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Produce Show Daily 6 9 Thursday, October 19, 2017 SM: It all starts with our people. We have a dedicated group of produce profession- als who look for win-win opportunities for both our growers and our customers alike. Listed under H.C. Schmieding Produce, LLC, we are XXXX rated with a 900 score in the Blue Book, which is one of the highest scores of any produce compa- ny in the nation. Although we are very proud of our rating, we believe by treating people right our score will ultimately be reflected in our customers' satisfaction, which is what drives us to be elite. PSD: How long has Schmieding Produce been in business? SM: We celebrated our 80th year provid- ing quality produce nationwide last year. PSD: What would you like potential cus- tomers to know about Schmieding Produce? SM: We grow, pack and ship quality potatoes, onions, watermelons, sweet corn, pumpkins and other items from all major growing regions in the U.S. Schmieding is as large or larger than any other produce company and has the infra- structure in place to be one of your major suppliers. PSD: What's new at Schmieding? SM: Great question! About two years ago, Schmieding Produce was acquired by Woerner Holdings, Inc., a West Palm Beach, Florida based company which has about 10,000 acres of agricultural pro- duction in several major growing regions across the U.S. In addition to Schmieding Produce, Woerner Holdings acquired Canon Potato packing and storage facili- Schmieding Produce (Cont'd. from p. 1) ty and a 1,800 acre potato farm both located in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. They folded both entities into the Schmieding Produce platform. This enables us to have the vertical integration required to supply today's retailers and consumers. If that wasn't enough, Schmieding Produce also acquired "Nature's Choice" watermelons, which added enough production to supply almost 6,000 loads of watermelons from April-September of this year. PSD: It sounds like Schmieding Produce is in growth mode. What's next? SM: Absolutely, we have a full time director of mergers and acquisitions, and are actively looking for more food and agricultural companies to acquire in the near future. PSD: Where do you see produce sales growth in the next year? SM: Obviously, specialty, organics, fresh cut and convenience packaging will contin- ue to drive growth over the next year, but we also believe there are tremendous growth opportunities in conventional items. PSD: Tell our readers something about Schmieding Produce that may surprise people. SM: Schmieding Produce has a world class in-house transportation team that is dedicated to supplying our company and other major produce companies with logis- tic services. Transportation is the biggest challenge to any produce company and we can and do hire trucks for other companies. For more information, go to www.schmieding.com or stop by booth #5647. Colorado produce scene? New to the Colorado Pavilion – the Colorado Mushroom Farm has been pro- ducing quality fresh mushrooms for 34 years. Colorado Mushroom Farm sup- plies fresh mushrooms to the intermoun- tain and southwest region of the U.S. The farm currently grows white and brown (crimini and portabella) mushrooms, marketed under the "Rakhra Mushrooms" label. Canon Potato presents the "Skinny Potato" – 100 calorie sized russet pota- toes, in a three-pound anti-greening bag – for both the waste- and waist-conscious consumer. Canon can also supply you with market onions, watermelons, sweet corn, pumpkins, organics, cabbage, sweet potatoes and squash, and sometimes green beans, cucumbers and peppers as well! Aspen Produce LLC has added organic russets, reds and yellow pota- toes to its line-up. Aspen is a grower, packer and shipper of fresh market potatoes. KC Trading returns to the Colorado Pavilion to assist with your needs for all pulse products along with popcorn, oil seeds and cereal grains. The Colorado Potato Administrative Committee can help you with all your fresh potato needs, from shipper and seed information to variety information. It can help you locate what you are looking for, as well as POS material, state and feder- al marketing regulations and finding the shipper that can fulfill all your potato needs. New at BING Beverage this year – Colorado Pavilion (Cont'd. from p. 1) Kombucha! Colorado's healthy food industry inspired the creation of BING Beverage, bringing consumers a great- tasting, healthy pick-me-up. BING is a refreshing, lightly carbonated, moderate- ly caffeinated and completely delicious fruit juice beverage in cherry, raspberry, blackberry and apple flavors. Every can boasts low calories, few sugars, five B vitamins and 100 percent daily value vitamin C. The Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association represents Colorado fresh fruit and vegetable farmers and can provide buyers with contacts for Colorado produce such as chile peppers, sweet corn, melons, onions, carrots, leafy greens, peaches, apples and more. From the eastern plains of Colorado's traditional farm country, to the prime fruit growing areas of the Western Slope, the potatoes of the San Luis Valley, and chiles of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado's diverse range of fruits and vegetables meets your customers' tastes. Mountain Valley Logistics, LLC places itself on the cutting edge of the industry in terms of the services and tech- nologies. You can expect up-to-date information as well as sound advice. It will help you and your company succeed at the highest level. All of Colorado's produce areas are centrally located and close to major U.S. and export markets. For more information on Colorado fruits and vegetables, visit booth #619 at the PMA Fresh Summit, go to www.colorado agriculture.com and www.colorado produce.org or call 303.869.9000. at the show. But this year we're meet- ing with a record number of produce buyers from every region of the coun- try in anticipation of this year's mas- sive Pazazz roll out. We're going to be in market earlier and longer thanks to the largest harvest we've ever produced for Pazazz. Plus, at our booth, we're giving some sneak peeks of some of our new varieties in development. Honeybear Brands has a long track record of varietal development leader- ship – and we've got close to 100 new varieties in various stages of commer- cial development. We're excited to get reactions and feedback from show attendees. PSD: How is Pazazz this year – and what makes the variety so unique? DR: Pazazz stands out from the competi- tion because of two things: an unrivaled flavor and second to none crunch factor. Pazazz has a cell structure similar to the Honeycrisp, from which it's descended, so you can expect an explosive juicy crunch with every bite. But it's also been grown for its unique flavor – a perfect blend of sweet and tart that appeals to almost every apple lover's taste and palette preferences. The 2017-2018 Pazazz crop will be the best yet. No doubt about it. Our grow- Honeybear Brands (Cont'd. from p. 1) ers in New York, Nova Scotia, Washington and up and down the Mississippi River Valley have all report- ed excellent growing conditions through the summer months and we're set to ship the largest crop ever to more retailers in more regions of North America. PSD: What has the reaction been like from your retail partners as Pazazz has grown as a variety? DR: Reaction from retailers has been incredible. Last year we heard from part- ners in more than 30 retail markets across North America that Pazazz was essential- ly a game-changer for them. Pazazz helped them to differentiate their premi- um apple offerings from their competi- tors, extend their sales seasons well into the winter and early spring months, and most critically yet – really drive incre- mental apple sales for each of their stores. Retail data shows we're seeing repeat purchases at retail across the board, and from both anecdotal feedback at in-store events and from the research we've done with consumers to date, one thing is driving everything: flavor is king. PMA show attendees should come and see for themselves. For more information, visit booth #1609. After the show, go to www.honey bearbrands.com. good for the waistline, neither is true. In fact, strategically using dried fruit in addition to fresh fruit is a smart way to meet your nutrient needs and control weight. Health Effects of Raisins May Reduce the Risk of Certain Diseases Raisins are high in fiber, potassium and other plant compounds, including antiox- idants which are linked to health benefits. Eating raisins may improve blood sugar control, lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol and decrease inflammation – all of which contribute to a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Dried and Fresh Fruit both Contain Natural Sugar As grapes dry naturally in the sun, the water content decreases as they become raisins. This process works to concentrate both the nutrients and calories. When you consider the serv- ing size – 1/4 cup of dried fruit and 1 cup of fresh fruit – dried fruit actually contains about the same amount of calories, sugar and fiber as fresh fruit. It's simply condensed into a smaller Dried Fruit (Cont'd. from p. 1) package. By weight, dried fruit con- tains up to 3.5 times the fiber, vita- mins and minerals compared to fresh fruit. Of course, it's always important to read the package when purchasing dried fruit. It's best to avoid those brands that contain added sugar. Know that Sun- Maid raisins are simply dried with no additives or preservatives, or extra sugar. Nothing is added, and the only thing that's taken away is water. Easy to Eat Variety is a key component of a healthy eating plan. Some days you may choose to eat your fruit dried, other times you will enjoy fresh fruit. Sometimes you may opt to have it canned – or even frozen – but that's a topic for another day! Since less than 30 percent of adults eat the recommended two servings of fruit each day, eating dried fruit – like raisins – is an easy way to fill the gap. Plus, dried fruit is versatile, portable and doesn't require refrigeration. For more information, go to www .sunmaid.com, call 559.896.8000, email info@sunmaid.com or stop by booth #2559.