Commission message: Life is better with California strawberries 365 days a year
The California Strawberry Commission’s is focusing on integrating many of its marketing efforts for 2014 around two themes, according to Carolyn O’Donnell, communications director. One is “365 days of California strawberries” and the other is “your life becomes better just by adding California strawberries.”
The Produce News talked to O’Donnell Jan. 24, one day after the commission’s budget and activity plans for the 2014 fiscal year had been adopted in board meetings.
CBS Farms has new grower in Oxnard, adds organic line to Oxnard program
CBS Farms LLC in Watsonville, CA, which has strawberry production in both Oxnard, CA, and Watsonville, has a new grower in Oxnard this year and has added organic strawberries to its Oxnard program.
Previously, the company had organic strawberries from Watsonville but not from Oxnard. “Now we are going to have organics year-round,” said Charlie Staka, director of sales.
CBS handles strawberry sales for Watsonville-based Colleen Strawberries Inc. and Beach Street Farms LLC.
Urschel leads the way with fresh-cut machinery innovations
More than 100 years ago, farmer William Urschel, who grew gooseberries in the Midwest, designed the Gooseberry Snipper to trim both the stem and blossom end from a gooseberry, which was a popular crop at the time. That led to the launching of a machinery company in Valparaiso, IN, that would soon be known as Urschel Laboratories Inc.
“Doing that by hand was very labor-intensive,” said Rick Urschel, current president of the firm. “The machine did the work of 100 laborers.”
Winter storm shutting down Northeast, slows produce
Yet another fierce storm has hit the Northeast, this one shutting down ports and closing produce terminal markets early. The storm was expected to blast Boston on Thursday night and continue throughout much of New England throughout Thursday and Friday.
Keith Connell Inc.’s numbers are growing
STILLWELL, KS — With industry consolidation in Kansas City and a corresponding drop in produce buyers, “we are expanding to other parts of the country,” said Jimmy Connell, a salesman and family owner of Keith Connell Inc.
“Our numbers are growing. Our business is pretty good right now,” he added.
This, despite the fact that “options in Kansas City aren’t what they used to be.” The firm operates from a spacious new office in Kansas City’s southern suburbs.
Tom Lange Co. opens new Seven Seas office
Tom Lange Co. added produce veteran Mark Krauter to its sales team. Krauter has worked with fresh fruits and vegetables in both North America and South America, most recently serving as director of international sales for Amerifresh. He will be opening a sales office in Visalia, CA, operating under Lange’s Seven Seas banner.
The office will focus on sourcing California and Arizona fruits and vegetables for customers throughout the United States and Canada, as well as select export customers.
C&C Produce Co. brings locally grown to a higher level
NORTH KANSAS CITY, MO — C&C Produce Co., located here, is taking the “locally grown” produce category to new heights.
Nick Conforti, Sr., one of three C&C partners, hired Chris Shea, to lead C&C’s local product market development. “We have a lot of customers interested in the flavor profile” of locally-grown produce, Conforti said. “It is ripe and fresh. And, there is the support of the community, where it is important to the end consumer. But the most important of these is the flavor profile.”
F.G.F. developing regional business
OVERLAND PARK, KS — Filling gaps for regional wholesalers is the niche of Dennis Finucane, the owner of the produce brokerage F.G.F. Co., here.
Jim Gilson is an F.G.F. partner and works with Finucane on the sales desk.
“We put mixers together,” Finucane told The Produce News. “No order is too small, but we put together as decent of a load as we can. We’ll do a two- or three-pallet drop.”
Beyond this Kansas City area, Finucane serves wholesalers in Joplin and Springfield, MO, Pittsburg, KS, and Oklahoma City.
‘Progress’ halves the acreage of Britt Farms Market
MANHATTAN, KS — In 1948, Britt’s Farm Market was established on a long stretch of Kansas Highway 18 connecting this college town, Manhattan, with nearby Ft. Riley, KS.
The fruit and vegetable operation has always been a well-known local landmark.
Over the years, the farm expanded to 400 acres of rich Kansas River bottomland, nestled between Kansas’ scenic Flint Hills.
As often happens when economic progress collides with agriculture, the farming side can literally be bulldozed.
Liberty Fruit is cautiously supportive of KC’s local food hub work
In July, a feasibility study will be released on establishing a regional food hub in Kansas City.
The Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition website reports that last summer the Kansas City Food Hub Working Group received funding from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and the Kansas Health Foundation to study local food hub feasibility. It is a year-long study.
Scott Danner, the COO of Liberty Fruit Co., Inc., in Kansas City, KS, said his firm is supportive of the effort.