Author Archive
by Potatoes USA
The domestic marketing committee meeting of Potatoes USA began with a review of sales and marketing research. The volume and value of frozen potato product sales at retail for the past five years were up 2%; the volume of dehy is down 11% and value down 8%; and fresh refrigerated sales up 13% in volume and 19% in value.
For fresh spuds, the volume was down 6% but the value up 6% with russets contributing significantly to the decline, off 13% in volume and down 6% in value. This was countered by an increase in 7% in the volume and 14% in value of red sales; yellows were up 50% in both volume and value; and the volume of purple/blue sales were up 58% with the value up 46% for the five-year period.
Consumer attitudes and in-home usage of tubers continued to improve based on research conducted for Potatoes USA. Potatoes’ (including chips) share of home meal occasions was 26% for breakfast, 41% for lunch, 43% for dinner and 40% for snacks. The share of dinners that included potatoes increased 2 points and puts spuds ahead of all other foods with pasta just below at 40%, rice at 36% and poultry at 31%. The closest vegetable was bagged salad at 20% of dinner occasions. Spuds are also three of the top four dishes served at foodservice led by fries at #1, salads #2, mashed #3 and baked #4. Products that included the product accounted for 9% of all new food items launched at retail.
The marketing department staff provided detailed updates on the programs starting with the Consumer program which is inspiring Food Enthusiasts to prepare and eat more potatoes through print, digital, social media and retail print advertising. Influencers from bloggers to food writers to celebrity chefs are also being engaged to provide inspiring new ways to prepare potatoes. The Spud Nation food trucks operating in Denver and Washington DC are being promoted through social media via Twitter, Instagram, Yelp and Facebook. On the nutrition front, Potatoes USA is establishing that the one lifestyle benefit of potatoes is that they are vital to people performing at their very best. This spans from elite athletes to hardworking adults to busy parents. This message is being delivered by RDs for professional sports teams, writers for fitness and lifestyle magazines and bloggers at FitFluential and elsewhere.
The Retail program is focused on increasing sales of all products at retail through shipper outreach, retailer outreach and consumer ads at retail. New tools and insights for both shippers and retailers will be launched soon. The Ingredient program is making the potato the ingredient MVP and providing food developers and chefs with piping hot inspiration. The Foodservice program is inspiring culinary professionals to offer more potato dishes on their menus. This is done through advertising and media, experiential marketing and events, culinary innovation and public relations. The School Foodservice program is hitting its stride as it creates future potato enthusiast through delicious and healthy potato dishes on school cafeteria menus. Potatoes are very underrepresented at breakfast in schools and thus Potatoes USA, in conjunction with the School Nutrition Association, has launched a campaign including a recipe contest designed to change this. The Potatoes USA Salad Bar Challenge has already placed 264 salad bars in schools across the country. These bars are making a difference not only in kid’s lives but in the inclusion of potatoes in school foodservice.
by Mann Packing Co., Inc.
SALINAS, Calif. – Mann Packing announced a partnership with the California Walnut Board for two of its innovative Vegetable Slaw Blends: Power Blend and Kale Beet Blend.
The promotion includes $1.50 off per pack of slaw when any 7.5oz or larger package of California walnuts is purchased. The promotion will run for two weeks from the end of July through mid-August.
“Recognizing California walnuts’ versatility and variety of health benefits, a partnership featuring our slaw blends is a wonderful opportunity to boost summer sales,” said Gina Nucci, director of corporate marketing at Mann’s. “Mann’s is committed to collaborating and creating a synergy with organizations like the California Walnut Board, and we look forward to working with them to complement each other’s strengths,” she added.
California Walnuts was established in 1948 and represents over 4,800 walnut growers and more than 90 walnut handlers in California. One of the Board’s key efforts is promoting the usage of walnuts across the U.S. through advertising, publicity and educational programs.
“Walnuts are a perfect ingredient for summer salads and we are delighted to partner with Mann Packing on this Summer Slaw promotion,” said Michelle Connelly, executive director of the California Walnut Board. “Additionally, the combination of these superfoods packs a delicious punch of nutrition.”
Additional promotions will be available at Safeway, Albertsons, Meijer, Wakefern, Raleys, Schnucks, and Giant Eagle, among others.
About Mann Packing
In the late 1930’s, when the United States was beginning to recover from the Great Depression, a young Stanford graduate came to California’s Salinas Valley seeking employment. H.W. “Cy” Mann began his career trimming fruit and lettuce for 40¢ an hour. In 1939, he opened a fresh carrot packing operation and a business was born. From day one, Mr. Mann built a reputation for honesty and integrity—one that remains with us today.
In 1976 Bill Ramsey and Don Nucci joined Mr. Mann as partners in the company. Today, the Nucci and Ramsey families lead the firm which now spans three generations. They are a majority women-owned and operated business, and one of the country’s leading suppliers of fresh vegetables, including its proprietary Broccolini® product and award-winning Stringless Sugar Snap Peas.
Stone fruit shipments, as well as melons are underway from California’s San Joaquin Valley. Plus, we take a look at South African citrus imports.
California stone fruit loadings are in steady volume from the Central and Southern San Joaquin Valley. Volume for a combination of peaches, plums and nectarines is averaging around 650 truc loads weekly.
Demand for California peaches has been boosted by a short crop on the East Coast. Georgia lost 70 percent of it peaches this season due to adverse spring weather. As of June 25, 81 percent of Georgia’s peach crop had been harvested, compared to 56 percent a year earlier and a five-year average of 55 percent.
Melon Shipments
Western cantaloupe and honeydew shipments in recent weeks have been slashed by as much as 60 percent due to triple digit temperatures. It has basically ended shipments from California’s Imperial Valley and parts of Arizona.
In the San Joaquin Valley, melon loadings are finally starting to return to normal following the excessive heat. One of those adversely affected was Couture Farms of Huron, CA, which grows and ships honeydew and specialty melons.
South African Citrus Imports
by Summer Citrus from South Africa
CITRUSDAL, South Africa – Kicking off the season strong, Summer Citgrus from South Africa (SCSA) recently announced the arrival of its first vessel of citrus – containing mostly Navel oranges and Easy Peelers – to the United States. Combining efforts with supply chain partners like Holt Logistics and the Port of Philadelphia enables SCSA to provide a steady supply of fresh citrus to the U.S. during the summer months when domestic supplies are not in season.
“We’re excited that Summer Citrus from South Africa producers have once again teamed up with Seatrade to bring dedicated shiploads of fresh and delicious citrus from sunny South Africa to eager consumers in the U.S.,” Howard Posner, general manager of Seatrade USA, said.
SCSA’s second vessel of South African citrus arrived July 5th.
A strong exchange rate is helping Quebec vegetable shippers increase their exports to the United States. Meanwhile, California pear shipments are underway.
With the incentive of a strong exchange rate, Quebec growers have been exporting vegetables ranging from radishes, leaf lettuce and asparagus..
Since 2012 members of the Quebec Produce Growers Association have been exporting nearly 50 percent of its vegetables and this is expected to increase on 2017. Most of those exports are to the U.S. including the East Coast, mid-west and Texas. Various types of lettuces (such as iceberg and leaf), as well as cucumbers, broccoli and cauliflower are now being shipped. Green peppers and cantaloupe should be starting any day now, followed by colored peppers in mid-August.
Produce cooperative Groupe Vegco Inc., in Sherrington, has been shipping carrots, colored beets and celery root since June.
Isabelle Inc. of Saint Michel started digging 1,000 acres of whites, reds, yellows and russets in early July. Last year, the company exported 15 percent of its product to the East Coast.
California Pear Shipments
California bartlett pear shipments should total about 2 million 36-pound box equivalents this season, which got underway around the Fourth of July. That is almost equal to last year’s loadings, although some other pear varieties will take a hit.
Lake and Mendocino counties will have significantly fewer pear shipments than last year, which had a bumper crop. Last year’s combined shipments for all California varieties was 3.1 million boxes.
Bosc and golden bosc are down about 30 percent from 2015, with most of the reduction in the early Sacramento River district.
Rivermaid Trading Co. of Lodi packs and ships more than half of California’s fresh pears, as consolidations have reduced the number of packers from a dozen or so a decade ago to only four today.
Rivermaid expects over 1 million boxes of bartletts, and about 200,000 boxes of bosc pears out of about 400,000 total. Scully Packing Co. of Finley, began with mountain bartletts in Lake and Mendocino counties, with boscs coming August 1st and all other varietal pears by mid- to late-August.
The latest California pear shipments will overlap with Pacific Northwest loadings, with bartletts available all the way into October from the Golden State while Yakima, Wash., starts the same variety typically in the second week of August.
One of the challenges of California pear shippers is the lack of extended storage like is available in the Northwest.
San Joaquin Valley stone fruit and pears – grossing about $6800 to New York City.
by Allen Lund Company
La Cañada Flintridge Calif. – Allen Lund Company (ALC) is hosting a Christmas in July Toy Drive from July 5-31 in support of Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdPLA) in Downtown, Los Angeles. ALC invites the La Cañada Flintridge community to donate toys to provide a Christmas for the severely under served families of Los Angeles.
The Christmas in July Toy Drive, sponsored by SVdPLA, will benefit a multitude of families. To date only 200 toys have been donated to provide 2,000 recipients with gifts. In December, families will receive a donated food basket as well as toys and shoes for the children.
“This is our fourth year working with SVdPLA and every year we’ve not only accomplished our goals of providing meals and toys for families, but continued to increase participation from donors,” said Nora Trueblood, Director of Marketing at Allen Lund Company. “With the help of the community, we can give families the gift of Christmas this holiday season.”
We are in need of new and unwrapped toys for children between the ages of 3-17. Sports equipment is also recommended, especially for older children.
For more information, please call (818) 949 – 4505
About Allen Lund Company:
Specializing as a national third-party transportation broker with nationwide offices and over 450 employees, the Allen Lund Company works with shippers and carriers across the nation to arrange dry, refrigerated (specializing in produce), and flatbed freight; additionally, the Allen Lund Company has a logistics and software division, ALC Logistics, and an International Division licensed by the FMC as an OTI-NVOCC #019872NF.
Established in 1976, the Allen Lund Company was selected as the 2015 Coca-Cola Challenger Carrier of the Year, 2016 Top IT Provider by Inbound Logistics, 2015 Top Private Company in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal, 2015 Top 100+ Software and Technology Providers, 2015 Top 100 Logistics IT Provider by Inbound Logistics, a 2014 Supply & Demand Chain Executive 100, a 2014 Great Supply Chain Partner, and was placed in Transport Topics’ “2014 Top 25 Freight Brokerage Firms.” The company managed over 310,000 shipments in 2015, and received the 2013 “Best in Cargo Security Award.” In 2011 the company received the TIA 3PL Samaritan Award, and the NASTC (National Association of Small Trucking Companies) named Allen Lund Company the 2010 Best Broker of the Year. More information is available at www.allenlund.com.
By Northwest Cherry Growers
YAKIMA, Wash. — This year’s crop of Northwest sweet cherries is arriving on grocery store shelves in full-force across the U.S., putting the classic Americana fruit front and center. Volume was good for the Fourth of July holiday and will be even better in the weeks ahead. Despite a late start due to one of coldest winters in the Pacific Northwest in decades, growers in the Northwest anticipate a record crop size lasting through August.
“A lot of risk and investment by our growers throughout the five states allow for different orchards to be picked at different times as the summer progresses,” said James Michael, with the Northwest Cherry Growers, a growers’ organization collectively representing Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Utah. “Together with a cold-chain that typically starts in the orchards and a top-speed packing and distribution system, that means our growers are truly delivering their peak of the season onto grocery shelves all summer long.”
The Northwest is known for seven varieties including Bing cherries, the most popular cherry in North America, and the unique golden-blushed Rainiers, born at Washington State University in 1952 and celebrated each year on July 11 as National Rainier Cherry Day.
A beloved Independence Day treat for baking pies with less sugar or eating fresh from the stem, sweet cherries can also be enjoyed year-round by simply rinsing, packing and freezing them. To freeze cherries, select four to five pounds of firm, ripe cherries. After rinsing and draining, spread whole cherries with stems in a layer on a baking sheet, freezing until firm and then packing into freezer-proof containers or plastic freezer bags being sure to remove excess air and cover tightly. Add frozen, pitted cherries to smoothies or juices, defrost and put in hot cereals, pies, turnovers, cobblers, or enjoy frozen as sweet late-night treat.
For more information on sweet Northwest Cherries, seasonal and preservation recipes, health information and more, visit www.nwcherries.com.
About Northwest Cherries and Washington State Fruit Commission
Washington State Fruit Commission is a growers’ organization funded by fruit assessments to increase awareness and consumption of regional stone fruits. The organization is dedicated to the promotion, education, market development, and research of soft fruits from Northwest orchards. It began in 1947 and has since grown to include five states – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana. For more information, visit www.nwcherries.com or www.wastatefruit.com.
by Michael Price, Science
The U.K. journalist Miles Kington quipped that knowledge is knowing tomatoes ares a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. It wasn’t always this way. Decades of commercial growing have altered the tomato’s genetic makeup, turning it from a once-sweet fruit into today’s relatively tasteless sandwich topper. Now, a new study has uncovered which flavor-enhancing genes have been lost, giving growers a “roadmap” to breed tastiness back into their tomatoes.
“This is great work, which I believe could only be done by very few groups on Earth,” says Changbin Chen, a horticultural scientist at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, who wasn’t involved with the study. “This is doable for commercial growers who supply the fresh tomato market.”
Tomatoes are among the highest-value crops in the world. In the United States—the world’s second largest tomato grower behind China—they account for more than a billion dollars in sales annually. Nutritionally, they are important sources of vitamins A and C. But the large, plump, ruddy tomatoes available year-round in grocery stores taste much different than the small, multihued, berry-sized fruits that evolved more than 50 million years ago near Antarctica and were first domesticated in Central and South America some 2500 years ago. The fruits spread throughout the world following Spanish colonization in the 16th century. Over the next 400 years or so, hundreds of regional cultivars of tomatoes emerged, but they mostly stayed small, sweet, and flavorful.
Then, commercial agriculture exploded after World War II, and tomato crops were bred for higher yields, disease resistance, redder color, and firmness, explains Harry Klee, a horticultural scientist at the University of Florida in Gainesville and one of the study’s authors. These traits helped growers sell their crops for more money, but growers neglected genes responsible for taste, Klee says, and many of these were lost or tamped down over thousands of generations.
By the New Jersey Department of Agriculture
(TRENTON) – The New Jersey Department of Agriculture projects its peach crop to be one of its largest in years.
“New Jersey’s crop of peaches are shaping up and will be available in abundance throughout the state,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher. “ We want produce retailers and buyers as well as consumers of Jersey Fresh produce to know that we anticipate having a plentiful supply of peaches.”
New Jersey is one of the nation’s top growers of peaches. In 2015, farmers grew 42.2 million pounds of peaches on 4,700 acres valued at $27.6 million. The 2017 peach crop is projected to produce between 55 and 60 million pounds of peaches on 5,500 acres, according to the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council.
“The New Jersey Peach crop is looking strong and healthy for all varieties within the fruit set,” said Francisco Allende, the general manager of Sunny Valley International, Inc., in Glassboro, N.J. “We expect this to be one of our better harvests in recent years.”
South Jersey
The beginning of peach season is expected to start in South Jersey in about week. It will gradually work its way northward. The first peach variety of New Jersey’s season is the Sentry. The crop then moves into the Gala and Flavorcrest varieties. The season finishes with the Loring and Red Haven varieties followed by the John Boy. New Jersey then moves into the Crest Haven variety season, which also includes the Gloria variety of peach, followed by Jersey Queen and Fayette varieties. The Encore and Laurol varieties will wrap up the season sometime in mid- to late-September, when the last of New Jersey’s peaches should be picked. White peaches are expected to begin shipping around the end of July and continue through mid-September.
“We are excited with the way our peaches look right now,” said Santo Maccherone, a peach grower who owns Circle M Farms in Salem, N.J. “Our crop has come along nicely and we have high expectations for quantity and quality.”
A half-cup sliced fresh peaches is just 30 calories and provides 10 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C. Ripe peaches should be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for up to five days. Rinse peaches in cool water and dry before eating.
Apple shipments for the upcoming 2017 shipping season are projected to increase. Meanwhile, here’s a glimpse at California sweet corn shipments, as well as kiwifruit imports.
Western state apple loadings are forecast higher, while and Midwest and Eastern apple shipments are seen to be down slightly compared to last season. The first estimate of the 2017 apple crop projects volume to hit 255.6 million (42-pound) cartons, up 2 percent from the previous season.
The 2017 estimate was released recently at the Premier Marketing Apple Forum in Syracuse, N.Y. The Premier estimate shows the East and Midwest region to be 4.5 percent less than the 2016 crop. However, apple production in the Western U.S. is forecast to be up 5 percent compared with 2016.
The estimate is the first for the 2017 U.S. apple crop.
Apple Shipper Expanding
Fowler Farms of Wolcott, NY is a grower/shipper of apples and is expanding the packing capacity it has for fruit coming from its 2,500-acre, six-farm operation. The company is now installing a new eight-lane grader/sorter system. The multimillion-dollar system should be operational in time for the start of Fowler’s apple harvest beginning August 1st.
Founded in 1856, family-owned Fowler Farms is one of the largest vertically integrated apple farms in the U.S., offering 23 varieties of fresh apples and a line of refrigerated ciders.
Sweet Corn Shipments
Uesugi Farms of Gilroy, CA shipped its first conventional crop of the season from the Coachella Valley before Memorial Day weekend, and the company is now harvesting in Brentwood, CA. That harvest will continue in Gilroy. The operation has added white, yellow and bi-color organic sweet corn to its list of products. The organic sweet corn will come in packages of four ears, and is being harvested in Wasco, CA., and harvests will then move to Northern California, the Coachella Valley and Mexico.
Kiwifruit Imports
New Zealand kiwifruit imports by the U.S. should increase overall as the season is already underway for green conventional and organic kiwifruit, as well as SunGold conventional and organic fruit. Imports started last May and will continue through November. Kiwifruit is a rapidly growing in popularity and the SunGold in particular is expected to increase by 40 percent over last season.
by Hass Avocado Board
Insulin and homocysteine levels were lower in the avocado group, as well as a significantly reduced incidence of metabolic syndrome, according to a study.
Homocysteine, when elevated, has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors that raises the risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke. The analysis, Avocado Consumption by Adults is Associated with Better Nutrient Intake, Diet Intake, Diet Quality, and Some Measures of Adiposity: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001 -2012 , was published in the journal Internal Medicine Review.
SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS:
- Compared to non-consumers, avocado consumers have:
- Higher intakes of dietary fiber, total fat, good fats (monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids), vitamins E and C, folate, magnesium, copper and potassium.
- Lower intakes of total carbohydrates, added sugars and sodium.
- Avocado consumers have improved diet quality, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2010.
- Improved physiologic measures include:
- On average, avocado consumers weighed 7.5 lbs less, had a mean BMI of 1 unit less and 1.2 in. smaller waist circumference compared to non-consumers.
- Avocado consumers were 33% less likely to be overweight or obese and 32% less likely to have an elevated waist circumference compared to non-consumers.
- Incidence of metabolic syndrome was significantly reduced for avocado consumers.
The findings are based on avocado consumption and its association with nutrient and food group intake, diet quality, and health biomarkers assessed using a nationally representative sample of 29,684 adults (ages 19 years and older) participating in the 2001-2012 NHANES. Fresh avocado intake averaged a consumption of 76 grams per day (a little more than half of a medium Hass avocado) and was assessed by 24-hour dietary recalls. Diet quality was measured using the Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010), which measured adherence to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The analysis was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Children’s Nutrition Research Center and the Hass Avocado Board (HAB).
“These findings indicate incorporating avocados could be one way for Americans to meet the recommended fruit and vegetable intake and potentially improve physiologic measures,” said Nikki Ford, Hass Avocado Board Director of Nutrition. “As we fund additional clinical studies investigating the relationship between fresh avocado consumption and weight management and risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, we continue to encourage healthcare professionals to remain committed to recommending avocados as part of an overall healthy diet.”
About the Hass Avocado Board
The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) is an agriculture promotion group established in 2002 to promote the consumption of Hass Avocados in the United States. A 12-member board representing domestic producers and importers of Hass Avocados directs HAB’s promotion, research and information programs under supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. Funding for HAB comes from Hass avocado producers and importers in the United States.
by Potatoes USA
The domestic marketing committee meeting of Potatoes USA began with a review of sales and marketing research. The volume and value of frozen potato product sales at retail for the past five years were up 2%; the volume of dehy is down 11% and value down 8%; and fresh refrigerated sales up 13% in volume and 19% in value.
For fresh spuds, the volume was down 6% but the value up 6% with russets contributing significantly to the decline, off 13% in volume and down 6% in value. This was countered by an increase in 7% in the volume and 14% in value of red sales; yellows were up 50% in both volume and value; and the volume of purple/blue sales were up 58% with the value up 46% for the five-year period.
Consumer attitudes and in-home usage of tubers continued to improve based on research conducted for Potatoes USA. Potatoes’ (including chips) share of home meal occasions was 26% for breakfast, 41% for lunch, 43% for dinner and 40% for snacks. The share of dinners that included potatoes increased 2 points and puts spuds ahead of all other foods with pasta just below at 40%, rice at 36% and poultry at 31%. The closest vegetable was bagged salad at 20% of dinner occasions. Spuds are also three of the top four dishes served at foodservice led by fries at #1, salads #2, mashed #3 and baked #4. Products that included the product accounted for 9% of all new food items launched at retail.
The marketing department staff provided detailed updates on the programs starting with the Consumer program which is inspiring Food Enthusiasts to prepare and eat more potatoes through print, digital, social media and retail print advertising. Influencers from bloggers to food writers to celebrity chefs are also being engaged to provide inspiring new ways to prepare potatoes. The Spud Nation food trucks operating in Denver and Washington DC are being promoted through social media via Twitter, Instagram, Yelp and Facebook. On the nutrition front, Potatoes USA is establishing that the one lifestyle benefit of potatoes is that they are vital to people performing at their very best. This spans from elite athletes to hardworking adults to busy parents. This message is being delivered by RDs for professional sports teams, writers for fitness and lifestyle magazines and bloggers at FitFluential and elsewhere.
The Retail program is focused on increasing sales of all products at retail through shipper outreach, retailer outreach and consumer ads at retail. New tools and insights for both shippers and retailers will be launched soon. The Ingredient program is making the potato the ingredient MVP and providing food developers and chefs with piping hot inspiration. The Foodservice program is inspiring culinary professionals to offer more potato dishes on their menus. This is done through advertising and media, experiential marketing and events, culinary innovation and public relations. The School Foodservice program is hitting its stride as it creates future potato enthusiast through delicious and healthy potato dishes on school cafeteria menus. Potatoes are very underrepresented at breakfast in schools and thus Potatoes USA, in conjunction with the School Nutrition Association, has launched a campaign including a recipe contest designed to change this. The Potatoes USA Salad Bar Challenge has already placed 264 salad bars in schools across the country. These bars are making a difference not only in kid’s lives but in the inclusion of potatoes in school foodservice.
by Mann Packing Co., Inc.
SALINAS, Calif. – Mann Packing announced a partnership with the California Walnut Board for two of its innovative Vegetable Slaw Blends: Power Blend and Kale Beet Blend.
The promotion includes $1.50 off per pack of slaw when any 7.5oz or larger package of California walnuts is purchased. The promotion will run for two weeks from the end of July through mid-August.
“Recognizing California walnuts’ versatility and variety of health benefits, a partnership featuring our slaw blends is a wonderful opportunity to boost summer sales,” said Gina Nucci, director of corporate marketing at Mann’s. “Mann’s is committed to collaborating and creating a synergy with organizations like the California Walnut Board, and we look forward to working with them to complement each other’s strengths,” she added.
California Walnuts was established in 1948 and represents over 4,800 walnut growers and more than 90 walnut handlers in California. One of the Board’s key efforts is promoting the usage of walnuts across the U.S. through advertising, publicity and educational programs.
“Walnuts are a perfect ingredient for summer salads and we are delighted to partner with Mann Packing on this Summer Slaw promotion,” said Michelle Connelly, executive director of the California Walnut Board. “Additionally, the combination of these superfoods packs a delicious punch of nutrition.”
Additional promotions will be available at Safeway, Albertsons, Meijer, Wakefern, Raleys, Schnucks, and Giant Eagle, among others.
About Mann Packing
In the late 1930’s, when the United States was beginning to recover from the Great Depression, a young Stanford graduate came to California’s Salinas Valley seeking employment. H.W. “Cy” Mann began his career trimming fruit and lettuce for 40¢ an hour. In 1939, he opened a fresh carrot packing operation and a business was born. From day one, Mr. Mann built a reputation for honesty and integrity—one that remains with us today.
In 1976 Bill Ramsey and Don Nucci joined Mr. Mann as partners in the company. Today, the Nucci and Ramsey families lead the firm which now spans three generations. They are a majority women-owned and operated business, and one of the country’s leading suppliers of fresh vegetables, including its proprietary Broccolini® product and award-winning Stringless Sugar Snap Peas.
Stone fruit shipments, as well as melons are underway from California’s San Joaquin Valley. Plus, we take a look at South African citrus imports.
California stone fruit loadings are in steady volume from the Central and Southern San Joaquin Valley. Volume for a combination of peaches, plums and nectarines is averaging around 650 truc loads weekly.
Demand for California peaches has been boosted by a short crop on the East Coast. Georgia lost 70 percent of it peaches this season due to adverse spring weather. As of June 25, 81 percent of Georgia’s peach crop had been harvested, compared to 56 percent a year earlier and a five-year average of 55 percent.
Melon Shipments
Western cantaloupe and honeydew shipments in recent weeks have been slashed by as much as 60 percent due to triple digit temperatures. It has basically ended shipments from California’s Imperial Valley and parts of Arizona.
In the San Joaquin Valley, melon loadings are finally starting to return to normal following the excessive heat. One of those adversely affected was Couture Farms of Huron, CA, which grows and ships honeydew and specialty melons.
South African Citrus Imports
by Summer Citrus from South Africa
CITRUSDAL, South Africa – Kicking off the season strong, Summer Citgrus from South Africa (SCSA) recently announced the arrival of its first vessel of citrus – containing mostly Navel oranges and Easy Peelers – to the United States. Combining efforts with supply chain partners like Holt Logistics and the Port of Philadelphia enables SCSA to provide a steady supply of fresh citrus to the U.S. during the summer months when domestic supplies are not in season.
“We’re excited that Summer Citrus from South Africa producers have once again teamed up with Seatrade to bring dedicated shiploads of fresh and delicious citrus from sunny South Africa to eager consumers in the U.S.,” Howard Posner, general manager of Seatrade USA, said.
SCSA’s second vessel of South African citrus arrived July 5th.
A strong exchange rate is helping Quebec vegetable shippers increase their exports to the United States. Meanwhile, California pear shipments are underway.
With the incentive of a strong exchange rate, Quebec growers have been exporting vegetables ranging from radishes, leaf lettuce and asparagus..
Since 2012 members of the Quebec Produce Growers Association have been exporting nearly 50 percent of its vegetables and this is expected to increase on 2017. Most of those exports are to the U.S. including the East Coast, mid-west and Texas. Various types of lettuces (such as iceberg and leaf), as well as cucumbers, broccoli and cauliflower are now being shipped. Green peppers and cantaloupe should be starting any day now, followed by colored peppers in mid-August.
Produce cooperative Groupe Vegco Inc., in Sherrington, has been shipping carrots, colored beets and celery root since June.
Isabelle Inc. of Saint Michel started digging 1,000 acres of whites, reds, yellows and russets in early July. Last year, the company exported 15 percent of its product to the East Coast.
California Pear Shipments
California bartlett pear shipments should total about 2 million 36-pound box equivalents this season, which got underway around the Fourth of July. That is almost equal to last year’s loadings, although some other pear varieties will take a hit.
Lake and Mendocino counties will have significantly fewer pear shipments than last year, which had a bumper crop. Last year’s combined shipments for all California varieties was 3.1 million boxes.
Bosc and golden bosc are down about 30 percent from 2015, with most of the reduction in the early Sacramento River district.
Rivermaid Trading Co. of Lodi packs and ships more than half of California’s fresh pears, as consolidations have reduced the number of packers from a dozen or so a decade ago to only four today.
Rivermaid expects over 1 million boxes of bartletts, and about 200,000 boxes of bosc pears out of about 400,000 total. Scully Packing Co. of Finley, began with mountain bartletts in Lake and Mendocino counties, with boscs coming August 1st and all other varietal pears by mid- to late-August.
The latest California pear shipments will overlap with Pacific Northwest loadings, with bartletts available all the way into October from the Golden State while Yakima, Wash., starts the same variety typically in the second week of August.
One of the challenges of California pear shippers is the lack of extended storage like is available in the Northwest.
San Joaquin Valley stone fruit and pears – grossing about $6800 to New York City.
by Allen Lund Company
La Cañada Flintridge Calif. – Allen Lund Company (ALC) is hosting a Christmas in July Toy Drive from July 5-31 in support of Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdPLA) in Downtown, Los Angeles. ALC invites the La Cañada Flintridge community to donate toys to provide a Christmas for the severely under served families of Los Angeles.
The Christmas in July Toy Drive, sponsored by SVdPLA, will benefit a multitude of families. To date only 200 toys have been donated to provide 2,000 recipients with gifts. In December, families will receive a donated food basket as well as toys and shoes for the children.
“This is our fourth year working with SVdPLA and every year we’ve not only accomplished our goals of providing meals and toys for families, but continued to increase participation from donors,” said Nora Trueblood, Director of Marketing at Allen Lund Company. “With the help of the community, we can give families the gift of Christmas this holiday season.”
We are in need of new and unwrapped toys for children between the ages of 3-17. Sports equipment is also recommended, especially for older children.
For more information, please call (818) 949 – 4505
About Allen Lund Company:
Specializing as a national third-party transportation broker with nationwide offices and over 450 employees, the Allen Lund Company works with shippers and carriers across the nation to arrange dry, refrigerated (specializing in produce), and flatbed freight; additionally, the Allen Lund Company has a logistics and software division, ALC Logistics, and an International Division licensed by the FMC as an OTI-NVOCC #019872NF.
Established in 1976, the Allen Lund Company was selected as the 2015 Coca-Cola Challenger Carrier of the Year, 2016 Top IT Provider by Inbound Logistics, 2015 Top Private Company in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal, 2015 Top 100+ Software and Technology Providers, 2015 Top 100 Logistics IT Provider by Inbound Logistics, a 2014 Supply & Demand Chain Executive 100, a 2014 Great Supply Chain Partner, and was placed in Transport Topics’ “2014 Top 25 Freight Brokerage Firms.” The company managed over 310,000 shipments in 2015, and received the 2013 “Best in Cargo Security Award.” In 2011 the company received the TIA 3PL Samaritan Award, and the NASTC (National Association of Small Trucking Companies) named Allen Lund Company the 2010 Best Broker of the Year. More information is available at www.allenlund.com.
By Northwest Cherry Growers
YAKIMA, Wash. — This year’s crop of Northwest sweet cherries is arriving on grocery store shelves in full-force across the U.S., putting the classic Americana fruit front and center. Volume was good for the Fourth of July holiday and will be even better in the weeks ahead. Despite a late start due to one of coldest winters in the Pacific Northwest in decades, growers in the Northwest anticipate a record crop size lasting through August.
“A lot of risk and investment by our growers throughout the five states allow for different orchards to be picked at different times as the summer progresses,” said James Michael, with the Northwest Cherry Growers, a growers’ organization collectively representing Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Utah. “Together with a cold-chain that typically starts in the orchards and a top-speed packing and distribution system, that means our growers are truly delivering their peak of the season onto grocery shelves all summer long.”
The Northwest is known for seven varieties including Bing cherries, the most popular cherry in North America, and the unique golden-blushed Rainiers, born at Washington State University in 1952 and celebrated each year on July 11 as National Rainier Cherry Day.
A beloved Independence Day treat for baking pies with less sugar or eating fresh from the stem, sweet cherries can also be enjoyed year-round by simply rinsing, packing and freezing them. To freeze cherries, select four to five pounds of firm, ripe cherries. After rinsing and draining, spread whole cherries with stems in a layer on a baking sheet, freezing until firm and then packing into freezer-proof containers or plastic freezer bags being sure to remove excess air and cover tightly. Add frozen, pitted cherries to smoothies or juices, defrost and put in hot cereals, pies, turnovers, cobblers, or enjoy frozen as sweet late-night treat.
For more information on sweet Northwest Cherries, seasonal and preservation recipes, health information and more, visit www.nwcherries.com.
About Northwest Cherries and Washington State Fruit Commission
Washington State Fruit Commission is a growers’ organization funded by fruit assessments to increase awareness and consumption of regional stone fruits. The organization is dedicated to the promotion, education, market development, and research of soft fruits from Northwest orchards. It began in 1947 and has since grown to include five states – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana. For more information, visit www.nwcherries.com or www.wastatefruit.com.
by Michael Price, Science
The U.K. journalist Miles Kington quipped that knowledge is knowing tomatoes ares a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. It wasn’t always this way. Decades of commercial growing have altered the tomato’s genetic makeup, turning it from a once-sweet fruit into today’s relatively tasteless sandwich topper. Now, a new study has uncovered which flavor-enhancing genes have been lost, giving growers a “roadmap” to breed tastiness back into their tomatoes.
“This is great work, which I believe could only be done by very few groups on Earth,” says Changbin Chen, a horticultural scientist at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, who wasn’t involved with the study. “This is doable for commercial growers who supply the fresh tomato market.”
Tomatoes are among the highest-value crops in the world. In the United States—the world’s second largest tomato grower behind China—they account for more than a billion dollars in sales annually. Nutritionally, they are important sources of vitamins A and C. But the large, plump, ruddy tomatoes available year-round in grocery stores taste much different than the small, multihued, berry-sized fruits that evolved more than 50 million years ago near Antarctica and were first domesticated in Central and South America some 2500 years ago. The fruits spread throughout the world following Spanish colonization in the 16th century. Over the next 400 years or so, hundreds of regional cultivars of tomatoes emerged, but they mostly stayed small, sweet, and flavorful.
Then, commercial agriculture exploded after World War II, and tomato crops were bred for higher yields, disease resistance, redder color, and firmness, explains Harry Klee, a horticultural scientist at the University of Florida in Gainesville and one of the study’s authors. These traits helped growers sell their crops for more money, but growers neglected genes responsible for taste, Klee says, and many of these were lost or tamped down over thousands of generations.
By the New Jersey Department of Agriculture
(TRENTON) – The New Jersey Department of Agriculture projects its peach crop to be one of its largest in years.
“New Jersey’s crop of peaches are shaping up and will be available in abundance throughout the state,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher. “ We want produce retailers and buyers as well as consumers of Jersey Fresh produce to know that we anticipate having a plentiful supply of peaches.”
New Jersey is one of the nation’s top growers of peaches. In 2015, farmers grew 42.2 million pounds of peaches on 4,700 acres valued at $27.6 million. The 2017 peach crop is projected to produce between 55 and 60 million pounds of peaches on 5,500 acres, according to the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council.
“The New Jersey Peach crop is looking strong and healthy for all varieties within the fruit set,” said Francisco Allende, the general manager of Sunny Valley International, Inc., in Glassboro, N.J. “We expect this to be one of our better harvests in recent years.”
South Jersey
The beginning of peach season is expected to start in South Jersey in about week. It will gradually work its way northward. The first peach variety of New Jersey’s season is the Sentry. The crop then moves into the Gala and Flavorcrest varieties. The season finishes with the Loring and Red Haven varieties followed by the John Boy. New Jersey then moves into the Crest Haven variety season, which also includes the Gloria variety of peach, followed by Jersey Queen and Fayette varieties. The Encore and Laurol varieties will wrap up the season sometime in mid- to late-September, when the last of New Jersey’s peaches should be picked. White peaches are expected to begin shipping around the end of July and continue through mid-September.
“We are excited with the way our peaches look right now,” said Santo Maccherone, a peach grower who owns Circle M Farms in Salem, N.J. “Our crop has come along nicely and we have high expectations for quantity and quality.”
A half-cup sliced fresh peaches is just 30 calories and provides 10 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C. Ripe peaches should be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for up to five days. Rinse peaches in cool water and dry before eating.
Apple shipments for the upcoming 2017 shipping season are projected to increase. Meanwhile, here’s a glimpse at California sweet corn shipments, as well as kiwifruit imports.Western state apple loadings are forecast higher, while and Midwest and Eastern apple shipments are seen to be down slightly compared to last season. The first estimate of the 2017 apple crop projects volume to hit 255.6 million (42-pound) cartons, up 2 percent from the previous season.
The 2017 estimate was released recently at the Premier Marketing Apple Forum in Syracuse, N.Y. The Premier estimate shows the East and Midwest region to be 4.5 percent less than the 2016 crop. However, apple production in the Western U.S. is forecast to be up 5 percent compared with 2016.
The estimate is the first for the 2017 U.S. apple crop.
Apple Shipper Expanding
Fowler Farms of Wolcott, NY is a grower/shipper of apples and is expanding the packing capacity it has for fruit coming from its 2,500-acre, six-farm operation. The company is now installing a new eight-lane grader/sorter system. The multimillion-dollar system should be operational in time for the start of Fowler’s apple harvest beginning August 1st.
Founded in 1856, family-owned Fowler Farms is one of the largest vertically integrated apple farms in the U.S., offering 23 varieties of fresh apples and a line of refrigerated ciders.
Sweet Corn Shipments
Uesugi Farms of Gilroy, CA shipped its first conventional crop of the season from the Coachella Valley before Memorial Day weekend, and the company is now harvesting in Brentwood, CA. That harvest will continue in Gilroy. The operation has added white, yellow and bi-color organic sweet corn to its list of products. The organic sweet corn will come in packages of four ears, and is being harvested in Wasco, CA., and harvests will then move to Northern California, the Coachella Valley and Mexico.
Kiwifruit Imports
New Zealand kiwifruit imports by the U.S. should increase overall as the season is already underway for green conventional and organic kiwifruit, as well as SunGold conventional and organic fruit. Imports started last May and will continue through November. Kiwifruit is a rapidly growing in popularity and the SunGold in particular is expected to increase by 40 percent over last season.
by Hass Avocado Board
Insulin and homocysteine levels were lower in the avocado group, as well as a significantly reduced incidence of metabolic syndrome, according to a study.
Homocysteine, when elevated, has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors that raises the risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke. The analysis, Avocado Consumption by Adults is Associated with Better Nutrient Intake, Diet Intake, Diet Quality, and Some Measures of Adiposity: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001 -2012 , was published in the journal Internal Medicine Review.
SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS:
- Compared to non-consumers, avocado consumers have:
- Higher intakes of dietary fiber, total fat, good fats (monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids), vitamins E and C, folate, magnesium, copper and potassium.
- Lower intakes of total carbohydrates, added sugars and sodium.
- Avocado consumers have improved diet quality, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2010.
- Improved physiologic measures include:
- On average, avocado consumers weighed 7.5 lbs less, had a mean BMI of 1 unit less and 1.2 in. smaller waist circumference compared to non-consumers.
- Avocado consumers were 33% less likely to be overweight or obese and 32% less likely to have an elevated waist circumference compared to non-consumers.
- Incidence of metabolic syndrome was significantly reduced for avocado consumers.
The findings are based on avocado consumption and its association with nutrient and food group intake, diet quality, and health biomarkers assessed using a nationally representative sample of 29,684 adults (ages 19 years and older) participating in the 2001-2012 NHANES. Fresh avocado intake averaged a consumption of 76 grams per day (a little more than half of a medium Hass avocado) and was assessed by 24-hour dietary recalls. Diet quality was measured using the Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010), which measured adherence to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The analysis was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Children’s Nutrition Research Center and the Hass Avocado Board (HAB).
“These findings indicate incorporating avocados could be one way for Americans to meet the recommended fruit and vegetable intake and potentially improve physiologic measures,” said Nikki Ford, Hass Avocado Board Director of Nutrition. “As we fund additional clinical studies investigating the relationship between fresh avocado consumption and weight management and risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, we continue to encourage healthcare professionals to remain committed to recommending avocados as part of an overall healthy diet.”
About the Hass Avocado Board
The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) is an agriculture promotion group established in 2002 to promote the consumption of Hass Avocados in the United States. A 12-member board representing domestic producers and importers of Hass Avocados directs HAB’s promotion, research and information programs under supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. Funding for HAB comes from Hass avocado producers and importers in the United States.