Midwest (U.S.)

Laura Lutjen Joins Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ Sales Team

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 19:31:06 GMT

Florida vegetable grower and processor Duda Farm Fresh Foods announced the addition of Laura Lutjen as Midwest regional sales manager on Oct. 13.

Lutjen brings nearly 30 years of experience in the food industry, with a proven track record of driving growth, building customer relationships and leading high-performing teams. Most recently, she served in sales and business development at Index Fresh where she worked with major retail accounts across the U.S.

Lutjen’s career spans leadership roles at organicgirl, PepsiCo, and Campbell Sales Company where she consistently delivered results across retail, foodservice and wholesale channels. Her deep understanding of the Midwest market and her ability to develop strategic partnerships make her a valuable asset to Duda’s expanding sales organization, the company says.

“Laura’s extensive experience and customer-first approach align perfectly with our mission to deliver fresh, flavorful produce and exceptional service,” says Alan Ediger, vice president of sales at Duda Farm Fresh Foods. “Her leadership will be instrumental as we continue to grow our presence in the Midwest and beyond.”

“I’m excited to join Duda Farm Fresh Foods and contribute to a company that values innovation, quality and long-term relationships,” Lutjen says. “I look forward to helping drive growth and delivering value to our customers.”

Used Farm Equipment Swindle Alert: BBB Warns Virtual Vendor Vehicle Scams on the Rise

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 16:50:12 GMT

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning used equipment buyers nationwide about another sophisticated scam involving used farm equipment.

This particular grift, according to a press release from BBB, involved a fake online heavy equipment retailer impersonating a legitimate Missouri dealership, Cook Equipment & Trucking (Marble Hill, Mo.).

Buyers from across the U.S., some even from as far away as California and Arizona, reported losing a total of $223,000 after attempting to purchase heavy equipment and farm machinery through fraudulent websites and Facebook Marketplace ads.

Related: Essential Advice for Safely Buying Used Farm Machinery

Victims say they were “ghosted” after wiring money for equipment that never arrived. The BBB does not say whether the victims were able to dispute the fraudulent charges and claw back the proceeds from the scammers.

The reported fraudulent transactions include:

$45,000 for a skid steer loader from a buyer in Oak Hills, Calif.
$32,000 for an excavator from a buyer in Hancock, Mich.
$29,500 for a trailer from a buyer in Amanda, Ohio
$29,000 for a trailer from a buyer in Greenville, N.C.
$28,000 for a skid steer loader from a buyer in Eastman, Wis.
$31,000 for an excavator from a buyer in Des Moines, Iowa.
$29,000 for a skid steer from a buyer in Blue, Ariz.

BBB says the real Cook Equipment & Trucking, a small business operating since 2010, confirmed it has no website and is not affiliated with any online sales. The impersonators registered three fake websites, the most recent on July 14, and continue to run deceptive ads on social media.

“Those shopping for heavy equipment and farm machinery online should do their due diligence so they don’t fall victim to a virtual vehicle vendor scam,” says Michelle L. Corey, president and CEO, BBB St. Louis. “If an item is priced well below market value, that’s a red flag.”

To avoid getting swept up in an online virtual vehicle vendor scam the Better Business Bureau offers these tips:

Research the business at bbb.org or call 888-996-3887
Be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true
Verify the website and contact the business directly
Read all terms and understand refund policies
Use a credit card for added protection
Report scams to BBB Scam Tracker, your state attorney general, the FTC, and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center , and notify the social media platform where the fraud was discovered

To learn more about how to avoid online fraud in the used equipment auction world, check out BBB’s 2024 study on virtual vehicle vendor scams.

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Goodbye, La Niña? Eric Snodgrass Dissects What the Shift Means for Weather This Spring and Summer

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 12:23:44 GMT

La Niña is weakening, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) expects neutral conditions to develop in the next month . But even with La Niña fading, meteorologists are still concerned about drought this spring and summer.

NOAA this week said forecasters expect ENSO-neutral conditions to develop in the next month and persist through the Northern Hemisphere’s summer. According to NOAA, La Niña’s signature is cooler-than-average surface water in the east-central tropical Pacific, stronger-than-average trade winds, and drier conditions over the central Pacific.

ENSO-neutral means conditions could be close to average, but Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien’s principal atmospheric scientist, says that doesn’t mean the weather will be normal this spring and summer.

“I do expect changes,” Snodgrass says. “Think about it like this: The previous winter was an El Niño winter, and it was very mild and very wet. So, we got into spring ’24 with tons of moisture. I mean, Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota flooded out. Then we had this incredibly dry fall as the La Niña began, and it reached a peak twice. It actually hit a peak in December, and then a secondary peak about a month later at the end of January. It’s been fading ever since. The big question is, as we go into neutral conditions for this upcoming growing season, is it going to be one that paints a picture of precipitation extremes? Did it leave us with any sort of kind of problems from winter that are carrying over?”

Snodgrass says the severe weather outbreaks on Friday, that brought high winds, dust storms and wildfire warnings across the Plains, is a reminder how dry it is in the Southwest.

“We’ve got major pockets of the country that are still dealing with some pretty big drought conditions. It is fading, and that is a signal we have to pay attention to,” Snodgrass says.

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey is also concerned about what impact the shifting pattern will have on farmers this spring. But it’s not just the dryness. It’s also the fact areas are getting inundated with rains that could pose problems.

“With this stormy weather pattern in place, that is going to create some difficulty for spring field work in some areas. It looks like the primary storm track may be through parts of the middle of the country extending into the lower Midwest and eventually the interior northeast. That is one area where we already have fairly wet conditions,” Rippey says.

How sea surface temperatures in the Niño-3.4 region of the tropical Pacific changed over the course of all La Niña events since 1950 (gray lines) and 2024-25 (black line). This shows the traditional calculation for Niño-3.4, the monthly temperature compared to the most recent 30-year average (1991–2020 for the 2024 line). By this measure, the La Niña threshold was crossed in December 2024, but La Niña remains weak.

(NOAA)

La Niñas and El Niños Are Strongest in the Winter
Snodgrass points out La Niñas and El Niños are always strongest in Northern Hemisphere’s winter, which means they fade in spring and summer.

While La Niña-like conditions were a trademark in late fall, we didn’t reach the official definition of La Niña until January.

“The atmosphere way back in November was already treating our winter timeframe like a La Niña,” Snodgrass says. So, we were getting the influences of it as it comes in and goes out. And now the question is, what’s it going to do?”

February 2025 sea surface temperature compared to the 1985-1993 average. The surface of the east-central tropical Pacific is slightly below average temperature, but much of the global ocean remains warmer than average.

(NOAA )

“This is a great map to look at,” Snodgrass says, referencing the map above. “If you focus right in the middle, you see the large area of the cooler colors. Our line is now shifting to the central and West Pacific and behind it over by South America. All of the warmer water is beginning to emerge. And that’s what’s killing it because there’s a trade wind across that area from the east to the west. We’re going to watch this fade carefully during the spring. But the question is: Do we get winter’s leftovers?”

What Fueled the Dryness This Winter?
During the winter, Snodgrass points out there was no subtropical jet. That’s what fueled drought in the Southwest and Northwest.

“I’m actually kind of worried about the beginning of April having another shot at cold air after what we’ve been experiencing in March, which has been so very, very mild. Then you say, well, we’ve had so much dry air in place. Are we still worried about more dry air coming back? To be honest, these big storm systems coming through the central U.S., if we could get four, maybe five more of those by early April, we’re going to hate it. It’s nasty weather. It’s not fun, and it’s dangerous, but it returns moisture. That could be part of the mix of things, including the fading of La Niña that could help bring us away from these major early season drought risk scenarios.”

55% of corn production, 46% of soybean production, 33% of the cotton growing area and 27% of the winter wheat production are currently experiencing drought.

(U.S. Drought Monitor )

Growing Drought Concerns
What if it doesn’t? What if we don’t see more of this severe weather hit the Southwest and Plains, and moisture remains absent as we get into the height of spring? Well, the area will enter into the height of the growing season dry and reduce their chances of seeing moisture this summer.

“That’s a box we check every spring,” Snodgrass says. “If the drought monitor saw a reduction in drought over winter, then that gives us a different look for spring. But what we see here is two-thirds of the country in some stage of drought, including the abnormally dry category. But it’s the epicenters of drought that are so concerning. Look at the Western Corn Belt. Look at the Southwest. We just wonder if that funnels into the Mississippi Valley as we go forward.”

At the same time some areas are seeing drought, Kentucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas and the boot heel of Missouri are all experiencing heavy rains and flooding.

“By May 11, I want to know what the drought monitor map looks like. If it looks no different, then I’m going to be sounding alarms going into summer with concerns this will start to creep and move because as soon as we get into the summer weather, all we get is convective storms pop off. And what do they do? They just locally deliver rain - not big broad swaths of it,” Snodgrass says.

Tale of Two Weather Scenarios
He says the forecast leading up to May 11 is a tale of two weather patterns, with the Mississippi River being the dividing line for moisture.

“If you are along it and east of it, I think we’re going to have tight windows to plant. You could include a little bit more of Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota in that as well,” Snodgrass says. “I think we’re going to see repeated storm systems. The best moisture is east. It keeps avoiding that southern plains area.”

What to Watch: Where the Storm Chasers End Up
Snodgrass says if storm chasers are busying chasing severe weather across the Ohio Valley, the mid-south and the southeast, but not in Kansas and the Plains, that’s a key indicator there’s a problem with the moisture getting back into the plains.

“If it’s not there by the time we start June, it’s very difficult to rely on the atmosphere to return it once you get into the summer months if you live in the central plains, which is where they could build from,” he adds.

To watch the complete discussion with Snodgrass, visit Farm Journal TV and take advantage of the free trial.

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It’s freezing outside, but hydroponic grower Square Roots says it’s thriving inside

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 13:06:12 GMT

Square Roots, a hydroponic grower that cultivates leafy greens inside modular, stacking containers in cities across the U.S., is launching its first ad campaign with a provocative claim that it is doing more than just surviving this February — it’s thriving.

Debuting in the dregs of winter, Square Roots invites viewers to witness that, even in the middle of rain, snow or extreme weather, its “vibrant, climate-controlled farms can recreate any plant’s ideal growing conditions,” according to a news release. As such, the hydroponic grower posits that it can successfully cultivate produce year-round across the U.S.

“By strategically placing farms along the food supply chain, we ensure our greens get to grocery stores within hours of harvest. This means our produce is so fresh, it lasts for weeks, not days — no matter the season or weather,” the company said in the release.

Related news: UNFI to co-locate Square Roots indoor farms at distribution centers nationwide

Square Roots’ advertising campaign targets key Midwestern markets in Ohio and Wisconsin and launches Feb. 27. The lure of fresh, vibrant greens in locations that experience severe winters is not lost on Square Roots’ creative team.

“Our first-ever advertising campaign invites consumers into this bright, fresh world. It features produce that was, quite literally, grown during blizzards and brutal cold fronts,” the company said in the release.

If the thought of thriving basil and tender greens in middle of a blizzard seems as baffling as it sounds, check out Square Roots’ video ad to see for yourself:

Pumpkin yields down in Indiana

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 19:17:09 GMT

By mid-October, one of the telltale signs of fall is out in full force — squat, vibrant orange jack-o’-lanterns adorn front porches and apartment stoops across the U.S. This year, however, it might be a good idea for consumers to pick up their pumpkin sooner than later. Indiana, one of the nation’s top fresh market pumpkin producing states according to the USDA , reports below average yields this October, due to early summer drought conditions.

While Indiana’s reduced output doesn’t amount to a major pumpkin shortage, according to Stephen Meyers, assistant professor of weed science at Purdue University, consumers should expect fewer pumpkins available for this year’s fall harvest. Pumpkin growth relies on well-timed summer rainfall and this past summer set records in Indianapolis as the driest June on record. It also set records in Indiana as one of the hottest Junes in recorded history

“For many farms, the pumpkin season starts [in fall] as they are planted into a cover crop that is going into the ground right now. The cover crop will then be terminated in late spring or early summer, which is when the pumpkins are then planted to time with a fall harvest,” Meyers said in a news release. “For our farm, we planted and didn’t receive much, if any, rainfall for June, which doesn’t encourage much growth for the pumpkins starting out.”

Indiana is one of the nation’s largest pumpkin producers, cultivating around 6,000 acres each year. The majority of Indiana’s commercial pumpkin crop is sold to the fresh market. Large-scale operations often have irrigation systems in case of limited rainfall; however, there can also be a slight benefit to a dry summer, according to the release.

“A dry summer obviously isn’t good for seed germination, but the dryness means there is less disease pressure,” Meyers said in the release. “Pumpkins are susceptible to a number of plant pathogens, but when conditions are drier, that means fewer fungicides have to be sprayed.

Local food still a strong driver for consumer behavior at retail

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:51 GMT

The power of local produce is not fading.

The Food Marketing Institute’s 2020 Power of Produce Report found that 54% of shoppers said they would like to see a greater assortment of locally grown produce at their primary store.

Shopper segments who have the strongest desire for more local produce, according to the report, are:

Specialty: 62%;
Rural: 61%;
Women: 60%; and
Organic: 59%.

The three merchandising factors that are the most effective at driving impulse purchases are great promotions, displaying items in season and eye-catching displays, The Power of Produce report said.

While close to 60% of consumers mention those three merchandising factors as the main drivers, the report said that 24% of shoppers said local produce also drives impulse purchases.

Local produce has the most pull with millennial shoppers, according to the report, with 28% of that generation saying that local produce can drive impulse purchases.

“Local has gone mainstream with the customers,” said Craig Carlson, CEO of Chicago-based Carlson Produce Consulting . Retailers want to meet that consumer demand, but he said it is not easy to do.

“It’s harder to go and manage those particular supply chains because the (product) timing comes in and out for farmers,” Carlson said.

“It is something that retailers are putting resources against,” he said, noting New York-based chain Wegmans has established relationships and food safety programs with more than 1,000 local growers.

The Midwest grocery chain Meijer also works with hundreds of local growers, he said, and retailers of all sizes have tapped into the market.

Walmart also has invested in sourcing local produce in economically depressed areas of the country, such as Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama.

Methods

Merchandising local produce can include store signage that shares the pictures and names of the farmers supplying the produce, and can also include mentions of local produce in store advertising circulars.

Local produce can also be highlighted within the produce department with special displays, Carlson said.

While many think of local produce as field-grown, Carlson said that greenhouse and indoor growing facilities near cities also can wear the halo of local produce.

Retailers can market greenhouse production 52 weeks a year as local product to consumers, and Carlson said that is appealing, along with the strong food safety record of greenhouse-grown produce.

Local food promotion is very important to Canadian retailers, said Mike Mauti, managing partner of Toronto-based consulting firm Execulytics .

Since most produce sold in Canada is imported, supporting locally grown is a powerful way growers can support the Canadian economy.

“Independent retailers probably do a bit better job with local produce (than larger retailers),” he said.

“They’re a little closer to the community and they are able to accept produce direct from farmers much more easily know the big chains.”

COVID-19 effect

The COVID-19 coronavirus crisis may have increased the desire of consumers to support local growers in view of the hardships many growers have faced when restaurants shut down, Carlson said.

“Essentially (the appeal of) local produce is strengthened,” he said.

“This whole trend is much more important (now),” he said.

The COVID-19 crisis may drive more consumers to local produce, Mauti said in mid-July, but it may be too soon to know.

“I think we are probably going to need to get through the season before we can honestly say that was the case,” he said.

“But the belief is people are going to want things that are more familiar and simpler.”

Shoppers who visit a farmers market may be some of the same shoppers who buy local produce at a supermarket, Mauti said.

“I think there are people who really appreciate going to the farmers markets and then there are people who really appreciate their local supermarket carrying locally grown fruits and vegetables, and there is a considerable overlap with those groups of people,” he said.

While there may be some consumers who exclusively prefer one venue more than the other, the bigger part of all consumers enjoy both experiences, Mauti said.

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DNO Produce adds cooler space to distribution center

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:54 GMT

Columbus, Ohio-based wholesaler DNO Produce is in expansion mode, said Alex DiNovo, president and COO.

DNO is adding a cooler to its distribution center, DiNovo said.

“It’s only about a 4,000-square-foot cooler, but it’s extra space,” he said.

The company also is connecting one building to its main distribution center, DiNovo said.

“We’re going to have another set of docks and also getting drawings made to have a 12,000-square-foot addition to our processing center,” he said. “The plans are being made now and have to get all that done. We might break ground on that this year. We are aggressively looking to expand our market share.”

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Crosset Co. to supply Midwestern stores with BrightFarms salads

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:40:48 GMT

Hydroponic greenhouse grower BrightFarms has partnered with Crosset Co. , Independence, Ky., to distribute its products to more than 100 independent retailers in the Midwest.

Most of the new retail outlets are in Ohio; the company’s newest growing operation is in Wilmington, Ohio. Retailers in Ohio will be supplied with the “core portfolio of baby greens” grown there, according to a news release.

Paul Lightfoot, BrightFarms’ CEO, said the partnership with Crosset Co. helps the grower gain access to the important independent retail market.

“As we’ve expanded across the country, we’ve been energized by the growth potential of working with the independent market, which serves a large demographic of consumers that care about transparency in food,” Lightfoot said in the release.

Greg Kurkjian, Crosset Co. vice president and general manager, said the BrightFarms salads will help the retailers differentiate their stores, while offering locally/organically grown products.

“Our long-standing relationships with the with customers in our service area, coupled with our supply chain, logistics, and merchandising solutions, align perfectly with BrightFarms’ growth initiative,” Kurkjian said in the release.

Retailers supplied by Crosset Co. include:

Dorothy Lane Markets
Walt Churchills Markets
Krieger’s Health Foods Markets

New Get Fresh Produce website reflects ‘Fresh Thinking’

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:18:19 GMT

Foodservice distributor Get Fresh Produce , Bartlett, Ill., has launched a new website, www.GetFreshProduce.com .

The company’s motto, “Fresh Thinking,” and the new site focuses on creating an “exceptionally clean and user-friendly online experience,” according to a news release.

“It’s important that we have the same innovative, progressive, and welcoming feel that we do in the warehouse, when we deliver, and now online,” Gino Alimondi, president, said in the release.

The site includes enhanced features, including full ordering functions for existing customers, a catalog of products, food safety and traceability information, and details about local growers. The site has social media links to increase engagement with existing and potential customers, suppliers and others.

“We’ve redesigned the new website with our customer or prospective customer in mind,” said Linda Lakomek, marketing director, in the release.

Get Fresh plans to update the site on a regular basis, with market alerts, new products and company news.

Related story:

Get Fresh Produce joins IF&P Foods

Allen Lund Co. acquires Des Moines Truck Brokers

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 20:00:18 GMT

The Allen Lund Co. , La Canada Flintridge, Calif., has acquired Des Moines Truck Brokers Inc.

The first day of operation under the new ownership for Des Moines Truck Broker’s (DMTB) was Feb. 17, according to a news release. DMTB is a brokerage that was founded more than 50 years ago.

“With this acquisition, company culture was an important factor for ALC,” Eddie Lund, president, said in the release. “While doing our research, the executive team was very impressed with the people and the culture they have created at DMTB.”

Lund listed attributes of the company and employees, including strong work ethic and customer service.

Jimmy DeMatteis, DMTB president and CEO, said the values of the two companies are ideally aligned.

“I have always admired the Lunds and the business they have built,” DeMatteis said in the release. “As we have grown, I would be lying if I said we didn’t try in some way to emulate ALC.”

Des Moines Truck Brokers, Norwalk, Iowa, was co-founded by DeMatteis’ father, James DeMatteis, in 1969 with Joseph M. and Joseph T. Comito, whose family owns and operates Capital City Fruit, Norwalk, according to the release.

“I have been blown away with the many talented people behind the scenes and that we’ve interacted with,” Jimmy DeMatteis said in the release. “I feel blessed that our two teams will come together, and I am eager to see what we can achieve as one.”

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King Fresh Produce hires Kailey Salmon in sales in Midwest office

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:32:29 GMT

King Fresh Produce LLC , Dinuba, Calif., has hired Kailey Salmon as a sales and marketing representative.

Salmon, who is in the company’s Midwest office in Trenton, Mo., joined the company in February. She most recently was a solutions specialist at ImageQuest. She graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with a degree in business administration.

“We are fortunate that she has decided to join the King Fresh team,” according to a news release. “Although her previous experience has been with a company that served a different industry, Kailey will have no difficulty making a successful transition into produce.”

Salmon attended the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure trade show in late February in Tampa, Fla.

“Her fresh perspective and outlook will complement our Midwest team,” Adam Millburn, director of marketing, said in the release. “We are certain she will add another layer of successful drive to our growing company.”

Related stories:

King Fresh Produce boosts efficiency

King Fresh Produce adds employees

Wisconsin celery grower starts Midwest harvest

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:08:03 GMT

Trembling Prairie Farms Inc., Markesan, Wis., is harvesting celery through the first week of October.

The farm is a grower-partner of Alsum Farm & Produce, a Friesland, Wis., grower of potatoes and other vegetables.
Trembling Prairie is in its eighth season as a celery grower, according to a news release, with its crop going to Midwest retailers and foodservice operators. The company grows celery on 45 acres.

Starting July 22, Trembling Prairie offers celery in these packs:

24-count sleeved;
30-count naked or sleeved;
36-count naked or sleeved; and
18-count celery hearts.

“We’re happy to be able to bring our locally grown Wisconsin Celery to the market,” John Bobek, farmer and owner of Trembling Prairie Farms, said in the release. “Whether paired with peanut butter as a healthy kid-friendly snack, chopped in a salad for an outdoor gathering or is the key ingredient for the latest juicing craze that’s boosted celery to new heights, Wisconsin Celery offers a fresh taste for consumers looking for locally grown.”

Revol Greens doubles production capacity to meet organic demand

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:29:29 GMT

Owatonna, Minn.-based Revol Greens is expanding its production capacity after selling out of its new organic spring mix, green and red duo and romaine crunch line, launched in the first quarter of 2021.

The line is produced using a new, proprietary Plant Fed organic fertilizer free of animal byproducts, according to a news release.

“We knew that our Plant Fed nutrient source would meet a unique need in the market, but interest is outpacing expectations,” Brendon Krieg, vice president of sales and marketing, said in the release.

Revol Greens plans to become fully organic in all facilities. Later this summer, the company will open a Tehachapi, Calif., greenhouse, producing organic lettuce and blends. The increase in production space and capacity for its organic line will complement the existing broad assortment of conventional and organic head lettuces and baby leaf products.

“Access to supply is at the forefront of many customers’ minds, given the volatile food chain, transportation capacity challenges and underscored by demand for better-for-you and local and organically grown greens,” chief revenue officer Tom Thompson said in the release.

Revol Greens products are shipped daily throughout the Midwest.

The Midwest’s Pure Green Farms expands with new investor

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:29:18 GMT

Indoor agriculture is booming with new investment, and one South Bend, Ind.-based hydroponic greenhouse is no exception.

The Midwest’s Pure Green Farms will continue expanding with the addition of a new investor, Paul J. Mastronardi, according to a news release.

Mastronardi’s advisory board includes Grant Froese, former chief operating officer of Loblaws; Charles Conaway, former president and chief operating officer of CVS; and Jakob Ripshtein, CEO of Perennial Brands.

“It’s no secret that the landscape of food supply chains is changing at a dramatic pace,” Mastronardi said in the release. “We think this new greenhouse model using sustainable growing methods to produce fresh lettuce locally will withstand the test of time and prove to be better from an environmental, efficiency, quality and safety perspective.”

The partnership provides the company with a team that has a deep understanding of the supply chain process. Mastronardi has experience building a vertically integrated business and plans to further solidify the Pure Green Farms operation. Mastronardi can use his success in the tomato greenhouse category toward the greenhouse lettuce business.

“We have seen a demand in the supply chain for local produce,” Mastronardi said in the release.

The 100% control at Pure Green Farms from seed to plate is a key advantage, he said.

Joe McGuire, CEO of Pure Green Farms, said in the release that he is proud of their greens and wants to share them with a wider audience.

“We appreciate Paul J Mastronardi’s investment and partnership to be able to help us reach that goal,” he said. “I very much look forward to seeing what the future holds for the greenhouse.”

To learn more, visit enjoypuregreen.com .

Pure Green Farms launches website

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 16:24:20 GMT

Pure Green Farms, South Bend, Ind., has launched its website the first week of February to highlight the farm’s technology, growing practices and products.

The hydroponic farm has started growing leafy greens, which will be sold to retailers in the Midwest, according to a news release.

“We’re excited to be getting closer to our products being in stores and look forward to the future of our growth,” CEO Joe McGuire said in the release. “We’ve got an excellent production team and have worked hard to get ready for our official release date. The launch of the website is just one of the important steps in getting ready for next month.”

The company follows sustainable growing practices to use less water and no pesticides. The lettuces are grown, packed, and shipped hands-free.

To learn more, visit enjoypuregreen.com.

Produce industry is ‘thriving’ in St. Louis

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 12:08:22 GMT

Produce sales in the St. Louis, Mo., area are going strong, and distributors say they anticipate a solid fall-winter season. Businesses at the St. Louis Produce Market itself “are thriving,” said Sean Kelley, market manager. “I think things are going really well for everybody,” he said.

The market, which officially opened in 1953, is at full capacity with 14 owners doing business there. The facility is undergoing an extensive roofing project, which so far has replaced roofs on 80% of the pods on the market, Kelley said. Business has changed on the market, as many of the area’s smaller chains have been bought out by larger companies, said Joe Sanders, owner of Midstate Produce Co. Inc. But still, the company continues to thrive.

“We’re expanding our facility and getting ready to modernize a couple of our units,” Sanders said. “We’ll be upgrading it to modern standards to make it more green and efficient.” That project will start in the fall. Midstate Produce Co. carries an extensive line of fruits and vegetables for retail and foodservice customers that includes local apples and homegrown butternut squash. “We’re always going full throttle,” Sanders said.

Pumpkins will be the leading commodity through October for Midwest Best Produce Inc. in St. Louis, said Dan Pupillo, president Pumpkin sales took off in early September, and supplies were good all month. That likely will change in October, however. “Once we get into the middle of October, it’s really going to fall off due to all the rain we had earlier in the summer,” Pupillo said.

But he did not expect a pumpkin shortage. “The retailers front load their warehouses,” he said, and should have enough of the gourds to meet demand.

Watermelon is another big seller at Midwest Best Produce. Packaging changes from bins to cartons during the fall and winter, and sourcing switches to Mexico and offshore growing areas. Other winter staples include broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, onions and mixed vegetables.

Tomatoes and packaged corn are a big deal at Front Row Produce LLC, Overland, Mo., said Tony Pupillo Sr., owner and president. “We do a lot of packaged corn,” Pupillo said, including four- and five-count packs. Front Row Produce has a machine that automatically shucks corn, he said. “It’s a pretty big operation.”

The company has been moving more corn every year and now has sales representatives in Tulsa, Okla.; Kansas City, Mo.; and Nogales, Ariz., in addition to Overland, Mo. The fall product line includes peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, jalapeno peppers and citrus. The firm puts up three-packs of peppers and overwraps zucchini for retail chains. Owner Vince Pupillo describes VMP Produce Co. on the market as a “little house that has found our niche.” The company specializes in grape, hothouse and round tomatoes as well as peppers, cucumbers and squash.

Coping with inflation

Like produce suppliers everywhere, St. Louis distributors are doing their best to cope with skyrocketing inflation. “We’re paying more, and we’ve got to pass it on,” said Dan Pupillo of Midwest Best Produce.

“We can definitely feel it,” added Tony Pupillo of Front Row Produce. The company is working on tight margins and has to deal with higher prices for things like gasoline, boxes and labor, he said. “It’s harder to make money,” he said. “You can’t pass it all on.”

Joe Sanders of Midstate Produce Co. said supply chain issues from COVID-19 and ensuing higher prices have been a bigger detriment to the produce industry than overall inflation. “We do all right,” he said, “but end users -- consumers – definitely feel it, just like we’re feeling it.”

There was some good news, though. “Freight costs are easing, which ought to help,” he said.

St. Louis-based SilverCity Express LLC hauls produce for a number of local produce firms, said owner Muriz Hasanovic. Business is strong for the company. “I cannot complain,” Hasanovic said. But he added that it’s been difficult to find drivers, and he’s received complaints about higher prices from some of his customers. “Everything is up,” he said, including fuel, labor and insurance costs, and he said he doesn’t see any major changes anytime soon.

Kelley said costs of doing business on the market have risen, but not as much as they have at facilities on the East and West coasts. “It’s not cheap,” he said. “But it’s not astronomical.”

St. Louis foodservice sales on rebound

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:25:47 GMT

Foodservice sales in the St. Louis, Mo., area have, for the most part, rebounded from the doldrums of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, some produce distributors say their restaurant business has surpassed 2019 levels.

“Our [foodservice] business dropped during COVID,” said Joe Sanders, owner of Midstate Produce Co. Inc. on the St. Louis Produce Market. But the majority of Midstate’s customers “were smart” and teamed up with DoorDash and other delivery services pretty quickly, he said.

There may have been a week or two when the direction foodservice would take was unclear, he said, but as soon as operators got onboard with delivery and carryout services, business picked up.

Midstate also shifted gears and put more focus on wholesale business. “The government didn’t shut down grocery stores,” Sanders said.

Some restaurants closed because of the pandemic, he said, but at Midstate, foodservice sales have bounced back. “For the most part, our foodservice is probably better than it was pre-COVID,” he said.

Some foodservice distributors went out of business during the pandemic, which created opportunity for other suppliers to pick up those sales, Sanders said.

Foodservice accounts for a relatively small number of sales at St. Louis-based Midwest Best Produce Inc., said president Dan Pupillo.

During the pandemic, foodservice sales dropped by 60%, but they were made up elsewhere. “What you lost in foodservice, you picked up in extra business in retail,” he said. “People were doing more of their own home-cooked meals.”

About 60% of the business at Front Row Produce LLC, Overland, Mo., is from foodservice, said owner and president Tony Pupillo Sr. The company puts up a number of pack sizes of items like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and colored peppers for foodservice. The pandemic’s effect on sales gradually waned. “At first it was very tough,” he said. But after a couple of months, the company got into some government food box business, and then retail sales began to pick up.

“We ended up having a strong year,” he said. Foodservice business has come back to pre-pandemic levels, and the company is expanding its reach into additional states, Pupillo said.

VMP Produce Co. on the St. Louis Produce Market also is attempting to expand its foodservice business after undergoing some difficult times during the pandemic, said owner Vince Pupillo. “The [restaurants] that survived are strong, and they’re holding their own,” he said.

But Pupillo said late summer was a relatively slow period. “We are counting on fall business to pick up,” he said.

USDA awards Purdue $1.5 million to research organic farming ecology

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 18:54:36 GMT

Purdue University has received a four-year, $1.5 million grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to research the ecology of organic cropping systems in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. The research will include collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Western Illinois University in Macomb. Driving the research is the desire to make U.S. agriculture more sustainable for the long term.

“The bottom line... is that things are changing rapidly, both on the side of consumers, who ask and pay more for organic produce and meat, and on the side of farmers, who are very interested in these new ideas,” Christian Krupke, professor of entomology at Purdue said in the release. “We’re trying to do what the most progressive growers might do and then compare that to a conventional organic approach, which many growers are already embracing.”

Purdue will assess weed, insect and pathogen pressure on corn, soybeans and small grains cultivated under standard and ecologically intensified organic farming systems, along with comparing yields across systems, according to a news release.

“In the ecologically intensified approach, we try to harness as many of the benefits that nature and ecology provide as we can, all to improve soil health and minimize erosion,” said Krupke. That includes using inoculants on the seed, planting crops that attract beneficial insect predators and testing novel crop rotations.

“Ecology is happening no matter what,” Krupke said in the release. “Our challenge as researchers and farmers is to harness more of that ecology for our benefit.”

The fieldwork will take place at the Northeast Purdue Agriculture Center, the University of Wisconsin Arlington Agricultural Research Station and the Western Illinois University Allison Organic Research and Demonstration Farm.

“This is an exciting opportunity to expand our work with the organic community in Wisconsin and beyond,” Shawn Conley, professor of agronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison said in the release. According to Conley, Wisconsin leads the nation in organic field crop acreage.

The research collaboration will enable the three universities to study ecological processes at work in organic farming systems more intensively than ever before, said Joel Gruver, professor of soil science and sustainable agriculture at Western Illinois University.

The standard and ecologically intensified organic farming practices will be tested at both university-owned research farms and commercial organic farms in all three states. The university researchers will transfer what they learn on their test fields to cooperating commercial growers to see if they can achieve the same performance on much larger fields.

What Hy-Vee has learned from COVID

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:26:52 GMT

Retailers learned some valuable lessons about the need to stay flexible, the importance of putting the employee and customer safety first, and the critical role supermarkets serve in times of crisis. Here’s what a couple of Hy-Vee execs had to say about what the pandemic taught them about produce operations.

Ohio, ‘a good place to be’ for produce

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:03 GMT

The fields of Ohio are a smorgasbord of more than 200 types of produce, ranging from grapes to peaches and apples on the fruit side, to tomatoes, sweet corn, squash and pumpkins in the vegetable family. The top crops are corn and soybeans.

The state has 14.9 million acres of farmland, according to the USDA. Food and agriculture make up the top industry, with 44% of the state considered prime farmland. In Ohio, there are around 80,000 farms, 99% of them owned by families, most of them in the Northwest section of the state.

Diversity on local farms

Buurma Farms grows a variety of vegetables, including radish and beets, at its farms in Willard, Ohio, and Gregory, Michigan. About half of its produce comes from each state.

“Business is very diversified,” says President Chadd Buurma. “There’s not one product that sticks out. We’re handling 30 different items, [so] our customers can come to us and it’s pretty easy to fill a truck when they have so many commodities to choose from. It’s one-stop shopping and it’s a niche that helps us to move our product.”

This year, the weather has cooperated and, although Buurma was late getting seeds planted, Chadd Buurma said, everything is now on schedule for harvesting.

Buurma sells most of its produce within a 400-mile radius of Ohio but does cover most of the East Coast.

D.R. Walcher Farms in North Fairfield specializes in bell peppers, cucumbers, summer squash, eggplant, winter squashes and fall ornamentals.

“We size, grade and market the produce,” says Owner Ken Holthouse. Around 40% goes to large grocery chains, either directly or through wholesale brokers; another 40% is for foodservice, mostly to distributors who slice and dice it; and the remaining 20% goes to the commission market, which sells to restaurants and mom-and-pop stores.

One-third to half of the produce stays in the Midwest, he says, especially Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, because “the locally grown program is pretty big,” but it does go further, east of the Mississippi.

In 2012, D.R. Walcher Farms’ packing plant became PrimusGFS-certified, and here, the company packages produce in bags. “It’s not ready-to-eat, but it’s washed,” said Holthouse, who does the same through the other side of his business, Holthouse Farms, in Willard.

The bagging side of business is growing, he says. “Chain stores have encouraged more self-checkouts in the past few years and you want your customer to be able to scan something rather than type in a [price look-up] code.” Because of the bags, the labor required and because fewer items fit in a box, Holthouse marks up these items a little.

The farm packs and ships vegetables from its own fields, as well as from other local contracted growers in six states. “They bring it to me, and we pack and grade and size and market it and take a commission,” Holthouse says. Then, the produce is all sent out under the D.R. Walcher name. “We have checked them for supply-chain integrity. We don’t want anyone who doesn’t [conform] to our standards.”

Challenges: costs and labor

All input costs remain a huge challenge for Buurma, including fuel and packaging.

“Those costs are up and we’ve got to try and show a profit, so we have to pass along as much of that cost as we can without scaring people from vegetables,” Buurma said. “It’s a fine line to keep the price competitive where the stores can still put it on their shelves and have the customer still want to buy it. This year will be trickier than any we’ve seen in a long time.”

For labor, Buurma Farms uses the temporary worker H-2A visa program, and while the wages are close to double, the quality of the workers is high. “Had we not taken part in it, I don’t know that we’d have had enough workers to harvest everything,” Buurma said.

Holthouse agrees that the H-2A workers “get more done in less time, even though it’s expensive.” At the beginning of the season, he tells employees he’ll weed out the bottom 10% of the workforce, who won’t come back the next year. “It’s a good idea to advertise that at the beginning,” he says.

Retailing success

Buurma Farms sells to retail, mostly, followed by foodservice accounts and wholesalers. And while the produce goes east of the Mississippi River, a lot stays local because local produce sells well.

“Retail customers want that home-grown appeal,” says Buurma, who works with the retailers to provide items such as photographs for point-of-sale displays so they can promote the local aspect of the products.

He also regularly invites retailers to visit his farm so they can have a personal connection to it. “They can see some struggles we might have and it’s a different perspective. We invite customers on-site [and] they learn about us, and we learn about them. It takes a lot of time, a lot of effort, to build a relationship like that, but it’s the best way to sell our product,” Buurma explains.

“A few years ago, retailers started focusing more on locally grown because there was a move afoot to reduce food miles,” said Holthouse, and this certainly makes his life easier. So long as he has quality produce, he says, “retailers will stay loyal.”

Local Ohio produce sells really well at the two Produce Place Markets, in Lyndhurst and Willoughby Hills, Ohio, starting in late May/early June and running through early November, says Owner-Operator-Manager Chase Teriaca.

During the growing season, he goes to Amish auctions three or four times a week and buys produce for the stores. The offerings are diverse but most common are sweet corn, zucchini and yellow squash, as well as apples in the fall.

He promotes these local farmers as much as he can in-store, by leaving the tags on boxes and incorporating the farm logos into signage. This way, he says, “people know where it’s coming from and they can look up the farms themselves or even drive down there. I want to promote farmers in general and Ohio farmers specifically.”

Since COVID-19 began, customers more than ever want to know where their food is coming from, Teriaca points out, “and the closer the better — the fewer trucks it has been on, the fewer hands it has touched.”

Next up, Teriaca’s tackling the company’s website with a refresh, and plans to include farmer logos and their stories so customers can learn about all the farmers he works with.

Distribution to retail, wholesale, schools

DNO Produce is a wholesale company in Columbus, Ohio, that brokers fresh produce nationwide and has an in-house distribution radius of 400 miles.

Business mostly focuses on foodservice and, within that, really specializes in schools. Typically, DNO supplies other distributors with produce who take it the last mile.

Most of DNO’s Ohio produce goes to the retail market, and less goes to restaurants that feature local Ohio product. Overall, about 10% of DNO’s produce comes from Ohio, but during the summer months, that jumps to 35%. Most of that produce is sold in bulk, says Alex DiNovo, president and chief operating officer.

He likes to keep the produce in-state as much as possible, which “is like compound interest,” he says. “I’m keeping people employed and then sending [produce] to an Ohio store or school, and those people are consuming local produce.”

Processing is a big part of his business, though only around 15% of Ohio produce is processed. “Convenience is a big part for the consumer and that’s only going to grow,” says DiNovo. “A lot of people don’t even know how to cook, so having something ready to go helps from a convenience standpoint but also from a cooking standpoint if it has instructions on it. That’s not going away any time soon.”

Convenience is also helpful for the foodservice and restaurant markets, he says, since both are challenged with labor shortages, so don’t have the time to prepare produce themselves.

Like the farmers, DiNovo is struggling with pricing on everything from plastic to corrugate to freight. “It’s been tough to keep our margin rate up with the pace of inflation,” he says. “We’ve raised our prices in line with inflation, but can you raise them enough?”

Despite the challenges, DiNovo thinks fresh produce will remain popular. “There are a lot of people already talking about food being medicine, and if so, produce is the best drug. We’re all-natural, grown in the dirt, we’re good for you and healthy; we’re not refined or processed. It’s a good place to be for the industry.”

DNO Produce selects Marissa Dake for newly created VP of brand and people role

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 16:42:23 GMT

Midwest Fresh produce wholesaler and distributor DNO Produce recently promoted Marissa Dake to vice president of brand and people, joining the executive leadership team the first to fill newly created role.

“Since joining our team, Marissa has demonstrated ownership and drive for the success of the company, our partners in school nutrition, and our stakeholders,” Alex DiNovo, president and chief operating officer of DNO Produce, said in a news release. “Her perspective, passion, and ability to build consensus have played a key role in our company’s direction and growth. I am confident she will make a significant impact on our growing company in her new role.”

Dake will assume responsibilities for the human capital strategy at DNO Produce and subsidiaries, including duties such as recruitment and talent development and retention. Dake will continue leading DNO Produce’s communications and marketing strategy and engagement, according to the release.

“It is a privilege to work with a stellar team that is laser-focused on ensuring all children, regardless of income or zip code, have access to fresh produce,” Dake said in the release. “Having a robust workforce and strong brand identity will be key to furthering our mission and transforming how kids eat fruits and veggies. I am honored and energized by the opportunity to serve on the DNO Produce leadership team.”

Dake joined DNO Produce in November 2021 and has garnered attention for her knowledge and passion in child nutrition and the produce industry, presenting at the IFPA’s Washington Conference and Global Produce & Floral Show, along with The Center for Innovative Food Technologies and the School Nutrition Association of Michigan’s Annual Conference, according to the release.

Prior to her time at DNO, Dake served as director of operation Food Secure, a hunger relief initiative sourced by the USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Dake began her career in Washington, D.C., working in food and agriculture policy on and off Capitol Hill.

Record crop of Pazazz apples reported by grower-shipper

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 18:39:14 GMT

Even with a challenging apple supply from Washington, Elgin, Minn.-based grower Honeybear Brands reports the best Pazazz crop on record, according to a news release.

The year-round apple, pear and cherry grower cites the variety’s signature sweet-tangy flavor and crunch, along with its consistent quality throughout the winter and spring months, as one of the factors for the Pazazz’s success. Bolstering Pazazz’s popularity is widespread availability, since Pazazz apples are in several growing regions in across North America, according to the release.

“Growers in the Midwest, New York, Washington and Nova Scotia harvested a beautiful Pazazz crop that will uniquely increase in brix throughout the coming months. Pazazz apples are harvested with high starch content that benefit with some time in storage, so as other apple varieties start to fade in flavor, Pazazz apples get better and better,” Don Roper, vice president of sales and marketing at Honeybear Brands, said in the release. “In addition, our customers get the benefit of their fruit coming from closer to home, which is an important attribute.”

The domestic Pazazz crop boasts orchards and packing facilities that stretch east to west in the U.S. enabling quick, packed-to-order freshness and shorter travel times, according to the release.

Social media campaign

Honeybear is launching a social media campaign targeting consumers in markets where Pazazz is on shelves. The campaign includes coverage such as sponsored influencer posts, podcasts and a giveaway sweepstakes of The Happiness Diet book.

In February, Pazazz apples and The American Institute for Cancer Research will team up with celebrity chef Elle Simone from America’s Test Kitchen to promote the cancer-fighting benefits of apples, with unique content reaching millions of viewers via multiple media platforms and in-store assets, according to the release.

Family owned and operated for more than 40 years, Honeybear pioneered the commercialization of Honeycrisp and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wescott Agri Products.

Top retailers in the Midwest by market share

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:42:33 GMT

Each year, The Shelby Report showcases valuable retail market share data. In the interactive map below, find each major market around the Midwest. Also, highlighted are the major cities in each market.

All markets are “labeled” or identified by their primary state (with metros or key cities). Percentages are estimates based on annualized sales, industry data, institutional research and store footprints. Shares are updated as market metrics dictate and retailers supply their store lists.*

Market shares are for chains, independents and/or the wholesalers (voluntary or cooperative) which supply them within each region’s distribution area, extending well beyond typical metros or CBSAs. Each market is defined by the sphere of distribution, not by a rigid geographic boundary.

Major cities in each market:

Illinois /Indiana - Chicago, Gary
Indiana/Ohio - Indianapolis, Fort Wayne
Iowa/Illinois/Montana/Minnesota - Des Moines, Sioux City, Cedar Rapids
Kansas/Missouri - Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita, Columbia
Michigan - Detroit, Ann Arbor, Flint, Saginaw
Western Michigan - Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Traverse City
Minnesota - Minneapolis, St. Paul, Dultuh
Missouri/Illinois/Indiana/Kentucky - St. Louis, Springfield, Champaign, Terre Haute, Evansville, Paducah
Nebraska/Colarado/Iowa/Kansas/South Dakota - Omaha, Lincoln, Sioux Falls
North Dakota/Montana/South Dakota/Minnesota - Fargo
Ohio - Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown
Ohio/West Virginia/Kentucky - Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Toledo, Huntington
Wisconsin / Upper Michigan - Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire, Marquette

Mike Krage joins Idaho Potato Commission

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:42:45 GMT

Mike Krage is the Idaho Potato Commission ’s newest retail promotions director, covering the Northeast and Midwest.

As the newest member of the potato commission’s retail team, “Mighty” Mike joins the popular superhero-themed advertising campaign that depicts them as caped crusaders with special powers. He succeeds “Dynamite” Dave Rhodes, who is now director of produce and floral for Fresh Encounter, a 59-store grocery chain in Indiana and Ohio, according to a news release.

Krage is based in Champaign, Ill., and will help category manager and buyers boost category profits through promotions and category management and other marketing support tools.

Krage has worked in fresh produce at Supervalu/United Natural Foods Inc., Winn-Dixie and Albertsons, in roles ranging from operations, sales, merchandising and category management, according to the release.
He has been a board member for the Southeast Produce Council and on the United Fresh Produce Association’s retail board of directors.

“Mike knows the produce industry from grower to end user, so he is able to hit the ground running with all the outstanding resources of the Idaho Potato Commission,” Seth Pemsler, vice president-retail/international, at the commission, said in the release.