Eastern Fresh: Bell pepper volume down
Weather glitches always have an effect on fresh field-grown produce, but it’s not always a matter of what the weather does to the plants. In some cases weather problems result in disease, which is what has happened this season at Eastern Fresh Growers Inc. in Cedarville, NJ.
Tom Sheppard, company president, told The Produce News that too much wet weather in June caused certain varieties of bell peppers to be decimated by disease.
Michigan Apple Committee gets social with new campaign
The Michigan Apple Committee launched a social media campaign Sept. 1 with the help of global PR and marketing firm, Weber Shandwick. The campaign will increase Michigan Apples’ online engagement, in an effort to educate and converse with consumers to increase brand awareness.
Ahold USA announces grand opening of new concept store
Ahold USA will hold a grand opening of its first ever bfresh market on Friday, Sept. 18 in Allston, MA.
The owners of Stop & Shop, Giant Food Stores, Martin’s Food Markets, and Peapod, unveiled the new, urban-scale grocery store at a community preview last week. The new 10,000-square-foot space puts a strong emphasis on fresh produce and cuts back on the dry goods section. It’s wide assortment of take-out style cuisine appeals to neighborhood college students, and its layout is much smaller than a traditional supermarket.
Salmonella contamination leads to recall and lawsuit
San Diego, CA, produce distributor Andrew & Williamson issued a recall late Friday, Sept. 4. for all of its “Limited Edition” labeled cucumbers sold during the period from August 1, 2015, through September 3, 2015.
Whole Foods looks to raise $4 million to improve childhood nutrition
Whole Foods Market, through its Whole Kids Foundation, is launching the 2015 Growing Healthy Kids Campaign, which aims to raise over $4 million to inspire families and support schools related to children’s nutrition.
This year’s goal is to raise funds and awareness to help over 1 million kids gain access to nutritional education and fresh fruits and vegetables through the funding of salad bars and gardens for schools, as well as nutrition education classes for teachers.
Jimmy Nardelli living out his childhood dream by working in the family business
Jimmy Nardelli was just knee-high to a grasshopper, as the saying goes, but he already knew the career path he would take as an adult.
Hanging around the company’s farm, Nardelli Lakeview Farms in Cedarville, NJ, with his father, Bill Nardelli, company president, and his grandfather, James Nardelli, Jimmy Nardelli knew from a very early age that he wanted to be a farmer.
Safeway on the hook for $31 million in online price discrepancy
Safeway must refund $31 million to customers who overpaid for online purchases, a federal judge ruled Sept. 1.
The judgment by U.S. District Judge John Tigar came as the result of a class-action suit filed in 2011, alleging the retailer charged more for products purchased online than in-store.
The suit said that Safeway began marking up prices for online purchases in April 2010, in violation of its terms of service agreement, which stated prices for online and in-store purchases would be the same.
Dan Graiff Farms is upgrading and expanding the family firm
NEWFIELD, NJ — Dan Graiff Farms, growers, processors and shippers located here near Vineland, is in the process of upgrading and expanding different aspects of the business.
The company is upgrading its website to include recipe pages, which will make it more interesting and valuable to consumers, according to brothers Dan and Jamie Graiff, co-owners of the family firm. The two men hope to have the upgrades to the website completed “by around PMA time,” they told The Produce News Aug. 18.
Frank Donio continues global expansion
Every year, Frank Donio Inc., headquartered in Hammonton, NJ, expands its facility and builds new programs to keep pace with its global distribution.
In addition to its now 175,000-square-foot New Jersey facility, of which 150,000-square feet is cold storage, the company has two satellite warehouses in the West — one in Nogales, AZ, which opened in 1994, and the other in San Diego, established in 2007. Combined the facilities have a total of 35,000 square feet of cold storage.
Skyline on steady program for organics and conventionals
Center, CO — Noting a great growing season, Skyline Potato Co. General Manager Les Alderete spoke optimistically about the 2015 San Luis Valley potato crop in mid-August, just as the operation was wrapping up its shipments of 2014 spuds.
“They held up really good,” Alderete said, adding that 2015’s conventional russets and certified-organic reds and russets had sized up well and were of excellent quality.