Video

Why labor has reached a critical point in the fresh produce industry

Fri, 09 May 2025 15:02:31 GMT

It’s no secret the fresh produce industry relies on its workforce to maintain the constant supply of fruits and vegetables consumers crave. But the agriculture industry has been facing a labor crisis for a while, even for growers who use the H-2A guestworker visa program to secure the help they desperately need.

Jon DeVaney, president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, serving growers, packers and marketers of tree fruit in Washington, said he’s seen an increase in the use of H-2A in his state, which demonstrates the clear need for ag workers in the industry.

“You first have to recruit domestically at the higher wage rates required by the program and only if you can’t fill those better offer jobs with the higher wages domestically, only then are you approved for those foreign visa holders,” he said. “So that is a good proxy for the actual labor shortage domestically and it shows that even at increasing wages, you’re not pulling more people into the agricultural seasonal workforce.”

Those who participate in the H-2A program have a higher minimum wage to pay workers, pay for workers’ housing and transportation, including flights to and from the farm and visa and administrative costs to bring the workers to the U.S. DeVaney said all of those added costs make it harder and harder for growers to break even.

“Some of our data in the Northwest done by the Northwest Horticultural Council recently, showed that wages have been growing significantly faster in agriculture than in the overall economy based on the Department of Labor’s employment cost index,” he said. “So what we saw in 2023, for example, was that 99% of the gross returns for apple growers were going just to cover their labor costs. Everything else involved in growing your crop that year was just a loss because labor had basically eaten all of your returns, and that’s causing a lot of problems for growers.”

DeVaney said these problems for growers include having to remove orchards, decreased production and growers often choosing not to pick varieties a second or third time because it’s too cost-prohibitive to do so.

“In states like Washington that have implemented time-and-a-half overtime over 40 hours a week for agriculture, you’re not just looking at the $19.82 per hour adverse effect wage rate now for H-2A workers, but that plus 50%,” DeVaney said. “You’re looking at about a $30.00 an hour cost plus housing and so on. The labor costs of doing that additional harvest activity mean that frequently more growers are having to decide ‘I can’t pick that because it’s going to result in a significant loss.’ There’s no way you’re going to be able to sell that particular product at a decent return to cover that cost.”

And all of this means consumers might have fewer options in their grocery store, DeVaney said. He also said this will likely lead to more food waste as growers who used to donate unsold fruit to food banks now can’t afford to pick that fruit to donate.

“We’re seeing some reduction in supply, and it’s not just grower profit margins or, you know, ability to break even, but we’re seeing reduced supply into the food system that will have consequences for some consumers, so they might not be able to get everything that they want every time they want it with domestically produced produce,” he said.

Back to school promotions with Mike Mauti

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:41:24 GMT

The Packer’s editor Tom Karst visited Aug. 16 with retail consultant Mike Mauti about back-to-school promotions.

Mauti, the managing partner of Toronto-based Execulytics Consulting, teaches on sales, tonnage, gross profit, total contribution, market share, customer satisfaction, negotiation and more. He is a featured contributor for the Produce Market Guide and The Packer.

Look for Mike’s contributions at PMG’s Retail 101 web page.

Veterans Key in Homesteading America's Farms

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 18:57:02 GMT

A major milestone is approaching for the act that helped open the country to settlement by farmers and veterans. The Homestead Act was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20th, 1862 and is now approaching its 160-year anniversary.

“I think without the Homestead Act and without as many different people doing what they’ve done, this would be a very different country,” said historian Johnathan Fairchild with the Homestead National Historical Park in Beatrice, Nebraska. “The Homestead Act was in effect in 30 different states, basically from Florida and the southeast all the way to Alaska.”

(Farm Journal)

Fairchild says while it’s often thought of in that sense, the Homestead Act was not just in the Great Plains or western United States. It took settlers all over the country.

Roughly 270 million acres, or 10% of U.S. land, was ultimately opened to be claimed and settled.

“That was an area about the size of California and Texas put together and so it is a huge part of our country’s history,” said Fairchild. “Homesteading ended in the lower 48 in 1976 while Alaska got a special 10-year extension.”

Fairchild said from 1976-1986, Alaska was the last state that you could homestead.

Over the years, thousands of citizens including former slaves, immigrants and veterans became landowners through the Act.

“In fact, the very first and very last homesteaders were both veterans,” said Fairchild.

(Farm Journal)

Land titles could be bought from the government for just $1.25 an acre but they came with stipulations. A claim required you to stay on the land for five years build a home and farm it. History shows about 50% of homesteaders made it all five years.

“Farmers were often dealing with locusts eating their crops, dealing with blizzards, dealing with prairie fires, and frankly, just dealing with the extreme loneliness of knowing that there just maybe a few homesteaders within several miles of you,” said Fairchild. “So having to make it through the isolation and all of that made it very, very difficult for sure.”

Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota, and Colorado had the highest number of successful claims. Many veterans were homesteaders because they were able to receive extra benefits from the Act. Those added benefits also extended to the widows and children of veterans.

“You could get more land than you could if you didn’t serve, you could get better quality land and you could take time from your military service and apply that to the five-year requirement to live on the land,” explains Fairchild.

Civil War veteran Daniel Freeman was the first homesteader to file a claim.

“On January 1st, 1863, he actually met a land office agent at a New Year’s Eve party and convinced them to open up the office and let him sign right at midnight as soon as the law took effect,” said Fairchild.

(Farm Journal)

Today, his home is the location of the Homestead National Historical Park where rangers help tell the homesteading story and assist some of the 93 million descendants of homesteaders living in America to learn more about their family history.

“So, there’s a one in three or maybe one in four chance that you’re tied to the homesteading story,” said Fairchild.

A story that helped not just populate the country but also jump-start a revolution.

“It changed our country and turned America into an industrial superpower, in part because of turning us into the breadbasket of the world,” said Fairchild.

For more information on a family’s homesteading history or go to the Homestead National Historic Park’s website .

Tropical Storm Season is Far From Over

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 22:07:35 GMT

Meteorologist Matt Engelbrecht is tracking the latest storms in the Atlantic. Click on the video link to watch his complete forecast.

Iowa State Farming Lab Brings Real World Skills to Students

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 20:42:47 GMT

Iowa State University hosts more than 30,000 students from across the globe each year. Many of those students choose to make the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences their home during the four-year stay. For some of these students, that means spending a semester or two on the farm.

(Farm Journal)

Each semester, about 60 students farm roughly 600 acres, helping to do the work and make the decisions that go into keeping this Iowa farming business afloat.

It’s a real-life, real-world experience that comes complete with the option to try new things and work with of the country’s biggest companies.

Iowa State’s Assistant Teaching Professor Skyler Rinker says AG 450 students have many opportunities to interact with large agricultural companies.

“Relationships are key with industry partners to help improve your operation. To continue learning and grow as an operation, to me, is a very critical component when we’re talking about production agriculture,” says Rinker.

(Farm Journal)

Companies like Pivot Bio offer products and plots for students to test those new ideas.

“In terms of fertilizer and our practices, it’s about not always doing things just because they’ve been done that way for 40 years and looking to be more sustainable and adapt new and modern technologies as they become available,” says Rinker. “I think looking at fertilizer and nitrogen alternatives to synthetics was something that fit very well in looking toward the future.”

Rinker says the farm is self-funded and like a real Iowa farm, is subject to the ups and downs of the ag economy.

From the Editor

As a recent graduate of Iowa State University (Agricultural Studies, May 2020), I can attest to the benefits the AG 450 Farm brings to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

At the beginning of the semester, students are assigned to a committee – crops, machinery, public relations, buildings and grounds, customers and swine, or finance and marketing—and they work to maintain their subject area each week in lab.

(Farm Journal)

Once a week during lab, the class is split into teams. Each team includes one person from each committee. Teams are advised to work together to complete weekly teachings.

During the course of my semester in AG 450, my team and I measured grain bins, hauled out finished pigs, completed an in-person farm safety course, and selected spring 2021 corn and soybean hybrids suitable to our soil profiles as well as any crop insurance we saw fit.

(Farm Journal)

COVID-19 did put an end to our in-class lab sessions. However, had we completed our spring semester in person, my team would have many more experiences under our belt. A few of those being spring plant and spray, overseeing plans for a bike path to run through our farm and fields, and laying the groundwork for the possibility of a new, on-farm classroom.

Had the AG 450 Farm course not been required for my major, I’m certain I would not have been given the opportunity to harness these skills, nor would others who make their way through the College of Agriculture.

Jenna Hoffman

Content Creator, Agriculture & Food Policy and Innovation

Cooler Temperatures on the Way for the Midwest

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 13:12:02 GMT

Meteorologist Matt Engelbrecht has an update on the chances for rain in the East, along with cooler conditions in the Midwest. Click on the video link to watch his latest forecast.

The Weather Picture Across the Country Has Snow & Thunderstorms

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 14:13:40 GMT

Meteorologist Matt Yarosewick is tracking snow on the West Coast and rain in the South. To find out where these weather systems are heading next, click on the video link to watch his complete forecast.

First Shot of Colder Air on the Way

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 13:11:07 GMT

Meteorologist Mike Hoffman takes a look at the changes coming for the jet stream and what that means for weather in the West. Click on the video link to see his latest forecast.

U.S. & China Expected to Hold Virtual Meeting

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 13:15:29 GMT

A virtual working meeting is expected before year’s end between President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The Associated Press first reported on the development, citing a senior administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly. The official said details about the meeting are still being worked out.

The agreement to hold the meeting came about as US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi began talks Wednesday in Switzerland. It’s reported the two met for six hours. It comes amid rising tensions between the two countries.

This is the first face-to-face meeting with Yang since the two sides met in Alaska in March. That meeting got off to a rocky start with both sides trading barbs. The US accused the Chinese delegation of “grandstanding”. Beijing officials fired back saying there was a “strong smell of gunpowder and drama” that was the fault of the Americans.

The White House says the latest meeting between the two sides in Switzerland follows up on President Biden’s September 9th call with the Chinese President. The call ended a nearly seven-month gap in direct communication between the two leaders.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai stated earlier this week she would soon hold direct talks with her Chinese counterpart. Tai says she wants to focus on pushing China to keep up with its purchase commitments under the Phase One Trade Agreement. That agreement is scheduled to end in December. The tariffs placed on China before the agreement went into effect, remain in place for now.

Weather Extremes: Heat & Snowfall!

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 13:14:04 GMT

Some areas of the country are already looking to build up a snowpack. Meteorologist Matt Engelbrecht shows us where, and what’s keeping higher temperatures in place for others. Click on the video link to watch his complete story.

Rural Hospitals Face Staffing Shortages Amid Omicron Outbreak

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 21:06:39 GMT

Bare shelves, absent employees and virtual schooling, are all signs of the latest surge from the Omicron variant of COVID. While health officials say the peak may be passing in some of the nation’s biggest cities in rural America, the wave is just beginning.

“Looking at data this morning from the CDC, we’re seeing a lot of rural towns having a six percent to a 15 percent increase in COVID over the last forty-eight hours,” said Alan Morgan the CEO of the National Rural Health Association .

The highly transmissible, and in many cases the milder, omicron variant has been pushing COVID-19 positive rates higher since late fall. Now the wave is finding its way to rural America.

“The real impact is on these small rural hospitals and their workforce where the workforce has always been a problem for rural facilities,” said Morgan. “Now, after we’ve seen the pandemic really flatten the rural workforce and we’re seeing a lot of rural health care professionals become infected with COVID, they’re struggling, honestly, to have the staffing that they need at this moment.”

(Watch the full interview above)

He says getting help often means hiring traveling nurses and usually it’s at twice the cost.

“They’re not always available,” Morgan says. “In many cases, the urban facilities are utilizing this service as well, too.”

Staff or no staff, small rural hospitals often must transfer seriously ill patients but currently, options are limited. EMS services in rural areas are also short-staffed.

“These three things are combining to make a really unsafe situation in our rural hospitals,” Morgan says. “One thing we’ve been talking to the federal government about is assisting the states in coordinating the workforce when it comes to these surges.”

Morgan is also hoping for improved communication and coordination from state and federal officials to help transfer patients between hospitals if needed.

While money and finances have been a concern in the past, today it’s just about people.

“There are only so many bodies to be had to be able to work in these small hospitals,” said Morgan. “It doesn’t matter how many beds you have; you have to have the people to staff those, and that’s really the crisis we’re in right now.”

Related Links:

Dr. Fauci on COVID Pandemic — “It Will End”

Watercooler Chat: New editors, GOPEX and retail shortages

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:27:37 GMT

We wanted to introduce our new editors in a more casual, fun, personal way via video and audio, so you can become familiar with these faces.

You might be working with them on a story about your company soon.

Tom Karst, editor of The Packer, and Amy Sowder, retail editor of The Packer and editor of PMG, grill (just kidding) Melissa Treolo copy editor and content coordinator and Ed Boling, West Coast editor.

Based in Kansas, Treolo comes from a newspaper background, having worked as a reporter, copy editor, designer and more. Based in California, Boling has a background in agriculture and media, including sales.

Then there’s the Global Organic Produce Expo Jan. 31-Feb. 2 in Hollywood, Fla. We detail what sessions there will be, plus the ‘80s cover band and more.

Find out more about GOPEX .

And then, we get into some of the news of the week: produce and staff shortages at retailers. We delve into the how and why. Spoiler alert: It’s complicated.

Read more: Why produce shelves are spotty, staff are missing .

If you’d rather listen to this watercooler-style chat than watch it, you can try our Tip of the Iceberg Podcast . Or just find it on your favorite platform for listening to podcasts.

EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Fauci on COVID Pandemic — "It Will End"

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 21:38:57 GMT

The omicron variant surge of COVID-19 might appear to be cresting in some big cities, but the latest wave is far from over, especially in many rural communities, says Dr. Anthony Fauci. The chief medical adviser to President Biden says smaller towns should expect omicron outbreaks to increase in the coming weeks.

“When you have an outbreak of a new variant, there’s a delay,” says Dr. Fauci regarding rural outbreak trends. “Rather than have the sharp peak and then come down, you sort of gradually go up and then come back down.”

In a one-on-one interview with Farm Journal Editor and AgDay TV host, Clinton Griffiths, Dr. Fauci says as vaccination numbers and unvaccinated COVID survivors increase the pandemic will end.

“It will end. I can guarantee you and your viewers it will end hopefully sooner rather than later,” Dr. Fauci says. “We will reach a point where the virus will be low enough in the community as to not have any impact on what we do, so we can get ourselves back to some form of normality and it doesn’t interrupt the economy or interrupt our way of life. That’s what we’re hoping we’re going to see within a reasonable period of time.”

(Watch Full Interview Above)

The highly transmissible omicron variant has helped to push COVID-19 positive rates higher since late fall. The weekly rolling average of COVID-19 deaths is now at 1,700. That’s about half what it was in January 2021.

“If you look at the devastation in this country thus far, we’ve had 850,000 deaths and about 66 million cases,” Dr. Fauci says.

New models from the COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub , created by university and health experts, which now factor in the omicron variant, expect up to 2.38 million hospitalizations and 304,000 deaths, at worst, and 409,000 hospitalizations and 54,000 deaths, at best, from mid-December through mid-March. Those models show the omicron peak sometime between February and March.

(Farm Journal)

“To be sure, there are breakthrough infections, namely, people get vaccinated and even boosted, and they may get infected,” says Dr. Fauci. “For the most part, though, those infections are either without symptoms or minimally symptomatic.”

Dr. Fauci says in many, but not all, rural areas, vaccination rates are lower compared with the rest of the country. While strongly advocating for vaccines and boosters to prevent hospitalization or severe illness, Dr. Fauci recognizes all immunity will ultimately work together against the coronavirus.

“I think when you get a situation of more and more people getting vaccinated and boosted or unfortunately, people getting sick or getting infected, then recovering and having a degree of protection, if you combine those two, there will be enough protection in the country,” says Fauci in reference to an eventual end of the pandemic.

The federal government is now offering free coronavirus test kits to some Americans. Those with a valid residential address can go to COVIDTests.gov to get one set of four free at-home COVID tests starting in late January.

Tip of the Iceberg Podcast — Dole, Clarifruit create AI quality-control software

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:27:53 GMT

In this episode, we chat with Elad Mardix, CEO and cofounder of Clarifruit, based in Israel, about his partnership with Dole in rolling out what he says is the world’s first artificial intelligence-powered quality control software solution.

Watch the video of this interview here.

In early 2021, Dole concluded a pilot project with Clarifruit for its pineapple exports from the Philippines to six markets. Clarifruit’s new quality-control software and computer-vision technology is used to automate fresh produce quality inspection and evaluation and analyzes factors such as size, color, stem color or any visible defects.

The goal includes the ability for U.S. companies to download the Clarifruit software on mobile devices as well as desktop computers, and to connect with and integrate that company packinghouse’s existing quality-control sorting technology. Also, imported fruit can be evaluated by the U.S. buyer while it’s in the grower’s country using set standards and specifications, without the subjectivity of human error.

Mardix said that so far, this project has more than doubled productivity and reduced error-prone quality control reports. The two companies are now in the process of scaling this technology to more markets, including the U.S., and more fruit categories beyond pineapples.

It could change the way we do quality control for imports and exports, at the retail and wholesale levels.

Listen to the interview on your favorite platform for podcasts, such as Apple or Audible . You can also listen by pressing the purple play button below.

The association with Clarifruit was kickstarted when Dole started its Dole Sunshine For All Fund, announced in early 2021, which seeks to partner with innovative startups to accelerate its adoption of innovation and technology. The partnership will bring Dole closer to its commitment of achieving zero fruit loss by 2025.

FoodMix: Watch these 4 produce trends for 2022

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:27:44 GMT

We pulled out the four trends that pertain to the produce industry from the predictions released by Chicago-based FoodMix Marketing Communications.

These trends are based on extensive industry research, FoodMix’s proprietary content and 30 years of experience to shed light on how the food industry is changing, innovating, improving and expanding across all channels.

To learn even more about how these trends can influence your business, watch the video , hosted by The Packer editor Tom Karst and retail editor Amy Sowder, also PMG editor.

For The Packer and PMG, Dan O’Connell, FoodMix CEO, focuses on four points.

The first plant-based meal was an apple. The pioneers of the plant-based category are back with branded produce. FoodMix research shows two-thirds of shoppers will pay more for branded fresh produce. They feel as though they can trust produce brands to be fresher, safer and higher quality. There are challenges, though. Unlike other categories, consumers struggle naming multiple favorites. But, FoodMix has evidence that there’s a great return on investment, that consumers will pay up to 10% more for branded produce. Manufacturers can compete with retail brands by sharing authentic stories, and meeting consumer needs, adding value beyond the label.

What’s in it for me? The year 2022 will see consumers wondering “what’s in it for me?” when it comes to sustainability, so brands will need messaging to be more benefit-driven than ever before. Broad sustainability promises will fall on deaf ears. It’s considered “sustainability washing.” Sustainability needs to be framed in a consumer benefit way, such as, grown clean, sustainable packaging and the farm-to-table journey.

The desire for community pushes farmers markets forward. Consumers are craving in-person social interaction again, and farmers markets are quickly becoming a welcome community builder. FoodMix expects these markets to expand and upgrade selections for locals, who are shopping there more than ever before. It’s a natural way for produce brands to build brands, one market at a time.

An upgrade to your supermarket perimeter. FoodMix research showed that consumers’ perceptions of a store’s fresh perimeter differ significantly by department. Expect savvy retailers to start offering better tasting, more craft-like options for discerning consumers. It’s called “premium-ization,” adding value, flavor, interest, adventure or food news. Produce does not rank high in scores for taste and craveability, until it’s a brand —a huge profitable opportunity.

Watch the video for a more in-depth discussion of these trends and how they can affect your business.

Why exotic fruit matters — a chat with Angela Scarfia

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:27:05 GMT

In Episode 3 of Season 2 of the “Tip of the Iceberg” podcast, we meet Angela Scarfia, a bonafide exotic fruit expert — and in her “free” time, no less.

She creates TikTok and Instagram posts, especially reel videos, showing her tasting and talking about different kinds of exotic fruit.

Scarfia shows her audience (including 30,700 TikTok followers and 18,500 Instagram followers) how to buy, store, ripen, prepare and eat everything from purple star apples, orange watermelon, mamey sapote , lemon guava, huckleberry, lychee , durian, rambutan, star fruit, kiwano/horned melon, tamarillo , sapodilla/butterscotch candy and soursop.

To name a few.

This woman sometimes makes dishes out of the produce, and she often educates people on how and where it’s grown, nutritional value, where to find it, and all sorts of tidbits of information.

Related news: NYC fruit influencer: Here’s how to market your company on social media

Scarfia also leads exotic fruit tours in New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood and in Costa Rica. She partners with growers and brands to spread awareness about their exotic products too.

Find out why Scarfia does all this. After all, it’s not even her full-time job. She already has one of those, and it’s not even related to produce.

No Decision From President Biden on Lifting China Tariffs...Yet

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 20:32:31 GMT

President Biden says he has not made a decision yet on whether to lift some of the $370 billion of tariffs imposed on Chinese imports by the Trump Administration. Biden has been talking about rolling those duties back for weeks as a way to curb inflation while opening a new exclusion process for firms to win additional relief. However, there are mixed opinions on whether or not the cuts will take place, whether China will reciprocate, and what the impact will be on agriculture.

Farm Journal Analyst Jim Wiesemeyer tells us he is not optimistic about tariff relief materializing. And if it does, he says it won’t have much direct effect on ag imports into China.

“On the initial ones, I don’t see much because U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai wants some leverage,” he says. “Although China has clearly shown that it is not going to move them. So initially I don’t see it will be part of the $10 billion.”

One caveat is some targeted duties could be dropped which would lower farmers’ costs such as the 25% tax on semiconductors and other parts that go into farm machinery. Plus, crop protection product ingredients.

Frayne Olson, NDSU crop marketing economist says, “Some of the basic chemistry we import from China, we add in the specialized ingredients here and they’re sold in the U.S. So, this reduction or potential elimination of import tariffs may have an impact on the input side, the cost of inputs coming in.”

And while tariffs on soybeans imported from China were already under some import exclusions, officials with the American Soybean Association say any further movement on the 301 and 232 tariffs will be helpful.

Steve Censky, American Soybean Association CEO says, “Even though the tariff China has right now for a lot of these state-owned enterprises has been suspended on soy imports, they’re still hanging out there and it has a bit of a chilling effect.” So, Censky is optimistic about the impact at least a partial reduction of levies will have on the ag industry.

Wiesemeyer says the tariff reduction isn’t likely to lower inflation and is an admission that tariffs don’t work. Additionally, the White House has also been weighing a new investigation into Chinese subsidies and their damage to the American economy as a way to pressure Beijing on trade.

Who won PMG's fall 2022 Produce Artist Award Series contest — and why?

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 16:39:33 GMT

Fall is long gone but the winners of PMG’s fall 2022 produce display contest are as fresh as the coming spring.

Who won? Why? Watch the winner webinar where the judges and host Amy Sowder discuss each category and winning work, breaking down best-of practices, tricks, tips and things to avoid when merchandising your produce in-store.

In one twist, a produce professional earned a new winning title of “Honorable Mention” because he kept earning runner-up over and over.

The judges have a lot of experience with retail merchandising:

Joe Watson: vice president of retail, foodservice and wholesale for International Fresh Produce Association; former director of produce for Rouses Markets; 2014 Produce Retailer of the Year; and columnist for The Packer and PMG.
Armand Lobato: Foodservice promotion director of the Idaho Potato Commission; formerly a produce category manager, merchandiser and buyer; ProduceEDU lecturer; longtime columnist for The Packer and PMG.

For a quick hit of what’s to come in the webinar, here are the winners for each category:

APPLES

Charles Chapman at Military Produce Group.

(Farm Journal)

HARD SQUASH

Carlos Matos of Longo’s in Toronto.

(Farm Journal)

PEARS

Brian Dey, senior merchandiser at Four Seasons Produce.

(Farm Journal)

PUMPKINS

J. Jude Leong of Osan Air Base Commissary in South Korea.

(Farm Journal)

SWEET POTATOES

Armando Arias of UNFI.

(Farm Journal)

HONORABLE MENTION

Stephen Daly at Military Produce Group for apples, hard squash and sweet potatoes

(Farm Journal)

BEST PRODUCE MERCHANDISER OR SPECIALIST

Ruben M Flores of El Rio Grande Latin Market in Dallas; he submitted displays also from his work at Central Market and Whole Foods Market, both also in the Dallas area.

(Farm Journal)

BEST PRODUCE MANAGER

Rigo Vargas of Sunset Foods, Highland Park, Ill.

(Farm Journal)

The top merchandiser and manager will receive prizes, and category winners will be featured in different platforms of PMG and The Packer, including print publications, online articles, social media, guides and other materials.

To enter PMG’s winter 2023 contest of the Produce Artist Award Series, send six to 10 large photos of your displays — especially citrus, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Chilean produce and mushrooms — to artists@producemarketguide.com . The deadline to enter is March 4.

Organic waste from ShopRite stores powers part of Connecticut town

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 13:05:22 GMT

The Cingari family business began with one man and a produce pushcart in the 1920s and has since grown to 12 Cingari Family ShopRite supermarkets across Connecticut , part of the Wakefern Food Corp.

And now they’re modernizing with environmental sustainability in mind — and they’re especially proud of how they’re transforming organic waste to power a large part of a nearby town. Tom Cingari, vice president of produce, floral and e-commerce, talks on the “Tip of the Iceberg” podcast about these changes, as well as produce trends and digital impulse buys.

“We’ve literally done everything from when you walk in the door, straight through,” Cingari said of the flagship Norwalk, Conn., store on the podcast interview. “We’ve gone really, really heavy on the perishable side of the business.”

The Norwalk store’s produce department has new refrigeration and wooden bin-style tables, many low to the ground: “So you can see over the entire department and see all of the color. And it just looks incredible, and it gets people excited about buying produce,” he said.

Related news: Longtime owner of Connecticut ShopRite stores dies

The Cingaris converted all of the store’s refrigeration cases to high-efficiency refrigeration, including doored refrigeration. So, even though they added 10% to 15% more refrigeration to the store with the additions, they’re actually saving about 30% in energy.

Then there’s Blue Earth Compost’s Quantum Biopower program .

In the past, after pulling out what perishable food could go to food banks and pantries, the rest of it would go in the trash, besides some composting.

“There was never an outlet for some of that perishable waste, which, for me, is everything from produce,” he said.

The Quantum Biopower program repurposes all that organic waste — fresh produce, dairy, meat, bread — by processing it in an organic digester.

“It encapsulates all of the ethylene gas that would typically just go out into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas and turns that into energy. And they actually are able to send power to an entire part of one town in Southington, Conn., all using organic waste,” he said.

The waste becomes energy that is used to power government buildings and more in the town with a population of 43,800 people. All 12 stores are participating in this program.

This new program also means there’s less waste that the Cingari stores have to haul out, which means lower energy costs from trucks that have to haul dumpsters.

“There’s a long downstream effect of getting rid of some of that super heavy waste,” Cingari said.

Because this technology is relatively new, it’s not actually saving the stores money yet, but it balances out with the financial savings from no longer needing to haul out all that waste.

This supermarket practice of transforming organic waste into energy isn’t that common yet in the Northeast, while it is a bit more common on the West Coast, Cingari said.

“But it’s definitely a trend we’re seeing across the board,” he said.

Learn: More produce-specific trends and sales strategies from Cingari of the Connecticut ShopRite stores on the “Tip of the Iceberg” podcast

'Tip of the Iceberg' podcast — Give walnuts a fresh makeover

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 14:38:30 GMT

Walnuts need a major makeover.

Usually, about 65% of the walnuts grown in California are sold to the overseas market, but a September heat wave means darker walnuts, which isn’t the preferred style for that market, said Robert Verloop, CEO of the California Walnut Commission.

Listen to the full interview here or on your favorite podcast platform.

So, the commission and its producers are shifting their focus to more domestic markets. The commission has a plan for a walnut makeover to increase sales and consumption.

Walnuts can be two things at once: fit into the health focus of the new year but also the comfort-food indulgences that consumers gravitate toward in winter, such as brownies and cookies.

“But our long-term vision, really, is to shift walnuts into more of a fresh, eating-out-of-hand snacking opportunity,” Verloop said. “We’ve had a phenomenal health story to tell about walnuts, but that gets kind of lost in the baking aisle.”

Learn more: Walnuts

The commission is developing retail promotions with cheese, yogurts, cereals and a lot of other fresh produce items. The commission’s research in the past year showed that well over 70% of the people understood that walnuts go together very well with fresh produce items because of the health benefits.

Verloop is impressed by the “thoughtful and progressive” programs conducted by some almond and pistachio sectors. “But walnuts haven’t had that same level of attention. And a lot of that has to do with the industry’s focus has been on international development,” he said — plus walnuts’ relegation to the baking aisle.

In 2023, there are about 4,000 walnut growers and more than 70 handlers for a crop that’s typically about 1.5 billion pounds. Normally, the primary markets are Turkey, Germany, elsewhere in Europe, the Middle East, India, Japan and Korea.

In places like Turkey and throughout Europe, walnut consumption is in the kilos per year, while in the U.S., it’s 0.7 pounds per year. “That barely scratches the surface. And especially when you consider that a lot of that is in the baking application,” he said.

Verloop wants to increase the points of distribution and improve walnut packaging.

The commission is funded by mandatory assessments of the growers and is an agency of the state of California, working with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, focusing on health research and export market development activities.

These are some walnut findings and tips than can help retailers:

Commission research found that 76% of consumers are more likely to purchase walnuts when they are displayed alongside fresh fruits and vegetables in the produce aisle. The most obvious pairings are squash, apples and pears, but salad greens and many, many other pairings work well.
Tap into consumers’ focus on health by displaying walnuts with their top nutritional benefits — especially omega-3 fatty acids.
Retail registered dietitians can encourage consumers to incorporate walnuts into their meals and snacks, providing information about the broad health benefits and suggesting easy and delicious ways to eat walnuts on a regular basis.
Look for better packaging, more flavors, special walnut butters and a walnut meat program.
Market, promote and merchandise walnuts on boards, following the butter, vegetable and charcuterie board trend.

The California walnut industry is seeking to do more direct activities with retailers, whether through the commission, or individual companies, Verloop said.

“Our handlers that are developing some of these new products are reaching out,” Verloop said. “I think there’s a latent opportunity to expand — really significantly — a high value item that doesn’t need a tremendous amount education.”

Listen: Full interview with Robert Verloop on the “Tip of the Iceberg” podcast here .

Inflation Moderating but Still Above Fed Target — Signals Higher Interest Rates

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 21:57:09 GMT

Inflation is moderating, but still well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% inflation goals. The Labor Department reports the January Consumer Price Index up 6.4% in January from a year earlier. That is down from the peak of 9.1% in June, the highest reading since 1981. However, for January the CPI increased .5%, compared with a .1% increase in December.

The FOMC uses the CPI data to gauge inflation, along with the Personal Consumption Expenditure or PCE. Both are indicating while the Fed may not be as aggressive with rate hikes as they were in 2022, they still have some work to do to get to their target of 2% inflation for the U.S. economy. Darin Newsom, Sr. Market Analyst, Barchart says, “We’re going to continue to see interest rate hikes probably still the same variety, 25-basis point moves. I don’t expect the U.S. Federal Reserve to come in full borer and go back to 50-basis point moves anytime soon. I don’t think it’s that hot of an inflation market you know, but we’re still seeing higher prices and so we’re still going to see interest rate hikes over the course of 2023 that’s just the way it is.”

That means it will cost much more to borrow money, especially for farmers buying land, equipment and for inputs to plant this year’s crop. Ag finance experts say that means they need to be strategic with their operating notes and long-term debt financing. Ashley Arrington, Director of Real Estate, Ag Resource Management says, “I mean lines of credit are normally at a variable rate. Well, this year with the Fed still talking about other rate increases on the table it probably makes sense to discuss a fixed rate. So, a fixed rate on an operating line to take that risk off the table.”

Ag finance experts are also recommending that if farmers have grain they can sell to generate some cash for some of all of their operating costs that might a better strategy than paying the high interest cost for borrowing money.

One key market indicator of higher interest rates ahead in 2023 is the yields on 10-year treasury note yields have bottomed and are starting to turn higher again at around 3.76%.

USDA Announces Additional Disaster and Pandemic Assistance: Climate Smart Ag Programs to Follow

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 17:04:23 GMT

USDA will soon announce another round of climate smart ag projects to receive funding. Secretary of Ag Tom Vilsack mentioning those projects during the recent 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference. The first round of climate-smart ag funding awarded $2.8 billion to 70 projects. Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie says, “These are projects for historically underserved producers, smaller producers, efforts to get smaller farmers more innovative approaches together. So that’s coming out soon.” Bonnie says the programs will reward farmers who are early adopters and already have some of the climate-smart practices in place.

There was also 20 billion dollars of conservation funding in the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law in August. He says, “We’re going to take some public input on it. But we’re already working on ways to deploy those resources, our hope is early in the new year, to be able to start to get those programs up to the state to be able to deploy those to farmers, so coming coming quickly, this winter.”

USDA also announced additional disaster assistance with Phase Two of the Emergency Relief Program. FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux says Its revenue-based targeting crops not eligible under ERP One. “It will look at the revenue impact of climate related disasters for the years in question between 2020 to 2021. And ERP Phase 2 is going to pay based on that number, the difference between a typical year and the impacted year.” So far UDSA has paid out $7.1 billion for ERP one and ELRP for livestock.

Ducheneaux says it was announced along with the Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program. “It’s also going to be a revenue-based approach which will let producers choose either 2018, 2019 and measure the impact on their revenue for 2020 because of the pandemic.”

Ducheneaux also tells AgDay the agency is working to address the concerns red flagged by the Government Accountability Office about USDA making payments to ineligible producers in the initial COVID assistance program.

Tree to Table: Hudson River Fruit Distributors to Heritage Food + Drink

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:25:34 GMT

MILTON and WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. — Four generations of Albinders have run Hudson River Fruit Distributors , a smidge more than an hour’s drive from New York City.

These days, the fourth generation is taking on more as Alisha Albinder Camac, the vice president of sales and marketing, is a partner in ownership of restaurants with her husband, Jesse Camac. One restaurant, Heritage Food + Drink, has an Apple Crisp for Two dessert featuring local apples — including Hudson’s. Marcus Albinder, Alisha’s younger brother, has recently taken on the role of operations manager and gave us a tour of the orchards and the packing house.

Related news: Marcus Albinder takes leadership role at Hudson River Fruit Distributors

This video was shot during New York’s peak harvesting season in the Lower Hudson Valley in mid-September. The company’s apples are stored in cold warehouses for differing times depending on the variety and best-tasting times. The company also has farms elsewhere and packs and ships apples from other farms.

These apples, from macintosh to SnapDragon, also end up in supermarket shelves, sometimes in totes with Apples from New York labels.

Ride along with us as we take this apple journey.

Other news: Variety show of Eastern apples, now and coming next

One Nebraska Farmer Says Improving Soil Health Helped Keep Her on the Land

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 22:12:19 GMT

In a moisture deficit area, such as southwest Nebraska, conservation and regenerative practices have long been a staple for farmers. These methods boost soil health and help make their farms more productive and economically stable. That’s important especially in drought years such as 2022.

“Conservation is farming in southwest Nebraska.” That mindset is a necessity for Tracy Zink. Moisture is typically scarce where she farms near Indianola, Neb., so it’s essential she preserve every drop. She accomplishes that by disturbing the soil as little as possible, even for weed control.

“For the most part all of our dryland we try very hard to be no-till. If weeds get away from us or they’re resistant we try to only do the spot where the resistance is,” she says.

No-till practices have improved organic matter and soil health, which keeps even heavy rains from running off and eroding the soil. Plus they leave as much crop residue intact after harvest as possible.

“We try to always have residue on top to help protect soil from blowing,” Zink explains. “When I think about soil quality it’s also that it stays put.”

Crop rotation is also important. On irrigated acres that includes two seasons of corn followed by soybeans. Zink says the dryland rotations are more diverse but depend on moisture levels. We always do wheat, hard red winter wheat is our base for the next crop. Following that, half the acres go to milo and half of our wheat acres go to corn. Then the following year they become corn or milo. The year following is typically summer fallow.

Zink does annual soil testing to set a baseline for fertility, and with the arid environment, she says she has to strike a balance between yield and conservation.

“I don’t look for home runs in yield because I don’t have the water for it. I already have to have that conservation mindset for my yield goals,” she says.

Every practice Zink incorporates on her farm must fit into her holistic approach to conservation because she wants to continue the work her grandparents started. “As you look out and around, none of this would be possible if we weren’t incredibly mindful about proper stewardship, soil conservation and managing wind and water erosion.”

By improving soil health she knows her farm will be sustainable for years to come.

Video: Chef, humanitarian José Andrés delights crowd at IFPA

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:25:39 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. — Chef José Andrés believes in longer tables.

Speaking for almost an hour to more than 1,000 people at International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral Show, Andrés said food — handled in a better way — has the power to heal the body, the spirit and the community.

“You are going to be solving many of the problems we are facing where food is at the middle, and we need to say, food needs to stop being the problem,” Andrés told the produce industry. “And actually, food is going to be the solution.”

Twice named one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People” and awarded “Outstanding Chef” and “Humanitarian of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation, Andrés is an internationally recognized culinary innovator, New York Times bestselling author, educator, television personality, humanitarian and chef.

Andrés and his partner, Rob Wilder, formed ThinkFoodGroup, which created almost three dozen dining concepts in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Miami, the Bahamas, Orlando, New York City and Chicago — from food trucks to world-class tasting menus, including the two-Michelin-starred minibar by José Andrés in Washington, D.C.

He established World Central Kitchen in 2010 to feed the masses — using culinary training programs to empower communities and strengthen economies, as well as provide food disaster relief after natural disasters and other emergencies around the globe.

Since then, they’ve served nearly 4 million meals to the people of Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Maria and responded to dozens of worldwide disasters, distributing tens of millions of meals in the process.

“And in response to the pandemic that we’ve all just lived through, his organization has partnered with restaurants, small farms and community leaders around the country to try to combat food insecurity,” IFPA show emcee Michael Jackson said. Andrés is a naturalized U.S. citizen, originally from Spain, and is renowned as a tireless advocate for immigration reform.

Some of the inspiration for World Central Kitchen came from watching the horror of thousands of people sheltering in the Superdome, yet going hungry after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans.

“They were in the arena without food and water. You know how far away are the main food warehouses of New Orleans from the arena — 0.4 miles! You and I could go walking, under the water, grab bags of food — fruits and vegetables — bring them to the arena and problem solved in 10 minutes,” he said.

“I began to realize that actually, even restaurant people like me, people like you, if we can come together, we could do, in the middle of the emergency, very well,” Andrés said.

Now, a dozen years after forming the global organization, the process is well organized, time-tested and proven.

During the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, World Central Kitchen has set up kitchens at 48 border crossings, Andrés said.

“And we began making hot meals with 550 restaurants, almost half a million meals a day. But that was not enough,” Andrés said. “We had to increase. We got 40 warehouses, four of them will make vats of food. We began buying the food locally. Why? Because Ukraine produces a lot of food. Why do we need to bring the food from outside when I can buy locally? I’m not only helping feed the people in need, you restart and you keep the local economy going.”

The locals know best, he said.

So the workers began making bags of food, 30 pounds each, including fruits and vegetables. They then deliver those bags once a week in faraway little towns where there are no supermarkets, where there is no infrastructure, where there are no bridges.

In the U.S., the federal government and private sector need to come together to create a more organized food system, from farmer to restaurant to supermarket to home table, so that people can be healthier and happier, he said.

And the produce industry is integral to this goal, of course.

“We need to believe that we have, in our fingertips, the solutions. They have to include policy, technology, distribution, bringing cool ideas to create water out of nothing,” Andrés said. “We have so many chances to upside-down rethink the planet we live in through the food we eat.”

Flip Your Soil: Climate Smart Agriculture New Name for Conservation Practices Designed to Promote Soil Health and Carbon Sequestration

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 19:46:34 GMT

Soli health practices can help Flip Your Soil from good to great. These practices are also part of the new Climate Smart Agriculture push to sequester carbon and lower greenhouse gases.

USDA recently announced nearly $3 billion in funding for climate smart agriculture projects, but this isn’t a new concept for many farmers, they’ve been climate smart for years. Nebraska Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Robert Lawson says it’s just a new name for the many conservation practices growers are utilizing on their farms. “So, when we talk about climate smart ag, we talk about the practices we are implementing day in an day out. So whether that’s no-till, cover crops, crop rotation, nutrient management, those are some of the specific practices.”

The goal, he says, is to improve soil health and promote carbon sequestration. “Using no-till, cover crops that’s helping to build the organic matter over time and that is only helping improve the soil, reducing erosion and also improving water quality as well.”

Farmers are also using technology such as precision agriculture to better manage inputs and nutrients, which also improves soil health. “Whether that’s irrigation water management and nutrient management and variable rate technology,” according to Lawson.

These conservation practices also help farmers reduce the ever-rising cost of inputs on their farm. He says, “Oh absolutely it can help with the ledger sheet by reducing tillage practices over the field, by going no-till, reducing the amount of diesel that you need to buy for the year using cover crops to help with weed suppression so its not another pass over the operation.”

Lawson says many farmers integrated these practices into their operations, even before there was government or other incentives because they want their farms to be sustainable. “They’re the stewards of this land and the reason they are is because they know they want to, they need to keep it for future generations.”

And they want to leave the land better than they found it.

Iconic Holiday Road Trip Stop Returns to Its Georgia Pecan Farm Roots

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 20:44:08 GMT

Dashing through the snow in a front-wheel drive sleigh … the seasonal holiday road trip is a right of passage for many families. At one time, the roadside icon Stuckey’s was often a likely stop.

(Farm Journal)

“At our peak, we had 368 stores in 40 states,” says Stephanie Stuckey, current chair of the Stuckey’s Corporation. “Stuckey’s really is synonymous with the road trip, during what I consider the era of the great American Road Trip, which would have been the 1950s to the 1970s.”

(Farm Journal)

The roadside oasis, and its iconic pecan candies, are woven into the fabric of highway history.

“Back then, Americans wouldn’t travel by plane. They would load up in the car, usually in a family station wagon, and drive for five days,” Stuckey says.

The company was founded during the Great Depression by pecan farmer, WS Stuckey, as a roadside pecan stand.

“He always considered himself first and foremost, a pecan farmer and a pecan broker,” adds Stuckey, his granddaughter.

Today she’s leading a resurgence of that business, not as a highway stop, but as a pecan company with roots on Georgia farms.

“This is our big audacious goal: I want us to be the go-to pecan snack brand in the world,” she says.

Helping her on the journey is RG Lamar, a third-generation pecan farmer and company CEO.

(Farm Journal)

“I can say as a Georgia pecan grower, I may be a little bit biased, I don’t know, but I genuinely believe we grow the best pecans in the world in the state of Georgia,” Lamar smiles.

He credits ample rainfall in the southeast and higher oil content with helping grow a larger-sized nut. The result is perfect for creating candied treats at Christmas.

Today, on an in-shell basis, Stuckey’s handles about 2 million pounds of Georgia pecans a year. As a state, Georgia grows roughly 100 million pounds.

“Interestingly, roughly 10% of the pecans grown in Georgia are grown in someone’s yard,” Larmar says.

Soon, the newly refocused Stuckey’s brand will be using even more Georgia pecans as the business continues to expand.

“Why is it that when you go into the grocery store, walk down the salty snack aisle and you get to the nuts, you can find every other nut sitting in that section, but you don’t see pecans there very often,” Lamar asks.

(Farm Journal)

It’s a question this farmer and farmer’s granddaughter are aiming to answer.

“Of the original 368 stores there are only 12 left,” Stuckey says. “That’s OK because I saw what wasn’t on the balance sheets and that is the value of the brand.”

A brand, dumping, churning, dipping and packaging pecans, log rolls and clusters just the way the founder WS Stuckey did when he started.

“I would like to think if he were alive today, he would be really happy we’re making our comeback the way we began, as a pecan company,” Stuckey says.

Watch Christmas in the Country on Dec. 25 on AgDay TV .

Santa Will Drink More than 5 Million Gallons of Milk This Christmas Eve

USDA Issues Permit for Santa’s Reindeer to Enter the U.S.