A new warehouse, plus plans to redevelop four central warehouses to meet wholesaler’s’ changing needs and re-route traffic around the market to allow for a more unobstructed flow of business, are among big changes being planned for the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market, according to the San Francisco Business Times.
Hopefully, the changes will improve making it easier for 18 wheelers to manuever when delivering refrigerated loads of fresh produce.
Serving nearly 30 wholesalers and distributors, the 300,000-square foot market in Bayview is bursting at the seams with generations of family-owned businesses that are picking up steam, new vendors entering the market and a few large companies that need to expand to keep up with demand. Collectively, they recorded $500 million in sales last year, the Times reports.
“We keep having to find more space for so many of the vendors,” said the market’s general manager Michael Jains. “I guess it’s a good problem to have, but we’re excited for what’s next.”
Janis and his team are gearing up to break ground on an adjacent 84,000-square-foot facility next month — the first phase of a $100 million renovation and expansion that will take shape over the next 10 years.
With help from the city, the project seeks to modernize and expand the market to 500,000 square feet, increasing merchant sales to a projected $737 million and growing the number of full-time workers to 1,000.
The project also calls for lighting and landscaping enhancements, as well as the creation of a “front door” entry point to make it easier for customers and visitors to enter and navigate the market.
According to Janis, the improvements are a needed to secure the long-term sustainability of the market, which plays an important role in the Bay Area’s food system by servicing most of the region’s restaurants, hotels, markets and grocery stores.
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Fishers, N.Y. – New York apple shipments are now officially underway across the Empire State, from the lower Hudson Valley to the upper Champlain Valley – and growers are harvesting a vintage crop, New York Apple Association (NYAA) reports.
The state’s nearly 700 apple growers are now expected to pick about 32 million bushels by the time harvest concludes in November, a modern record. New York’s average production is 29.5 million bushels.
Excellent weather conditions – beginning during this year’s bloom and growing season, and continuing into harvest so far – mean that this year’s fruit will be large and juicy, with high natural sugars. Meanwhile, recent new plantings mean that consumers will find more of the New York state apple varieties that they love.
“This year’s apple harvest is on time, and is now in full swing across New York state,” said NYAA President Jim Allen. “Our consumers who have been waiting for us to get back into the market after last year’s short crop will have lots to celebrate this fall.”
Harvest of New York’s top variety McIntosh is now underway in the Eastern part of the state and will soon be harvesting statewide, Allen reported. Harvest of all other varieties, including consumer favorites including Zestar, Gala and HoneyCrisp, is underway across the state.
“We didn’t just recover from last year, we’ve roared back and more,” said Allen. Devastated by frosts that killed much of last year’s fruit in the bud, the state’s 2012 crop was 17.1 million bushels per U.S. Department of Agriculture.
To promote this year’s crop, NYAA has enlisted New York native and international soccer star Abby Wambach. In July, Wambach assumed the title of women’s world record holder for career goals scored. Television and radio commercials featuring Abby are airing now; she will also be featured in in-store signage starting later this fall.
“We want to score the soccer mom vote,” said NYAA’s Allen.
View the Wambach and “Blossom to Awesome” videos on NYAA’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/user/newyorkapples1.
About New York Apple Association, Inc.
A nonprofit agricultural trade association based in Fishers, N.Y., NYAA represents the state’s commercial apple growers. The grower-funded association supports profitable growing and marketing of New York apples through increasing demand for apples and apple products, representing the industry at state and federal levels, and serving as the primary information source on New York apple-related matters. For more information, visit www.nyapplecountry.com.
Source: New York Apple Association, Inc.
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McDonald’s Canada is adding meatless entrees to its menu for the first time in nearly a decade with the introduction of a pair of vegetable wraps called the Mediterranean Veggie and Santa Fe Veggie. Each have joined the restaurant’s Signature McWrap line.
A recent study of Canadian consumers by Environics Research Group that found 76 percent of those surveyed want more vegetables in their diet, according to a McDonald’s news release. And 71 percent seek meatless items at least sometimes, even if they don’t consider themselves vegetarians.
51 percent in a study group said they were unsatisfied with current meatless options at restaurants.
The new McWraps are served on whole-wheat steamed tortillas. Ingredients include:
- Mediterranean Veggie: Roasted garlic hummus, feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, shredded iceberg lettuce, onions seasoned with lemon and a feta sauce.
- Santa Fe Veggie: Roasted corn, black beans, a blend of light cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, tomatoes, red onions, shredded iceberg lettuce and tri-color tortilla strips mixed with chili lime glaze and a Southwest sauce.
Price is $4.39 at participating restaurants. The flavors extend the McWrap line-up launched in May.
“The new Signature McWrap veggie options are part of our ongoing commitment to evolve our menu to meet changing lifestyle preferences while creating entrée options that welcome new customers into our restaurants,” John Betts, president and chief executive officer of McDonald’s Canada, said in the release.
McDonald’s menu items can be found online has nutritional information. They are backed by an advertising campaign that includes television spots, radio, digital, in-store merchandising and other venues.
Canadian quick-service restaurant servings of non-fried vegetables are up more than 10 percent over last year, while total quick-service traffic remained flat, according to The NPD Group and Consumer Reports on Eating Share Trends.
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A potato packing facility that had just closed last spring has been purchased and re-opened as a new growing-packing-shipping operation in Washington state’s Skagit Valley.
Three veteran potato growers in the Skagit Valley got together last spring and bought Sterling Hill LLC, Burlington, Wash. It has recently started shipping its first potatoes.
Leading the new enterprise are brothers Jim and Norm Nelson Jr. and Tony Wisdom. The Nelsons had run Sterling Hill Potatoes, a growing operation, for 12 years after having been growers with their father, Norm Sr., at Norm Nelson Inc., in Burlington.
Wisdom had managed Country Cousins Inc., a growing arm of Valley Pride Sales Inc. of Mount Vernon, Wash., for 10 years.
The three started the new company March 1, when Mark, Kent and Tim Knutzen closed Puget Sound Potato and sold them the company’s packing and equipment storage facilities and its 40-acre site for an undisclosed sum, Wisdom said Aug. 28.
Country Cousins had been packing the Nelsons’ potatoes before this year, so it was an easy transition, Wisdom said.
Sterling Hill LLC, which employs about 30 workers, grows, packs and ships red, yellow and white potatoes, plus specialty varieties at customer request.
Skagit Valley potatoes typically ship from late August through early June.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service’s August consumer price index (CPI) report forecast a low supermarket food inflation rate of 1.5% to 2.5% for 2013, and a slightly higher rate of 2.5% to 3.5% for 2014.
These rates are consistent with USDA’s July report forecast, when the agency dropped its 2013 inflation estimates.
“Most commodity prices other than those affected by the drought have seen moderate inflation or even deflation,” Richard Volpe, USDA research economist, told SN by email.
Fuel price inflation has been low, and the dollar has been strengthening, which has weakened imports for many foods. These are all factors that have contributed to our forecast revision.”
Overall food inflation that includes restaurant prices is expected to range between 1.5% to 2.5% for 2013, which is lower than the historical average of 2.8% for the past 20 years, according to USDA.
For example, the overall food inflation in 2012 was 2.6%, while the rate was 3.7% in 2011.
“In general, the impact of the 2012 drought on food prices has been smaller than expected,” Volpe said.
“For most of this year and last, the PPI [Producer Price Index] for finished and intermediate foods has grown faster than the food at home CPI, suggesting that margins have shrunk and that retailers have been slow to pass on higher commodity costs to consumers,” said Volpe.
Even though the USDA expects inflation for the rest of 2013 to increase at a faster rate than earlier in 2013, this annual rate is not expected to climb higher than 2.5%, according to Volpe. The expected increase in month-over-month inflation is contributing to the 2014 forecast, as well as the USDA leaving room for poor weather.
Compared to July 2012, eggs and produce have had the highest rates of interest so far this year, with egg inflation up 6.8%, fresh fruits up 2.5% and fresh vegetables up 3.6%.
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Today, more than half of the wholesalers and other businesses on the Hunts Point Terminal Market will meet at a community Chamber of Commerce to air their grievences over the tactics of the Business Integrity Commission, an obscure New York City agency that regulates the wholesale market in the South Bronx. Now the BIC is expanding its scope to include businesses located just outside the 113-acre facility.
Hunts Point receives thousand of truckloads of produce each week from across North America and around the world. It is the globe’s largest wholesale produce terminal.
About 30 of Hunts Point’s 42 businesses are expected to attend the CoC meeting. They are upset over BIC’s tactics, including a requirement that the companies’ employees—mostly low-wage, minority workers—complete an 11-page form that asks personal questions about the workers’ spouses, employment history and addresses over the past decade. The information is used to vet their eligibility to work at the companies, and there are significant fees associated with completing these forms.
“We see this as a violation of the employees’ civil rights,” Josephine Infante, president of the Hunts Point Economic Development Corp., told Crain’s in an online article published September 11. “People feel threatened.”
BIC, a law enforcement agency is focused on rooting out organized crime in the carting industry and public wholesale food markets and has had success in eliminating mob infiltration at the former Fulton Fish Market. But the agency is now at the center of a dispute between the city and the vendors over a plan to redevelop the market and ink a 30-year lease, Crain’s reports. The market, says BIC’s involvement in its operations is the chief reason it has not struck a deal and may move out of the city.
In 2009, legislation expanded the agency’s authority to wholesale businesses located in a defined geographic region beyond the walls of the meat, produce and fish markets. Hunts Point community leaders say BIC has recently ramped up its outreach in the area, and they are concerned that it will have a chilling effect on economic growth in the neighborhood.
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Dale Hunt of Milwaukee, WI has no doubt lived an interesting life – but perhaps the most interesting adventures he has lived will never be known. After all, the former owner operator and now company driver, who used to be a Navy SEAL, will never talk about it.
As he said to me with a slight smile on his face, “If I told you anything I’d have to kill you.” I look at the Navy SEAL ballcap he is wearing and the SEAL sticker on his truck and reply, “let’s move on to another topic.”
Although the roots for Navy SEALS dates back to WWII, the group as it is known today was formed in 1962. The SEALS mission is to conduct counter guerilla warfare and clandestine operations in maritime and riverine environments. In other words, these are “bad” dudes doing brave and good things.
But Dale’s life these days appears more normal as a driver for Maglio & Co. of Milwaukee, a wholesaler and processor primarily for foodservice companies. Dale delivers produce mostly to Maglio customers.
He has been trucking 30 years, including 12 years as a Navy SEAL and five years as an owner operator.
Dale has been driving for his current company for two years and he sees advantages whether being an owner operator or a company driver. Right now he prefers being the latter, considering the weak state of the nation’s economy.
The company delivers freight to eight states stretching from Ohio to North Dakota. Although some of the firm’s drivers have no regular places they deliver, he has a regular route which brings him into North Dakota.
The Wisconsinite may be away from home as much as five days, but normally he is away from home closer to two days at a time.
Dale drives a 2013 Kenworth powered by a 435 h.p. Cummins diesel, and 10-speed Eaton transmission. He pulls a 53-foot Utility trailer with Thermo King SB-230 reefer unit.
He likes trucking because if you are an owner operator, you are your own boss, and even if you are a driver the freedom is still “sort of like being your own boss.”
“There is a demand for good drivers,” Dale says. But it is a demanding job dealing with all the traffic, etc. But it’s a good profession to be in, if you are dedicated. It’s makes it a lot easier if you like what your are doing.”
Dale has dealt with demanding work most of his life, and what could be more demanding than a professional Navy SEAL?
— Bill Martin
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Avocado-lovers can look forward to the arrival of an enormous variety, five times bigger than the norm as it is now hitting supermarket shelves now.
The rare “Avozilla” – thought to be the world’s largest avocado – comes from just four trees grown by one of the world’s biggest suppliers of avocados in South Africa.
But British fans of the fruit will be able to enjoy it as it goes on sale at supermarket giant Tesco now.
The fruit is double the length and five times the weight of the standard variety – on average it is seven-and-a-half inches long and weighs nearly 3lb.
Tesco salad buyer Emma Bonny said: “The Avozilla has a fantastic taste with a rich, juicy, buttery texture, and creamy flavour.
“The ripe fruit is an attractive vivid green colour – different from the darker-coloured smaller variety – and its thick skin can actually be used as a serving bowl for guacamole.
“Avocados are full of nutrients and vitamins, and by stocking these big varieties, we’re making it easier than ever before for our customers to eat healthily.
“We believe the Avozilla will appeal to shoppers who are looking for value for money, but especially large families.”
Avocados have grown from a niche food to an everyday shopping basket favourite, she said, adding: “Avocados are one of our fastest-growing areas in produce, with a staggering 30% growth so far this year
Press Association
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In a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, agriculture secretary says, “As our youngsters head back to school, USDA is committed to their future. We are taking new steps to expand rural education opportunities, ensure healthy and safe food for young people, and giving parents and teachers the tools and information they need to help our kids grow up ready to lead the world.”
The website is called MyPlate Kids Place, and is designed for children ages 8 to 12, according to a news release from the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
The site also can help parents and teachers make better food choices, according to the release. The website features games, recipes, tips, activity sheets and links to the ChooseMyPlate.gov website, according to the release.
One game offered is a word maze called “Have fun with fruits and vegetables” that includes the names of 14 fruits and vegetables hidden in the maze.
Recipes contributed by students include “Kickin’ Colorful Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa,” zucchini pancakes, passion fruit smoothies and “Garden Stir Fry.”
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The Hunts Point Wholesale Terminal Produce Market that has been a dispute with New York will have to withdraw its April lawsuit against the city and refile it since the huge market did not follow the proper procedures, according to a story this week by Crain’s New York Business. The new lawsuit will include additional charges against New York City.
Hunts Points receives thousands of truckloads of fresh fruits and vegetables from around the country and the globe each week. It is the world’s largest wholesale produce market.
“We made the decision to withdraw our [complaint], which we did yesterday, and we will inform the city that we are bringing a new action,” said Sid Davidoff of Davidoff Hutcher & Cinton, the law firm representing Hunts Point. We are essentially starting over with some new causes of action.”
The market’s owners—41 merchants who are part of a cooperative, have been in a standoff with the city’s Economic Development Corp. over a new 30-year lease to redevelop the 113-acre site.
The two sides basically haven’t talked to each other since January,mainly because of the merchants’ rocky relationship with the Business Integrity Commission, a law-enforcement agency that regulates public food markets among other industries.
The merchants sued BIC, which they say hired an unscrupulous security firm to investigate themerchants business and security practices.
“We believe we have a case,” Mr. Davidoff said.
A spokesman for the city agency said, “We cannot comment on the possibility of future litigation. All we know is that they filed a lawsuit, we moved to dismiss and in response to our motion they discontinued their lawsuit,” reported Crain’s New York Business.
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