Archive For The “News” Category
A colossal cucumber has been grown by 72-year-old, Knoxville, MD native, Butch Taulton, whose 43-inch monstrosity has just broken the Guinness World Record for longest cucumber.
Much to the chagrin of professional growers across the world, the record-breaking retiree grew the cuke right on his three-acre home garden with seeds he bought at his local Home Depot. Taulton’s 43-inch triumph has unseated former holder of the longest cuke title, Ian Neale of Wales in the United Kingdom, who presented his veg in September of 2011, according to The World Record Academy.
“I just kept watering it and it kept growing,” Taulton told the Record Academy. “The packet of seeds from Home Depot said they would grow between 32 to 36 inches long—they weren’t supposed to get this big.”
It looks like Taulton won’t exactly be enjoying the fruits of his labor, however. Taulton says although the “exotic cucumber” variety is “sweet, tender, and tasty,” he doesn’t have the time it would take to consume the entire giant. The grower spends much of his time since retiring from road construction just growing his garden and tending to his goats.
PORT HUENEME, CA. — Over 100,000 tons of additional fresh fruits and vegetables should be arriving at the Port of Hueneme annually as SeaLand has designated the facility as a new port call.
SeaLand, the Intra-Americas regional ocean carrier for the Maersk Group, based in Miramar, FL, launched a new service at the port in September.
Although the ocean carrier will transport a wide range of cargo, fresh fruit will make up the majority of its payload coming to the Port of Hueneme, said Tim Child, SeaLand’s chief operations officer.
Bananas, avocados, pineapples, limes, dried fruit and nuts are some of the items the carrier will bring in as part of the company’s West Coast Central America (WCCA) service, which will offer weekly runs between Southern California, Mexico, Central America and the west coast of South America.
As for exports, SeaLand will be handling apples, table grapes and stone fruit on a seasonal basis.
Shipping is the most fuel-efficient method of transporting goods and provides an alternative for produce that typically is trucked from Mexico, Child said.
It also could improve distribution of goods coming to or from California’s Central Valley, he said.
Steve Barnard, president and CEO of Mission Produce Inc., an Oxnard-based avocado grower-shipper, was on hand for the welcoming event.
“This new service into Oxnard is going to be be huge, at least for the local community and Mission in particular,” he said. “We bring in several thousand loads a year from Mexico and South America,” he said.
Until now, the company’s product from Mexico has been delivered by truck.
“This is going to save time and energy,” he said. “The carbon footprint is going to be significantly reduced.”
The Port of Hueneme, known as “the port that farmers built,” is surrounded by the Oxnard growing area, specializes in refrigerated cargo and is well-suited to the volume of fresh fruit bound for the U.S. Southwest from Latin America, said Ariel Frias, SeaLand’s head of marketing.
It’s about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles and will serve as “an alternative gateway” to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The port offers an efficient infrastructure for fresh produce that includes faster inspections and nearby cold storage facilities, he said.
The port already handles 650,600 tons of bananas and 113,400 tons of other fruit annually.
by Idaho Potato Commission
EAGLE, ID — Attention food fanatics and chefs extraordinaire! During the month of November enter your favorite Idaho® potato recipe for a chance to win a $1,500 cash prize, a myriad of kitchen appliances from Kenmore® and a 15 lb. bag of fresh Idaho® potatoes. In addition to the prizes awarded for first, second and third place, a $500 “Social Spud” prize will be given to the recipe receiving the most “likes” on the contest page, encouraging contestants to share their recipe entry on their social media channels.
“This contest is a smart way for three well-known reputable brands to get folks across the country excited about baking and cooking with Idaho® potatoes during the holiday season,” explained Frank Muir, President and CEO, Idaho Potato Commission (IPC). “We believe this could be the biggest recipe contest in the IPC’s history in terms of number of entries received and total reach to consumers and the media. And that means more great recipes for us to try and share with family and friends!”
To be eligible, all entries must be received by 11:59 PM MST, November 30, 2016 and include the following:
- Use fresh, frozen or dehydrated Idaho® potatoes
- Include complete recipe ingredient list and directions
- Submit a high quality recipe photo
- Provide a brief recipe description
Prizes include:
- First Place: $1,500 cash and a full suite of Kenmore® small kitchen appliances
- Second Place: Kenmore® small kitchen appliance and a 15 lb. bag of Idaho® potatoes
- Third Place: Kenmore® small kitchen appliance and a 15 lb. bag of Idaho® potatoes
- Social Spud: $500 cash for the recipe with the most votes
Recipes will be reviewed and tested by representatives from the IPC and judged on their combination of creativity, taste, ease of preparation, and, of course, use of Idaho® potatoes. Winners will be notified by December 10, 2016. The winning recipe will be featured on the IPC’s website and social media channels.
About The Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho™” seal, a federally registered certification mark that assures consumers are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation, and rich volcanic soil give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance, which differentiates Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states.
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Appearance. No matter how many times we’ve been told not to judge a book by its cover, waiting to pass judgement on something until after we get past its outside has never been an easy task for people to accomplish. Whether it’s what we’re reading or who we’re meeting, people have a tendency to set expectations based on surface assessment. But does the same hold true for what we eat? According to a recent Harris Poll, about eight in ten Americans (81%) confirm that appearance (i.e., not blemished or misshapen in any way) is at least somewhat important to them when shopping for fresh produce (i.e., fruits and vegetables), with 43% saying it is very or extremely important.
When listed alongside other fresh produce descriptors, appearance proved to be more important than provenance (i.e., locally grown or sourced), the retailer’s food waste practices, and organic. However, the price and seasonality are more likely to be important to a purchaser than appearance.
“Whether ‘ugly’ or not, produce is on the rise, up 5% in U.S. dollar sales in the latest 52 weeks ending July 30, 2016,” said Jen Campuzano, Director Fresh Perishables at Nielsen. “Choosing healthier and more natural products has become a priority for households across the country. For some, this means transparency in labeling, opting for foods with basic ingredient lists or embracing fruits and vegetables, blemishes and all.”
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll® of 2,025 U.S. adults aged 18+ and surveyed online between August 10 and 12, 2016.
Ugly produce
Despite the weight Americans place on appearance, more than three in five adults (62%) say they would be at least somewhat comfortable eating “ugly produce,” that is, fruit or vegetables that may be misshapen but otherwise taste the same. Moreover, three quarters of adults (76%) would expect to pay less for “ugly produce,” while a fifth (20%) could see paying the same as usual.
Despite professed comfort with eating ugly produce, fewer than three in ten Americans (28%) recall buying “ugly produce” in the past year, compared to 51% who are sure they did not and 21% who are not sure either way. And of those who bought “ugly produce,” six in ten (61%) did so for the price discount.
Food waste
While the primary reason Americans bought “ugly produce” was price, the runner up answer from more than a fifth (22%) of purchasers was that they wanted to reduce food waste. Americans estimate that, typically, 10% of the groceries they buy are wasted, that is, spoil or go bad before they can be eaten. Over eight in ten Americans (84%) are at least somewhat concerned about the issue of food waste, primarily because they would like to be less wasteful (62%).
So how do Americans believe we can reduce household food waste? Nearly half (46%) of adults believe better storage for fresh produce is the key to waste reduction, followed closely by more than 2 in 5 (42%) who advocate buying less food, more frequently. Another 38% believe the solution is better meal planning, while 35% say it would help if smaller package sizes were available in the grocery store.
by Idaho Potato Commission
EAGLE, ID — Does the real Idaho® Potato Farmer finally find his missing truck? We’ll never tell! Watch the new commercial featuring Farmer Mark and the Big Idaho® Potato Truck on national cable networks including The Food Network, CNN, Headline News, Fox News and The History and Cooking Channels that began November 11 to find out.
The commercials made their debut five years ago during the first Big Idaho® Potato Truck Tour. This year marks the sixth installment of the Idaho Potato Commission’s (IPC) wildly popular television commercials starring Farmer Mark and his on-going search for the elusive Big Idaho® Potato Truck.
“Since we launched the campaign five years ago, we’ve received thousands of calls from folks located all across the country with updates on the Truck’s whereabouts,” explained Frank Muir, President and CEO, IPC. “One of the reasons the commercials have been so effective is because of the incredible consumer engagement component reinforced by the Truck’s nationwide tour when it was seen by tens of millions of people of all ages.”
The new commercial aired twice during the Boise State University and BYU football game on October 20 as part of the IPC sponsorship package and its long-standing support of the Broncos. The commercial will air through early April, achieving more than 550 million audience impressions. To view it now, visit the IPC’s YouTube channel.
###
About the Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho™” seal, a federally registered certification mark that assures consumers they are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation and rich volcanic soil, give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance, that differentiates Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states.
About the Big Idaho® Potato Truck
The Big Idaho® Potato Truck just completed its fifth cross-country journey. The tour began in 2012 as a one-year campaign to celebrate the IPC’s 75th anniversary. The reaction from consumers, the industry and the media made it apparent the truck would not be retiring anytime soon. Today, it’s a solid part of pop-culture. It’s traveled more than 100,000 miles, visited 48 states, met millions of folks across the country and generated billions of media impressions. To learn more about the Truck, please visit BigIdahoPotatoTruck.com.
rw
As Turbana becomes Fyffes North America, it brings the resources of the biggest banana supplier in Europe to this side of the Atlantic.
North American buyers could stock the Fyffes brand before, but now it takes over for the Turbana brand in the market unless buyers request the Turbana label.
Ireland-based Fyffes owns 50% of the former Turbana company in addition to an increasing number of holdings in North America.
The change will be officially announced at PMA Fresh Summit, but Jack Howell, senior vice president of sales for Fyffes NA, said customers are being informed now, and the Fyffes label will begin shipping on bananas in the U.S. and Canada.
Fyffes is the largest banana shipper in Europe with 46 million cases. It extends its global sourcing infrastructure the No. 4 banana shipper in North America with 10 million cases per year.
Its main banana sources for this market are Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala, but it owns farms and has grower agreements with 12 countries in Central and South America.
Fyffes is also a significant player in North America in pineapples, off-shore melons and mushrooms.
In April, Fyffes acquired Leamington, Ontario-based Highline Produce Ltd., the largest mushroom producer in Canada, which was followed this month by the acquisition of All Seasons Mushrooms, Langley, British Columbia.
However, those businesses are owned by Fyffes PLC in Dublin and are not part of Coral Gables, Fla.-based Fyffes NA.
“With over 100 years in the industry, we are experts in supply chain, sourcing the highest quality fruit, and helping retailers profitably grow their banana business,” Howell said.
Fyffes was founded in 1888, and in 1929 became the first name brand in bananas.
During the next decade, Florida orange production could sink by another two-thirds unless better solutions to the fatal bacterial disease citrus greening aren’t found.
That’s the worst-case scenario presented recently to the Florida Citrus Commission in a new, long-term citrus production forecast by Marisa Zansler, chief economist at the Florida Department of Citrus, and Tom Spreen, emeritus professor of agricultural economics at the University of Florida and a department consultant. The commission is the Citrus Department’s governing board.
Spreen presented three forecasts based on different computer models of the future, including one based on no research breakthroughs on greening and no change in current production trends, such as declines in yield, or the boxes of fruit harvested per tree, and in the shrinking number of trees and commercial grove acres.
The pessimistic model projects Florida growers harvesting 27.3 million boxes of oranges in the 2026-27 season. That compares to 81.6 million orange boxes harvested in the recently completed 2015-16 season and 242 million boxes in 2003-04, the last season unaffected by greening or hurricanes.
“I hope that scenario is not more likely,” Spreen said. “It’s a very scary picture. There’s no other way to put it.”
One factor affecting yields on greening-infected trees has been a significant increase in the levels of pre-harvest fruit drop, which began appearing in the 2011-12 season. Other factors include smaller fruit size, which means more fruit to fill a standard box, thus a lower total harvest.
But the most optimistic scenario makes some big assumptions, including investing at least $500 million in planting new trees at a 255 percent replanting rate over the number of trees lost each season, he said. Growers would need to sustain that rate every year over the next decade.
The current replanting rate is 50 percent, largely because many growers are unwilling to make the investment until researchers find better methods against greening.
Even at that aggressive replanting rate, Florida growers would produce just 100 million orange boxes in 2026-27, or less than half the production 12 years ago.
Florida growers can achieve the optimistic scenario, said Spreen, citing high levels of replanting in the late 1980s and early 1990s following three major destructive freezes in 1983 to 1989.
But it would take a scientific breakthrough in breeding a new citrus tree that is tolerant or resistant to greening, he added. Tolerance means the tree would get infected but suffer less damage, notably yield loss, and resistance means the tree would be less susceptible to infection.
“We just need that light at the end of the tunnel to show up, and then we’ll see a burst of new planting similar to what we saw in the 1980s,” Spreen said.
by Stemilt Growers
WENATCHEE, Wash. – The University of Minnesota has chosen Rave™ as the brand name for fruit sold from the University’s newest apple variety, MN55, which Stemilt Growers holds the license to grow, pack, and market in North America. Rave™ was selected as the brand name for this apple to play off of the apple’s many exciting attributes, including its incredible crunch and juicy flavor, as well as its unique position as the first apple to ripen in Washington State, coming off the tree in late July.
“We are beyond excited about the chosen brand name of our newest star apple. The Rave™ apple has explosive flavor and with its early harvest timing and dessert qualities, it will reinvent the month of August for the apple category. We look forward to bringing small volumes of Rave™ apples to market in 2017,” said Stemilt marketing director Roger Pepperl.
The highest quality fruit from MN55 trees will go to market from Stemilt growers as Rave™ apples beginning in summer 2017. MN55 is a variety that was born back in 1997 at the University of Minnesota’s exceptional apple breeding program, the same place that the now national phenomenon Honeycrisp heralds from. It’s a cross between Honeycrisp and an unreleased variety called MonArk. With similar, yet more defined, flavor and quality attributes as Honeycrisp combined with MonArk’s ability to ripen early yet color well and maintain a crisp, juicy texture through the summer heat, Stemilt believes Rave™ apples will be the next standout in the produce department.
The journey to develop a new apple cultivar is not a quick process and requires great efforts. During the 17 years from original breeding to the final release and licensing of MN55 to Stemilt, the University of Minnesota conducted rigorous testing to ensure that the variety was of high enough quality to be commercially released. This process included 5-6 years of testing at multiple locations across the U.S. Together with Stemilt, the University of Minnesota landed on Rave™ as the brand name for the apple earlier this summer.
“Rave™ is a powerful brand name for apples, and one that we know will leave a lasting impression on consumers, especially after they bite into one. Rave™ joins our breeding program’s other success stories, Honeycrisp and SweeTango®, and helps us meet our goal of bringing excitement to consumers as they shop for apples,” said David Bedford, research scientist for the University of Minnesota apple breeding program.
Rave™ is also another chapter in Stemilt’s story of bringing innovative products to market. The company successfully introduced its signature apple Piñata!® to the marketplace back in 2009, and also supplies the West Coast with the University’s popular SweeTango® apple.
“We are constantly seeking new apple varieties with flavors and qualities that will wow the consumer. It’s all about building fruit fans of tomorrow, and Rave™ certainly has the ‘wow factor’ to do just that. We can’t wait to bring this phenomenal apple into stores next August,” said Pepperl.
Stemilt is now in the process of developing a logo and packaging for Rave™ apples, and expects to unveil a look later this year.
by Bridges Produce
This Fall, Bridges Produce is debuting a new label in the U.S. for the fresh organic cranberries from Patience Fruit & Co. This new label, “Patience,” was chosen to reflect the belief that doing things the right way is better than rushing through them. Growing cranberries organically takes more effort, more thoughtfulness, more respect for nature, but the results are worth it.
The relationship between Patience, formerly known as Fruit d’Or, and Bridges Produce began over 16 years ago and has evolved as the companies and the organic market has grown. During the 2014 season Bridges became the exclusive fresh sales representative for Fruit d’Or in the U.S., selling 8 oz. bags and 7.5 oz clamshells. The following season they debuted a 12 oz. poly bag, a size that is in high demand for use in many recipes. For the 2016 fresh cranberry season, all pack styles and sizes will be branded as Patience Fruit & Co.
The group of Quebec growers practice organic farming to minimize their ecological footprint. They believe in working with nature and following its rhythms rather than trying to work against it. For example, they use a “closed circuit” water system where rainwater and melted snow are collected in a drainage basin and used to irrigate the fields and flood them for harvesting. They also rely on 6 million bees to help pollinate the cranberry plants. Growing organically is not the easiest way but yields the best results.
Their superior quality fruit as well as their sustainable growing practices make Bridges so pleased to continue their partnership with Patience Fruit & Co. This year the pack styles Bridges will offer include 12 oz. and 8 oz. poly bags, 7.5 oz. clams, and a 22 lb bulk box. They are available for shipping from Los Angeles and New Jersey October through December. Patience Fruit & Co. also has a line organic dried cranberries, dried mixed berries and artisan blends available as well.
For more information regarding fresh organic cranberries contact Bridges Produce at: info@bridgesproduce.com 503-235-7333
A modern packing facility is being built by Pioneer Growers Co-op of Belle Glade, FL, which will transition the Glades’ oldest corn and bean packing operations to one of the region’s newest.
It will include 37,000 square feet of refrigerated storage space and 12,000 square feet of refrigerated processing area for the organization’s sweet corn and green beans and have over 50,000-square-foot for the packing operation.
With a projected opening of March 1st, the cooperative broke ground on the new venture over the summer.
Construction crews demolished Pioneer’s aging facilities, which were constructed in 1955.
Among the improvements are refrigerated docks, food safety capabilities and updated components from the receiving docks to hydrocooling.
There are nine truck bays to receive and ship product at the multi-million dollar plant. It also has five more bays used in an existing tray packing line, an ice plant for filling crates of corn with ice as well as offices for sales and shipping operations.
The new building is slightly smaller than the older operation, but increased efficiencies from new racking capabilities should allow increased handling.
Construction of the packinghouse represents the third and final phase of a renovation program Pioneer’s grower-owners started in 2008. The first phase was a new corn tray packing facility, which will be housed in the new operation. The second phase involved construction of a new corn receiving and hydrocooling area.
For Gene Duff, executive vice president and general manager, the new building represents an investment in the future.
Founded in 1950, Pioneer’s 12 grower members grow 14,000 acres of corn in Florida and Georgia from October to July. The growers grow on 4,000 acres of beans in Florida and Georgia and in Florida, around 2,000 acres of cabbage and radishes.
During the summer, Pioneer Growers Co-op sources sweet corn from the states of Michigan, Delaware and New York.