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P r o d u c e S h o w D a i l y S u n d a y, O c t o b e r 2 0 , 2 0 1 3 3 8 DEL MONTE FRESH PRODUCE REFRESHES MENU OPTIONS By Dionysios (Dennis) Christou, Vice President of Marketing North America, Del Monte Fresh Produce North America, Inc. Consumer demand for healthier menu items has definitely changed the focus from 'bigger is better' to 'healthy options are a must.' As consumers become more informed about the impact of their diets on their overall health, they are begin- ning to actively look for good-for-you food that tastes great. Del Monte Fresh is able to meet these demands with our fresh fruits and vegetables. Indulging in guilty pleasures is common, but consumers are eager to find healthier options to satisfy cravings. Additionally, legislative pressure is forc- ing the restaurant industry to disclose calorie and other nutritional information to patrons. What better fit than nature's best human fuel: fruits and vegetables! Restaurants are listening to their cus- tomers, who are now focused on devel- oping and maintaining healthier eating habits. People are gravitating more and more to those restaurants that offer a variety of food with a menu portion tar- geted towards health-conscious eaters. From fast food to fine dining, the trend is definitely shifting toward a greater offer- ing of fresh fruits and vegetables. America is embracing the idea that fresh is not only "good for you" but tastes great too. It's a no-fail combination. With our 22 distribution facilities, Del Monte Fresh has an incredibly strong network that can meet the needs of our customers and their end-users on a next day, and many times, even same day schedule. Our fresh cut operations have a model of "order one day, ship the next." It doesn't really get much fresher than that. We have best-in-class food safety systems and procedures that are set up to oversee our fruit and vegetables from the seed to the table. We have a brand that has been trust- ed for more than 100 years and we won't compromise that position. Del Monte Fresh will stop at nothing to bring our customers the best tasting and safest products each and every time. "As part of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), we have attained SQF 7th Edition, Level 3, which is a comprehensive program of Food Safety and Food Quality Management," says Ross Mckenney, Vice President of Quality Assurance, North America. Additionally, our sup- port services are the best in the business. Our team is dedicated to achieving 100 percent cus- tomer satisfaction. We offer our fresh cut fruits and vegetables in completely cus- tomizable packaging options to suit the needs of each individual customer. Del Monte Fresh streamlines a direct focus on our customers and their end users, consistently ensuring premium quality and innovative fresh products. For more information visit www.fresh delmonte.com, call 800-950-3683 or email Contact-US-Executive- Office@freshdelmonte.com. 100th MONKEY MUSHROOM FARM GROWS OUT ON A LIMB An interview with Heather Ralston, mushroom farmer and co-owner of 100th Monkey Mushroom Farm. PSD: Tell me a little bit about the 100th Monkey Mushroom Farm. HR: Co-owner James Stack and I are two authentic mushroom farmers who are passionate about teaching folks how to create their own mushroom gardens at home, so that everyone has the chance to enjoy freshly harvested gourmet mush- rooms. Because buying gourmet mush- rooms on a regular basis is cost prohibi- tive for many people, we developed grow-your-own kits to make gourmet mushrooms accessible and affordable for everyone. As an added benefit, growing mushrooms is fun and informative, and our customers quickly become as enthu- siastic about mushrooms as we are! Our vision is to create a large scale awareness of sustainable growing tech- niques, the extraordinary health benefits of mushrooms, and the increasing role fungi plays in the healing of our ecosystem. PSD: What is 100th Monkey Mushrooms product line? HR: We created a product line which allows the customer to grow gourmet mushrooms at home, indoors and out. Our indoor/outdoor Mushroom Straw Garden Kit rapidly produces gourmet oyster mushrooms when mixed with pas- teurized straw. The mushrooms can be harvested year-round and they can be grown anywhere: in pots on an apartment patio, in a garden bed, or inside the house in baskets or burlap bags. Our outdoor shiitake Mushroom Log Kit makes it possible to grow the worlds most popular mushroom simply by inserting a mycelium-covered plug into a hardwood log. While these mushrooms take longer to colonize than the straw kits, they can produce coveted shiitake mushrooms for years. Finally, our ready-made indoor Mushroom Kit is easy and convenient. With a little daily misting, the delicious elm oyster mushrooms are ready to harvest in as little as one week. PSD: What is the outlook, in general, for your products? HR: Excellent! The year 2012 saw the highest mushroom sales on record, and 2013 is already 6 percent higher in the first quarter. Media coverage has great- ly increased consumer awareness of the latest scientific findings that establish the extensive health-promoting quali- ties of mushrooms, and people across the country are realizing all of the ben- efits that come with growing their own mushrooms. 100th Monkey Mushroom Farm is at the forefront of the at-home mushroom production sector, and as we expand within the $30 billion per year do-it-yourself lawn and garden retail industry, we are prepared for tremen- dous growth. PSD: What differentiates your company from the com- petition? HR: James and I provide customers a variety of ways to grow their own mush- rooms at home, so there is an option that works for every level of time and motivation. Because this is a very new market, there needs to be an educational compo- nent to demonstrate how simple and straightforward the process is. A unique benefit we provide is a series of free online videos that walk the grower through the process, while answering common questions, offering tips, and guiding them towards the greatest suc- cess in their growing experience. Weve found that a little time spent on educa- tion creates happy customers who trust in our products and become loyal, repeat customers. For more information on 100th Monkey Mushroom Farm visit www.100thmon- keymushrooms.com, info@100thmonkey- mushrooms.com or call 512-820-0001. FLORIDA AGRICULTURE OFFERS FRESH PRODUCTS The Florida Pavilion consists of a variety of companies providing commodities ranging from blueberries to zucchini. Astin Family Farms grows over 1,100 acres of strawberries during the winter season. They also grow and mar- ket squash, eggplant, cantaloupe and, beginning this year, Florida blueberries. B &W Quality Growers is the world's largest grower of premium watercress, with customers across North America and into Europe. Their five gen- erations of experience with these highly perishable and highly prized baby leaves helps ensure premium quality and consis- tent supplies, offered with world-class quality. Bejo Seeds, Inc. is a name that stands for quality. The company is com- mitted to 100 percent natural breeding processes (no GMO) in order to provide high-quality vegetable varieties which meet the needs of our professional grow- ers as well as the needs of vegetable con- sumers. Bejo Seeds provides outstanding flavor, health value and appearance. BioXTEND manufactures a wide range of upscale air purification systems and filters to remove ethylene, bacteria and molds from storage and transit facil- ities to protect and preserve the com- modities' freshness and quality. E Foods, Inc. lends the greatest serv- ice in distributing straight and mixed loads. In addition to providing all neces- sary services to assure distribution of its specialty, tomatoes, E Foods, Inc. can ship any fresh U.S.-grown produce to buyers throughout North America and many other parts of the world. The Florida Blueberry Growers Association is dedicated to providing blueberry consumers with high-quality fresh fruit in late March, April and early May. Florida Classic Growers has three state-of-the-art packing facilities located in cen- tral Florida. Load volume is available on fresh Florida grapefruit, navels, oranges, tanger- ines and specialty citrus, as well as tree- ripened Florida peaches. The Florida Strawberry Growers Association is the voice for Florida strawberry growers. This voluntary organization represents over 10,000 acres of berries. Mack Farms is a grower/shipper/custom packer of pota- toes, onions and watermelons located in Lake Wales, Fla. They harvest and pack the first fresh potatoes in the country when their season begins in February. Pioneer Growers is one of the largest distributors of sweet corn, and in addition to sweet corn, they are known for high- quality green beans, radishes, celery and cabbage. Pioneer Growers is proud to partner with chain stores, wholesalers and terminal markets from all around the world. S.M. Jones & Co., Inc. takes pride in distributing some of the finest sweet corn in the coun- try. Growing regions include Homestead and Belle Glade, Fla., Bainbridge, Ga., Hendersonville, N.C. and Willard, Ohio, for year-round supplies. Scotlynn Sweet Pac Growers, head- quartered in Belle Glade, Fla., is a grow- er/shipper/packer operation. With a year- round sweet corn program as its founda- tion, it also offers watermelons, green beans, radishes, leafy greens, pumpkins and a variety of hot house commodities. West Coast Mushrooms has farms in Florida and Maryland. The farm in Florida is located in the panhandle about 35 miles west of Tallahassee, and covers more than 200 acres. At full production, the farm is capable of producing 600,000 pounds of fresh mushrooms each week. During Fresh Summit, visit Florida Department of Agriculture at booth 1028. For more information, go to www .freshfromflorida.com, call 850-617- 7330, or email Yolanda.Roundtree @freshfromflorida.com.