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Produce Show Daily 1 5 Tuesday, June 13, 2017 FRESH PRODUCE FROM KING FRESH An interview with Keith Wilson, Owner/President, King Fresh. PSD: Tell our readers about your compa- ny. What is your main line of business? KW: King Fresh Produce LLC is a fam- ily owned, vertically integrated fresh pro- duce company based in central California, owned and operated by the Wilson family, celebrating three genera- tions of more than 80 years in agricul- ture. King Fresh Produce specializes in farm-to-table, quality, tasteful grapes all year long. We also pack and market California pomegranates, tree fruit, citrus and cherries. The King Fresh Produce family also owns and operates Jody Fresh Cooling Company, River Island Fresh Cold Storage and King Fresh Transportation. PSD: What would you say makes your company unique? KW: Being a vertically integrated com- pany allows us to handle every aspect of the 'go to market' process in house. We grow, pack, pre-cool and ship from our own facilities and manage a fleet of trucks to make timely deliveries to our customers. Our team members located in California, Missouri and Washington state are able to meet face to face with our customers and communicate to them regarding truck deliveries, promotional opportunities and packaging options. King Fresh is growing rapidly by acquir- ing more farmland in California, Mexico, Chile and now Peru to meet the demand of our retail partners. PSD: Where is your current product emphasis? KW: We are busy researching and plant- ing the new varieties of Table Grape vines that are proving to be favorites of our customers and viable to the farm. Vineyards typically stay in production for 20 years so these decisions are huge. PSD: What was the most significant event or series of events affecting your company in the past year? KW: We continue to grow our company by developing vineyards that will be cus- tomer favorites and commercially viable plantations. PSD: What distinguishes your company from others? KW: My wife Lisa and I are the sole owners of King Fresh Produce and we are truly hands on when it comes to the day-to-day management and decision making process. We are able to react very quickly to market changes and pride ourselves on our open door policies with our associates. PSD: King Fresh is celebrating more than 80 years in business. To what do you attrib- ute your longevity? KW: Hard work and a desire to grow our business based on a solid founda- tion built by past generations. We are also very good at knowing our soil types and matching up our grape vari- eties to those soils to produce quality product. This knowledge has been passed down from generation to gener- ation. Our family has been farming in the San Joaquin Valley for many years and our reputation as fair-minded, hard-workers has allowed us to stay in business for a good length of time. PSD: How can readers find out more about your company? KW: We welcome visits from our cus- tomers to our fields and packing facilities to see for themselves how we conduct and organize our business. Of course our website and social media sites are a great source for learning more about King Fresh, but the best method to learn more about farming and packing is to spend time at the source. For more information, email keith@kingfresh.com or contact Director of Marketing Adam Millburn at adam@kingfresh.com. UNITED FRESH REPORT HIGHLIGHTS FOODSERVICE MENU TRENDS FOR FRESH PRODUCE The spring 2017 issue of United's Fresh Insights for Foodservice report, a quar- terly publication from United Fresh showcasing the latest innovations in fresh produce use in foodservice, as well as the creativity of chefs and foodservice operations in incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables to create flavorful and vibrant menus, is now available. The report features "In Season" and "On the Horizon" updates, which are dedicated to the commodities and menu items that are currently on spring menus, as well as items that will be featured in fall menus. "The United Fresh Retail- Foodservice board provided tremendous input on the fresh fruits and vegetables that are driving growth and excitement with consumers," said Jeff Oberman, Vice President of Trade Relations at United Fresh. "This issue features jack- fruit, a hot commodity that is performing well in both retail and foodservice ven- ues." "In Season" focuses on the spring flavors of cucumbers and specialty citrus, as well as shines a seasonal menu spot- light on the hot menu trend of poke bowls. Looking ahead to Fall 2017, "On the Horizon" highlights jackfruit, romaine and pickled and fermented fruits and vegetables. "Top Chain Trends" cov- ers menu items featuring garlic, cherries and bananas. The report's "View from Above" section looks at meal kit sub- scriptions, including an interview with HelloFresh COO Uwe Voss on the com- pany's recipe development, food trends and utilization of fresh produce. "The popularity of 'fresh prep' at home, and trying new items represent two key factors in consumer meal deliv- ery kit purchasing decisions," said Oberman. "These kits present a new opportunity for produce companies to showcase their products and varieties to consumers." Fresh Insights for Foodservice is developed in partnership with Datassential, a leading market research firm dedicated to the food industry, using data from its extensive menu database, MenuTrends. Incorporating feedback and input from the Retail-Foodservice board, the report provides United Fresh mem- bers and the broader industry a compre- hensive look at how chefs and restaurants are featuring fresh produce on their menus. The report is sponsored by Tanimura & Antle. Fresh Insights for Foodservice is free to United Fresh Members and $50 to non-members. To order the report, visit www.unitedfresh.org. If you have ques- tions, contact Jeff Oberman at 831.600.8922. For questions about the data or content in this report, contact Mike Kostyo, Datassential at mike.kostyo@datassential.com. PRODUCE TRENDS IN 2017 By Scott McDulin, Vice President of Marketing/Retail Sales, H.C. Schmieding Produce, LLC. In 2016, the produce industry continued to show strong sales growth. Once again, growth was led by convenience packag- ing, fresh cut, local programs, organics and new varietals. With this growth came new challenges for the suppliers and retailers attempting to keep up with the ever-changing environment. These challenges included category manage- ment, shelf space, instore merchandis- ing, managing production and deliveries. Strap on your chinstrap – all indications show this growth will continue in 2017 and beyond. Recognizing these trends are impor- tant to maintain and accelerate growth, Schmieding Produce is well positioned to capitalize and provide solutions for the major produce trends of 2017. From top to bottom, Schmieding has developed solutions for each consumer trend, mak- ing it much easier on the retailer to react and execute. These turnkey solutions are listed below: Produce Trend #1 Local and Seasonal: Consumers continue to want to know where their produce is grown. Schmieding Solution: Schmieding Produce offers a "Meet the Grower" on pack program which features one of our growers and their story. Produce Trend #2 Variety: Consumers are increasingly inter- ested in trying unique and exotic vari- etals. Schmieding Solution: Schmieding Produce currently offers a wide variety of specialty potatoes, onions, pumpkins and watermelons. We are actively looking to grow our selections. Produce Trend #3 Organics: Organics continue to grow and outpace conventional produce in percent growth, although it still represents a smaller piece of the overall pie. Schmieding Solution: Schmieding Produce offers organic potatoes and onions, and will con- tinue to offer more items as demand grows. Produce Trend #4 Convenience: Studies show today's fam- ilies allocate less time to meal prepara- tion. As a result, they are willing to pay more for prewashed, precut and presea- soned. They are also looking for smaller packs in some items. Schmieding Solution: We offer microwavable singles and multi packs, value-added packaging, smaller sizes and innovative items designed for today's consumers. For more information, go to www.schmieding.com, call 561.319.3095 or email smcdulin@schmieding.com.