was a pleasure to have The Produce Mom visit our Tanimura & Antle family farms,” said Tanimura & Antle Regional Sales Manager, Caitlin Antle. “We love having influential people immerse themselves into our company culture as part of the 'T&A Academy,’ and witness our hard working, dedicated and passionate employees that deliver premium quality vegetables to consumers’ plates year round. Shoppers are more aware than ever of what embodies the product that they are buying at their neighborhood grocery store. The Produce Mom helps to bridge the communication gap between America's fresh produce farmers and consumers."

“We pack our produce right in the field using a special bag and sealing process that keeps our whole-leaf products fresh with minimal handling,” said Brian Antle, Lettuce Production Manager. During her tour, Lori was able to view these operations first hand in addition to much more.

Check out this video for a closer look at Lori's tour of Tanimura & Antle:

"I love sharing recipes and information about Tanimura & Antle’s terrific products. During my visit, I learned so many amazing facts about their field-packing operation and dedication to traceability," Lori shared in a press release. “The goal of The Produce Mom is to help people learn how to select, store and serve more fruits and veggies. After touring the Tanimura & Antle family farm, I’m even more confident consumers will have a positive experience with their products. Tanimura & Antle vegetables have been taken care of from seed to the grocery store shelf. Their operation and culture is truly impressive.” 

Having worked with Tanimura & Antle closely over the years, this is certainly a statement I would agree with. It's great to see these two come together to raise awareness about the great things going on at the company.

Tanimura & Antle

The Produce Mom

VENTURA, CA – LINKFRESH has announced the appointment of Bob Mann as its new Chairman of the Board.

“I am very excited about joining the board of LINKFRESH at a time when the fresh food industry is going through enormous challenges and change,” said Bob Mann. “LINKFRESH has developed an exceptional ERP solution that directly meets the needs of this global industry. I am thrilled to be able to share and apply my knowledge of the software industry to guide LINKFRESH to reach its goals for growth, international business development and product advancement.”

Robert Frost, Group CEO for LINKFRESH, followed up this statement by saying, “I am looking forward to working with Bob to lead our management team and colleagues at LINKFRESH to realize the company’s growth plans and to develop our international operations. Bob’s knowledge of the software industry in Europe and North America will be an invaluable aid to the execution of our business strategy.”

According to a press release, Bob Mann has 25 years of experience as a senior manager in the high tech and software industires. Before joining LINKFRESH, he was in charge of European operations at Siebel Systems in additon to holding board positions with companies in the portfolios of 3i, Advent Ventures, Amadeus Capital, Alliance Trust and Scottish Equity Partners.

Bob Mann is also currently serving as the Chairman of Openbravo and RelayWare Inc.

Congratultions on the new position, Bob Mann!

LINKFRESH

DALLAS, TX – Through a new partnership with Ro*Tel®, a ConAgra Foods brand, Avocados from Mexico has announced its “Hungry for Football” promotion just in time for the exciting start of the NFL season. Avocados from Mexico (AFM) will be supporting its retail partners with contests, consumer savings initiatives, social media campaigns, and an exciting AFM branded television campaign beginning in October 2014 to run against fall football programming.

“We’re excited about the return of football, and looking forward to providing fans with a delicious, versatile product to enjoy throughout the season,” said Maggie Bezart, Vice President of Trade and Promotions for AFM.

As a football fan myself, avocado themed dishes like guacamole have long been a staple of my fall season. I think that its great that AFM is taking that extra step to connect with the football fans who make its produce part of their weekend festivities.

Consumers can enter AFM's mobile sweepstakes to win gift cards for groceries, and other savings such as a “buy three Avocados from Mexico and get one can of Ro*Tel® diced tomatoes free” deal. There will also be instant-savings tearpads available at select retailers and text-to-save mobile coupons.

According to a press release, AFM will also be supporting retailers with a fun display contest, in which creativity will be rewarded with big prizes. AFM says that every valid entry will at least win a $25 gift card, giving retailers just one more reason to send in their ideas.

Finally, AFM will be providing retailers with unique signage and produce pins to help craft the most creative and eye-catching displays in produce aisles.

With Monday night football to look forward to, the only thing football fans like me need now is a bag of chips for the perfect night.

Avocados from Mexico

OVIEDO, FL – Duda Farm Fresh Foods is joining Peanut Butter & Co. to celebrate the first ever National Ants on a Log Day on Tuesday, September 9.

Duda, the largest grower and processor of celery in the United States and around the world, is paying tribute to the creamy and crunchy snack with recipes, a Twitter party on September 10, Facebook giveaways and an Instagram contest. 

“We will share ways to stay traditional with peanut butter and raisins, or mix it up with chocolate peanut butter and pistachios, and just about any other combination you can think of,” said Nichole Towell, Director of Marketing. “This holiday is timed perfectly with back to school, and by using social media tools we can engage in a fun, fresh way with kids and adults alike.”

Duda and Peanut Butter & Co. applied for the day to be registered, and it was granted, according to a press release.  Going forward, the registrar of the National Day Calendar has designated the second Tuesday of September of each year as National Ants on a Log Day to recognize this healthy food snack.

Ants on a log, named in the 1950s, is made by spreading peanut butter across celery and placing raisins on top.  The McKinley Healthy Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has recommended it as a healthy snack.

On Instagram, celery lovers are invited to post their favorite #AntsOnaLog snack to #entertowin Peanut Butter from @PeanutButterCo and coupons for #free Dandy Celery. To enter the contest, tag @DandyFreshProduce and @PeanutButterCo and use #AntsOnaLogDay in a post. 

Make sure to check out Duda Farm Fresh Foods at booth #2430 at the PMA Fresh Summit in Anaheim.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods