Produce Retail

Walmart’s Annual Thanksgiving Meal Feeds 10 for Less Than $4 per Person

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 16:18:07 GMT

Walmart says its latest annual Thanksgiving meal is its best offer yet.

The company says the basket offers traditional favorites across more than 20 national and private brand items, including a Butterball turkey for $.97 per pound — its lowest price since 2019, as a one-click basket serving 10 people for less than $40, under $4 per person, the lowest price since Walmart started the program. It’s also offering free express delivery on the meal basket for first-time pickup and delivery customers.

“We know every dollar and minute counts — which is why we are offering a low-priced, one-click Thanksgiving meal basket featuring iconic brands like Butterball and Stove Top alongside trusted Walmart private-brand items,” says John Furner, president and CEO for Walmart U.S. “We want every family to be able to share a meal and celebrate without compromising on quality, quantity or tradition.”

First launched in 2022, Walmart’s Thanksgiving meal quickly became a holiday staple, saving families money while delivering the favorites they love, the grocer says. Since then, millions of customers have taken advantage of the basket and enjoyed savings.

Walmart says customers return each year for three reasons: value, abundance and convenience.

In addition to a 13.5-pound Butterball turkey, this year’s meal includes ingredients for side dishes and desserts, plus dinner rolls, in addition to 5-pound russet potatoes, 12-ounces of fresh cranberries and 2-pounds of Great Value baby carrots.

Shared meals are enjoyed beyond just Thanksgiving and customers want meals that meet their preferences and needs. As such, Walmart says it is expanding the holiday cheer with brand-new one-click meal baskets inspired by customer feedback:

Gluten-free Thanksgiving meal — A complete meal with all the favorite main dishes, sides and desserts — all gluten free.
Balanced Thanksgiving swaps — A mindful twist on tradition, featuring high-protein swaps like Goodles Mac & Cheese and cauliflower mashed potatoes and ingredients to make a high-protein pumpkin dessert.
Prime rib meal basket — Includes Choice Angus beef, salad, potatoes and wine.

And, now until Dec. 25, Walmart says its holiday meals can be shopped with a single click online or in stores nationwide. Customers can pick up their meal basket in stores or have it delivered straight to their door in as fast as one hour.

The company says it is once again teaming up with The Salvation Army to support families in need. When shopping the Thanksgiving meal online, customers can add a donation at checkout to help provide a warm meal for others in their community.

California Grocer Partners With Farm for Fall Fun

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 17:18:08 GMT

Each year more than 14,000 visitors come to the Fantozzi Farms Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in Patterson, Calif. This year, the 10-acre maze not only offers fun for the whole family, it also tells a unique farm-to-table story starring The Save Mart Cos., the Central Valley grocer with deep roots in the Golden State.

“Our partnership with Save Mart this year has been such a positive experience,” says Denise Fantozzi, who co-owns Fantozzi Farms with her husband, Paul. “Save Mart has been a really important part of our community for years, and so everybody knows about Save Mart and partnering together — showing that pathway from the farm to the grocery store to the table — is something that we can all relate to.”

In the early 2000s, Fantozzi, a former schoolteacher, was looking to incorporate education into fun field trip experiences on the farm and together with her farmer husband opened the first Fantozzi Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in 2003.

While Fantozzi says they started off small, the agri-entertainment farm has added to the experience over the years with scarecrow contests, hayrides, corn hole tournaments, pumpkin painting and more. It also welcomes scores of school-age children through field trips that bring the farm-to-table message to life.

Fantozzi says the corn maze receives repeat visitors from near and far.

“I just love seeing families come back year after year,” she says. “Building that connection with the community, that’s the most rewarding part.”

Over the years, Fantozzi says she’s become personal friends with many of the families who visit the farm, has watched their kids grow up and, in some cases, become employees at the corn maze in their teen years. And then there are those who visited as children who come back with kids of their own.

Designing Memories on the Farm

An aerial view of the Fantozzi Farms and Save Mart corn maze reveals its breathtaking intricacies. How does a 10-acre corn maze spanning more than 5 miles of twisting paths and 12 hidden checkpoints come to be?

“We start off with our design. We think of what we want the design to be, and that’s really sketched out on paper or on the computer,” Fantozzi explains. “From the very beginning, we’ve had a company called Maze Play that comes out, and they have the equipment to cut the maze design, put in all the paths, and they use a small tractor with a rototiller behind it, and a GPS system. They cut those paths very exact, and the final maze looks just like the design we planned.”

This year’s corn maze, which features Save Mart branding integrated in the design, was the brainchild of Jenna Rose Lee, Save Mart Cos. marketing and social media manager.

“This is ag storytelling at its finest, and it’s a connector,” Lee says. “We wanted to showcase the relationship between the farmer and the retailer, and the maze design does just that. It showcases the farm to the family table and the supply chain.

“In the design, you’ll see our logo, but then in addition to that, you see the tractor,” she continues. “There’s a big grocery cart in the middle, and then you also see a home. So, it’s really making that connection between how the food gets from the field to our shelves, to the grocery cart, and to your family’s dinner table.”

The corn maze also features one of Save Mart’s tag lines: “Valley Proud.”

“What we wanted to showcase in this huge display is that we are proud to be here. We’re not going anywhere. We’re ‘Valley Proud,’” Lee says. “We’re proud of our local farmers, and we love our community.

“We were founded in Modesto, Calif, and it’s part of who we are and where we are at the heart of the Central Valley, and it’s important for us to connect with our local farmers who stock our shelves,” she adds. “Partnering with Fantozzi was a true testament to being local and supporting our local farmers.”

Save Mart and Fantozzi Farms Team to Tell Farm-to-Table Story

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 19:12:00 GMT

Each year more than 14,000 visitors come to the Fantozzi Farms Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in Patterson, Calif. This year, the 10-acre maze not only offers fun for the whole family, it also tells a unique farm-to-table story starring The Save Mart Cos., the Central Valley grocer with deep roots in the Golden State.

“Our partnership with Save Mart this year has been such a positive experience,” says Denise Fantozzi, who co-owns Fantozzi Farms with her husband, Paul. “Save Mart has been a really important part of our community for years, and so everybody knows about Save Mart and partnering together — showing that pathway from the farm to the grocery store to the table — is something that we can all relate to.”

In the early 2000s, Fantozzi, a former schoolteacher, was looking to incorporate education into fun field trip experiences on the farm, and together with her farmer husband opened the first Fantozzi Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in 2003.

While Fantozzi says they “started off small,” the agri-entertainment farm has added to the experience over the years with scarecrow contests, hayrides, corn hole tournaments, pumpkin painting and more. It also welcomes scores of school-age children through field trips that bring the farm-to-table message to life.

Fantozzi Farms welcomes scores of children on educational field trips.

(Photo courtesy of Fantozzi Farms)

“We started off just wanting people to come out and learn about farming and where their food comes from and have a fun time,” says Fantozzi. “And over the years we’ve added lots of attractions, and in the last few years, we’ve added events to involve the community more in what’s going on. And that is our goal, to provide the community with a safe, fun experience that they’re going to take a lot of memories away from.”

Fantozzi says the corn maze receives repeat visitors from near and far.

“I just love seeing families come back year after year,” she says. “Building that connection with the community, that’s the most rewarding part.”

Over the years, Fantozzi Farms has expanded the attractions in its agri-entertainment business.

(Photo courtesy of Fantozzi Farms)

In addition to corn and pumpkins, Fantozzi Farms grows watermelons, tomatoes for processing, apricots, almonds and alfalfa.

Over the years, Fantozzi says she’s become personal friends with many of the families who visit the farm, has watched their kids grow up and, in some cases, become employees at the corn maze in their teen years. And then there are those who visited as children who come back with kids of their own.

Fantozzi says the community created by the farm’s corn maze has fostered fun, friendships and even love.

“We’ve had two marriage proposals at the maze, and both of these couples, when they staged their proposals, told us it was because this is where they did a lot of their dating at our corn maze, and that’s where they made their special memories,” she says.

“This is ag storytelling at its finest, and it’s a connector,” says Save Mart’s Jenna Rose Lee.

(Photo courtesy of The Save Mart Cos.)

Building Memories on the Farm

An aerial view of the Fantozzi Farms and Save Mart corn maze reveals its breathtaking intricacies. How does a 10-acre corn maze spanning more than 5 miles of twisting paths and 12 hidden checkpoints come to be?

“We start off with our design. We think of what we want the design to be, and that’s really sketched out on paper or on the computer,” Fantozzi explains. “From the very beginning, we’ve had a company called Maze Play that comes out, and they have the equipment to cut the maze design, put in all the paths, and they use a small tractor with a rototiller behind it, and a GPS system. They cut those paths very exact, and the final maze looks just like the design we planned.”

This year’s corn maze, which features Save Mart branding integrated in the design, was the brainchild of The Save Mart Cos. Marketing and Social Media Manager Jenna Rose Lee.

“This is ag storytelling at its finest, and it’s a connector,” says Lee. “We wanted to showcase the relationship between the farmer and the retailer and the maze design does just that. It showcases the farm to the family table and the supply chain.

“In the design, you’ll see our logo, but then in addition to that, you see the tractor,” she continues. “There’s a big grocery cart in the middle, and then you also see a home. So, it’s really making that connection between how the food gets from the field to our shelves, to the grocery cart, and to your family’s dinner table.”

The corn maze also features one of Save Mart’s taglines: “Valley Proud.”

“What we wanted to showcase in this huge display, is that we are proud to be here. We’re not going anywhere. We’re ‘Valley Proud,’” says Lee. “We’re proud of our local farmers, and we love our community.

“We were founded in Modesto, Calif, and it’s part of who we are and where we are at the heart of the Central Valley, and it’s important for us to connect with our local farmers who stock our shelves,” she adds. “Partnering with Fantozzi was a true testament to being local and supporting our local farmers.”

Made for Social Media

Save Mart is also strengthening the connection between farm to table with a strategic social media campaign that shines a light on Fantozzi’s Farms’ fall bounty.

“Social media is truly how we’re connecting with our shoppers and how we’re learning more about our shoppers,” says Lee. “They love seeing where their food come from. That never gets old.”

Lee says just because you live in the Central Valley, doesn’t mean you’ve been to a farm or engaged with animals.

“I come from an ag background, but I am still learning about so many different crops,” she says. “I think it’s always going to be important to showcase local farmers and the crops that are grown here.”

USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan Targets Billions in SNAP Fraud

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 12:28:29 GMT

From SNAP benefit reform and fraud crackdown to the continuation of mass deportations with “no amnesty,” the USDA’s newly launched National Farm Security Action Plan touches on several issues that may impact the fresh produce industry.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins held a press conference Tuesday to unveil the seven-point plan, which the USDA says seeks to position American agriculture as a key element of national security and to strengthen the domestic food supply.

Among the plan’s action items: “Protect U.S. nutrition safety net from fraud and foreign exploitation.” The USDA says billions have been stolen to date from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by foreign crime rings.

Rollins held a virtual press briefing Monday evening in advance of Tuesday’s conference, during which she told reporters: “We absolutely have to get all illegal aliens off of our SNAP programs and make sure that taxpayer funded dollars are being spent the way that they were intended.”

The SNAP program is facing major reform from the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which intends to slash billions from program over the coming years.

As part of the SNAP reforms, Rollins says for the first time in USDA history, it is calling on “absolute” and “complete transparency” of data sharing for SNAP programs across the country.

“The largest program here at USDA is not a farming program; it’s actually the SNAP or the food stamp program,” Rollins told reporters Monday, adding that the USDA spends $405 million a day across its nutrition programs.

“And vulnerabilities within that payment system — our payment system — are a persistent target of transnational criminals and gangs,” she said. “Law enforcement has identified a troubling trend of transnational criminal organizations stealing from the poor and the American taxpayer by cloning point of sale devices and card skimming.

“Just based on what we have seen and some pretty major stings that have happened in the last few months by the Secret Service and by DOJ on SNAP fraud, [it’s] equaling tens upon tens upon tens of millions of dollars — just one case after another,” she added.

To address these vulnerabilities, Rollins says the USDA is actively ensuring no funds across the department’s 16 nutrition programs are being used to fund activities related to terrorism or criminal activity.

“In addition, the department will disqualify authorized retailers that are complicit in SNAP fraud or otherwise demonstrate a lack of responsible business behavior to transact purchases made with SNAP,” Rollins continued. “We’re also conducting regular assessments to identify risks and security vulnerabilities to the food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector, including transport vulnerabilities.”

Rollins says the USDA will be looking at the situation every single day, and that she thinks, ultimately, the reforms will be helpful to those who really need SNAP the most.

New Dietary Guidelines

Also on the nutritional horizon, new dietary guidelines are expected to land in the next month or two, said Rollins.

“Most people don’t realize what an important document or set of guidelines that is,” she said Monday. “It drives almost all of the food purchasing for schools, for prisons, for the different nutrition programs, etc.

“We are both, Bobby [Kennedy] and I, are very encouraged that we’re going to be able to change the game in terms of the quality and the type of food that we are feeding, especially to our schools,” she continued.

Rollins says they’re also working to get more smaller farms involved and tap into more locally sourced foods for federally funded nutrition programs.

Mass Deportations to Continue

Much of agriculture, including the fresh produce industry, has been feeling the effects of the Trump administration’s ongoing ICE raids and immigration crackdown since they began in June. During a Q&A at Tuesday’s press conference, Rollins fielded a question from a reporter who asked about mass deportation’s impact on the farm industry and if there would be amnesty for agricultural workers.

“There’s been a lot of noise in the last few days and a lot of questions about where the president stands and his vision for farm labor,” said Rollins. “The first thing I’ll say is, the president has been unequivocal that there will be no amnesty, and I think that’s very, very important.”

Rollins went on to say that Trump has always been of the mindset that “at the end of the day, the promise to America to ensure that we have a 100% American workforce stands, but we must be strategic [in] how we are implementing the mass deportation so as not to compromise our food supply.”

The ag secretary pointed to automation, government reform and tapping American workers as potential solutions to the labor crisis.

“When you think about the 34 million able-bodied adults in our Medicaid program — there are plenty of workers in America … So, no amnesty under any circumstances,” she said. “Mass deportations continue, but in a strategic and intentional way as we move our workforce toward more automation and toward a 100% American workforce.”

Your next read:

Food Inflation, Threatened Tariffs: What Is The Effect On Super Bowl Snack Tables?

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 20:14:53 GMT

Whether it’s chicken wings (up 7%) or vegetables for the snack tray (broccoli is down 7%), Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute Economist Dr. Michael Swanson says consumers shouldn’t expect every snack food category to increase their budget for a traditional Super Bowl party. And he doesn’t think President Trump’s latest trade talks with Mexico, Canada and China will have a direct, immediate effect at the grocery store by Sunday’s big game.

“It’s unlikely that changes in tariffs will impact prices headed into the Super Bowl, however, we’ll see how it plays out in the coming weeks. This is certainly the year for consumers to stay food fluent,” Swanson says.

For the past four years, he’s led the team at Wells Fargo to look at popular categories for game day watch parties and analyze the pricing trends. His research aims to help consumers stay “food fluent” to find alternatives, substitutions and bargains when they can.

“We started in 2021 when we saw the first spike in food inflation. And the past three years, everything has been up—it was a question of how much a category was up that year,” Swanson says. “But for 2025, some categories are up, and some are not. Some are way up; and some are way down.”

Swanson says it’s demand keeping prices elevated—not supply.

“Take chicken wings. Did the avian influenza knock out the chicken wings? The answer is, no, it didn’t–it was mainly the egg laying flocks. We have almost more chicken wings than we did last year, but prices are up 7%. Why? It’s consumer demand,” he says.

For dairy products, the Super Bowl is one of the top three demand events.

“Between the nachos, pizzas and sundry cheese-based snacks, the industry knows that and prepares well in advance making sure all the fans have what they need,” he says. “Dairy as a category was up 1.3% from a year ago, but it has been a relatively flat pricing environment for the last 18 months. Consumers and producers have found a good balance overall.

Specific to ongoing trade developments and tariffs discussions, Swanson says the dairy industry is staying keenly aware.

“Exports are a key element for balancing U.S. dairy production and demand. The industry is preparing to see what happens with key markets like Mexico and Canada in the near term,” he says.

He says the same could play out for avocados, which is notable given the tariff discussions on Mexico—our No. 1 source country for avocados.

“The question is, is the supply substitutable. With avocados, we’re seeing a push to grow more in Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia,” he says.

While longer-term supplies may be diversified, it takes years for trees to bear fruit. And for now, per the Wells Fargo Super Bowl Report, avocado prices are up over 11%.
Two other vegetables up year-over-year are red bell peppers (up 7.4%) and prepared carrots (up 3.4%)

So what categories went down in year-to-year pricing?

Notably, some vegetables are down including celery (down 8.4), broccoli (down 7.2%) and cauliflower (down 3.8%).

A more robust supply of potatoes has yielded a decline in potato chips prices, which are 5.1% lower. Also when it comes to overall pre-packaged foods, the container prices have come down, so increases in transport costs aren’t being passed along to the consumer as they have been in the past.

If you’re looking for a “bargain” Swanson points to store brand frozen pizzas.

“Some of those carbohydrate-based components are down through competition. Something like frozen pizzas, for example are down from a year ago. And especially you look at those store Brand pizzas are way down. They’re down about 8% versus just 2% for the national brand. So if you really want to save money, competition is your friend.”
As for protein, the biggest price decline has been in shrimp with a 4% lower price this year than last.

Retail beef prices remain elevated.

“It’s not that we have poor supply of beef. We’re doing some interesting dynamics right now, exporting a little bit less, importing, a little bit more, putting more pounds on those cows,” Swanson says. “We have a decent supply of beef, but the price is still up 3.5% to 4% as a category from a year ago. The consumers love it, and they’re going to pay for it.”

His advice overall in this food economic environment is to stay a smart shopper.

“We’re entering a competitive situation right now–we’re seeing things go up and things go down. If a product matters to you, get out the on the web, shop a couple of stores, because one of the things we do find is promotions are back in the game.”

Rabobank BBQ Index rates last four years of food inflation as hottest since 1978

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 18:33:19 GMT

Celebrating freedom with a barbeque event will be costlier this year, a new economic analysis from Rabobank shows.

The 2023 Rabobank BBQ Index shows that a 10-person barbecue will cost nearly $100 this year, according to a news release. In fact, food items listed on the barbecue menu have jumped 31% since 2018, according to Rabobank.

The Russia-Ukraine war, severe drought, higher wages and rising costs of farm inputs, transportation and energy have combined to fuel broad-based inflation throughout the supply chain, Rabobank analysts said.

Counting the cost

The 2023 Rabobank BBQ Index, which measures the cost of staple ingredients for a 10-person barbecue, shows that it will cost $97 to host a cookout on Independence Day this year, up from $73 in 2018.

Food prices have shot up 31% in the last four years, the biggest four-year gain since the late 1970s oil crisis, according to Rabobank.

Here are price increases over the last four years, according to Rabobank:

Soda: 53%.
White bread: 51%.
Potato chips: 46%.
Chicken: 37%.
Lettuce: 29%.
Ground beef: 25%.
Beer: 22%.

Despite the elevated food costs, Rabobank analysts said many consumers — particularly those under 40 — are now prioritizing experiences over goods and are willing to splurge for a special occasion.

“Consumers have taken some heavy punches but they’re still standing,” Tom Bailey, senior consumer foods analyst at Rabobank, said in the report. “They’re being shrewd in areas that don’t enrich experiences, while giving in to the urge to splurge where it matters most. With that mindset, look for spending to heat up this summer on quality meats and drinks — the recipe for a memorable barbecue.”

The trend to value “experience over things” was emerging before COVID-19, but Rabobank analysts said the shift has accelerated, especially for millennials and Generation Z. For baby boomers, spending on travel and food has increased, in part thanks to an 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment to their Social Security benefits this year, according to Rabobank.

A healthy labor market is also keeping consumers willing to spend their money. The May jobs report showed that unemployment sits at 3.7%, down from its pandemic peak of 14.7% just three years ago, Rabobank economists said.

“Steady work makes it easier to justify increased spending when budgets are tight,” Bailey said in the report. “Rather than trading down to soften the blow of stubbornly high inflation, we may see consumers trading up to more premium products.”

The Rabobank BBQ Index, according to the report, assumes an average American barbecue event on the Fourth of July with 10 adults, with each consuming the same amount of food and beverages.

The index assumes each person will consume one cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato, one chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato and a slice of cheese, two handfuls of chips, a beer, a soda and a few scoops of ice cream.

E-commerce growth hot for grocery, but challenges loom

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:40:54 GMT

There is no disputing that e-commerce sales of groceries are expanding, but one supply chain consultant says retailers face several challenges as click-and-collect and home delivery sales expand.

From current levels near 3% of total grocery stores sales, e-commerce sales of food could soon climb north of 15% to 20% total grocery sales in just a few years, said Jim Barnes, co-founder and CEO of enVista, a supply chain consulting service in Carmel, Ind.

“The reason why I say that is because a good, well-run (non-grocery) retailer is now pushing north of 20% of sales from online sales,” he said. “The unfortunate thing is for grocery is that they are just a little bit behind the times, compared to a lot of more general merchandise companies, who have been in e-commerce since the early 2000s.”

But growth rates for digital sales of grocery are rising fast now because of the widespread availability of click-and-collect and home delivery. Food retailers are growing as online sales 60% to 70% annually compared with year-ago levels, he said.

“The potential is good,” he said, predicting that online sales of food could account more than 10% to 15% by 2022 or 2023.

Picking the order

Fulfilling online orders in a standard grocery store isn’t easy, so some retailers are changing their strategy, instead using dark stores (not open to the public, used to fill orders) or micro-fulfillment centers.

The average online grocery order has about 30 stock-keeping units to collect, compared with two or so SKUs for an online clothes order.

“When you are picking that kind of order in a store that has 60,00 or 70,000 square feet of merchandise that hasn’t been (organized) for the best pick path sequence, you are going to lose money,” he said..

Shoppers who pick items for an online grocery order generally can’t pick more than 60 SKUs per hour.
With no real-time inventory in typical stores, substitution rates are higher; perhaps only 25% to 30% of orders are “perfect” picks with no substitutions.

“That’s a huge negative for the customer experience,” he said.

Limited assortment micro-fulfillment centers for online orders with some adjacency to high performing stores may be a viable solution, he said.

While offering better pick efficiencies, “dark stores close to current retail store locations may cannibalize sales those grocery stores. In addition, it is impossible for those dark stores to stock the range of items in a typical grocery store.

“The challenge with dark stores is a challenge in fulfillment,” he said. “If you look at most grocery store chains, they’re sitting well north of 70,000 SKUs in their stores; it is very difficult to put 70,000 SKUs in a 25,000-square-foot space.”

That means orders might have to be fulfilled using both dark stores and supermarkets.

Produce and other perishable food in online orders offer challenges in how they are collected and kept in the proper temperature range.

“I think the real future from a cost productivity (perspective) is to automate,” he said.

Automation also prevents some challenges for fresh produce items, with some items price by the each and others by the pound.

Even so, Barnes said the high gross margins for produce compared to dry goods (25% to 5%) will keep fresh produce prominently in the mix for online orders.

“There’s an incentive to put those high-margin items in the basket, including fresh produce,” he said.

“(Retailers) aren’t making money on Cheerios; they are making money on beef and bananas.”

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Trump waives hours of service rules for emergency transport of food

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:38:55 GMT

President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency because the coronavirus COVID-19 and waived the hours of service rules for truck drivers transporting emergency supplies of food.

It’s the first time since the rules were enacted in 1930 that they’ve been suspended.

The March 13 emergency declaration covers “food for emergency restocking of stores,” as well as medical equipment, hand sanitizer, masks, and other items. The waiver remains in effect until midnight April 12 or when President Trump terminates it, if sooner.

The waiver grants emergency relief form the hours of service rules. Those rules still apply for routine deliveries and mixed loads that include “essential supplies” that are not being transported in support of emergency relief efforts, according to the declaration. Drivers must start the clock when they’re dispatched to “begin operations in commerce.”

The declaration does not define what are emergency relief efforts versus a return to “interstate commerce” not supporting relief efforts for drivers supplying retailers. It does not specific if the waiver covers fresh produce and other foods being transported to processing facilities.

President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and other White House officials participated in a call with retailers and industry groups on March 15.

According to published reports, executives of Walmart, Aldi, Whole Foods, Wegmans, Publix and other retailers participated.

Greg Ferrara, CEO of the National Grocers Association, welcomed the opportunity to speak to White House officials.

“While local, independent grocers are currently experiencing an unprecedented demand in store traffic and for product and goods, we continue to work closely with the president and our federal, state and local officials nationwide to ensure the resilience of both the food supply chain and our local economies,” according to a statement from Ferrara.

“Our industry has faced emergencies before from hurricanes to earthquakes, and fires to floods,” he said in the statement. “Grocers are experienced and prepared to continue serving their communities and employees as our members do each and every day.”

The Food Industry Association (FMI) also released a statement, ensuring the “viability of the supply chain and the availability of safe, affordable food.”

“We are resilient; our industry is working 24 hours a day to replenish and restock while ensuring the cleanliness of our stores and facilities,” FMI president and CEO Leslie Sarasin said in the statement. “We are seeking to be sensitive to the needs of all our customers and partners, including our WIC and SNAP shoppers and the food banks our stores support.”

Many grocery stores are expanding the hours they are closed to clean the store and restock shelves.

“As we continue to see an increase in customers, this temporary reduction in hours will allow us time to focus solely on store cleanliness and product availability,” according to a news release from St. Louis-based Schnucks. “Our supply partners and warehouse teams continue to work around the clock to ensure that product is available to our customers as quickly as possible.”

For more coronavirus coverage, check out our landing page on the topic here. To contribute to a survey on how the pandemic is affecting the produce industry, click here .

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South Mill Champs has new items

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:36 GMT

South Mill Champs , Kennett Square, Pa., has added a third operation to its company with the acquisition of Loveday Mushroom Farms, Winnipeg, Manitoba, said Michael Richmond, vice president of sales.

The enhanced production and supply capabilities will expand the company’s ability to supply fresh, high-quality mushrooms to all major population areas in North America within 48 hours.

The company also has launched a number of new products.

Stuffed mushroom caps — large crimini mushrooms stuffed with flavored cheese — have had “explosive growth” following their launch in June, he said.

They come in spinach and artichoke, Mediterranean and pizza flavors.

Minute Mushrooms, part of the growing value-added line of products offered by South Mill Champs, come in three varieties — Sautéed Portabella Mushrooms, Garlic Herb marinated mushrooms and Steak Sizzlers portabella mushrooms and onions — and provide a 60-second solution to mushroom side dishes and add-ons at home, he said.

And 40-ounce mushroom packs were launched in June to help restaurants keep their products fresh when they no longer need a 10-pound box.

They are available in whole and sliced white and crimini mushrooms.

Despite challenges presented by COVID-19, South Mill Champs will have an additional 15 million pounds of mushrooms for its customers in 2021 to support their continued growth, Richmond said.

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South Mill Champs adds Loveday Mushroom Farms to company

Villita launches new products

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:32 GMT

Villita Avocados Inc. has a couple of major projects in the works.

First, the Pharr, Texas-based grower-shipper planned to release its first-ever line of guacamole products and avocado pulp the second week of August, and the company will kick off the first commercial harvest of hass avocados in south Texas within two to three years.

Vertically integrated Villita Avocados grows, harvests, packs and handles the logistics for its avocado program in Michoacan, Mexico, and in Peru, said Aaron Acosta, corporate relationship manager.

“Now we will be adding on processed avocado offerings,” he said.

The new line will include three flavors of guacamole — mild, original and spicy — and plain avocado pulp.

Packaging will range from a 2-ounce single-serve container to a 3-pound foodservice bag.

They will be made completely in-house based on family recipes that have been tweaked for the American consumer’s taste profile, Acosta said.

The company has installed the largest high-pressure pasteurization machine in Latin America in a new Primus Labs-certified facility built next to its packing plant, he said.

The product won’t look like “avocado slurry,” Acosta said.

“It has the consistency — visually and tastewise — comparable to homemade guacamole.”

It will be sold under Villita’s We Love Guac brand.

Villita Avocados also is experimenting with a new program in the U.S.

There have been a few green-skin avocado plots in Texas, Acosta said.

“We’ve taken that a step forward and are now commercializing the first hass orchards in south Texas.”

Villita’s farm in Cameron County has a little more than 100 acres and has planted about 20 acres with trees that are in various stages of maturity.

“We have some trees that are already providing fruit,” he said.

But he does not expect the company to have any significant production for two to three years.

Villita is in the process of tenting most of the acreage to protect the avocados from the sun and heat.

The property is surrounded by water on three sides, which prevents big jumps in temperatures, he said.

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Freight Rates Skyrocket

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:27:49 GMT

Transportation woes continue to haunt Northeast shippers as trucks remain hard to come by and freight rates skyrocket because of rising fuel costs and a scarcity of drivers.

“Trucks are at a premium right now,” said Tracie Levin, controller at M. Levin and Co. , in Philadelphia.

“It’s a major hindrance for our industry and anyone else that uses trucking, which is basically every industry out there,” she said.

Shippers can’t even buy trucks.

“We’ve been on wait lists to get more trucks, trailer and tractors,” she said. “You just cannot get those things these days.”

But Levin is optimistic that things will turn around. She said some relief is already in evidence.

“We’re slowly able to get things again in a semi timely manner,” she said.

East Coast shippers have been dealing with transportation issues, but there are trucks available, said Tom Beaver, director of sales and marketing for Sunny Valley International Inc. , in Glassboro, N.J.

“Obviously, the cost of brokering a truck, especially for our (less-than-load) business, has increased considerably, but the same is true for all of our competitors,” he said. “We’re adjusting to this ‘new normal,’ but the important thing is that we can get fruit loaded and out to our customers on time and in full.”

Transportation challenges are more prevalent during the winter than they are during the spring and summer for Vineland, N.J.-based The Freshwave Fruit & Produce and its growing operation, Consalo Family Farms , said Chelsea Consalo, executive vice president.

That’s because the company has more local deals during the warmer months.

During the winter, the firm must bring in products from outside growing areas, such as Mexico, and transport fruits and vegetables imported from offshore growing regions, such as Chile, from U.S. ports.

“We have more trucks on the road (in winter),” she said.

Transportation costs are a major concern.

“We’re managing to get the trucks,” Consalo said. “It is just more expensive.”

The Freshwave has added Nick Crisafulli, who recently completed an internship at Americold Logistics LLC, to its logistics staff to help arrange transportation.

Vineland-based Flaim Farms Inc . has its own fleet of trucks for local deliveries, said president Ryan Flaim.

But trying to find trucks for destinations that are farther out is challenging.

The company has good relationships with trucking firms, but rates are much higher than they have been in the past, Flaim said.

Finding transportation isn’t a problem, as long as you’re willing to pay exorbitant fees, said Joel Fierman, president of New York-based Joseph Fierman and Sons Inc .

“It’s really a pity when your cost for transportation pretty much is as high as your cost for goods,” he said.

He blamed the price spike on high fuel costs and a scarcity of drivers.

“It’s a terrible, terrible thing that this country is experiencing right now,” he said.

An added problem during the Christmas season was that many trucks were sidetracked delivering Christmas trees.

“It’s fast, easy money,” he said.

Filindo Colace, vice president of operations for Philadelphia-based Ryeco LLC , attributes the skyrocketing inflation rate the industry has experienced to high freight costs.

“Freight has been a premium for quite some time,” he said.

While seed prices and other costs have also gone up, he said high freight rates are 90% of the cause of inflation.

“Nothing in the industry has gone up at the same rate as freight has,” Colace said.

But he remains optimistic.

“We think the country is moving on,” he said. “We’re going to be as back-to-business as usual as possible in the first quarter of next year.”

He expected buying patterns to return to where they were in 2019.

“We hope the workforce returns to those levels, as well,” he said.

“If that’s the case, it will be our expectation that freight rates will start to lower because there are more truck drivers coming back into the workforce.”

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Walmart invests in indoor vertical grower Plenty

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:27:37 GMT

In what could be the first move of its kind for a massive retailer, Walmart is investing in an indoor vertical leafy greens grower: Plenty Unlimited Inc., based in South San Francisco.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart’s equity investment is part of a $400 million Series E funding round that’s still subject to a regulatory approval and is part of a broader strategic partnership to use this technology to deliver fresh produce to Walmart retail stores, according to a news release.

Walmart will also join Plenty’s board of directors.

The long-term commercial agreement allows Walmart to source Plenty’s leafy greens for all its California stores from Plenty’s Compton farm starting later in 2022. Walmart is the first large U.S. retailer to significantly invest in vertical farming, according to the release.

“We believe Plenty is a proven leader in a new era of agriculture, one that offers pesticide-free, peak-flavor produce to shoppers every day of the year,” Walmart U.S. Chief Merchandising Officer Charles Redfield said in the release. “This partnership not only accelerates agricultural innovation, but reinforces our commitment to sustainability, by delivering a new category of fresh that is good for people and the planet.”

Learn more about salad vegetables.

Plenty’s indoor farming architecture combines engineering, software and sustainable crop science to grow multiple crops on one platform — fast. With many U.S patents, this proprietary tech focuses on efficient use of water and land. Also, by building farms closer to the consumer, Plenty helps reduce transportation and food waste, keeping items fresher for longer in 100% recyclable product packaging.

Vertical farming can supplement traditional farming practices to help increase food supply and alleviate current challenges on the food system in a sustainable way.

“Our farms can be sited anywhere, allowing us to put fresh fruits, greens and vegetables on shelf at all times, at speed, for maximum freshness,” Plenty CEO Arama Kukutai said in the release. “This is a game-changer for the agritech industry.”

Walmart has about 10,500 stores and clubs under 48 banners in 24 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2021 revenue of $559 billion, Walmart employs 2.2 million associates worldwide.

Besides Plenty’s California headquarters, the company operates an indoor plant science research facility in Laramie, Wyo. Also, Plenty is building a vertical, indoor farm in Compton, Calif.

Related news:

Avocado market peaking with strong Super Bowl demand

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:27:33 GMT

With Super Bowl promotions running hot, the avocado market was even hotter in early February.

Size 48-count Mexican avocados crossing through south Texas were $50 to $54 fob on Feb. 4, up from about $26 to $30 per carton the same time a year ago.

Shipments of avocados from all origins were running below year-ago levels, according to statistics from the USDA.

For the week of Jan. 23-29, shipments were 2.71 million 25-pound cartons of avocados, down about 25% from 3.67 million cartons the same week a year ago. For the last week of January, Mexico accounted for nearly 94% of total avocado shipments, with the remaining volume from California, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.

U.S. retail promotions of avocados were reported in 12,800 stores by the USDA on Feb. 4 at an average ad price of 83 cents each. That level of promotion is down compared with the same time a year ago, when the USDA reported 18,588 stores promoted avocados at a comparatively lower average price of 70 cents each.

In a Feb. 4 update, Houston-based foodservice supplier Sysco Corp. reported in its Market Corner report that small avocados were seeing better demand because of an improved domestic market in Mexico. While California shippers were packing in light numbers, significant volume from the state won’t arrive until after the Feb. 13 Super Bowl, according to the report.

“Demand is very high for avocados right now,” said Gary Caloroso, regional business development director for the Los Angeles-based Giumarra Cos .

Volume is expected to be stable, with overall volumes increasing somewhat after the Super Bowl.

Caloroso said demand through the Super Bowl selling period will be strong, with in-store promotions and bin displays featuring Drew Brees from Avocados From Mexico finding widespread use.

“I think it was a record amount of (promotional bins) that Avocados From Mexico sold this year,” he said. “It was a big, big hit.”

An AFM commercial featuring comedian Andy Richter is set to air during the Super Bowl, so social media chatter about avocados is expected to be high, he said.

Your Fourth of July Picnic Could be 11% More Expensive

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:26:31 GMT

The grill is going to burn a bit hotter this year with overall protein prices up 12 to 15%. That according to the Wells Fargo July Fourth Food Inflation Report, which analyzed popular food categories for the American holiday and showed an overall 11% increase in food costs.

Karol Flynn, an industry advisor with Wells Fargo Food and Agribusiness, says if consumers want to stick to traditional burgers and hot dogs, look for frozen options, which may be lower cost than fresh meats. Also, comparatively, pork remains a value. Flynn gives the example of pork chops, which have only seen an average retail price increase of 3.1%.

Hot dog prices have increased 12%--with poultry based products increasing even more.

Additionally, chicken wing retail prices are up 34% and chicken breasts retail prices are up 24%.
For folks looking to go outside the box on their grill, Flynn offers shrimp as an option.

“There’s a unique situation with shrimp because demand was cut way back during COVID and the restaurant slow down. Also, most shrimp is imported, and with these currency valuation changes, it favors some imports,” she says.

Bread products and buns have also seen increased retail prices up 10% this year. Flynn notes this is a ripple effect from the war in Ukraine and its effect on the global wheat market.

The report’s analysis shows hosting a party of ten for the fourth of July holiday could cost 11% more in 2022 than it would have last year.

Other report highlights:

Retail produce is up 7% year-over-year
- Tomatoes are only up 1%
- Avocados are up 24%, but California production should be increasing overall supply in the near-term
- Lemons are up 9%
Ice cream is up 6%
Sherbet, gelato and popsicles are down 4.5%
Soda is up 13%
Beer is up 25%

Hear the full interview with Flynn from AgriTalk: