Garlic and Herbs

Winter citrus off to a good start

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:18:40 GMT

Mother Nature seemed to smile on growers throughout the U.S. as the 2019-20 citrus season got underway.

As of mid-January, no major hurricanes, storms, heatwaves or freezes were affecting California, Florida or Texas citrus production areas, and growers said they were harvesting plenty of sweet, juicy fruit.

The Jan. 10 citrus crop estimate from the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast a harvest of 125.5 million boxes of oranges for the current season, up from 124 million last year.

The grapefruit forecast was 15.7 million boxes, up from 13.8 last season.

Lemon and tangerine production was down.

Growers were expected to produce 20.4 million boxes of lemons, compared to 24.1 million in 2018-19, and 23 million boxes of tangerines, down from about 27 million last year.

“We are in full swing harvesting, packing and shipping navel oranges,” Tracy Jones, vice president of sales and marketing for Booth Ranches LLC, Orange Cove, Calif., said Jan. 11.

“The eating quality has been excellent,” she said.

The season started a week later than planned in order to allow fruit time to color up, she said. Also, some imported navels remained in the market.

“Since then, we were able to catch up and are on target moving through our crop,” Jones said.

Sizes have been peaking on 72s to 88s, then 56s.

The winter has brought a decent amount of rain and warm weather, but Jones said growers would welcome additional rain and cool nights with temperatures in the 30s.

Booth Ranches plans to finish its navel program by the end of June “with a strong late navel finish,” she said.

Santa Paula, Calif.-based Limoneira Co. was picking lemons in California’s San Joaquin Valley and in the coastal region, said John Chamberlain, vice president of marketing.

“Quality looks good,” he said, with a larger percentage of fruit sizes 115, 140 and 165.

“Last year, we had a lot of larger fruit because of the (heavy) rain situation,” he said. “This year, sizing is spread more evenly over mid ranges.’

In Florida, Dundee-based Florida Classic Gowers Inc . was into its midseason oranges, said president Al Finch.

The company will transition to valencias in mid-February and continue with those until the end of May.

Then the summer storage program will get underway and continue through June.

W. murcotts were scheduled to start the week of Jan. 13 followed by honey tangerines the following week.

“Quality this year on citrus has been exceptional,” Finch said.

The Florida navel crop that recently finished had an “outstanding year for flavor, color and sizing,” he said.

Trees have rebounded nicely from Hurricane Irma, which hit Florida in 2017, he said, and they also appear to be bouncing back from citrus greening disease.

“Overall, this season has gone very well, and we look for this trend to continue for the second half of the season,” he said.

Growing conditions generally have been good this year, agreed Andrew Meadows, director of communications for Lakeland-based Florida Citrus Mutual.

“We could always use more rain, but we have had sufficient amounts,” he said.

“The cold weather recently has helped as well.”

Good quality also was reported out of Texas, where 70% of the citrus crop consists of grapefruit and 70% is oranges, said Dale Murden, president of Mission-based Texas Citrus Mutual.

Nearly all of the state’s citrus is marketed domestically.

In mid-January, growers were finishing their navels and early varieties, and they planned to start valencias in February, he said.

So far, growers have been fortunate, with only one light frost in December that caused no significant damage.

But lack of rain was a concern.

“We’re starting to be a little bit concerned about an overall dry pattern,” Murden said.

At Lone Star Citrus Growers, Mission, Texas, T.J. Flowers, vice president of operations and sales, said grapefruit quality was good, though volume is lighter than in 2018-19.

“The good news is, with lower yields on grapefruit we are seeing larger sizes, on average, than last year,” he said.

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Rock Garden Herbs adds acreage

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:16:13 GMT

Miami-based Rock Garden Herbs, which serves several locations of Coosemans Worldwide Inc ., has expanded its growing area near Homestead, Fla., by 20 acres, said Jonathan Roussel, sales director.

The company focuses on organic items and offers about a dozen varieties of herbs for retail and also grows a number of specialty herbs and other products, such as lovage and tumeric, primarily for foodservice accounts.

Last year, the company moved into a fully renovated, 40,000-square-foot facility.

Three buildings were gutted and combined into one site that included a newly installed refrigeration system, coolers, processing lines and offices, he said.

California garlic harvest nears with demand riding COVID-19 boost

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:37:54 GMT

California garlic harvest will begin by mid-June, but COVID-19-related demand is expected to keep market conditions firm in the weeks ahead.

U.S. average terminal market prices for garlic, all origins, sizes and cartons, was estimated at $82.63 per carton on May 16, up 26% from $66.13 per carton in mid-March and 40% higher than $48.51 per carton in mid-May a year ago.
Wholesale market garlic prices range from $60 per 30-pound carton to well over $100 per carton in mid-May, depending on sizes and quality, said Bruce Klein, sales and marketing representative with Maurice A Auerbach Inc ., Secaucus, N.J.

California dreaming

California garlic harvest will begin by June 10 or so, said Ken Christopher, vice president of Christopher Ranch in Gilroy, Calif.

“We got a little bit of rain last week, but nothing too bad to disrupt our harvest,” he said May 19.

Predicted temperatures in the high 80s should be good for the crops in the field, he said.

Christopher Ranch’s early garlic is the heirloom garlic variety, Lerg, which is slightly milder than the company’s late garlic proprietary heirloom, the Monviso variety, Christopher said.

This year’s California garlic harvest could reach about 100 million pounds, with 15 million pounds of early garlic and 85 million of late garlic.

“We’re expecting a pretty strong crop of about 100 million pounds, and there’s going to be demand for every one of those pounds, if not more,” Christopher said.

The COVID-19 pandemic and closure of foodservice outlets in March substantially changed the customer base for Christopher Ranch.

“For foodservice, we do a lot of peeled garlic, and those orders essentially went to zero the week of the first shelter-in-place,” he said. “The speed at which everything changed was alarming and pretty difficult to adjust to; our customer base shifted from being pretty even between foodservice and retail to be almost exclusively retail.”

Christopher said the company works with retailers across the country to accommodate garlic sizes not normally found at retail.

“Consumers might be seeing a little bit smaller or a little bit larger garlic at the grocery store than what they’re used to,” he said.

Retailers generally have between five and 10 garlic stock-keeping units, with pre-peeled garlic in a one-pound bag, a six-ounce vacuum sealed bag, sleeved garlic and bulk sales common for Christopher Ranch, he said.

“Right now it is all about order fulfillment and taking care of our customers when demand is just stratospheric,” Christopher said.

While the company had intended to carry 100% U.S.-grown garlic for the 2019-20 marketing season, ramped up demand in recent months necessitated Christopher Ranch to import about a third of its garlic from Latin America, notably Mexico and Argentina.

“We tried to take care of orders in May and April, which gobbled up a lot of our inventory of California (garlic), so right now we’re including the Latin American garlic as part of our product mix,” he said.

Last season’s California garlic in storage should be finished by the time the new crop begins, he said. Some consumers have been telling the company through social media that they can’t find garlic in their stores.

“That is anecdotal, and we are shipping a lot of garlic every week; but this is the first (season) I’ve been hearing that,” he said.

COVID-19 effect

Tight global supply and good demand has raised garlic prices, Christopher said. With some buyers avoiding Chinese garlic, Christopher said buyers have been competing for Mexican and Argentine garlic.

Even with foodservice demand showing a slightly recovery, Christopher said retail demand will have the upper hand for the foreseeable future.

“For at least the next six to 12 months, you’re going to see demand far more on the retail side than the foodservice side,” he said,

While demand has been strong during the COVID-19 pandemic for people seeking to boost immunity and cook at home, supply or the lack thereof has played a bigger role in the higher-trending markets for garlic and ginger, said Jim Provost, president of I Love Produce , Kelton, Pa., which imports Chinese garlic and ginger.

“I would say that the bigger part of the equation is the disruption in logistics and workers being able to come to factories,” Provost said.

Garlic and ginger are among the most labor-intensive crops in fresh produce.

“So for the month of January and February roughly when China was shut down (because of COVID-19), that is when that spike started,” he said.

China is now shipping garlic at close to normal levels, but Provost said there is pressure on supplies in other regions because of COVID-19.

“Spain is a major garlic producer, and they had disruptions in their workforce and having to lock down due to the virus that shut their supply down for a certain amount of time,” Provost said, noting that COVID-19 disruptions also have occurred in Mexico.

Now, with new crop supply of garlic on tap from California, Spain and China, Provost said seasonally expanding supplies may take some of the pressure off tight supplies.

However, if the coronavirus makes another surge of infections and factories operations close, “all bets are off,” Provost said.

“There will be enough garlic; its just a matter of (it) being packed and shipped and making it to market,” he said.

The Packer’s COVID-19 Updates

The Packer’s Garlic Updates

Garlic in high demand

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:16:47 GMT

Garlic supplies were ramping back up in early summer following a spring when the pungent bulbs sometimes were hard to find.

“For the last two months or so, consumers could not find garlic, or they found garlic that was much bigger or much smaller or more oddly shaped than they are used to,” Ken Christopher, executive vice president at Christopher Ranch , Gilroy, Calif., said in late June.

Some customers were frustrated because the company had to cut or make adjustments to a lot of orders, he said.

“The garlic simply wasn’t there anymore.”

More people eating at home because of COVID-19 quarantines was a cause of the shortfall, coupled with tight supplies from foreign suppliers.

Demand still remained high by the end of June.

“Total shipments are about 30% to 40% higher week-over-week than they were at this time last year,” Christopher said.

The company added a third shift to keep up with demand and had 1,000 full-time workers at the end of June.

Christopher Ranch usually moves a half-million pounds weekly, he said, but was packing up to 1 million pounds of fresh garlic every week to ship to grocery stores and distribution centers across the country.

Christopher said there was no telling how long the high demand will continue.

“As long as the demand is there, we’re going to maintain this workforce,” he said.

California growers produced about 250 million pounds of garlic this year, about half of the garlic consumed in the U.S., Christopher said.

That volume could increase about 10% for the coming crop, based on early results, he said.

Christopher Ranch accounts for 40% of the domestic garlic industry, he said.

Christopher said the highest prices of the year are most likely to materialize in December and January, when demand for garlic traditionally is highest.

Overall garlic prices could dip this summer, said Jim Provost, president of I Love Produce LLC , West Grove, Pa.

“China has a huge crop, so that will impact world garlic prices on the down side,” he said.

“The U.S. has a tariff on Chinese garlic, so the impact here will be less pronounced, but because China exports all over the world, prices in the world market will be less, on average, than last year.”

I Love Produce has good supplies of new-crop garlic from Spain, he said, and he anticipated that retailers will be able to promote garlic consistently during 2020-21.

“The foodservice situation is still questionable due to COVID ,” Provost said, “so we are cautiously optimistic that there will be some rebound in demand as the economy opens up.”

Happy Veg Inc. , a new company launched early this year by partners Cameron Mistal, CEO, and Louis Hymel, COO, imports garlic from Spain, Argentina, Mexico and China, Hymel said.

Chinese garlic is competitively priced, even with a stiff tariff, he said.

“They do a good job on it,” Hymel added.

“It will be interesting to see the consumers’ perception of buying anything out of China today compared to prior to the virus.”

Spain and Argentina ran out of garlic early this season, resulting in tight inventories that caused “a real spike in the market,” he said.

“Everybody started going to Mexico, trying to get as much out of Mexico as quick as possible.”

Maurice A. Auerbach Inc., Secaucus, N.J., ships garlic year-round, said Bruce Klein, director of marketing.

“We source from all over the world,” he said, including California, Spain and Mexico.

The company gets very good quality product from Mexico, he said, but he’s not sure about supplies from Spain this year.

“We heard that there was rain on the plains in Spain that might affect some of the Spanish garlic,” he said.

The firm’s garlic and ginger sales “were crazy for a while” this spring, Klein said. But they have since leveled off.

The Garlic Co . in Bakersfield, Calif., was in the middle of the harvest of its early garlic varieties and was just starting its late garlic the fourth week of June, said Joe Lane, an owner.

Lane was quite pleased with California’s crop.

“It’s probably the best qualitywise we’ve had in six years,” he said.

He attributed the exceptional condition and decent sizing to good growing weather.

The company sources garlic from up and down California’s San Joaquin Valley and the Salinas Valley.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a big impact on the company’s sales, he said.

At one point, foodservice business was just 10% of normal, but it was working its way back to near-normal levels in late June, Lane said.

At the same time, retail garlic sales were up as more consumers prepared meals at home.

“Some people thought it might fight the virus,” he said.

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Garlic & Herbs Marketing

Sales of fresh herbs bounce back at retail

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:37:00 GMT

After being hard hit early in the coronavirus pandemic, the herb category seems to be bouncing back, some say with significant double-digit growth.

When consumers started stocking up on groceries as COVID-19 fears spread across the U.S., some retailers told herb grower-shippers that retail distribution systems and supply chains could not handle the surge in demand, said Steve Wright, chief customer officer for Shenandoah Growers Inc ., Rockingham, Va.

“They decided to shut off herbs and floral and focus on top-selling items like carrots, apples, potatoes and rice,” he said.

As a result, “The (herb) category flattened.”

But not for long.

“Once the retailers figured out the supply chain and got in front of the massive stock-up by consumers, the category absolutely exploded,” Wright said.

Herbs experienced “healthy double-digit” growth, he said, with some retailers seeing sales increase by 50%.

“That’s a good indication that herbs are becoming more mainstream, and that the category is growing,” Wright said.

Wright believes the category will remain strong as families do more cooking at home.

“It’s become part of their lifestyle, part of their culture that we certainly think is going to be maintained,” he said.

Increases affected all kinds of herbs, with basil remaining the top seller and savory herbs used in cooking, like thyme and rosemary, enjoying significant increases.

One of the biggest changes in the herb industry has been the switch from .75-ounce packages to half-ounce offerings, Wright said.

“The market has completely flipped over to half-ounce,” Wright said.

The switch has been taking place over the past two to three years.

“In 2020 the .5-oz has become the predominate size in the market,” he said.

That’s a good thing because the half-ounce size is relatable to recipe sizes and helps reduce waste, Wright said.

“People just don’t want to waste or throw food away,” he said.

Herb sales “are doing very well” for Rocket Farms Herbs Inc ., Half Moon Bay, Calif., said president Nick Bavaro.

The company has seen a 38% uptick in sales over the past three months, he said in late June.

Like Shenandoah’s Wright, Bavaro believes that’s because families are reverting to the practice of eating at home, like they did in the 1950s and ’60s.

“People are really seeing the value of healthy eating,” he said, and not seeking out premade products.

Rocket Farms offers organic and conventional potted and fresh-cut herbs, he said.

Potted herbs are a growing product, he said. If they’re maintained properly, they can last four to six months.

“Nothing is better than having fresh herbs in your kitchen,” Bavaro said.

The company’s fresh-cut herbs are sold in quarter- and half-ounce clamshell containers, and potted product comes in 3- and 5.5-inch pots.

Morro Bay, Calif.-based Vida Fresh has seen a drop in sales of conventionally grown herbs because of foodservice shutdowns due to COVID-19, said Andrew Walsh, CEO.

Sales of conventional product “dropped away significantly,” he said.

However, the organic herb category held its own because it’s aimed mostly at retail, Walsh said.

Even as restaurants started to reopen, foodservice business still was just a shadow of what it was before coronavirus hit, he said.

“We wonder if it will ever return to pre-virus levels.”

Many restaurants won’t reopen because of restrictions on seating capacity, Walsh said.

The ones that do reopen will not be able to make up for the lost business also because of seating limits.

“There’s just going to be less business,” he said.

The company grows 25 fresh herbs in Mexico at the southern tip of Baja California and markets the product year-round, slowing down in summer when California growers harvest.

Walsh does not expect sales of conventionally grown herbs to return to normal levels in 2020 for Vida Fresh, but he said organic business, though not experiencing major increases, seems steadier.

“We are excited about that because we are organic growers,” he said.

North Shore Living Herbs , Thermal, Calif., offers 22 varieties of living herbs in clamshell containers and nine potted options, said Brittney Bubb, creative coordinator.

“We were the first people to come out with the living herb in a clamshell in the wet rack,” she said.

The company also likes to tout its compact 2-inch pots.

Most competitors sell in larger-size pots, she said.

“We’re able to get a higher leaf count in a smaller footprint,” Bubb said.

“Retailers really like that because we’re not taking up a ton of their merchandising space.”

North Shore Living Herbs grows year-round in greenhouses in a highly controlled environment, she said.

“We can keep a really close eye and make sure their environment is exactly the way it’s supposed to be every single day.”

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Garlic suppliers report strong demand as foodservice rebounds

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:29:10 GMT

Foodservice demand for garlic has increased and retail demand has receded slightly as consumers return to restaurants – though people continue to prepare more meals at home than they did pre-pandemic.

“As the COVID-19 vaccination efforts continue to roll out, we’re seeing a slight shift back to what we would consider ‘normal,’” said Ken Christopher, executive vice president of Gilroy, Calif.-based Christopher Ranch. “That being said, demand for fresh garlic remains 15% over historical trends, which for a mature industry like agriculture is virtually unheard of. On the foodservice side, we’ve seen orders for our peeled garlic return to pre-pandemic levels, which is likely a sign Americans are much more comfortable with dining out again.”

Jim Provost, president of West Grove, Pa.-based I Love Produce, made a similar observation.

“As we come out of COVID, retail demand is softening and foodservice demand is strengthening,” Provost said. “This seems rather obvious, but as expected. I don’t think foodservice demand is back to pre-COVID levels, and we will see if it gets there.”

Rafael Cisternas, brand manager for Miami-based Garland Foods, also reported continued strong demand at retail and increasing demand from foodservice.

“In general, (for) retail customers that we do business with, as well as what we see, business remains strong coming out of COVID, to levels higher than what we saw prior to COVID,” Cisternas said. ”The garlic category still has high levels of interest as consumers continue to cook at home and eat a healthy diet.

“For foodservice, we have seen a significant uptick in volume as the economy has opened,” Cisternas said. “We expect this trend to continue for the second half of this year as vaccinated people feel more comfortable going out to eat and socialize. In addition, foodservice demand from cruise ships has bounced back quickly to almost pre-COVID levels.”

Back in the spring and summer of 2020, there was a huge shortage of garlic as Chinese production and exporting was shut down for at least three months, Provost said. He noted that while many people in the U.S. are resuming many of their normal activities, the level of return-to-normal differs by country.

“Even though the U.S. is coming out of the pandemic, the rest of the world is still dealing with it to some extent,” Provost said. “I Love Produce is staying on top of the situation so we can maintain supply and meet our customers’ needs into the future.”

Marketing and merchandising trends

Product size and packaging are two arenas in which suppliers and retailers continue to experiment.

“While we pride ourselves on growing some of the largest and the most beautiful California garlic bulbs, many retailers are choosing to maximize their sales by offering smaller bulbs of garlic,” Christopher said. “Fresh garlic is traditionally sold in 30-pound boxes, with a garlic count ranging from 135 bulbs all the way to 410 bulbs, depending on our customers’ needs. We continue to try out different packaging, including display trays that best feature our heirloom product.”

Cisternas also mentioned packaging, noting that in general retailers want more of it.

“We are seeing a demand shift from bulk to packaged product – specifically requesting recyclable packaging – which has increased the purchase size of the transactions,” Cisternas said.

He also noted a growing effort to implement merchandising displays and couponing at store level, plus more interest in store brands.

“We see an increase in demand for private label as many new and existing customers want to grow product offerings while also growing the exposure of their brand,” Cisternas said.

Business updates

After some minor pandemic-related disruptions to the supply chain, Christopher Ranch plans to again offer a year-round organic California garlic program for some of its key customers. Organic is about 10% of the company’s total harvest but is its fastest-growing category, Christopher said. The company also has a new garlic packing facility that has increased its output significantly.

Garland Foods recently launched its Squeezy product line. Cisternas said the items in the line are packaged in a stand-up spouted pouch and provide the same flavor potency as fresh garlic.

“This product is really in a category of its own since it does not belong to the shelf-stable category nor the peeled category,” Cisternas said.

The company is also exploring the possibility of opening a new distribution center in the Northeast as it expands its reach on the East Coast.

Thyme, potted herbs driving growth for category

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:29:10 GMT

Meal preparation habits established during the pandemic bode well for the fresh herbs category, as retail sales remain above 2019 levels even as demand flattens out amid the return of foodservice.

“The 13-week Nielsen herb numbers (for dollar sales) are 3% versus the 52-week number of 17.4%, so you see the effect of the country beginning to open up and the increased consumer mobility,” said Steve Wright, chief customer officer for Rockingham, Va.-based Shenandoah Growers, noting the numbers include fresh and processed herbs.

“The great news is the category has advanced well beyond its 2019 pre-pandemic base, and the world has found new and lasting ways to use fresh herbs.”

Vivianna Greene, marketing manager at Thermal, Calif.-based North Shore Living, also noted significant upticks for thyme and potted herbs along with growth in the category overall.

“People, after they started cooking fresh and realizing this tastes better, and in the long run is probably cheaper than eating out … they’re starting to just continue to cook more from home still,” Greene said.

Camilo Peñalosa, managing partner of Miami-based Infinite Herbs, noted that the increasing use of meal kits during the pandemic has also contributed to the growth of the category. People try the fresh herbs as part of meal kits and then go look for them when they do their regular shopping – because now they have a better idea of how to cook with fresh herbs, Peñalosa said.

Peñalosa noted that meal kits have been a source of new business for Infinite Herbs during the pandemic, and while demand from foodservice is picking up again, retail demand has held strong so far.

As far as specific areas of the category, living/potted herbs have been seeing significant growth.

“That category is on fire and up 28.8% over the last 26 weeks,” Wright said. “Our display-ready shipper has been a real hit, and our That’s Tasty Living organic basil is the number one SKU in the category. Thyme continues to grow in popularity and has officially passed mint as the number two SKU in the category.”

Greene also mentioned thyme and potted herbs as hot items in the category.

“A lot of people are going over towards the potted brands because they are wanting to replant or they’re wanting something that’s just as fresh as they can possibly get it,” Greene said.

Marketing and merchandising

Greene noted that North Shore Living’s marketing efforts are focused on consumer education, particularly around the story of the company – its origin, its sustainable practices, its growing process – but also about how to use its products and why living herbs are preferable.

North Shore Living is also starting to come out with more shippers for secondary displays and cross-merchandising in departments like meat, seafood and liquor, Greene said.

Wright noted that, within the produce department, building around basil is a proven strategy.

“In terms of merchandising basil is the key to the category,” Wright said. “Successful retailers get basil right and have a robust offering of multiple SKUs and sizes. We continue to see major growth in large pack basil, which is driving the category.”

Wright also noted that the company’s display-ready living herbs shipper has been a big success and will continue to be an emphasis for Shenandoah the rest of the year. Also, the company plans to meet the demand for potted herbs with four large pot offers: Ulta-Mint, Tuscan Blend, Mosquito Blend and Back to Basil.

One trend Peñalosa mentioned was the demand for sustainable packaging. The options that most satisfy interested consumers are more expensive than traditional packaging right now, but Peñalosa expects that in the coming years more packaging suppliers will offer those options and costs will come down.

Business updates

North Shore Living plans to have two new value-added items available by the end of this year or early next year. The company expects to have mockups to showcase at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit in October.

Shenandoah Growers is expanding its Sherman, Texas, and Elkwood, Va., facilities, and over the next two years the company will be completing construction of three large indoor, organic biofarms. Shenandoah also has new leadership: new CEO Matthew Ryan, new CFO Mike Buckley, new chief science officer Tessa Pocock and new chief operating officer Cameron Geiger.

Peñalosa said Infinite Herbs has been building the logistics side of its business to diversify and better utilize its network of warehouses and trucks. The company is also using more flow-pack packaging for sustainability reasons, Peñalosa said.

Garlic demand increasing, agility required in a fluctuating market

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:26:29 GMT

It’s a good time for garlic, says Jim Provost, president of West Grove, Pa.-based I Love Produce.

Garlic is currently being harvested in Spain and China, he said, “and will soon be in California,” where the state is expecting an “excellent quality year, with good yields.”

“Spain will have good supplies, but size is down in some growing regions,” Provost added. “Overall, there will be good supplies of garlic for the market.”

There are challenges afoot, however, says Kenneth Christopher, executive vice president of Christopher Ranch, Gilroy, Calif. He said demand for garlic is high, but supply is challenge to keep up.

“And, so, we’ve been doing what we can to supplement our California garlic with some product from Argentina,” he said, noting, however, that the logistics problems and delays at ports of late have made for “an incredibly frustrating process.”

As a result, Christopher said, the company has been focusing its efforts closer to home.

“When it comes from a manufacturing standpoint, we as a company have made the decision to focus on near-shoring; that is, focusing on working with partners in Canada and Mexico where we have land ports and it’s much, much more predictable and easier to get essential machinery into our production facilities,” he said. “So, we are renewing our focus on domestically sourced industrial capabilities and domestically sourced products.”

Both companies say they are garnering successful returns on their marketing efforts, too.

I Love Produce, for example, has seen significant success with its annual Halloween-themed campaign, OctCLOVErfest, Provost said. Launched in 2018, the event is known for featuring the company’s mascot, Count von Count from “Sesame Street,” as well as the Mistress of the Dark, herself, Elvira. In a campaign video accompanying the promotion, Elvira shows consumers how to paint the outside of garlic cloves. It’s a fun way of inspiring engagement with garlic in a unique fashion, says Provost, noting that garlic does provide a pretty solid painting canvas.

“We’ve come up with fun ways to decorate garlic because the skin lends itself for painting and decorating as an Easter egg would,” he said.

Christopher Ranch has taken a bit of a different approach to its marketing.

“Going forward, we want to double down and emphasize having the biggest all-American program in the country,” said Christopher.

He said the company has “retooled a lot of our packaging,” as well as its messaging on its website and social media, to really drive home the company’s family-owned, California roots — as well as its American pride.

“You’re going to see the American flag on our packaging, you’re going to see ‘All-American and grown in California,’” said Christopher. “We’re just going to be hitting those patriotic notes over and over again.”

Local, sustainability key to successful herb marketing

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:13:51 GMT

Sustainably grown, organic herbs are Buckeye, Ariz.- based Duncan Family Farms’ specialty. The company grows basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram and chives, among its other herb offerings.

Duncan’s focus on sustainability is deeply rooted in transparency and a drive to be better, say company officials. To accomplish its goals and achieve the Sustainably Grown certification label, Duncan Family Farms partners with SCS Global Services .

“It was important for us to talk about our sustainability initiatives with the data to back up our claims,” said Patty Emmert, community relations and marketing manager for Duncan Family Farms. “Equally important was to shed light on our practices in a measurable way so that we could have a clear view of what we were doing well and find the areas where we needed to improve,”

The company’s current marketing efforts have been hyperfocused on local and regional markets.

“We are in the process of trialing new products under the Duncan Family Farms brand that will be focused on flavor, seasonality and distributed into more local and regional markets,” said Emmert. “We know the consumer wants flavor-forward items and we are seeing our industry respond to this.”

One way the company has accomplished its goal of fresh, local herbs is by diversifying its growing regions. The company has farms in Goodyear, Ariz., Maricopa, Ariz., Merrill, Ore., and one most recently in Seneca Castle, N.Y.

“Consumers are also very concerned about the environment and climate change, so this is driving up demand for more products produced locally,” said Emmert. “We have several different growing regions, so this positions us nicely to provide those local and regional solutions that many retailers are looking for.”

Garlic and Herbs

Winter citrus off to a good start

Rock Garden Herbs adds acreage

California garlic harvest nears with demand riding COVID-19 boost

California dreaming

COVID-19 effect

Garlic in high demand

Sales of fresh herbs bounce back at retail

Garlic suppliers report strong demand as foodservice rebounds

Marketing and merchandising trends

Business updates

Thyme, potted herbs driving growth for category

Trending

Marketing and merchandising

Business updates

Garlic demand increasing, agility required in a fluctuating market

Local, sustainability key to successful herb marketing