Northeast (U.S.)

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.

Your next read: U.S.-Canada Trade Spat Leaves Farmer’s New Holland Combine Stranded Up North

Eastern Produce Council retailer, supply professionals explore Philly port, wholesale market

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:27:05 GMT

The fourth Eastern Produce Council Leadership Class — including produce retailer and supplier professionals — saw first-hand the increasing complexity of the produce logistics and distribution system with a tour of the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market and Holt Logistics.

“This tour is the kick-off event of our leadership program and provides crucial insight into these parts of the supply chain,” Susan McAleavey Sarlund, council executive director, said in a news release. “We are excited to mentor another great class this year with diverse backgrounds and experiences.”

The group began its program at the wholesale market with a presentation from General Manager Mark Smith. Smith explained how the fully enclosed facility harnesses technology and why it is unique in the terminal market arena. The group then walked the concourse and met with several market merchants.

(Farm Journal)

The next stop on the tour was Holt Logistics Corp at the Gloucester Marine Terminal in Gloucester City, N.J. After lunch, Sander Daniel of Holt explained the facilities; the value-added services encompassing the Philadelphia port; and its role and importance in the import supply chain.

“Geographically we are in the largest economic region on the planet,” he said, according to the release. “We are also adjacent to the second largest D.C. hub in the U.S. Additionally, we are skilled at handling perishables — about 55% of imported containers at Packer Marine Terminal are refrigerated and we have on-dock CBP-Ag inspection facilities.”

Participants gleaned new insight from the real-world nature of the tour.

Anyone in the produce industry can register to attend Eastern Produce Council’s Casino Night gala April 9 at Westmount Country Club in Woodland Park, N.J., the council’s biggest fundraiser and event of the year.

“I was very excited to visit the port in particular because I have purchased imported product and had never been to the port,” Noelle Neary, category manager at Wakefern, Elizabeth, N.J., said in the release “I loved learning about the different areas of the port and how there are specific USDA and fumigation areas, as well as learning that the turnaround time at the port does not begin until the container is unloaded, transferred in ownership and plugged in.”

Daniel escorted the participants on a tour of the Del Monte facility given by John McCann, vice president of the Northeast region for Del Monte Fresh Produce and council member. McCann explained the company’s system of receiving, processing and shipping imported product. He provided samples of ripe Del Monte pineapple and cantaloupe.

(Farm Journal)

Dan Oettinger, retail supervisor at JOH, Paramus, N.J., said in the release that he was impressed with the measures employed for the safety and transport of food.

“This is my first time visiting a facility like Del Monte’s,” he said. “It’s been eye-opening to see what it takes to secure delivery of our products.”

The council’s program delivers a dual-medium learning environment, including tours and classroom learning activities throughout the year.

“It was great to see how the participants were already very engaged with one another and the tours,” McAleavey Sarlund said in the release.

Participants selected for this year’s program include:

Mohammed Bouzaidi of Global Fresh Vision LLC;
John Carapella, Jr. of Sierra Produce;
Shanna Deegan of Suja Juice;
Catherine DeLettera with Zespri;
Louis Getzelman of Canyon Sales Company LLC;
Patrick Hallock of Four Seasons Produce;
Brendan Haslam of Bolthouse Farms;
Peter Machala of Wakefern Food Corp.;
Krystal McCusker of The Oppenheimer Group;
Juliet Moran with Suja Juice;
Noelle Neary of Wakefern Food Corp.;
Dan Oettinger with JOH Metro;
Garett Sebor of Key Food Stores;
Kate Watson of The Oppenheimer Group; and
Shawn Wen with Zespri.

Also participating in the tour was current council Vice President Theresa Lowden, executive vice president of produce and floral at JOH, and council Board Member Al Murray.

Industry bets on Eastern Produce Council's Casino Night gala

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:27:03 GMT

Guests turned out in formalwear and added some glitz and glimmer for the Eastern Produce Council’s annual Casino Night gala April 9 at Westmount Country Club in Woodland Park, N.J.

As the council’s premier fundraising event for decades, it’s an important night for northeastern produce professionals, said Susan McAleavy Sarlund, council executive director.

Previously a formal sit-down dinner, Sarlund and her team revamped the event to be a buffet circling the premises, with sushi stations, meat-carving stations, seafood, fruit, vegetables and cuisines spanning the globe. After an hour, the game room floor opened to the crowd for card games and table games using council-themed play money.

Slideshow: Who and what were at NYC's 2022 Baldor Bite show

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:26:56 GMT

NEW YORK — About 3,000 people attended the 2022 Baldor Bite show in downtown Manhattan, compared to about 1,750 at the last show, held every two years, except for 2020.

There were 170 exhibitors, 20 more than last time. There were panel sessions, including keynote speaker Chef Massimo Bottura, chef patron of three Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana and founder of food nonprofit Food for Soul.

Chef Brian George of the French-American Reserve restaurant sampled the green apple sorrel from the Fresh Origins microgreens booth.

“It really tastes like sour green apple, and it’s juicy,” George said. He uses edible flowers sometimes at his restaurant.

Bowery Farming taps into that Gen Z wellness consumer with NYC spa-like party

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 19:16:50 GMT

NEW YORK — When the invitation from Bowery Farming appeared in my e-mail inbox, a tingle of excitement sparked in me.

The event held promise, especially for a workday: Bowery House, an interactive wellness retreat in the heart of New York City for one day only.

I was not disappointed.

Electronic music pulled me from the elevator, enveloping me with an “it”-ness among the healthy-lifestyle-focused Gen Z crowd, draped in designer leisurewear and Earth-friendly everything as they looked at their iPhones as much as the people there on the scene.

Glowing white paper lanterns bobbed above sand-colored pottery filled with dried wheat stalks and beige feathery fronds.

One canvas tote bag said: “Highly forkable. Bowery.”

(Farm Journal)

“There’s a consumer who’s interested in not just eating healthy; they’re also interested in pursuing healthy lifestyles. For us at Bowery, we wanted to enable that, to support some of those lifestyle goals that our target [consumer] has. It’s about being a brand that has a meaningful role in their lives beyond just the dish,” said Frank Renwick, Bowery’s vice president of marketing.

“It’s about connecting with fans who have similar values that we do so they can be advocates for the future of our food system,” he said.

(Farm Journal)

New York-based Bowery is one of several urban indoor farm companies that have snowballed in the last five years — part of the controlled environment agriculture movement — growing leafy greens, herbs and now berries in vertical rows in tall warehouses using LED lights, precision-growing methods and sustainable practices. The produce is grown near the point of consumption to simplify the supply chain, reduce carbon footprint and increase freshness.

For the event, Bowery partnered with other health, wellness and environmentally conscious brands to offer breakfast, Pilates, massages, facials, manicures, lunch, tea, lattes, a sound bath, aromatherapy, and a cocktail and mocktail-infused happy hour with DJ Moniki.

(Farm Journal)

Social media influencers and New York City dwellers already following other wellness brands were invited to participate in the hands-on sensory experience.

Moniki Rodrigues is a DJ for Bowery Farming events and also led classes as the Pilates instructor.

“I have a lifestyle brand called ‘Feels Pretty Good,’” Rodrigues said. On Instagram, her @feelsprettygood account has 101,000 followers.

Raven Garcia, 20, from the Bronx, chatted with two other social influencer friends she met online and became friends with in-person. Garcia will travel outside the city to Dobbs Ferry in suburban Westchester County to buy groceries at MOM’s Organic Market, she said.

This event was her first exposure to Bowery Farming.

(Farm Journal)

“I guess they’re focused on wellness and health and being more clean and natural, and that’s what I’m trying to focus on too,” Garcia said, mentioning her upcoming launch of a podcast called “Hersperience.” “I’d love to see what else Bowery has to offer because it looks like they’re going the same direction with their goals and mission.”

This alignment of values between brand and shopper is what marketing agencies have been telling me produce brands need to do to get and retain the younger demographic. Young people shop their values. They vote with their dollar. And they still need education on what’s out there and how to use it, like every generation does.

(Farm Journal)

Savannah Vinson, 22, lives in Brooklyn’s trendy Williamsburg neighborhood and has almost 150,000 TikTok followers and 36,600 Instagram followers. Until this Bowery event, Vinson didn’t realize there were so many types of lettuces and flavors.

“We think it would be cool to do a video of all the varieties of lettuces,” she said with her friends. “It seems like Bowery really cares about flavor, texture and taste.”

Garcia nodded.

“They’re really intentional about it,” she said.

Industry veterans join Baldor Specialty Foods as VPs

Tue, 23 May 2023 13:10:11 GMT

Northeast and mid-Atlantic distributor Baldor Specialty Foods has tapped Scott Crawford to lead as vice president of merchandising and Scott T. King as vice president of sales.

Crawford comes most recently from Fresh Direct, where he was chief merchandising officer. He previously led the prepared foods division at Whole Foods Market across several regions and has an extensive background in kitchens across America, according to a news release.

Crawford will work to ensure Baldor evolves its catalog by bringing to market new and emerging producers and farms that match the company’s values and customer needs, as well as strengthening relationships with existing partners and suppliers, the release said.

“Working in the distribution business, albeit on the consumer side, I’ve watched Baldor for years and have long seen them as an industry model for their commitment to premium products,” Crawford said in the release. “I am eager to bring the experience gained from Fresh Direct to continue to strengthen our product portfolio, further our commitments to responsible sourcing, and our deepen our relationships with incredible vendors.”

Related news: K-12 School Foodservice Partner X-Change connects produce suppliers with school menu planners

King previously served as senior director of sales for Tropicana. King worked for more than a dozen years at PepsiCo, including on the Frito Lay and Tropicana brands, leading and developing sales strategies for teams in various divisions.

King will lead the sales organization, building processes and capabilities that improve the company’s partnership with its customers and support growth over the long term, according to the release.

“What attracted me to Baldor is the fact that they’re an industry leading operator that prioritizes the customer experience, focusing on service with a large portfolio of diverse and high-quality items,” King said in the release.

Both Crawford and King will report to Benjamin Walker, senior vice president of sales, marketing and merchandising.

“In the executive search for these roles, we were very careful to look for leaders who could help us strengthen our strategies, systems, and processes, but most importantly who would complement our existing culture,” Walker said in the release. “It is also important that they share our customer-centric approach and have the highest quality food and service standards in the industry. We were fortunate to find that in Scott and Scott.”

Baldor Specialty Foods services more than 10,000 foodservice, retail and corporate accounts from Portland, Maine, to Richmond, Va., and offers over 6,000 fresh produce and specialty food items, with upwards of 20% coming from the local region.

“As our business has grown to its current position — a service area that stretches from Maine to Virginia, a customer base of more than 10,000, and an employee population of more than 2,000 people — we’ve recognized the need to scale up our leadership team,” Baldor President Michael Muzyk said in the release. “We’re purposefully but carefully widening the org chart and strengthening with outside talent that bring best-in-class practices and processes. Our goal is to ever evolve in our promise of quality you can trust and service that delivers, and we’re confident that these hires will help us do that.”

Little Leaf selects CFO and EVP

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 17:18:44 GMT

Massachusetts-based greenhouse grower Little Leaf Farms has named William Hogan as executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Hogan brings experience and expertise in private equity and strategic financial management to Little Leaf Farms. With a track record of success in driving financial performance and maximizing operational efficiency, his appointment underscores the company’s commitment to continue to enhance its leadership team as it moves into its next stage of growth, according to a news release.

Related news: Greenhouse grower Little Leaf Farms puts farming first: A Q&A with CEO Paul Sellew

“Bill’s appointment as our new CFO is a significant milestone for Little Leaf Farms,” Little Leaf Farms founder and CEO Paul Sellew said in the release. “His extensive background in private equity and financial leadership will be instrumental in supporting our growth trajectory and enhancing our position as an industry leader. We are excited to have Bill join our team and look forward to the valuable contributions he will make to our organization.”

New leader to support growth and expansion

Little Leaf Farms recently unveiled plans to open its second greenhouse in Pennsylvania, which will be the company’s fifth greenhouse in total and will increase its retail presence to nearly 5,000 grocery stores across the Northeast, Midwest and Southeast regions, according to the release. The company said it also projects breaking $100 million in retail sales by the end of 2023.

“I am thrilled to join the Little Leaf Farms team at this pivotal time in the company’s growth,” Hogan said in the release. “Little Leaf Farms is revolutionizing the [controlled environment agriculture] industry with its commitment to sustainable farming practices and delivering high-quality, locally grown lettuce. I am excited to collaborate with the talented team at Little Leaf Farms and contribute to the company’s continued success.”

As executive vice president and CFO, Hogan will have a critical role overseeing Little Leaf Farms’ financial operations, including strategic planning, budgeting and forecasting. He plans to leverage his expertise in financial management to further strengthen the company’s financial position and support its ambitious expansion plans, according to the release.

Hogan’s professional journey spans over two decades, during which he has held various leadership positions in successful private-equity-sponsored companies. His experience includes successfully leading financial operations, executing strategic initiatives and driving profitability for companies across diverse industries, the release said.

Northeast growers BrightFarms and Element Farms team to launch spinach line across Giant Co. stores

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 12:57:09 GMT

Two controlled environment agriculture growers, BrightFarms and Element Farms, are partnering to deliver more indoor grown, hydroponic spinach to Northeast consumers. BrightFarms has penned a licensing agreement in which it will distribute Element Farms’ indoor-grown spinach throughout the Northeast under the BrightFarms brand, according to a news release.

“This partnership with Element Farms is an important step forward for BrightFarms. We will continue to be leaders in CEA salads, delivering the assortment our retail partners and consumers demand,” Steve Campione, BrightFarms’ chief financial officer and executive vice president of strategy, said in the release.

In a testament to a shared vision, retailer The Giant Co. will introduce the licensed spinach product across all its 190 stores. The decision to partner with Giant is driven by the shared sustainability goals, according to the release.

“We are excited to bring more locally grown spinach to our consumers year-round. Spinach is an important part of our salad assortment and the freshness we can deliver with this program is exactly what our consumers want,” Matt Novosel, category manager at The Giant Co., said in the release.

Related news: AeroFarms emerges from Chapter 11, plans for future profitable growth

BrightFarms has been a category leader spinach production since launching its spinach product in retail stores in 2016. Partnering with Element Farms will provide greater supply leveraging two models for successful spinach production, Campione said.

“We are thrilled to be partnering up with BrightFarms, a company we’ve admired for a long time, on this deal that will expand the reach of our indoor-grown spinach impressively,” Serdar Mizrakci, CEO of Element Farms, said in the release. “BrightFarms’ mission is similar to ours and they are just as passionate about sustainability and indoor-grown innovation, which is what is truly going to make this relationship successful long-term.”

This partnership is the latest in a series of strategic moves for BrightFarms. Earlier this year, BrightFarms announced the development of four new regional greenhouse hubs, which are anticipated to set BrightFarms up for exponential revenue growth by 2025.

Construction of three of these hydroponic farms — each with a 40-acre footprint and slated to produce nearly 30 million pounds of leafy greens per year and provided about 250 local jobs — is underway to develop the indoor-grown salad supply chain on the East Coast and Central U.S., according to the release.

Little Leaf Farms earned top spot in category, says Nielson data

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 13:25:20 GMT

Massachusetts-based controlled environment agriculture grower Little Leaf Farms can now add a new milestone to its list: top-selling packaged lettuce in New England.

The achievement marks the first time an indoor-grown leafy greens brand has surpassed traditional field-grown brands in any region, according to a news release.

According to the most recent Nielsen data available in the category, the brand has seen a 46% increase in total dollar sales year over year and is now capturing 20% of all packaged lettuce sales in the New England region, which includes field-grown greens.

Related news: Greenhouse grower Little Leaf Farms puts farming first: A Q&A with CEO Paul Sellew

“The New England packaged salad category is highly competitive, so we’re pleased with this latest sales achievement,” Paul Sellew, Little Leaf Farms’ founder and CEO, said in the release. “As we continue to work towards our goal of 100 acres under glass by 2026, its clear that our model of fresh, local, greenhouse-grown lettuce is resonating with consumers, and we look forward to replicating this success in additional markets in the months to come.”

Expanding operations in Pennsylvania

The indoor lettuce grower has recently opened its fifth greenhouse in McAdoo, Pa. It is Little Leaf Farms’ second greenhouse in Pennsylvania, and it aims to increase the brand’s retail presence to nearly 5,000 grocery stores, which would expand Little Leaf Farms’ footprint to include retailers in the Midwest and Southeast.

One of the first products to be grown and packed at the newest Pennsylvania greenhouse is Sweet Baby Butter Leaf, which is to be introduced in a new 8-ounce size this fall, according to the release.

What’s more, Little Leaf Farms also recently broke ground on a third greenhouse on the McAdoo site in August, with an opening slated for the second half of 2024. The third greenhouse is projected to be operating at capacity by the close of 2024, bringing the total active acreage of Little Leaf Farms’ Pennsylvania site to 30 acres by the end of next year, the release said.

“We are excited to bring our exceptional lettuce to even more consumers with our expansion in Pennsylvania,” Chris Hill, Little Leaf Farms’ chief revenue officer, said in the release. “We believe that we are creating a better eating experience and that our industry leading freshness and quality, along with our ability to engage with new consumers, will continue to drive exciting growth for our customers as we enter new markets.”

Produce industry veteran Robert 'Bob' Bassetti dies at 83

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 18:39:53 GMT

Produce industry veteran and B&B Produce owner Robert “Bob” Bassetti, 83, died Sept. 15 in Hammonton, N.J., according to a news release.

Bassetti’s produce career began at R&B Produce, a partnership owned by his father, James “Big Jim” Bassetti, and his uncle, John Ruggeri. After John Ruggeri died, Bassetti went to work with his father. He eventually left R&B Produce in the mid-1970s and started B&B Produce with his partner, Richard Bacigalupo, according to the release.

Bassetti eventually became the sole owner and expanded to locations in Hammonton and Benson, N.C. Bassetti’s daughter, Melanie Heath, worked with him for 17 years.

“It wasn’t always easy working for a produce legend! He moved at a high speed with a relentless passion for his work. Dad did everything from running the forklift to selling blues with Driscoll’s. He was an amazing produce man and everybody that worked with dad loved him,” Heath said in the release. “I appreciated everything Dad did for our family, he was always a constant in my life and I love him so much.”

An innovative and forward thinker, Bassetti developed microwaveable wrappers for steaming sweetpotatoes, according to the release. He had a passion for produce and lived and breathed the business, and over time, Bob expanded from sweetpotatoes into blueberries and worked with Driscoll’s, the release said.

Reflecting on his life

“I have a tremendous amount of love and respect for my big brother Bobby; he lived life to the fullest. He was in constant motion, always hustling and making things happen. He loved the action of the produce markets as much as he loved the craps tables,” Bob Bassetti’s brother, Jimmy Bassetti of Little Bear Produce, said in the release. “Bobby was an original ‘produce man,’ constantly making deals whether he was in New Jersey, North Carolina or at his island home in St. Maarten. He had so many industry friends, colleagues and customers who loved him dearly — we will all miss Bobby.”

“Bobby was my oldest brother and I loved him dearly, but when it came to Yams and Blues, he was as tough as it gets!” Bob Bassetti’s sister, Cheryl Densten of Little Bear Produce, said in the release. “Nothing could stop Bob from making deals, no matter where he was, you can bet he was always cutting a deal. He was very proud of his pack, and he always wanted top dollar, and he usually got it. I will miss Bobby and all the wonderful family times that we shared with him.”

Bassetti not only had a passion for produce, but he also loved sports, spending time with his family at the Jersey shore and in the Caribbean islands, the release said.

Bassetti was the oldest child of James “Big Jim” and Dolores “Tootsie” Bassetti. At age 16 he joined the Army National Guard and served for seven years. After graduating from Sacred Heart High School in Vineland, N.J., Bob Bassetti started a popular local barbershop and developed strong friendships and relationships across South Jersey, according to the release.

Bassetti is survived by his children, Elaine Buchberger (Dale), Laurie Trongone (John), Melanie Heath (Dave); the mother of his children, Phyllis Bassetti; his brother, James Bassetti (Diane); his sisters, Marlene Scott and Cheryl Densten (Bruce); his grandchildren, Zachary Buchberger (Niki), Camille Doherty, Jenna Trongone (Rob), Anthony Venuto (Brittany); and two great-grandchildren.

Bassetti is predeceased by his parents, James and Dolores Bassetti; his second wife, Janet (Stevenson) Bassetti; his grandson, Nicholas Venuto; and his brother-in-law, Roger Scott, the release said.

Memories and online condolences can be sent to ronefuneralservice.com .

Photos: Eastern Produce Council invites families for NJ apple picking

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:25:47 GMT

Apple picking is a rite of passage for Northeasterners, and many start before they can walk.

Eastern Produce Council tapped into this regional, cultural tradition with the 8th annual Joe DeLorenzo Family Apple Picking Event Oct. 8, at Melick’s Town Farm, Oldwick, N.J.

Susan McAleavey Sarlund, executive director of Eastern Produce Council, greeted industry professionals as they arrived with their families, offering apple cider and doughnuts and special apple-collecting bags stapled with food tickets to redeem afterward.

Guests enjoyed tractor rides to the heart of the orchard to begin their picking, with varying degrees of commitment and success.

The event was established in memory of Joe DeLorenzo, former EPC president and Hall of Fame member and director of produce at Krasdale-Alpha1Marketing. DeLorenzo passed away in 2014.

After the ride to the orchard, EPC members and their families enjoyed fresh grilled corn on the cob, hot dogs, popcorn and camaraderie with fellow EPC members and the DeLorenzo family.

New Jersey ag businesses get guidelines for COVID-19

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:56:04 GMT

For more COVID-19 related news click here.

New Jersey officials and produce leaders are grappling with how to mitigate the health and safety of the state’s people as it is the second-most dangerous U.S. state for the new coronavirus, COVID-19.

By May 23, the state had almost 11,000 deaths due to COVID-19 and 152,700 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York has more than twice the death toll, with 28,800 coronavirus deaths by that time.

To that end, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy issued COVID-19 guidance May 21 on working conditions, as well as testing and treatment procedures, to help agricultural businesses and farmworkers lower the risk of and potential exposure to COVID-19.

Thousands of seasonal farmworkers, migrant and local, come to New Jersey farms in the spring and have to work close by their coworkers, plus they often rely on employer-provided group transportation and camp-style housing.

“Protecting seasonal workers on these farms is a high priority because they work and live in close proximity to one another,” state health commissioner Judith Persichilli said in a news release.

“The health department is working with growers, local health departments and our federally qualified health centers to minimize that risk and to ensure that once they are tested, follow-up and isolation and quarantine plans are in place for workers,” she said in the release.

Once a worker is suspected or diagnosed with COVID-19, the state guidance advises employers to contact the local health department and immediately assign the worker a separate bathroom and provide separate living space or alternate housing, if effective isolation in their current living space is not possible.

Workers who were in close contact with the affected workers are to be screened and watched for symptoms.

Costs related to testing and treatment for COVID-19 will not be charged to the employer or worker, according to the news release.

“Any hospitalization or isolation housing provided by the state of New Jersey will not be charged to employers or workers,” the guidance said.

The guidance also sets out conditions for when employees can return to work and outlines existing employment-based protections for workers.

That guidance prohibits employers from firing or punishing an employee who requests or takes time off due to a medical professional’s determination that the worker has or is likely to have COVID-19. Most workers will be eligible for paid sick time if they contract COVID-19 and also may be eligible for workers compensation if they get COVID-19 while working, according to the release.

“We have a responsibility and an obligation to make sure these workers — and the farmers who hire and house them — maintain safe and healthy workplaces in which to harvest and bring to market the state’s crops,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo.

Strict food safety protocols already in place have made following this kind of guidance less daunting, said Bill Nardelli Jr., vice president of sales and marketing for Nardelli Bros. Inc., which has its Nardelli Lake View Farms, cooling and packing facilities in Cedarville, N.J., and its distribution center in Vineland, N.J.

“It’s been a good basis to work off of,” Nardelli said, mentioning his company’s third-party audits with Primus and USDA.

He also wanted to thank the workers at the retail and distribution levels.

“You can’t say enough about the people working at the stores, from the distribution at the warehouse to the store-level clerks, produce managers and all the people,” Nardelli said.

“They’re doing a great job for everybody and really helping get the products to the store shelves where people really need them.”

Many growers, packers, shippers and marketers have detailed COVID-19-updated safety policies on company websites. That includes indoor farms.

As part of its standard operating procedures based on third-party audits at indoor aeroponic, vertical AeroFarms , Newark, N.J., employees wear personal protective equipment including a hairnet, face cover, safety gloves, glasses and overcoat. The company’s HVAC filtration systems have a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating of 13.

Before entering the AeroFarms workplace, employees are evaluated with infrared thermometers and sent home if symptomatic. Surfaces are being sanitized multiple times a day, more hand-sanitization stations were established, and the company is enforcing social distancing, promoting work-from-home when possible, and equipping drives with more sanitation supplies.

The automated characteristics of indoor agriculture that don’t require many workers in one place have been an advantage during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Carmela Cugini, executive vice president of sales at Bowery Farming , New York. The compay has two indoor farms in Kearny, N.J.

Bowery’s operations haven’t been affected so far during the new coronavirus, Cugini said.

Like other farms, Bowery already had strict food safety standards in place and has stepped up sanitizing, cleaning, social distancing and added masks.

“By using our machine learning and using vision sensors, we really don’t have anybody growing in the farm, and we have very few people operating the farm,” she said.

For the employees who pack the leafy greens and herbs, food safety and government guidance is followed.

“We’re talking to them every day, trying to understand their situation. If people have to flex their hours because of childcare, we’re allowing that to happen. We’re doing things like preparing meals for them to take those meals home and not just for themselves, but for them and their family,” Cugini said.

Related content:
Snapshot: NJ produce season through the eyes of Nardelli Bros.
How indoor, vertical Bowery Farming is faring during COVID-19
New Jersey crops even out after warm, cool spells
New Jersey marketers highlight locality and shift with times

Nardelli Bros. continues tray-pack corn

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:55:59 GMT

Hugh Branch, South Bay Fla., is in its second year partnering with Nardelli Bros. Inc. , Cedarville, N.J., offering its corn for the New Jersey company’s tray-pack operation.

“We’re really excited for that,” said Bill Nardelli Jr., vice president of sales and marketing.

“I think our packaged items have given us a lot of good exposure, and people are looking for that in stores.”

Nardelli Bros. plans to begin its Jersey Fresh corn about July 4, and have it packaged for retailers.

“We’re continuing to try to do as many items in our overwrap as we can. Whatever our retailers are looking for,” he said.

The company is also wrapping peppers, pickle cucumbers and beans.

Related content:
Outlook good for California onions
California Onion business updates
California onion growers anticipate good quality, low prices

New England Produce Council welcomes new board leaders

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:42:28 GMT

The New England Produce Council has welcomed new leadership as the two-year terms of executive board members expired.

President Anthony Sattler of C&S Wholesale Grocers, Keene, N.H., welcomed his successor, Tom Murray, vice president of produce and floral at Roche Bros., Wellesley, Mass. He formally begins in that role on Aug. 26, according to a news release. The 21st NEPC Produce, Floral & Food Service Expo was originally scheduled for Aug. 24-26, but it was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Over the years, I believe we have done so much good for our industry and our region. We have given to countless charities, helped the homeless, provided scholarships, educated our produce professionals, given support to those in need and held some of the best events allowing for networking possibilities,” Sattler said in the release.

“Anthony will be greatly missed, but I know he’s only a phone call away, and in true Anthony fashion, he will answer the call,” NEPC executive director Laura Sullivan said in the release.

Murray has served on the NEPC board of directors for nine years, most recently as first vice president.

“In addition to his professionalism, leadership skills and industry knowledge, we can always rely on Tom for some comic relief during the board meetings,” Sullivan said in the release.

Brian Fleming, vice president of produce and floral at Stop & Shop, Quincy, Mass., is now first vice president. He has been on the board for a year and will start his role as first vice president on Aug. 26.

David Dearborn, vice president of produce at C&S Wholesale Grocers, will be the new secretary. Dearborn has worked for C&S for more than 25 years and served as a director on the board for the last year.

“I feel like we hit the trifecta with the addition of these executive board appointments,” Sullivan said in the release.

The council in the release thanked Beth McGuire, account executive at JOH, Billerica, Mass., where she’s worked for more than 22 years.

McGuire has worked double-duty for many years as both the NEPC treasurer and secretary, and she will remain as the NEPC treasurer, according to the release.

Related stories:

New England Produce Council reschedules golf tournament

NEPC cancels event over coronavirus concerns

You missed these people (and more) at the NEPC expo in Boston

Little Leaf Farms hosts virtual grand opening, tour

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:51:05 GMT

Devens, Mass.-based Little Leaf Farms is hosting a virtual grand opening for its greenhouse in Devens.

The event is at noon, EDT, Oct. 29.

The company opened its doors in 2016 with five acres of production and doubled it this fall, according to a news release.

The hydroponic salad greens grower uses sunlight and captured rainwater to grow lettuce under glass year-round.

The event includes:

Virtual tour of the greenhouse;
Fireside chat with CEO Paul Sellew;
Salad tips and recipes with Lexi’s Clean Kitchen;
Cocktail/mocktail creations inspired by Little Leaf Farms with bartender Chris Kiertz;
Salad recipe download from Flour Bakery owner Joanne Chang; and
Giveaways and coupons.

Anyone can virtually attend this event by registering through the RSVP page and joining the Zoom webinar.

The company is producing more than 2 million packages of lettuce each month and broadening distribution to stores across New England and into New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and throughout the East Coast.

Related news:

Little Leaf Farms ships from expanded acreage

VIDEO: Little Leaf Farms requires temperature checks, slows expansion

NY Price Choppers carry Little Leaf Farms lettuces

Checking in with Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:33 GMT

Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt said consumers are seeing the value in buying locally grown produce more since the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fragility of the supply chain.

“Like everything with the pandemic, the rollercoaster has been steep in the beginning and a lot of high ups and low downs. I think we are at a more level place,” Hurlburt said. “The ups and downs did sort of level out.”

A lot of Connecticut’s farms and wholesalers that depended on foodservice customers found new ways to market their goods, using cooperative efforts, community supported agriculture subscription memberships, and direct-to-consumer pickup and delivery.

“You can’t be a farm for hundreds of years and multiple generations if you’re not entrepreneurial and innovative and find new ways to market your goods and meet market demand,” Hurlburt said. “So, we saw a number of folks do just that.”

Also, there have been a lot of changes at the Connecticut Regional Market, formerly known as the Hartford Regional Market.

The 33-acre property has four main warehouses with 14 tenants, most operating from multiple units.

Inside the facilities are the wholesalers and distributors. Outside, there’s a more consumer-facing farmers market, with a big portion dedicated to floral sales.

The state government closed the market to the general public for a bit at the start of the pandemic while officials figured out how to handle the usual crowds.

In late 2018, the state legislature voted for a management transition from the Connecticut Marketing Authority housed in the state’s Department of Agriculture to the Capital Region Development Authority.

A quasi-governmental agency that focuses on redevelopment, the authority has been investing heavily in facility improvements since then.

“The feeling was that this is a better organization (for management of the market) because they’re real estate developers and managers,” Hurlburt said. “The (Connecticut) Regional Market needs some investment. It needs some engineering done to it. And you know, quite honestly, that’s not where the Connecticut Department of Agriculture has expertise, and the CRDA does.”

Watch the video and look for a full “Connecticut: Know Your Market” editorial section Nov. 9 to learn much more.

Related news:

New York Produce Show set for Dec. 9-11, virtually for now

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 13:34:41 GMT

“Uncertainty” is one of the buzzwords of 2020, but trade show organizers and participants are planning as much as possible with ever-changing local guidelines.

New York City, with its densely packed 8.6 million residents and prior designation as the epicenter of the coronavirus at its local peak in April, has had some of the strictest quarantine rules in the U.S.

It’s no surprise, then, that the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan contacted the New York Produce Show and Conference organizers in October, exercising the event contract’s option to reschedule show dates.

The center’s request was due to the state COVID-19 pandemic re-opening guidance, said Susan McAleavey Sarlund, executive director of the Eastern Produce Council , show co-sponsor.

In late November, Manhattan remained in Phase 4, which prohibits gatherings of more than 50 people.

Instead of postponing the show until sometime in early or mid-2021, organizers decided to present a virtual show on the originally scheduled dates.

The show will be presented Dec. 9-11 on an online platform, with the virtual expo Dec. 10, Sarlund said.

“There’s an exciting piece to this. This year will be a show that will highlight marketers and other companies year-round, and the virtual platform will be available throughout the year,” Sarlund said. “This is a year of finding the silver linings.”

The online show will continue “on demand,” 24 hours a day for the whole year through the live event next December. Marketing, merchandising, management and procurement events will be scheduled throughout the year.

Also, exhibitors who paid for the 2020 in-person show will have their investment transferred to the 2021 in-person New York Produce Show and will be able to participate in the 2020 virtual event at no extra charge.

“We’re grateful for the continued support of our 2020 exhibitors,” Sarlund said.

This will be the first virtual show for Nash Produce , Nashville, N.C., said Rebecca Scott, grower accounting and marketing manager.

“We plan to learn along with everyone else. We are currently working on ‘creating our booth’ within the expo portal and plan to have photos of our products and services. There may even be a video of our production, showing our sweet potatoes from farm to fork,” Scott said.

Nash had been signed up for the 2020 physical show since registration opened after the 2019 event.

“Due to the pandemic and the concern for the health of all produce professionals, we appreciate that (the) New York Produce team is allowing us to take a stab at a virtual show,” Scott said.

Agenda details with specific companies and speakers were not available in mid-November. Typically, the schedule includes a keynote breakfast with a thought leader panel, several educational micro-sessions, chef demonstrations, cocktail receptions, the expo, bus tours and a foodservice forum.

Scott said she hopes to check in with as well as update the Nash company page periodically throughout the year.

“Of course, we will miss having that in-person interaction with our customers but are confident that we will be able to be united once again very soon,” she said.

“As this year has proved, a lot can occur over a year timeframe.”

The next in-person show is scheduled for Dec. 13-17, 2021, at the Javits Center, with the expo on Dec. 15, Sarlund said.

For questions, contact show organizers at exhibit@nyproduceshow.com or 212-426-2218.

Company viewpoints on New York Produce Show

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 11:26:59 GMT

We asked several company leaders and representatives to weigh in on their experience with the New York Produce Show in years past and the virtual version planned for Dec. 8-11. Here’s what they had to say.

Baldor Specialty Foods , Bronx, N.Y.

“We’ve been primary sponsor in past, with a booth at the bottom of the escalator. I’m just not sure what this year looks like,” said Michael Muzyk, president.

Canyon Sales Co. , Bronx, N.Y.

“If it’s virtual, I’m sure I’d pop in. We’ve gone as representative for GPOD in previous years,” said Lou Getzelman Jr., who handles receivers and organizes the transportation for the brokerage firm of GPOD of Idaho potatoes, other potatoes, onions and carrots at Hunts Point Produce Market. His father, Louis Getzelman Sr., took over the company in August 2019.

“We had a table there last year and probably the year before that. It’s always good to see some of the receivers who you don’t deal with as much. You don’t get a chance to have all those people in a room in one shot like that. You get to actually introduce yourself to a shipper.”

He hasn’t been to an online show yet.

Coosemans New York , Bronx, N.Y.

“It was such a crazy year that we haven’t had the resources to participate in the virtual show with a booth, but we may go as attendees to see who’s there and what the new products are. We always love doing that,” said Ray Hernandez, in charge of purchasing at Coosemans at Hunts Point Produce Market.

Crunch Time Apple Growers , Lockport, N.Y.

“This is the first virtual show we will attend, and we chose to do so based on our past relationship with the in-person show, the overall value with the digital show and carry-over through next year’s show,” said Jessica Wells, Crunch Time business manager.

“With New York being the birthplace of both SnapDragon and RubyFrost, as well (as the) only place they are commercially grown, the New York show makes a lot of sense for us in terms of reaching local and regional produce buyers, as well as those that attend from farther away because of the New York City experience.

“Though the virtual show lacks the ability to interact face-to-face with potential buyers and eliminates the opportunity to provide in-person samples, we’re hopeful that the virtual buyer interactions we have will be better quality interactions than in the past without the hustle and rushed nature of the in-person show as factors. The year-long benefit may prove helpful in this way as well.”

FreshDirect, Bronx, N.Y.

“We participate in the New York Produce Show every year, and plan to this year as well,” said Scott Crawford, chief merchandising officer. “We enjoy connecting with our produce community — tasting and experiencing great fresh food together — so, of course, our preference is to attend in person. This year, we’re saddened that we can’t be together given the circumstances but look forward to the show nonetheless.”

Giorgio Fresh Co. , Blandon, Pa.

“We first participated in the New York show in 2010 and have had a booth and presence ever since,” said Naba Bakar, director of marketing for GoldenSun Insights, the mushroom company’s marketing firm.

“We have always supported the Northeast market, and the New York show has a great following with great customer interactions. The programs have been very beneficial from a learning perspective. The venue is terrific, especially at the holiday time. Unfortunately, this year, Giorgio is not participating; however, we plan to attend in 2021.”

Nash Produce , Nashville, N.C.

“Our president, Thomas Joyner, along with a few other members of our team, attended the first New York Produce Show to see what the buzz was about and every year since, Nash Produce has been a loyal exhibitor,” said Rebecca Scott, grower accounting and marketing manager.

“The New York Produce Show is a must-attend for us, as there are many current customers that take time out of their busy schedules to stop by our booth for a visit. The show also gives us an excellent opportunity to connect with new faces that are interested in beginning a long-term partnership with us ...This will ultimately be our first virtual show, so we plan to learn with many other attendees.”

Nathel & Nathel , Bronx, N.Y.

“We love the New York Produce Show. We go every year and usually have a booth,” said Joshua Gatcke, fruit procurement buyer for the company based at Hunts Point Produce Market.

“It’s going to be different this year, but we’re looking forward to it. Like any show, it gives you a chance to connect with people you do business with in-person. So much of what we do is over the phone. You become like best friends with your customers and suppliers, and often you won’t see them for months and months at a time. It’s a really, really well-executed show as well.”

Related news:

Reflections on NYC shows, past and present

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 11:30:16 GMT

In December 2018, I attended my first New York Produce Show in the heart of Manhattan.

I had barely been at this job for one month and was new to the industry. And like the good New Yorker that I’d become since moving to the city in 2014, I took the subway there. I glided up escalator after escalator from deep underground and shared the sidewalks with all the other busy business people.

I met and shook the hands of people I’d interviewed on the phone or chatted with by e-mail, produce leaders from Canada and company heads from Hunts Point Produce Market .

The show’s roster of opportunities for registrants included a group tour of the market, which was my introduction to that storied terminal market in the Bronx. It was such a wonderful addition to the show, to see where so much action happens in all its gritty, glamorous glory.

The show may say “New York” at the start of its name, but like the city itself, its reach is so much bigger. Alongside the Hudson River, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is embedded by surrounding neighborhoods of the Hudson Yards, Midtown West and Hell’s Kitchen.

The buzz of activity inside that light-filled convention center — which typically hosts 150 trade shows annually — felt like a national show, even though it was much smaller.

After a dizzying amount of connections made, I remember emerging from the Javits Center and being welcomed by that iconic city skyline, with that red “New Yorker” sign on a tall building in the distance.

None of that is happening this year.

But, like the cliché goes, the New York Produce Show must go on, unlike the 31 Broadway shows that closed and 41 theaters that went dark, not to re-open until at least May 30. That’s 444 days of no Broadway.

Yet, some smaller theater companies are doing online shows of some sort. It’s not as big, not as grand, and we know, we know: It’s totally not the same.

But we work with what we’ve got. And we still have technology.

If social media has taught us anything, it’s that connection can occur without pressing the flesh, and real business wins can come from this less personal interaction.

Starting with United Fresh Produce Association ’s LIVE! convention in June, the first virtual show of the industry, more than a handful of organizations have converted their shows to online platforms rather than cancel altogether.

The Packer and its parent company Farm Journal are included in that roster of innovators, with the Sustainable Produce Summit, West Coast Produce Expo and the coming Global Organic Produce Expo in late January (with an in-person component planned for August).

So, I will be “there” for the New York show Dec. 8-11. I will visit the virtual booths Dec. 10. I will network and report the news as I learn it, like I always do at shows.

It will be nice to see and chat with some of my neighbors online. I will enjoy learning more about industry issues and solutions.

We know this global health crisis has become political, and we don’t all agree how to handle it or what precautions are wise. We know this pandemic has devastated our economy, especially the foodservice and hospitality industries.

Even so, New York City takes this pandemic seriously.

I certainly did as I saw field hospitals erected to care for overflow COVID-19 patients at that same Javits Center and in tents at my beloved Central Park.

“At the height of the outbreak in April, a New Yorker was dying almost every two minutes — more than 800 per day, or four times the city’s normal death rate,” according to an April 30 article in the New York Times, updated Nov. 18.

Even in November, temporary COVID-19 hospital tents remain in the parking lot of a hospital in northern Westchester County, the suburb just north of New York City.

Yet, we do what we can to continue working and continue connecting with others in our essential industry that proudly provides nutrition to this country’s residents and beyond.

Eight months after my city became the epicenter of the pandemic, when the infection rate was below 1% for at least 14 days in a row, I was able to safely attend a couple of outdoor industry events while maintaining the recommended social distance as much as possible and wearing a mask.

My first in-person event was the Eastern Produce Council ’s Joe DeLorenzo Family Apple-Picking Event at Melick Family Farm in Oldwick, N.J. What a welcome sight Susan McAleavey Sarlund’s bright blue eyes were as she greeted me at the entry point and handed me a bag for apples, a bottle of cider and some doughnuts.

And most recently, I got a kick out of greeting Phillip Grant, general manager of Hunts Point Produce Market, and Gabriela D’Arrigo, vice president of marketing and communications of D’Arrigo New York , outside BronxWorks Classic Community Center, where they gave 500 bags of fresh produce for a family Thanksgiving meal to local residents lined up around the block.

So no, the 2020 New York Produce Show won’t be in person. I wouldn’t go if it was.

I am doing my part to protect my family and the community, even though it takes a real emotional and mental toll to not see those you like and those you love in person.

I am grateful that the show will go on, virtually, and I can participate. I am grateful this industry changes with the times and adjusts to our needs.

So, see you online for now, and hopefully sooner rather than later, I’ll shake your hand once again.

Amy Sowder is The Packer’s Northeast editor. E-mail her at asowder@farmjournal.com.

Related news:

Business updates from Hunts Point Produce Market and beyond

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:29 GMT

Check out some updates on the businesses inside and nearby the Hunts Point Produce Market, Bronx, N.Y.

Baldor Specialty Foods adds retail customer

Baldor Specialty Foods will supply some of The Fresh Market stores, said Michael Muzyk, Baldor president.

Baldor, primarily a foodservice wholesaler with a fresh-cut retail product division, will start supplying at least 29 The Fresh Market stores in the Northeast, he said.

“That’s us continuing to reinvent ourselves. Just diversifying the portfolio,” Muzyk said.

Canyon Sales starts transportation division

Canyon Sales, broker of GPOD of Idaho potatoes, other potatoes, onions and carrots, created a separate limited liability company, Fast & Fresh Logistics, to also broker transportation for its customers.

“With transportation being really difficult, we really need to be aware of where the product is at all times. We need to have control over the whole process. We can’t leave it in anyone else’s hands anymore,” said Lou Getzelman Jr., who deals with receivers and organizing the transportation.

His father, Louis Getzelman, has been president and owner since August 2019.

Coosemans New York imports new fruits

Coosemans New York is importing more products out of Ecuador and Brazil, including santa claus melons, yellow canary melons and dino melons.

The firm is the sole distributor in New York of the dino, said Ray Hernandez, in charge of purchasing.

“Also, we’re excited about a new program starting in late February, early March: the mingolo mango,” he said. “That’s a project we’re looking forward to.”

There are only two certified U.S. shippers of mingolo from the Dominican Republic. A partnership with a hot water treatment plant enabled the company to gain distributor privileges.

FreshDirect kicks off two-hour grocery delivery

FreshDirect launched its express two-hour, on-demand grocery delivery in Manhattan, Brooklyn and parts of Queens.

The express service offers a curated selection of FreshDirect’s best products, said Eric Stone, vice president of merchandising.

In Washington, D.C., the firm partnered with a robotic fulfillment technology company to enable two-hour, on-demand delivery of a wide selection of FreshDirect’s products.

Earlier, FreshDirect expanded delivery capacity to New York City’s suburbs, including those in Westchester County, N.Y.; Long Island, N.Y.; New Jersey and Connecticut. This expansion responded to a 100% growth surge in its suburban footprint, Stone said.

Nathel & Nathel hires buyer, engineer

Nathel & Nathel hired Joshua Gatcke, fruit procurement buyer, and Alex Cohen, engineering and compliance manager.

Gatcke is owner Ira Nathel’s son and started in June, previously working in Washington, D.C., in defense and aerospace consulting.

Gatcke studied science technology and international affairs with a focus on business development at Georgetown University.

Cohen has worked in heavy industry, durable goods and consumer electronics for large companies.

“We brought him on to help me out and bolster our capabilities in the warehouse and overall. He has a fresh outlook,” Gatcke said.

Cohen’s experiences are universally applicable and will bring more sophistication to the business, he said.

S. Katzman Produce acquires, renovates eight more units

In 2019, S. Katzman Produce bought out LBD Produce, which closed in late 2019.

Stefanie Katzman said her family company has converted LBD’s eight units and renovated them, while also hiring the two owners.

“It increased our footprint on the market and allowed us to modernize, with refrigeration and bacteria scrubbers that take out ripening gases,” she said. “All these modern technologies add to our efficiencies and quality of our product, and it’s a lot nicer to work in.”

Katzman replaced the cinderblock walls with refrigerator walls, adding refrigeration units and the Bio Turbo, which is an ethylene absorber.

Removing ethylene gas prevents premature ripening, bacteria, mold spores and viruses, according to the Bio Turbo website.

In January, Katzman started offering with Fresh Express bagged salads, she said.

“Before, we did salad clamshells, but no mixes. We’re planning to start offering mixed bags with proteins next month,” Katzman said in October.

Predicting market changes at New York Produce Show

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:05:58 GMT

NEW YORK — More than nine months in, the unpredictability of this pandemic-ridden market has become a smidge more predictable, according to speakers at the virtual New York Produce Show and Conference — but nothing like it was.

The show was Dec. 9-11.

“It’s like trying to stick a marshmallow through a coin slot, that’s how this thing was, at times,” said Jay Schneider, director of merchandising of Albertson’s Mid-Atlantic Division, the new name for Acme Markets after its merger this summer with Safeway/Eastern.

Matthew D’Arrigo, CEO of wholesale distributor D’Arrigo New York at Hunts Point Produce Market, Bronx, said he never thought he’d be grateful for some of the terminal market’s old structural characteristics.

“Thank God it’s a big market and that we have open-air docks. Who thought we’d be thankful for that? Even on a good day, you don’t have to get close to people,” D’Arrigo said.

It’s been no secret that the retail produce sector has had big business wins since the pandemic hit the nation in March, including 300% increases in some cases even today, said Vic Savanello, vice president of produce and floral at SpartanNash, Byron Center, Mich., the nation’s fifth largest food distributor with 19,000 employees.

SpartanNash operates more than 155 corporate-owned grocery stores and distributes to 2,100 independent locations nationwide.

“I personally feel like it’s gotten much more predictable ... I’ve found those spikes happen more in the departments where retailers were challenged more than others,” such as cleaning supplies and meat, Savanello said.

D’Arrigo is seeing more appreciation for wholesalers and terminal markets, which have been gradually offering more delivery services to customers for years, along with retailers delivering to consumers.

“The world is being delivered to people now. It’s trucks delivering packages,” he said.

Hunts Point may have the largest wholesale produce market of its kind in the nation that’s an aging New York City institution, but the companies’ third and fourth generations are stepping up and are quite flexible and adaptable to the pandemic’s effects, D’Arrigo said.

“It’s funny. We’re reactionary and unchanging in the way we do business, yet every day we’re changing,” he said.

New York Produce Show addresses pandemic past, present, future

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 16:04:02 GMT

NEW YORK — The virtual New York Produce Show and Conference kicked off with a message from New York Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball, who addressed the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If there is one silver lining that we can find through such a difficult period, I think it’s that there is a renewed appreciation of agriculture and our food system,” Ball said in a pre-recorded show introduction. “Buyers are more aware of the food supply chain and understand all the hard work that is done across the agricultural industry to get food on the tables nationwide.”

Ball also highlighted New York State Grown and Certified, the only program of its kind in the nation that certifies produce was grown in the state in a safe, environmentally-friendly way.

“(It) carries a broader message that consumers are looking for,” Ball said.

Running for more than 10 years, the New York show is the largest fixed-site produce event in the Americas, co-organizer Susan McAleavey Sarlund of Eastern Produce Council said in her introduction.

At the Dec. 9-11 event, there were more than 140 online exhibitors. Instant video chats were available at booths, with an option to schedule them for later.

Company descriptions, videos, photos, staff contacts and resources on new products, services and programs were also at the trade show booths.

The first day’s session recordings were posted by end of day and sponsored by Hunts Point Produce Market .

One of the featured speakers was Kelly Davis, director of produce and floral at Allegiance Retail Services , Iselin, N.J. The cooperative of 107 stores has 45 owners and 10 banners, from value-conscious chains such as Foodtown and Pathmark to higher-end Gristedes and D’Agostino, both New York City stalwarts.

To adjust to the changing demand and health and safety protocols, some of those stores transitioned employees from preparing food for delis and salad bars to shopping for home delivery.

“And they had to give more floor space to do that in our stores,” she said. “We’ve had triple-digit growth in online sales.”

Pre-pandemic partnerships with delivery services helped the transition.

Allegiance Retail stores are targeting marketing efforts much more online, including pop-up ads that encourage a customer to do last-minute shopping on those items.

“We’ve put more emphasis on social media — Facebook, Instagram — especially with produce,” Davis said, citing a monthly promotion of produce that are in season. “You’ve got to do more social media and more marketing on that online page now.”

Paul Kneeland, vice president of Encino, Calif.-based Gelson’s Market , a Southern California regional chain, said something as simple as replacing missing photos from the website shopping portal improves sales of those products.

“Because they’re buying with their eyes online,” Kneeland said.

In-store sampling, a key to encouraging customers to try new products, may be paused for now, but Gelson’s is trying it in a new way, such as virtual tastings that involve picking up a sample box at the store and joining in a live, online tasting event.

The merchandising team at Langhorne, Pa.-based McCaffrey’s Food Markets created quick-response codes at some displays, said Tony Mirack, produce and floral director of operations. Customers can scan the codes with their phones to watch “Produce Talks with Tony” episodes on McCaffrey’s YouTube channel.

It’s yet another innovation born from a COVID-19-induced challenge.

“I don’t think there’s going back to the old normal,” Kneeland said. “I think we’re in a new age.”

Pennsylvania Produce Month celebrated at produce auction

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:10:22 GMT

Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding visited Buffalo Valley Produce Auction in Mifflinburg, Pa., to present the governor’s Pennsylvania Produce Month proclamation to auction manager Neil Courtney and others.

The month-long celebration of locally grown vegetables is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Vegetable Marketing and Research Program to recognize the 101,000 tons of fresh and processed vegetables worth more than $60 million that are grown by more than 4,000 Pennsylvania farmers on 45,700 acres, according to a news release.

August is peak season for the state’s fresh vegetables.

In the U.S., Pennsylvania ranks ninth in production for sweet corn, 11th for tomatoes and 12th for cabbage grown for the fresh market, according to the release.

Buffalo Valley Produce Auction was established in 1987. Today’s buildings take up 128,000 square feet and include more than 180 dock spaces. The auction is one of the three largest produce auctions in the U.S., selling millions of dollars of Pennsylvania produce annually and holding the largest pumpkin auction in the world, according to the release.

Related news:

Experience the sights, sounds and voices of QPMA

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:19:57 GMT

As Quebec Produce Marketing Association organizers recover from another successful convention, let’s take a moment to fill in some notable details and people we haven’t already covered and look to next year.

At the August 8-10 convention’s industry brunch, Josée Petitclerc of Patates Dolbec gave a presentation about member activities as part of the I Love Fruits and Vegetables Contest, according to a news release. Petitclerc revealed winning project leaders who are helping the movement expand its reach across Quebec and beyond.

Winners were chosen in four categories:

Digital: Isabelle Lafont, Vergers Saint-Paul
Social Media: Annie Gagnon, Cultures de chez nous
Print: Pascal Guérin, Les Jardins A. Guérin & Fils (JAG)
Original: Georges Pitsikoulis, Canadawide

Mario Lalancette, QPMA director of strategy and communications, presented the new I Love Fruits and Veggies website. This streamlined version will be chock-full of easily accessed information and is intended to become the go-to site for anyone with an interest in the subject, according to the release. With seasonal produce listings, a blog, recipes, helpful advice and reviews of scientific studies, www.ilovefruitsandveggies.ca is for consumers, as well as industry and health professionals.

The I Love Fruits and Vegetables movement’s first year included event participation, an Instagram account launch, production of video clips with guests such as Guillaume Cantin of La Transformerie or Marjolaine Beauregard of Potager Mont-Rouge, and the team of ambassador-influencers – led by QPMA official spokesperson Julie DesGroseilliers:

Hubert Cormier, nutritionist
Virginie Goudreault (Blond Story), lifestyles editor and consultant
Caroline Huard (Loounie cuisine), health blogger
Jimmy Sévigny, fitness trainer and speaker

The next QPMA Convention will be August 13-15, 2020, in the newly renovated Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, with the theme “Connect, Cultivate, Grow.”

Related videos:

QPMA: Canadawide’s George Pitsikoulis is Pillar of the Industry

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:20:03 GMT

George Pitsikoulis was born into the produce business — almost literally.

As Pitsikoulis accepted his honor as the 2019 Quebec Pillar of the Industry at the August 8-10 Quebec Produce Marketing Association Convention in Quebec City, he told the crowd that his parents, John and Angeliki Pitsikoulis, opened a Montreal greengrocery in 1961.

Guy Fruits Store doubled as daycare for George and his two brothers, Mike and Nick, who were cradled by straw-filled crates as babies and when a little older, sent to farms and wholesalers to pick up stock.

Today, those three brothers run the family business, which evolved into Canadawide , a produce wholesale distributor with 35,000 square feet of space for 7,500 pallets, 15 storage coolers and more than 300 employees.

Old fuzzy photographs of Pitsikoulis as a baby, child and young adult flashed on the video screens at the Saturday evening banquet, attended by more than 450 people.

As Pitsikoulis was graduating from Concordia University with a bachelor’s degree in economics, his father created the company name, Canadawide, in 1983, adding a wholesale division, and transitioning fully into wholesale by 1989, leaving retail behind. By 2013, the brothers moved into new facilities that use the latest technology to preserve fruits and vegetables and have a dedicated section for storing and packaging the products distributed by Canadawide.

“We see our growth as a result of our efforts to continually improve, not as a goal in itself,” said Pitsikoulis, Canadawide president since 2002.

He told the crowd that vegetables used to be considered a side dish or garnish, but today, “it’s the heart of the meal,” buoyed by the 2019 Canada Food Guide recommendation to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables. “We’re supplying health to the public. We’re contributing to people’s wellbeing.”

Two of the most important issues in produce today are product safety and traceability, Pitsikoulis said.

“Maybe I’m dreaming, but we need to get to the point where recalls are a thing of the past,” he said.

Pitsikoulis is a man with integrity in all he does, said Dino Farrese, outgoing president of the QPMA board of directors and president of brokerage firm Bellemont Powell . Pitsikoulis was QPMA board president in 2011.

“Since then, you can count the number of events and meetings he’s missed on one hand, and have a few fingers left over,” Farrese said. “You can always count on George to help this industry grow.”

Pitsikoulis oversaw the “Fruits and Vegetables: They’re Hard to Resist” campaign during his presidency. He’s also been a member of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association board for several years.

Pitsikoulis maintains respectful, ethical business relationships with a warm, easygoing human dimension, Farrese said.

“He was dipped in some kind of magic potion at birth,” Farrese said.

Related news:

Tour this Boston-area retailer's produce department

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:41:02 GMT

We heard a lot of good things about the nearby Market Basket location while touring the Boston Market Terminal and New England Produce Center — so we stopped by ourselves to check out why it got such high praise.

What we experienced was a store that wasn’t high-end but had top-notch selection. The diversity of produce was almost mind-boggling, with large Latin, Caribbean and Asian sections. And the prices were still reasonable.

We also noticed the merchandising skill of combining like products. For instance, the intuitive placements of products like bottles of soy sauce above the fresh bok choy could nudge shoppers to buy when common recipe ideas are made easy.

Food trends popped up all over, from vegetable noodles to dragonfruit.

Watch our video slide show to see what you think.

Related news:

Boston-area produce professionals work smarter to survive and thrive

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:37:36 GMT

BOSTON — This Northeast U.S. region marked by wealth, smaller independent retailers, ethnic diversity and high-end foodservice keeps adjusting to today’s challenges to feed its people and those beyond its borders.

These characteristics mean good business for New England area fresh produce industry professionals — provided they work smarter and keep a tight control on their inventory to combat the rising costs of, well, everything.

“There’s a lot of power and opportunity that comes out of Boston,” said Fernando Aguiar, senior account manager for Naturipe Farms , an international grower-packer-shipper of berries.

New England is still the No. 1 market for berry consumption like it was 15 years ago, so it was a no-brainer to keep a Naturipe office in the region to this day, Aguiar said.

He handles big-box stores as well as club stores, foodservice and wholesale business in the office above the six-vendor Boston Market Terminal in Everett.

The terminal is a stone’s throw across the parking lot to the larger New England Produce Center in Chelsea, which is near the New England Flower Exchange.

“It’s also a big foodservice market in Boston,” Aguiar said. “They demand higher-grade specs, like a stem strawberry. We get requests for premium products, like a chocolate-dipped, nut-covered strawberry.”

Besides doing local blueberries and fill-ins for local retailers, in April, May and June, Everett-based Ruma Fruit and Produce Co. packs and distributes fresh fiddleheads in all major nationwide chain stores and foodservice suppliers, said Jim Ruma, company president.

“We have a very strong economy in the Boston area, a lot of new businesses coming into the city and new restaurants, hotels and retailers. The Boston area is very active in terms of growth,” Ruma said.

Peter Resteghini, who buys and sells mostly berries and melons for 4M Fruit Distributors at the New England Produce Center, said overall, business is steady day to day, although it’s changed.

“Dollar-wise, business is great. Volume is another story,” Resteghini said.

Retailers are asking for less volume, and growers are getting more yield from less acreage.

“It costs a lot more to package these products, so I think everybody has to work a little smarter, have better inventory control,” he said.

Supplying the trends

This urban environment where many cultures mix means there are more specialty items than ever.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Boston terminal price listings include large categories for tropical fruits and vegetables, Asian vegetables, nuts, herbs and ornamental flowers.

The nearby Market Basket retail location has a dizzying array of produce for the sophisticated trend-oriented shopper, as well as shoppers who stick to the food of their ethnic heritage. The rows of locally grown, organic, fresh-cut, value-added, packaged and loose Asian, Latin and Caribbean items are poised to satisfy most of the world’s preferences.

The top five retailers are Stop & Shop , C&C (a wholesaler), Hannaford , Shaw’s and Market Basket in the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine region, according to the latest Shelby Market Shares data. Major cities include Bangor, Boston, Manchester, Portland and Providence.

Buyers from these large regional retailers will go to the local wholesale markets to fill in their orders when their supplies from direct sources fall short, or when there are special deals.

The amount of variety in the area is getting almost ridiculous, said Stephen J. Condakes, vice president and director of marketing at Peter Condakes Co. in Chelsea.

“In the tomato line, if you walk through a supermarket, you will see the most confusing display of product that you could possibly see. I mean, we, here, carry maybe over 25 different [stock-keeping units] of different style tomatoes,” Condakes said as he stood in the tomato repacking plant.

“A supermarket will carry over 50. A shopper walks in and sees over 30 feet of tomatoes. What do you buy? It’s confusing.”

At the Peter Condakes Co. wholesale division, vegetable salesman Paul Coronella said he’s watched the consumer demand trends evolve since he started in this business in 1974. He’s amazed by the growing desire for more baby arugula year-round, and Brussels sprouts in fall and winter. Chicory seems to be dwindling in demand.

“That’s going absolutely crazy. It’s unbelievable,” Coronella said about baby arugula. “That’s an item that’s taken off just in the last couple years. Also, kale, year-round.”

History

Side by side, the Boston Market Terminal in Everett and New England Produce Center in Chelsea, plus all the large companies established in surrounding buildings, comprise the heart of New England’s fresh produce industry.

The produce center was completed in 1968 to replace the Faneuil Hall, where Boston area farmers had sold their fruits and vegetables since 30 years before the Revolutionary War.

It’s the largest privately owned terminal market in the U.S., organized by a board of directors comprised of tenants voted in annually, according to the center’s website. There are 128 store units, 24-feet-by-100-feet.

The center has 27 vendors today taking up those units, said manager John Lucero.

The terminal, which has six vendors today, was built later in 1968 for overflow. It’s owned by three major stockholder and a few smaller shareholders, said Jim Praski, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s officer-in-charge of Fruit and Vegetable Market News.

Railway access still enables train car delivery of carrots, potatoes and onions. Trucks drop off and pick up shipments on both sides of the facilities.

Finding a new niche

Boston’s wholesalers, distributers and marketers are consolidating while also diversifying to survive as national retailers bypass them to source directly at the farms.

Tommy Piazza, corporation clerk and head of potato procurement and sales at Community-Suffolk Inc. in Everett, said the Boston Market Terminal is helping large retailers in the New England region including Maine, Vermont, western Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island when they run long, as well as short.

“We can handle it for them, and handle it fairly,” Piazza said.

“In chain stores’ large-volume contract situations, if there’s a hiccup, they have a place to replace what they need. And with growers, if there’s surplus anywhere, there’s talent and integrity here to sell it at the market rate so as not to cause terrible damage in the market.”

To survive these days, Boston area produce professionals have to work in an even more “smart, honest way,” Piazza said. “The days of taking an extra margin — not that it was ever right — are done.”

For retailers, it’s no longer just filling the produce counter and hoping shoppers buy it. There’s a lot of dot-com business to be had, Aguiar said, from home-delivery programs to curbside pickup services to personal shoppers.

“They all do it a little differently,” Aguiar said.

“Change is coming, and we see that we’ll have to develop something that’s more dot-com efficient. As an industry, we’re going to figure it out — how to get one clamshell of strawberries delivered to your home.”

Related news: