Fresh Produce Discussion Blog

Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst

Monday, July 30, 2007

Big Apple: New York apple estimate

New York apple production 2002-2007 - http://sheet.zoho.com



TK: This just slid across the inbox not long ago. From the New York Apple Association.



STRONG NEW YORK APPLE CROP EXPECTED THIS FALL
New York Apple Growers Predict a 29.5 Million
Bushel Harvest for 2007

FISHERS, N.Y. -- The New York Apple Association today announced its annual crop prediction is 29.5 million bushels for the fall harvest.

"We're looking at an outstanding quality crop this fall," said Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association. "New York's crop this year will be one to savor and enjoy."

Outstanding summer growing conditions, as well as ideal pollination conditions this spring, have led to one of the best looking crops ever in New York, growers are reporting.

Statewide, the three primary growing regions are all reporting good quality. The strongest fruiting area is the eastern part of the state, with some orchards predicting a crop size 110 percent of normal.

The Lake Champlain region has rebounded from last year's smaller-than-normal crop with potentially an excellent crop this year, according to growers in that area. In the western part of the state, along Lake Ontario, the recent rains have improved fruit size and growers there are predicting outstanding quality as well.

While growing condition are favorable, many growers have concerns about higher input costs, particularly for energy and labor.

"We are experiencing record high production costs this year based on fuel and cost increases on other materials," Allen said.

A huge looming concern this fall will be having enough labor to harvest this crop.

Harvest timing is expected to normal, with early varieties like Ginger Gold and Paula Red to be harvested beginning in two to three weeks.

This is expected to be an "on year" for the extremely popular Honeycrisp variety. Although New York apple growers will harvest more Honeycrisp, they are doubtful they will be able to meet the ever-increasing high consumer demand for that apple.

The harvest will begin in earnest in September when McIntosh ripens, New York's biggest variety. Empire apples, the state's second biggest variety will be picked later in September. The harvest runs through November with more than 20 different commercial varieties to be picked, ranking New York's crop as the most diverse in the nation.

Fruit size on all varieties looks good to excellent, growers and crop consultants are reporting.

The annual NYAA crop prediction was determined by a consensus of growers representing six apple growing districts throughout the state, crop advisors, processing apple buyers and Cornell Cooperative Extension agents.

The consensus number was reached during a conference call held on July 24.

It is the fifth year in a row that growers will pick a quality crop in New York.

Official crop sizes in New York for the last six years, according to USDA are:

25 million
16.1 million
23.7
30.4
24.7
29.7

New York ranks second in apple production nationwide.

The state's most popular varieties are McIntosh with 19 percent of the state's total production and Empire with 11 percent of the state's total. Other major varieties in descending order are Red Delicious, Rome, Crispin, Cortland and Idared.

Breakdown of crop utilization is roughly 52 percent for fresh apples sold at retail; the other 48 percent of the crop is used for processing products such as apple sauce, apple slices, cider and juice.

Apple consumption is on the rise due to continued university research proving that apples can help fight cancer, lower cholesterol and help dieters lose weight. Apples are the third most popular fruit item in grocery store produce sections behind bananas and grapes.

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Blueberry boost

Hen House in our KC market featured blueberries in its food ad this week. Inexplicably, the ad was labeled as showing prices good from Aug. 8 through Aug. 14. Typo? By rights, it should have read Aug. 1-7.
Anyway, blueberries got major run: From the ad, which advertised Michigan blueberries at $4.99 for an 18-ounce package.

"Blueberries improve vision, clear arteries, strengthen blood vessels, enhance memory, promote weight control."
"Consumption of blueberries may reverse some of the properties of aging because of their antioxidant properties."
"Blueberries may help prevent urinary track infections."

TK: That about covers all the worries involved with getting old. Hook me up to a blueberry IV, please.

Also featured at Hen House:
Andy's Candy Corn: 8 pack, $3
Kingsburg Raspberry Jewell Pluotts: $2.49/lb
California grown sweet galia melons: 2 for $4
Dole Just Lettuce, Greener Select or Classic Romaine: 2 for $4
Sweet watermelon chunks: $1.29/lb (Grown in Rich Hill, Mo. by Twin County Family Farms;the lycopene leader, ready to eat) Logos for Food Routes, Bridging the Gap, and Buy Fresh, Buy Local
New crop Australian oranges: 99 cents each
Dole Premium organic bananas: 59 cents/lb
California grown kiwi: 4 for $1


Hy Vee (ad for Aug. 1 through Aug. 14)
Columbine red seedless grapes: 99 cents/lb
Kandy Label cantaloupe: 3 for $5 (Kandy logo)
New Zealand braeburn, Granny Smith, or Pacific Rose apples: $1.28/lb (Healthy Bites logo)
Midnight Beauty black seedless grapes $1.88/lbl (Grapes from California logo, Healthy Bites logo)
California Bartlett pears: 97 cents/lb (California Pears logo, Healthy Bites logo)
Dole special blends salad: $1.88 for selected varieties : 5 to 12 ounce packages (Fruits and Veggies More Matters logo, Healthy Bites logo)
Dole broccoli bunch: 99 cents (Dole logo, Healthy Bites logo)
Michigan green beans : 99 cents/lb
Zucchini or yellow squash: 97 cents/lb
Fresh eggplant: 97 cents/each
Michigan roma tomatoes: 99 cents/lb
Fresh cilantro: 2 bunches for $1
Popeye spinach: $1.99 for 10-ounce package
Grimmway Farms carrot chips: 16 ounce package: 99 cents
Grimmway Farms microwavable petitie carrots: $1.28
Ripe N Ready peaches: $1.28/lb
Flavor Ssfari dapple dandy plumcots: $1.88/lb
Ripe N Ready peaches; $1.48/lb
Artisan Natural Washington peaches: $1.48/lb
Artisan Natural Washington apricots: $1.88/lb
Hy Vee russet potatoes: $1.38/5-pound bag
Monterey white or stuffable mushrooms: 14 ounce or 16 ounce $2.69

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Bill Coon checking in

Bill Coon called earlier this morning, and it was great to hear from the retired publisher director of The Packer. Bill retired in 1996 from his post as vice president and publishing director of Vance Publishing Corp.'s produce division, including The Packer.

Bill was reading this week's Packer and observed my column's topic was the Fruits and Veggies - More Matters campaign. Particularly, he noted discussion of the Web site for Fruits and Veggies - More Matters. He had never heard of the site before, and wondered if retail promotion of the site could pay dividends for the industry. I think his idea has much merit; if retail could help drive traffic to the www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org site, it would have the potential to create an identity for the brand and message. Bill said he would be sending in a letter to the editor on the subject,and we look forward to it.

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Ready to Rumble: Wild Oats and Whole Foods

Howdy from Pamela R. in Austin!

The media push leading up tomorrow's hearing to decide whether Whole Foods will be able to buy Wild Oats has been pretty strong here in Austin.

The American-Statesman seems to be quite a cheerleader for hometown hero John Mackey and his fortress of specialty grocery down at 6th and Lamar.

The A1 centerpiece on Sunday (here) and its corresponding Web video (here) play like a lifetime achievement award nomination, but do give the rest of us a little insight into Mackey's character. It sounds like, if the people cited in these stories have any pull, Whole Foods would stand by its man, if the SEC doesn't kick him out itself.

Not everyone would be happy about it.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, a major shareholder in Whole Foods would like to see Mackey out to (organic, I'm sure) pasture.

I pulled a little exerpt from the article:

CtW Investment Group, a branch of Change to Win, a coalition of labor unions, wrote a letter Wednesday to John B. Elstrott Jr., the lead independent director at Whole Foods, urging the board to immediately name an independent chairman "who can quickly establish credibility with regulatory authorities and shareholders."
Union pension funds affiliated with CtW own some 900,000 shares of Whole Foods, according to the letter. That's less than 1% of the Austin, Texas-based company's outstanding shares.
I also thought it was interesting that, on the same day the American-Statesman ran the Mackey profile, the centerpiece story on its Business Section front was this:
In the story, it mentions a petition to bring Trader Joe's to Austin -- it has more than 2,000 signatures already.
We'll see what happens. The District Court hearing to decide whether or not the FTC will get its permanent injunction starts tomorrow and is scheduled to finish on Wednesday.
Hey Tom -- How about a "Do you think the Whole Foods deal will go through?" poll?
We'll see, but at this point, who knows?

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Meijer in Chicagoland

Guest blogger Lance Jungmeyer chiming in ...

Meijer is renewing its push into the greater Chicago area.

This article from the Detroit News shows how the retailer has added 14 locations in Chicago and its suburbs since 2000. That's not a huge amount, but it speaks volumes about Meijer's confidence to push so aggressively into a very competitive market.

The Grand Rapids, Mich., chain has had to fend off Wal-Mart in its core markets, and now it is looking to expand on its own terms. The retailer added a 200,000 square foot store in Plainfield, Ill., last year. That was the firm's largest location yet.

To tackle growth in Chicago and the vicinity, Meijer tapped Don Fitzgerald, former vice president of marketing operations at Dominick's, to head up regional merchandising.

A Detroit-area retail analyst, quoted in the story, had this to say:

"The produce is extremely fresh, the quality is phenomenal," said Ed Nakfoor, a Birmingham-based retail consultant. "They're trying to become a more relevant retailer. They're looking pretty sophisticated."

Meijer has 179 stores and plans to add two more this year, according to the article.

Produce dealers in Chicago, no doubt, are watching with bated breath.

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The religion of farmers markets

TK: Selling out of the back of a truck from unrefrigerated displays and well- worn bushel baskets. No packaging to speak of , not to mention PMA-approved traceability code. Embraced by government and bathed in goodwill by the public, the farmers' markets get more hallowed press treatment than nearly any other institution.

My wife was at the Overland Park farmers market last week and gushed about it. I enjoy walking around the farmers market and visiting with vendors, too.

During the middle of summer, you can search the Web and find dozens of feel- good stories about local food and farmers markets. That's why I noted with interest when Doug Powell of the K-State's Food Safety Network had a few asides in a recent Food Safety Network report.
From the Food Safety Network report:

MARYLAND: As food safety concerns grow, experts say buy local, be vigilant
26.jul.07
Community Times
Susan C. Ingram
With what seems like an ever-increasing amount of food safety scares and recalls in recent months, experts say, according to this story, the best way to avoid food-borne illnesses is to buy local (what experts? -- dp) and be vigilant when handling edibles.Mary Concannon, a nutrition educator for the Maryland Cooperative Extension service, was cited as saying that getting to know who is growing your food and where and how it’s grown goes a long way to buying safe food (it does? Where's the data -- dp)Also reducing the distance, time and number of people handling food before it gets to your table can help lower the chances of food contamination. “Fifty percent of food safety problems are related to personal hygiene,” Concannon said.The story goes on to say that shoppers can do a lot to help assure that what they bring home won’t make them sick. The Be Food Safe campaign (befoodsafe.gov), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture distills home food safety to four easily remembered words: clean, separate, cook and chill.Before handling food, especially raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs wash hands, utensils and cutting boards and separate raw meat and poultry from foods that won’t be cooked for the meal. Use a food thermometer and don’t leave food sitting out. Chill foods within two hours and keep refrigerators at or below 40 degrees.“A food thermometer is the only way to tell if food is cooked properly,” Concannon said.Recommended internal cooking temperatures for meat and poultry vary, but a sampling includes 145 degrees Fahrenheit for cuts of beef, veal, lamb, roasts and fish. Pork should reach an internal temperature of 160 F, as should ground meats.Egg dishes, such as quiche also need to be heated to at least 160 F. New guidelines for poultry say whole, ground or pieces of turkey, chicken and duck need to be heated to 165 F.For more information on cooking temperatures go to www.isitdoneyet.gov.

TK: Doug is a sometimes reader of the blog and it would be interesting to expand the conversation about farmers' markets and food safety. What are the number of cases of foodborne illness cases related to farmers markets? Does direct marketing by farmers get a pass on food safety issues? Is local food safer? What should be the threshold of regulation for small truck farmers if more stringent national food safety guidelines are enacted?


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Retail roundup 7/30

Tre
Circle K stores will get new fresh look From the story:
Circle K stores are making it possible for time-crunched customers to gas up their cars and eat a meal in one stop. The Phoenix-based company is in the midst of overhauling most of its 550 Arizona stores.
Changes include architectural improvements, interior renovations and a wider product selection, which will include ready-to-eat food such as sandwiches, fruit cups and salads.

TK: The arrival of Tesco is cited as one major catalyst for the trend, but consumers may resist notion of fresh food from the "gas station."


Quality or price: both of course! Justin King of Sainsbury

Whole Foods and country of origin labeling

Bring produce to South LA

The importance of Hispanics to Wal Mart From Hispanic Trending Web site:
Hispanics are among Wal-Mart’s most loyal customers and account for about 14 percent of the 127 million people who shop at the retailer’s stores in the United States every week, said Lee Scott, the company’s CEO, during a speech Tuesday at the National Council of La Raza convention in Miami Beach, Fla.

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Peterson's victory

Here is the link to the audio file of Chairman Peterson's remarks and a Q and A in a teleconference with reporters on Friday. He is a tired but victorious chairman. I offer the complete hour long plus session on the blog with the advice that only farm bill junkies should download.Peterson is asked about if anything could have been done to prevent the squabble with Republicans over the tax issue. He is also asked about the WTO cotton case, the case for the transfer of border inspectors from the DHS to the USDA and a myriad of other issues. He was commended for his accessibility throughout the farm bill process, and in that respect I heartily concur. From the speedy manner that Peterson deal with markup to his availability for a weekly teleconference, Peterson has set the bar high for the Senate Agriculture Committee. He was asked during the press conference if the House bill could serve as the standard for the Senate's consideration. "Far be it from me to tell the U.S. Senate what to do.".... and then he proceeded to say that yes, the House farm bill has broad support from farm organizations and has found a way to satisfy a broad array of interests. Particularly on the issue of COOL, Peterson said there is not much more that the Senate could do to address the issue than what the House has done.

Some other coverage of Peterson this weekend:

Peterson on Farm Bill Passage

Harkin thinks Senate can improve on House farm bill

House passes new farm bill

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Pelosi : Before I leave that point

TK: Here is a link to the Congressional Record report of Friday's farm bill debate: Below is an excerpt from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California and her strong and very detailed support of the f/v provisions. It is interesting to observe her mention of food safety in relation to specialty crops seems to indicate that Democratic leaderships links Congressional action on fruit and vegetable priorities with legislative movement on food safety issues. Look for more news from DeLauro's office this coming week.


Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman, the distinguished chairman of the Agriculture Committee for yielding, and I want to congratulate him for this achievement for bringing this important bill to the floor.
As a Californian, I take special interest also that the bill makes a historic investment in specialty crops, providing $1.7 billion in new mandatory spending. This investment was made possible by the leadership of Congressman Dennis Cardoza. And many provisions in his bill, the EAT Healthy America Act, which is a very important bill for us, EAT Healthy America Act, were incorporated in this bill that is before us today. This legislation supports specialty crops, that is, fruits and vegetables, by increasing market access, encouraging and facilitating consumption of nutritious agricultural products, funding research initiatives and increasing opportunities for family farmers in conservation initiatives. Specifically, just so you know what falls under this, the bill invests $365 million for Specialty Crop Block Grants; $350 million to expand the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable School Snack Program to all 50 States, and I repeat that, $350 million to expand the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable School Snack Program to all 50 States; $215 million to create a new dedicated research initiative for specialty crops; $200 million to create a new initiative for early detection, prevention, and eradication of emerging pests and disease; $55 million for organic agriculture. What is important about all of this is many of these resources will be invested in the Northeast, in the Middle Atlantic States, in the Northwest and California, where agriculture is a very important part of the economy but where not very much attention had been paid in the past in the farm bills. This is a big change and signals a new direction in this farm bill. Specialty crop producers, our fruit and vegetable growers, account for nearly half of all cash crop receipts in America and are a part of the farm economy in all 50 States, as I mentioned, especially important, California, the Northeast, Northwest, and Florida. I mentioned that I was a Californian. I was also born in Maryland; so I know the importance of the Chesapeake Bay, and I salute the chairman for the initiative in here in support of the Chesapeake Bay. I see my colleague Majority Leader Hoyer nodding his head in agreement. But I want to acknowledge Chairman Chris Van Hollen, for whom this has been a priority since he came[[Page H8765]]to Congress, and now he has been joined by John Sarbanes in support of this. And I know it has bipartisan support because Congressman Gilchrest supports these initiatives as well. From Monterey Bay across the country to the Chesapeake Bay, this bill represents a new direction. Let me just say that is why this bill is supported by the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, a national coalition of more than 120 specialty crop organizations. Before I leave that point, I want to talk about food safety. One of the reasons that many of us are in politics, and I know many moms come to politics, is for our having a safer, clean environment for our children. Clean air, clean water, food safety, these are things we can't do for them, but we depend on public policy to do; and the initiatives in this legislation for food safety are important. They will be greatly enhanced by the legislation put forth next week by the Appropriations subcommittee Chair, Congresswoman DeLauro, in her appropriations bill.

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