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P r o d u c e S h o w D a i l y F r i d a y, O c t o b e r 2 3 , 2 0 1 5 1 8 AMERIFRESH DELIVERS CONSISTENT QUALITY Amerifresh provides fresh fruits and vegetables of the highest quality, not only to foodservice customers, but also to the highly demanding retail grocery industry. Environmental variables such as inclement weather, water shortages, pest infestations and import irregulari- ties that disrupt and corrupt the avail- ability of top quality fruits and vegeta- bles make consistent supply a top issue in the produce business. Quality and consistency have a direct bearing on the reputation and repeat business of cus- tomers. Amerifresh offers a reliable and consistent supply of produce that does not sacrifice quality and is not vulnera- ble to seasonal scarcities. At Amerifresh, this level of consis- tency and reliability rests on the shoul- ders of quality assurance inspectors who are in the field every day examining what is available locally, nationally and inter- nationally to match up customer needs with the currently available supply. Leveraging experience and relationships with grower sources, Amerifresh serves as representatives in the field to bring reliable sup- plies of produce to cus- tomers. If it does not meet the customers' specifica- tions and standards, then it does not pass the Amerifresh quality assurance inspec- tion. The Amerifresh team meets expecta- tions, every time. Consistent quality, regardless of the season, combined with global purchasing power and strict adher- ence to safety standards make Amerifresh the best choice for produce needs. At Amerifresh, flexibility and pur- chasing power provide the value cus- tomers rely on. Amerifresh operates sales offices throughout the coun- try to provide con- venience and avail- ability. Its field sales associates are in direct contact with growers through procurement operations. Proximity to the farm results in a more knowledge- able, educated sales team. Living in and around the growing area, plus an export sales office in Fresno, California, give Amerifresh's team the market intelligence needed to forecast future markets. For more information, visit booth #4233 during Fresh Summit or visit online at www.amerifresh.com. CREATIVE CRUMBLES FROM FORMAGGIO If there's one thing New York-based Formaggio knows, it's cheese. The com- pany believes it's time for cheese-inclu- sive products to enhance the shopping experience in the produce department. Formaggio won over creative palates in the produce department with the Betta line some years ago. There's the renowned Betta Bleu, Betta Feta and Betta Brie products which included fresh ingredients normally found in the pro- duce department. The feta product was a medal winner with the Wisconsin Cheese Maker's Association's (WCMA) World Cheese Championship, and the Betta Brie has been featured on programs appearing on the Lifetime network. But what's next? Could there be more? Enter Creative Crumbles. Formaggio Brand's new product line, Creative Crumbles, is indeed crum- bled cheese-based, but each flavor is mixed with bits and pieces of fresh pro- duce, making it the perfect complement for cooking and dressing fresh vegeta- bles. This is a way for consumers to add fresh produce along with crumbles cheese to any number of a myriad of dishes ranging from vegan-friendly entrees to steaks and pasta. The unrivaled ease with which a kitchen novice can cre- ate this level of gourmet challenges the concept that one must attend the Culinary Institute to hit such an epicurean home run every time. Four varieties make up the Creative Crumbles line, including Feta Cheese mixed with fresh oregano, bits and pieces of onions and olives; Bleu Cheese, with cranberries, fresh celery, pieces of carrots, fresh herbs and spices, red pep- per; Ricotta Salata, with bits of sundried tomatoes and fresh sweet basil; and, finally, Cojita with fresh cilantro for a delightfully refreshing flavor profile. Each one has mixed in an infused drizzle for incredible flavor. When asked about his company's continued mission to expand its presence in the produce department, Formaggio Brand's Founder, President and CEO Anthony Mongiello says that there's only so much you can do with crum- bled cheese, and more and more, he's noticing that people are mixing it with fresh produce to achieve amazing results. "I thought it was a product whose time had come and will bring together very neatly the habits of people in the kitchen when it comes to crumbled cheese and fresh produce. We're just helping them along by doing the work for them in a way that is clean, incredibly easy to use and that will spark their personal culinary creativity." For more information, visit booth # 2419, go online to www.formaggiocheese.com, or call 845.436.7075. SHENANDOAH GROWERS: AHEAD OF THE CURVE FOR FRESH HERBS Shenandoah Growers has always prided itself on being ahead of the curve in the fresh herbs category. Prior to the compa- ny's inception, dried herbs were plentiful on grocery shelves, but fresh herbs were much harder to find. Aside from small, local farms with seasonal and geographi- cal limitations, the fresh herbs category simply did not exist. Recognizing the potential value of the fresh herbs con- sumer, who tended to be more affluent and less price-sensitive than the average grocery shopper, Ken Koehn and Mike Sarco founded Shenandoah Growers in 1990 to fill the unmet need in the market. Before the rest of the industry began to shift toward natural and organic pro- duce, Shenandoah Growers made a huge investment in state-of-the-art USDA-cer- tified organic greenhouses and was the first to market when it introduced its sig- nature line of Living Organic Herbs in 2008. The company anticipated the inevitable overlap between the fresh herb and organic consumer. Living Organic Herbs is the most obvious, but certainly not only, example of the company's forward thinking and innovation-centric approach. Recent greenhouse expan- sions and investments in LED finishing rooms enabled it to expand its distribution foot- print while improving overall product quality. Relentless attention to detail with market data has enabled Shenandoah Growers to identify opportunity gaps and led to the expansion of its product portfo- lio to include recipe- and chef-sized fresh-cut packages and line extensions to its Living Herb line. Over the last 25 years, the fresh herbs category has grown from a niche market to now include over half of U.S. con- sumers. Shenandoah Growers has grown at a pace mirroring the rapid expansion of the fresh herbs market. From its beginning as a small, field-pro- duction farm with a handful of sea- sonal employees in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the company now boasts a workforce of over 350, more than six acres of green- house space and facilities in Virginia, Georgia, Indiana and Texas. This growth has been possible due to its dedication to forward thinking and innovation. For more information, visit booth #3932, go to www.freshherbs.com or call 540.896.6939. A UNIQUELY DIFFERENT KIND OF POTATO SUPPLIER By Dave Yeager, Vice President, Farm Fresh Direct Farm Fresh Direct is a uniquely different potato supplier because it is owned by growers, many of which are working at seco.nd or third generation family farms. The investments Farm Fresh Direct has made in its farms are directly tied to help- ing you make your potato category as successful as it can be. Since 1999, the year Farm Fresh Direct was formed, the company has made investments in its ground, equip- ment, technology, sustainability and food safety. All of those investments were made to help ensure Farm Fresh Direct provides you with the safest, highest quality potato products that meet, or exceed, your customers' expectations. Thanks to you, those investments have paid off. Today, Farm Fresh is recognized as a leading grower/supplier of organic pota- toes, new varieties, specialty potatoes, fresh convenience potatoes, along with conventional russets, reds and golds. What has really fueled the company's growth is innovation. Farm Fresh was the first to market the individually wrapped microwave potato, PotatOH™, a line that has been expanded to include sweet pota- toes and microwavable and oven safe, creamer sized tray packs. Farm Fresh has also taken a very aggressive approach to new varieties, most of which are proprietary to Farm Fresh, that offer unique consumer benefits. As the trend for organics con- tinues to grow, Farm Fresh has more than quadrupled its organic acreage over the past five years to ensure supply and meet growing consumer demand. All of the company's farms and operations are also actively involved in sustainability and food safety to make sure growers are good stewards of the land and environment, while providing you and your customers with the safest product. So whether you need shipper label, private label, control label, potatoes in bags, trays or cartons, conventional pota- toes, specialty items, convenience prod- ucts or new varieties, Farm Fresh is flex- ible enough across operations to meet virtually all your needs. In addi- tion to Farm Fresh's grower/own- ers, the company has also part- nered with other growers around the country to ensure consistent year round supply. There are a lot of potato sup- pliers out there, so Farm Fresh Direct is also positioned to support your potato category success with marketing programs, category management and cat- egory development expertise using some of the best industry data and information available. At Farm Fresh Direct, we are truly grounded in your overall success, and are a uniquely different kind of potato sup- plier. For more information, visit booth #5255, go to www.farmfreshdirect.net or call Dave Yeager at 678.270.8910.