MOREHEAD, Ky. — AppHarvest, Inc. (NASDAQ: APPH, APPHW), a sustainable food company, public benefit corporation and Certified B Corp building some of the world’s largest high-tech indoor farms to grow affordable, nutritious fruits and vegetables at scale while providing good jobs in Appalachia, today announced it has started commercial shipments from its first harvest of tomatoes at its new 60-acre high-tech indoor farm in Richmond, Ky. This marks the first time ever that all facilities in the AppHarvest four-farm network are shipping to top national grocery store chains, restaurants and foodservice outlets under a variety of brands for Mastronardi Produce.
The opening of AppHarvest Richmond last December delivered on the company’s commitment to quadruple the number of farms operating in its network by the end of 2022, in what the company believes is the largest simultaneous build out of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) infrastructure in U.S. history. With this milestone, the company is moving from a focus on construction and development to the next phase of the business focused on operations. On January 3, 2023, AppHarvest named CEA industry veteran and AppHarvest Board Member Tony Martin as Chief Operating Officer to leverage his extensive background in CEA. Martin is working to optimize production, revenue and costs across the AppHarvest four-farm network totaling 165 acres under glass.
AppHarvest Richmond
AppHarvest Richmond, the 60-acre high-tech indoor farm growing tomatoes in Richmond, Ky., is harvesting and shipping from its first growing season of Campari and Maranice varieties of “Tomatoes on the Vine.” Opening in a two-phased approach, the second 30-acres in Richmond is expected to be planted later in 2023. With AppHarvest Morehead, the company expects to grow nearly 1.5 million tomato plants across the combined 120 acres.
AppHarvest Berea
Located in Berea, Ky., this 15-acre salad greens farm is believed to be the world’s largest high-tech indoor farm for autonomously harvested salad greens featuring a “touchless growing system.” AppHarvest Berea is designed to grow about 35 million lettuce plants at a time and is a supplier of the “Queen of Greens®” washed-and-ready-to-eat salad greens. On December 27, 2022, AppHarvest announced the completion of a $127 million sale-leaseback of the Berea farm to Mastronardi Berea LLC, a joint venture between Mastronardi Produce and COFRA Holding. Mastronardi Produce is AppHarvest’s exclusive marketing and distribution partner.
AppHarvest Somerset
The 30-acre high-tech indoor farm in Somerset, Ky., is shipping strawberries under the “WOW® Berries” brand for AppHarvest customer, Mastronardi Produce. AppHarvest Somerset is designed to grow nearly one million strawberry plants at a time, which are expected to produce for about eight months of the year. The crop is expected to alternate seasonally with long English cucumbers. In advance of the seasonal summer refresh for strawberries, the Somerset farm is expected to plant multiple acres of cucumbers to kick off its initial cucumber crop.
AppHarvest Morehead
AppHarvest Morehead, the 60-acre flagship farm in Morehead, Ky., kicked off its third season of harvesting ahead of schedule and is growing beefsteak tomatoes, Tomatoes on the Vine and snacking tomatoes. The Morehead farm has further diversified its crop set adding new varietals of premium snacking tomatoes sold under the Sunset brand as “Flavor Bombs®” and “Sugar Bombs®.”
About AppHarvest
AppHarvest is a sustainable food company in Appalachia developing and operating some of the world’s largest hightech indoor farms with robotics and artificial intelligence to build a reliable, climate-resilient food system. AppHarvest’s farms are designed to grow produce using sunshine, rainwater and up to 90% less water than openfield growing, all while producing yields up to 30 times that of traditional agriculture and preventing pollution from agricultural runoff. AppHarvest currently operates its 60-acre flagship farm in Morehead, Ky., producing tomatoes, a 15-acre indoor farm for salad greens in Berea, Ky., a 30-acre farm for strawberries and cucumbers in Somerset, Ky., and a 60-acre farm in Richmond, Ky., for tomatoes. The four-farm network consists of 165 acres under glass. For more information, visit https://www.appharvest.com.
NORWOOD, Mass. – Addie’s, the drive-up grocer redefining the grocery shopping experience, officially launched today its first concept store with $10.1 million in seed funding led by the Disruptive Innovation Fund, the venture capital arm of Clay Christensen’s Rose Park Advisors.
Instead of patchworking together in-store grocery, online grocery, and direct-to-consumer delivery models, Addie’s has built an entirely new one: a pick-up-only store designed solely for stocking, storing, and bagging groceries without the need for a shopper ever to step foot in the store itself.
The pandemic accelerated the need to reinvent how busy consumers get their groceries, but traditional retailers and established grocery delivery apps have struggled to optimize the experience for consumers. Mercatus predicts that online grocery shopping will double to $200+ billion by 2026.
Delivery-only options cannot scale beyond population-dense urban environments, and curbside pick-up out of traditional supermarkets is inefficient, unreliable, and unprofitable. These models have significant limitations: few available time slots, low-quality produce, service fees, and frequent out-of-stock items, resulting in frustrated shoppers.
Addie’s has reimagined every aspect of grocery shopping, from inventory management to store layout, enabling accurate and affordable grocery pick-up in minutes. Consumers purchase groceries through Addie’s custom app or website and choose a pick-up window that works best for their schedules.
Addie’s saves time, money, and valuable resources by redesigning the store as an onsite warehouse and the parking lot as a convenient drive-up experience. These savings translate to higher starting wages for store employees ($20 per hour), all while maintaining competitive pricing for customers and using just a quarter of the energy required of regular supermarkets.
“We believe that taking better care of busy families should be done in a way that also takes care of our team, our community, and our planet,” said Jim McQuade, co-founder and CEO of Addie’s. “With our seed funding, we’ve built an end-to-end experience to serve people in and around Norwood in a way that can be replicated in suburbs nationwide. We look forward to quickly expanding, offering busy families across the country drive-up grocery convenience without compromise.”
“The 100-year-old grocery business is not immune to disruption,” said Matt Christensen, CEO and Managing Partner at Rose Park Advisors. “The traditional business model of in-store shopping makes serving convenience-focused shoppers highly challenging. We see disruptive potential in Addie’s technology-powered drive-up grocery model and are excited to support them as they launch.”
Addie’s first store, a 22,000 sq. ft. retail location, is now open in Norwood, Massachusetts. The company stocks a curated selection of national brands and local favorites, constantly improving its assortment based on customer searches and requests. To learn more about Addie’s, visit Addies.com.
About Addie’s
Addie’s is the first-of-its-kind drive-up grocer redefining the grocery experience. By eliminating in-store shopping, Addie’s has reimagined every aspect of grocery shopping, from inventory management to store layout, enabling accurate and affordable grocery pick-up in minutes. Consumers purchase groceries through Addie’s custom app or website, then choose a pick-up window. Backed by Clay Christensen’s Rose Park Advisors, Addie’s plans to expand across the U.S. The first concept store is now open in Norwood, Massachusetts.
Ocean Mist Farms of Castroville, CA is expecting an outstanding 2023 winter artichoke season with abundant volume and excellent quality throughout February and early March.
Ocean Mist Farms winter artichoke crop is grown mostly in the Coachella Valley, with smaller volumes coming from farms in Baja, Mexico. The strong volume of artichokes is due in part to growing conditions, with few weather-related interruptions in Coachella. Quality is excellent, with the crop showing an abundance of larger sizes.
“We are expecting excellent quality, with sizes peaking at mostly 12’s and 18’s,” said Ben Wilson, Ocean Mist Farms Artichoke Commodity Manager. “After a smaller than normal holiday crop, our winter crop will provide retailers with excellent promotional opportunities, especially on our largest sizes.”
Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business in Castroville, CA. and the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America. The company’s full line of over 30 fresh vegetables includes the award-winning Season & Steam and Ocean Mist Organic product lines.
Southern California has escaped the soggy weather compared to other parts of the state, despite periods of heavy rain.
The California Strawberry Commission of Watsonville estimates farms in Ventura County suffered 300 acres of catastrophic losses. Statewide, the losses were 1,840 acres.
The Oxnard district expects 6,358 acres of strawberries this season, an increase of 408 acres compared to 2022.
Naturipe Farms LLC of Salinas, CA notes rains put a damper on early season loadings, which will result in fewer shipments than normal for Valentine’s Day. However, long term, the rainfall should help with plant health, which will lead to improved production and quality. Excellent fruit quality, size and flavor are expected.
Naturipe plans on more volume this year due to slightly more acreage planted than last year.
Oxnard, Calif.-based Bobalu Berries of Oxnard, CA doesn’t plan to ship many berries from its Oxnard or Santa Maria growing areas until at least the end of February. Currently the company is relying on product coming out of Mexico right now.
Well-Pict Inc. of Watsonville, CA also had fewer shipments in January, but in spite of all the rain, the outlook was improving.
The company lost three weeks of production out of Oxnard but was able to pick up much of the slack from its grower in Florida. A good season out of Southern California as planting picks up. Well-Pick is predicting large-size fruit, good volume and good quality.
Seven Seas Fruit of Visalia, CA is part of the Tom Lange Co. of St. Louis and currently has acreage planted in Santa Maria and Lompoc, CA. The company anticipates a mid-March start to the season in those areas.Seven Seas Fruit also is sourcing some fruit from Mexico.
Gem-Pack of Irvine, CA reports volume of conventional and organic strawberries should be up this season compared to last year.
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. – South Mill Champs, one of North America’s largest growers and suppliers of fresh mushrooms and mushroom products announced the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art farm in Oxford, Pa.
The new facility will be one of North America’s largest single-site mushroom farms and one of the largest phase 3 composting operations. The grand opening marks the completion of the first phase of the multi-year, multi-phase farm and compost operation buildout.
“We’ve been innovating since the beginning,” said Mike Pia Jr., VP of Business Growth at South Mill Champs. “Our family has been producing compost and growing mushrooms for over 90 years in Pennsylvania. Our approach is, and has always been, to stay nimble and adapt to new technologies as they become available and proven. There is a growing demand for fresh quality produce, and we want to meet that demand with the best product possible for our partners and, ultimately, the consumer. This new facility will allow us to do just that.”
Green initiatives, including solar panels and water reducing processes and technologies, are being implemented at this facility in line with the company’s commitment to sustainability and water stewardship. Once fully implemented, on an annual basis, the facility will generate the majority of its electricity from a renewable source, capture and reuse millions of gallons of rain and wastewater, and upcycle thousands of tons of agricultural byproducts and other waste materials in the making of compost.
South Mill Champs is a leading vertically integrated compost producer, grower, and supplier of North American-grown fresh mushrooms and functional mushroom foods. Headquartered in Kennett Square, PA, South Mill Champs is a leading innovative and customer-focused supplier. It offers mushrooms and other products with full-service logistics and storage and has a reputation for superior quality and consistent supply.
South Mill Mushrooms of Pennsylvania, Champs Mushrooms of British Columbia and Loveday Mushroom Farms based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, merged between 2017 and 2020 to form South Mill Champs. Together, South Mill Champs supplies fresh mushrooms and other produce to customers in all segments of the mushroom marketplace throughout the United States and Canada.
In November 2020, South Mill Champs expanded its distribution capabilities with the opening of a new distribution center in Winter Haven, Florida. In December 2020, the company acquired The Mushroom Company, a full line mushroom processor located in Maryland. During 2021 and 2022, South Mill Champs established distribution capabilities in Sacramento and Indianapolis and expanded its fresh mushroom production capacity in British Columbia, Manitoba and Pennsylvania.
The Association of Producers and Packers Exporters of Avocados from Mexico (APEAM) has kicked off the Super Bowl season with a shipment of over 64,000 tons of the fruit.
Widely known as the peak season for guacamole enthusiasts, the upcoming Super Bowl LVII will be no exception. AFC Champions Kansas City Chiefs take on the NFC champs Philadelphia Eagles February 12th in Glendale, AZ.
Avocados From Mexico is currently the top seller in the U.S. and the brand is no stranger to the sports event, with over 360 marketing campaigns integrating consumers for almost a decade.
Shipments usually begin four weeks prior, with Mexican growers expecting a strong demand.
Avocados from Mexico will be present during the Super Bowl with a new 30-second commercial, which highlights flavor and other benefits of avocados and guacamole.
The Mexican avocado industry leads global production and exports, with over a million tons shipped worldwide.
Washington fresh apple shipments for 2022-23 are expected to be slightly below 100 million cartons, down from 119 million cartons for the 2021-22 crop.
U.S. fresh apple inventories in storage on Dec. 1 were off 7% compared with last year and down 14% compared with the five-year average, according to a new survey from the U.S. Apple Association.
Despite a substantial reduction in crop size compared with 2021, Washington accounted for about 77% of fresh apple shipments in mid-December. Larger crops of fruit in Michigan and New York have allowed shippers in those regions to gain new customers this season.
Even so, current 2022 production is well above the 65 million boxes of fresh apples shipped in 1990.
Stemilt Growers LLC of Wenatchee, Wash. reports the 2021-22 season was a tight crop in terms of supply, and this season is even tighter.
With the shorter crop in Washington, Evans Fruit Co. of Cowiche, Wash. reports it is a little more strict than in the past. The shipper is aiming to help its loyal customers get through the season, with a supply into the summer.
A greater percentage of apple shipments may be directed to the domestic market rather than the export market because of the stronger U.S. dollar and continuing logistic problems in some countries.
One of the main issues affecting Chilean blueberry exports in the current season is the increased supply from other countries, such as Peru, South Africa and Mexico.
ASOEX’s Chilean Blueberry Committee reports the increase in supply is requiring new promotional efforts to increase demand. The growth of these countries has been focused mainly in those windows where there was less supply from Chile, Argentina, the U.S. and Canada.
ASOEX forecasts shipments will reach over 98,000 tons of fresh blueberries for 2022-2023, an 8% decrease compared to the previous season. Over 50% of Chilean blueberries are exported to the U.S. It is followed by Europe and Asia with 35% and 15%, respectively.
MONTEREY, CA — Organic fresh produce sales grew by 3 percent in 2022, while volume declined by –3.7 percent, as total sales topped $9.4 billion for the year, according to the 2022 Organic Produce Performance Report released today by Organic Produce Network and Category Partners.
The organic fresh berry category (which includes strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries) was the top organic produce category, holding more than 16 percent of organic fresh produce dollars in 2022. Overall fresh berry sales topped 1.6 billion for the year, with organic packaged salads a close second at $1.55 billion.
Total fresh produce sales gained 7.3 percent in dollars for the year but experienced a –1.3 percent decline in volume. Organic fresh produce made up 12 percent of all fresh produce sales and accounted for 7 percent of all fresh produce volume.
“In an inflationary time like this, we expect to see the growth of sales dollars and volume declines repeated for the majority of organic and conventional fresh produce items,” said Tom Barnes, President of Category Partners. “The average conventional price per pound grew by 9.2 percent compared to 2021 while organic produce price per pound rose by 7 percent. With rising prices, we may see more selective organic shopping from consumers as they substitute higher-priced organic items for conventional ones.”
Organic apples were the largest example of substitution as their price per pound increased by more than double the amount of conventional, resulting in a volume decline of –10.3 percent.
For 2022, 13 of the top 20 organic produce categories (by total sales) posted increases in dollars, with organic onions generating the largest increase (15.4 percent), followed by cucumbers, potatoes, and avocados. Conversely, green beans posted the largest drop in dollars (–5 percent), and lettuce and bell peppers also posted noticeable declines in dollars for the year.
Additionally, 14 of the top 20 organic produce sales categories posted declines in volume, with only 10 of those categories showing positive dollar growth. Organic bananas continued to be the biggest volume mover despite a –1.2 percent volume decline in 2022 and showed a modest 3.9 percent increase in sales from the previous year.
Of note, potatoes and cabbage, typically regarded as inflation busters, showed a 10 percent increase in dollar sales and a nominal 1 percent growth in volume. Organic grapes had a stellar year, with a 6.9 percent increase in volume and an 8.3 percent increase in sales.
Organic performance in 2022 was consistent among all regions of the nation—dollars grew and volume declined. The Northeast saw the lowest dollar growth and highest volume decline, while the South continues to show the most year-over-year improvement.
Organic fresh produce prices in aggregate remained substantially higher than conventional, with 2022 showing the price gap between conventional and organics the largest it has been in the past four years at $1.55 per pound. “In an inflationary time period, it is important for organic producers to understand how their pricing impacts behavior among various consumer segments and to reach those consumers with the health and value benefits associated with organics,” said Barnes.
The fourth quarter of 2022 saw the twelfth consecutive quarter of organic sales growth, with a modest 1.4 percent increase from the same period last year. Organic produce sales for the fourth quarter topped $2.1 billion, with the grape category leading the way in year-over-year dollar and volume growth.
The 2022 Organic Produce Performance Report utilized Nielsen retail scan data covering total food sales and outlets in the US from January through December 2022. A complete version of this report, including information on the top 20 organic fresh produce categories, will be made available on the Organic Produce Network website in mid-February.
OPN is a marketing organization that serves as the go-to resource for the organic fresh produce industry. The company’s mission is to inform and educate through a strong digital presence with an emphasis on original content and complemented by engaging live events that bring together various components of the organic produce community. OPN’s target audience includes organic producers, handlers, distributors, processors, wholesalers, foodservice operators, and retailers. www.organicproducenetwork.com
Peruvian grape exports were off to a good start in October, as shipments abroad totaled $98.1 million, reflecting a growth of 29 percent compared to the same month in 2021 ($76.2 million), according to Gestion, citing statistics from the Association of Exporters (Adex).
For the 2022-23 season, the U.S. ($27.5 million) positioned itself as the largest market, receiving 28 percent of the total, reflecting an increase of 164 percent. In second place was the Netherlands ($17.01 million) with a share of 17 percent, reflecting a decrease of 33 percent.
They were followed by the UK ($10.7 million), Mexico ($5.7 million), and Canada ($5 million). Hong Kong, China, Spain, Colombia, and South Korea completed the top ten.
According to the ADEX Data Trade Business Intelligence System, grape shipments totaled $690.2 million from January to October 2022, reflecting an increase of 14.5 percent compared to the same period in 2021 ($602.8 million).
Its largest destination was the U.S. (about $310.5 million), followed by Hong Kong ($70.7 million), the Netherlands ($65.2 million), China ($50.9 million) and Mexico ($36.6 million).
