Fresh Impact by United Fresh

United Fresh Members Are Leading Advocates for Increasing Produce in Schools Also Inside:

ub ton P lic Po li ing

ference Con cy

Wa sh

Produce Industry Builds on Prior Successes for the 2012 Farm Bill

Preventing a Labor Disaster

WPPC 2011 Preview

Produce Industry Rallies for Its Most Powerful Public Policy Event

Working for Practical Food Safety Regulations

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN

Reggie Griffin, Chairman of the Board United Fresh Produce Association Corporate Vice President, Produce and Floral Merchandising Procurement The Kroger Company

When I began my term as the Chairman of United Fresh Produce Association at our convention last May in New Orleans, I asked our members to step up to make a Fresh Impact for our industry. The challenges we face today demand that every member get involved to help shape our business future. In October, we gather again for the Washington Public Policy Conference, our industry’s largest and most important annual gathering to take our business views to the nation’s political leaders. At WPPC, more than 500 industry leaders will raise our voices to the Congress and members of the Obama Administration, calling for solutions to the crisis in agricultural labor, science-based food safety rules that don’t layer needless bureaucracy and costs on growers and marketers, and expanded commitment to the most pressing public health need of America—helping end childhood obesity by increasing access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables. As you read through this publication, you’ll learn of some of our past successes on these issues, and even greater challenges we’re facing at this very moment. There’s no end to partisan debate on immigration reform, yet Congress appears intent on passing E-Verify law that could decimate agriculture. We’re just beginning to turn the tide in getting more fresh produce in schools, but coming Farm Bill budget cuts risk giving back the gains we’ve already achieved. Fresh Impact is a concept that works both ways—we need to have an impact in shaping national policy, but you’ll also read here how government policies have a real impact back in the day-to-day life of our businesses. To those who might think your voice is too small to have an impact, it’s time for you to come see for yourself at this year’s WPPC. And to those of you who think what happens in Washington doesn’t really affect you, take a quick look at some history to see what the PACA has meant to your business, and what expanding fresh produce programs in schools are offering companies today. As one of the nation’s major retailers, my company doesn’t hire field harvesters, or implement good agricultural practices on farms, or deliver fresh produce to schools. But every one of these issues affects us and our supply chain for better or worse. That’s one big reason I got involved in United Fresh in the first place, and that’s the reason I ask each of you to give back a little of your time, energy and money to support our broad industry.

1901 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20006 Phone: 202.303.3400 www.unitedfresh.org

United Fresh

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Contents United Fresh Volunteer Leaders

The Produce Industry Builds on Prior Successes for 2012 Farm Bill

United Fresh Board of Directors

United FreshPAC Contributors

United Fresh Chairman’s Roundtable Members

Fresh Impact Tour Brings Industry Concerns to Washington

United Fresh hits the road to talk with members about their needs, and getting involved in shaping the industry’s future.

Cover Story United Fresh Members Are Leading Advocates for Increasing Produce in Schools Produce industry companies are seeing new sales opportunities as a result of remarkable school nutrition policy advances.

Produce Industry Rallies for Its Most Powerful Public Policy Event

Farm Bill Insights from Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee

Chairwoman Stabenow shares candid views about United’s objectives for advancing produce industry priorities in the 2012 Farm Bill.

A Giant Step Toward Reducing Audit Fatigue

United leads industry program to drive standardization and efficiencies in audits.

United helps lead efforts to strengthen key produce industry priorities in next Farm Bill.

What Keeps You Awake at Night?

With a legacy of public policy milestones for the produce industry, the Washington Public Policy Conference is bigger and more powerful than ever for 2011.

In this roundtable discussion, the co-chairmen of United’s 2011 WPPC trade insights on E-Verify, food safety, fuel costs and other industry issues.

Preventing a Labor Disaster

$1 Billion Later, PACA Benefits Continue for Industry

United works to ensure a viable workforce for produce industry employers.

The Food Safety Modernization Act

A century of commitment protects produce industry trading.

After helping to shape the new food safety law, United works for practical regulations that help make produce safer than ever.

United Fresh Staff Directory

Tomato Industry Unites Under One Standard

More than 30 stakeholders from the fresh tomato supply chain see the results of their work to standardize food safety audits.

United Fresh

UNITED FRESH VO LU N T E E R L E A D E R S H I P United Fresh Produce Association is a total produce industry association, representing members throughout the entire fresh produce supply chain from grower through retail and foodservice, including allied suppliers and associations serving the industry. United Fresh is unique among produce trade associations in that every sector of the supply chain has its own special focus in association leadership, giving a strong voice to each sector to better ensure an overall united voice for the industry. Member leaders nominated for service from different segments of the produce chain are chosen in direct proportion to the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall membership. More than 450 individuals are currently serving in elected or appointed positions of leadership within United Fresh. Their goal is to bring their expertise, wisdom and unique perspectives together to provide direction that best represents the entire membership. Since its formation more than 100 years ago in 1904, our association has brought the fresh produce industry together to accomplish more together than any one of us could alone. We invite all members to participate in association leadership. Please let us know what areas of service are of special interest to you!

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Reggie Griffin Chairman of the Board Corporate Vice President, Produce and Floral Merchandising Procurement The Kroger Company Cincinnati, OH Steffanie Smith Immediate Past Chairman CEO River Point Farms, LLC Hermiston, OR David Krause Chairman-Elect President Paramount Citrus Delano, CA Ron Midyett Secretary/Treasurer Chief Executive Officer Apio, Inc. Guadalupe, CA

Jan Berk Chairman, Fresh-Cut Processor Board Vice President San Miguel Produce, Inc. Oxnard, CA John Chrosniak Director, North America Crop Protection Dupont Crop Protection Wilmington, DE Brendan Comito Chairman, Wholesaler-Distributor Board Chief Operations Officer Capital City Fruit Company, Inc. Norwalk, IA Lorri Koster VP, Marketing & Co-Chair of the Board Mann Packing Company Salinas, CA

Mitch Smith Chairman, Retail-Foodservice Board Director US Quality Systems Agricultural Products McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corporation Nampa, ID Tom Stenzel President & Chief Executive Officer United Fresh Produce Association Washington, DC Fred Williamson Chairman, Grower-Shipper Board President Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce San Diego, CA

UNITED FRESH B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S DIRECTORS Barry Bedwell Chairman, Government Relations Council President & CEO California Grape & Tree Fruit League Fresno, CA Steve Burnham Senior Vice President Produce, Floral & Bakery Safeway, Inc. Pleasanton, CA Paddy Callaghan Chairman, Global Advisory Council Chairman Nature’s Best Limited Drogheda, County Louth Ireland Ron Carkoski Vice-Chairman, Wholesaler Distributor Board President & CEO Four Seasons Produce, Inc. Ephrata, PA Mike Celani Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing Ready Pac Foods, Inc. Irwindale, CA Scott Danner Chief Operating Officer Liberty Fruit Co., Inc. Kansas City, KS David Dever Chairman, Supply Chain Logistics & Technology Council President & CEO Pandol Brothers, Inc. Delano, CA

Tony DiMare Vice President DiMare Company Ruskin, FL

John Keeling Executive Vice President & CEO National Potato Council Washington, DC

Emily Fragoso Director of Business Development Status Gro Orange, CA

Dan’l Mackey Almy Chairman, Nutrition & Health Council President DMA Solutions, Inc. Irving, TX

Tony Freytag Vice Chairman, Fresh-Cut Processor Board Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Crunch Pak Sliced Apples Cashmere, WA Steve Grinstead Chairman, United Fresh Foundation Chief Executive Officer Pro*Act, LLC Dallas, TX Roger Harkrider Director of Produce H-E-B San Antonio, TX Brent Harrison President Al Harrison Co. Distributors Nogales, AZ David Hille President Cabbage, Inc. Westlake, OH Ana Hooper Vice President Total Quality Darden Orlando, FL Joe Huston President, North America Chiquita Brands International, Inc. Salinas, CA

Mike Martin President Rio Queen Citrus, Inc. Mission, TX Phil Muir President & CEO Muir Copper Canyon Farms Salt Lake City, UT Mark Murai President California Strawberry Commission Watsonville, CA Angela Paymard Chairman & CEO N2N Global Longwood, FL

Doug Riley Assistant Vice President, Produce Operations Hy-Vee, Inc. West Des Moines, IA Dave Russell Vice President Sales - National Accounts Del Monte Fresh Produce, N.A., Inc. Dallas, TX Randy Scott Vice-Chairman, Retail-Foodservice Board Category Manager Produce Delhaize America Salisbury, NC John Smith Director, Horticulture Region Bayer CropScience Cary, NC Will Steele Vice-Chairman, Grower-Shipper Board President & CEO Frontera Produce Edinburg, TX

Roger Pepperl Marketing Director Stemilt Growers, LLC Wenatchee, WA

Ivan Tarriba Owner-Director Farmer’s Best International, LLC Culiacan, Sinaloa Mexico

Bruce Peterson President Peterson Insights, Inc. Bentonville, AR

Greg Wohlleb Vice President Processor Division Bunzl, Inc. Louisville, KY

Walter Ram Chairman, Food Safety & Technology Council Vice President Food Safety The Giumarra Companies Los Angeles, CA

Jackson Woodward CEO and President Horton Fruit Company Louisville, KY

United Fresh

U N I T E D F R E S H PA C CO N T R I B U TO R S United’s FreshPAC is one of the most important political tools available to strengthen our members’ voices on Capitol Hill through political donations to the election campaigns of members of Congress. PAC contributions to individual candidates show that the produce industry is willing to put its money where its mouth is, and is truly committed to supporting those in line with industry priorities. A special thanks to the 2010 Election Cycle United FreshPAC supporters:

Nelia Alamo Jim Allen Mike Antle Rick Antle Victoria Backer Jan Berk Angela Bezon Tiwari Travis Blacker Tim Bland Bill Brim Bill Brooks Reggie Brown Ron Burk California Grape & Tree Fruit League PAC Adam Cancellieri Karen Caplan Emelio Castaneda Chris Ciruli Chuck Ciruli Sr. Brendan Comito Dave Considine Dan Corsaro Joe Corsaro Ricardo Crisantes Fried De Schouwer Tim Debus Aaron DeHerrera Patrick Delaney David Dever Tony DiMare Lorelei DiSogra Lindsay Dixon Will Doss Jesse Driskill David Durkin Robert Eddy John Ellingsen Cathy Enright Ernie Farley

Vince Ferachi Dennis Ferrarelli Tim Fleming Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association-PAC Nancy Foster Tony Freytag Ray Gilmer Dave Gombas Erin Grether Jim Griffin Reggie Griffin Steve Griffin Steve Grinstead Federico Gudino Charles Hall Andy Hamilton Paul Harrington John Hennessy Lori Hickey David Hille Dan Hilleary Jeff Hutterer Cindy Jewell Lynnette Keffer Kelly Kincannon Joe Klare Doug Kling Brian Kocher Pat Kole Lorri Koster Amy Kunugi Greg Kurkjian Diane Kurrle Shannon Kyle Mike Laws Emanuel Lazopoulos Tammy Lehar James Lemke Tom Lovelace

Dan’l Mackey Almy Mike Mallon Nick Mascari Marshall Matz Chelsea McClarty Bruce McEvoy Mike McGee Matt McInerney Miriam Miller Wolk Robert Mills Richard Minor Gail Morrison Bob Morrissey Phil Muir Rob Mumma Mark Munger Brent Murray Michael Muzyk Jeff Oberman Steve Ottum Marylou Owen Lee Anne Oxford Andrew Pandol Todd Penza Janell Percy Laura Phelps Amy Philpott Pete Piazza James Prevor Kam Quarles Ashley Rawl Doug Ranno Douglas Rosenfeld U.S. Apple Association PAC Chris Schlect Steve Serck Don Sieling Craig Slate Tim Slaughter

Steffanie Smith Tom Stenzel Lisa Strube Sunkist Growers, Inc. PAC Gayle Swain Michael Sylvester Texas Produce Association TEXPAC John Toner Dan Vaché Chris Van De Walker Al Vangelos Tim Vaux Claudia Wenzing Daniel Whittles Mark Williams Fred Williamson Bob Wilson Suzanne Wolter Max Yeater Bertha Yniguez Jon Zaninovich

Interested in joining this exclusive group of industry leaders? Contact Angela Tiwari at 202-303-3416 or atiwari@unitedfresh.org for more information! 6

UNITED FRESH CHAIRMAN’S R O U N D TA B L E C O N T R I B U T O R S Members of United’s Chairman’s Roundtable generously provide extra support for United Fresh programs in government relations, food safety, nutrition policy and other areas to help grow the produce industry. A special thanks to our 2011 Chairman’s Roundtable supporters:

3M Food Safety A & J Produce Corporation Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce Andrews Bros., Inc. Apio, Inc. BASF Corporation Basin Gold Cooperative Bayer CropScience Ben B. Schwartz & Sons, Inc. Blue Book Services Bonipak Produce Company Boskovich Farms, Inc. Bunzl, Inc. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. Cabbage, Inc. California Giant Berry Farms, Inc. Capital City Fruit Company, Inc. Castellini Company, LLC Charlie’s Produce Company CHEP Chiquita Brands International, Inc. Ciruli Brothers Columbine Vineyards Costco Wholesale Crunch Pak Sliced Apples D’Arrigo Brothers Company of New York, Inc. Danaco Solutions Del Monte Fresh Produce, N.A., Inc. Dole Food Company Domex Superfresh Growers Dow AgroSciences Driscoll’s Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc. Field Fresh Foods, Inc. First Fruits Marketing of Washington Flavor 1st Growers & Packers Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association Food Lion, LLC Four Seasons Produce, Inc.

Fox Packaging Frontera Produce G.O. Fresh Giant Eagle Markets, Inc. Gills Onions, LLC Giorgio Fresh Co. H. Brooks & Company Heartland Produce Company Horizon Transportation Horton Fruit Company Huron Produce, Ltd. IFCO Systems, N.A. International Banana Association J & J Distributing Co. Jack Keller Company Jem-D International J. Marchini Farms John Vena, Inc. Keystone Fruit Marketing, Inc. Keystone Potato Products Kwik Lok Corporation L & M Companies Lakeside Produce Distribution, Inc. Liberty Fruit Co., Inc. Los Kitos Produce, Orange, CA Mann Packing Company Market Fresh Produce, LLC Mastronardi Produce, Ltd. McEntire Produce Monsanto N2N Global NatureSeal NatureSweet Naturipe Farms, LLC NewStar Fresh Foods, LLC Nonpareil Corporation North Bay Produce, Inc. Northwest Horticultural Council Ocean Mist Farms Paramount Citrus

Paul Marshall Produce, Inc. Peter Condakes Company, Inc. Polymer Logistics Potandon Produce, LLC Pro*Act, LLC Procacci Bros. Sales Corp. Progressive Produce Corporation R.C. Farms RedPrairie Rio Queen Citrus, Inc. River Point Farms, LLC River Ranch Fresh Foods, LLC Rocky Produce, Inc. San Miguel Produce, Inc. Sanitation Specialists, LLC Sensitech Six L’s Packing Co. Inc. State Garden, Inc. Steinbeck Country Produce/Hilltown Packing Stemilt Growers, LLC Strategic Diagnostics, Inc. Strube Celery & Vegetable Company Sun Rich Fresh Foods, Inc. Sunkist Growers, Inc. Syngenta Tanimura & Antle The Kroger Company The Nunes Company, Inc. The Sanson Company The Tom Lange Company, Inc. Thermal Technologies, Inc. Torrey Farms, Inc. Val Verde Vegetable Co. Wayne E. Bailey Produce Co. Wiers Farm/Dutch Maid Logistics Windset Farms Winter Garden Produce

Interested in joining this exclusive group of industry leaders? Contact Miriam Miller Wolk at 202-303-3410 or mwolk@unitedfresh.org for more information! United Fresh

Fresh Impact

Tour Brings

Industry

Concerns to Washington By Tom Stenzel, President and CEO, United Fresh

When Chairman Reggie Griffin launched our Fresh Impact campaign at convention to build industry involvement in shaping public policy, we already had a leg up in the thousands of leaders who have participated in past Washington Public Policy Conferences, reached out to their legislators through our Grassroots Action Network, or stepped up to participate in United FreshPAC.

his summer, when Congress took its annual August recess, I decided to do my part and hit the road to talk with as many members as I could about their needs, and encourage them to get involved in shaping our industry’s future. Our membership team called it the Fresh Impact tour, and we launched a two-week adventure visiting industry members in six states and one Canadian province, touring dozens of facilities, hosting five Town Hall events, and meeting with more than 200 folks along the way. The odometer ended up at 2,147 miles, but with much more impact on me, and hopefully our industry, than mere wear and tear on a car. 8

It was exhausting, but exhilarating. Who knew that I would draw far more energy from every individual along the way than I would need for the next 100-mile drive? Meeting all day, every day, for two weeks with real people often behind the scenes in our industry was unlike anything I’ve experienced in my 18 years as CEO of United Fresh. I’ve been to hundreds of produce facilities in those

The J-D Marketing team in Leamington, ON, is proud of its greenhouse pepper operation.

Bob Flaim (left), Flaim Farms, gives New Jersey Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Al Murray and Tom Stenzel a tour of his eggplant fields in Vineland, NJ.

years, and met with thousands of industry leaders around the world. But there was something rejuvenating to travel the back roads, see the passion of our industry, and be reminded that it’s a true calling for the people who bring fresh fruits and vegetables to the world. Beginning in western New York, it didn’t take long to hear what would become the #1 theme of my trip: the need for a reliable and legal agricultural workforce. Jim Allen and

the New York Apple Association have been stalwarts in communicating with politicians about the needs of apple growers. But I knew it was more personal when I saw the concern in the eyes of growers big and small about whether they would have crews to harvest this fall’s crops. On a beautiful day overlooking the Sodus Bay in Wayne County, I felt storm clouds over our Town Hall as we encouraged each other to carry our message to local, state and national politicians.

A different challenge presented itself when John Toner and I met with Keith Frosceno and the produce team at Price Chopper as I moved east to Schenectady. Like many other retailers, Price Chopper is trying to figure out the role of locally grown, balanced with strong partnerships with year-round suppliers. Keith sent me off to visit with some of their local growers, and I learned just how much these folks want to get food safety right, but still aren’t sure where to put their attention for the greatest impact. And all of the different audits? They were as confused as the rest of us who have been working Tom Stenzel and Nature on harmonizing GAP audits for more than Fresh Farms’ Matt Quiring a year. These growers aren’t looking for (center) and Mike Glass an unfair advantage; they’re looking for (right) in Nature Fresh’s newly opened greenhouse education. And that’s another message I’ll facility in Leamington, ON. take back to Washington and the FDA. I can’t give you the full travelogue here, but be sure to visit our United Fresh Facebook page for the blow-by-blow account, and more than 150 pictures.

United Fresh

Fresh Impact Tours

John Formisano of Formisano Farms in Vineland, NJ, shares a lifetime of experience.

But let me tell you it’s a long way from the Hudson Valley to Vineland, New Jersey. Thank goodness Miriam Miller joined me in Newark, and we got to stop along the way to see Michael Muzyk at Baldor Specialty Foods and Paul and Randi Auerbach at

Maurice A. Auerbach, Inc. While we often focus on either the grower or retail end of the supply chain, it’s important to realize these companies in the middle play an increasingly critical role in the logistics that make our industry successful.

John Rice surveys the fall apple crop at Rice Fruit near Gettysburg, PA.

Arriving in Vineland for Town Hall #2, I have to say a big “thank you” to Al Murray, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture for New Jersey, who set up so many of our visits, and of course his boss, Secretary Doug Fisher, for joining us at the events. Labor, labor, labor —did I say what the overriding issue was in New Jersey? Joe Marino of Sun Valley Orchards made a huge impression on me during the Town Hall with both passion and facts on the labor challenge. We rearranged our next day’s schedule so we go by his place to learn more. Joe reinforced the reality that if we don’t have the workers to harvest and pack crops, nothing else matters. Thus far, government has turned its back on produce farmers who desperately need legal workers, instead scoring political points with polarizing rhetoric and a broken H-2A guest worker program that punishes growers who participate instead of helping them. I’m now counting on Joe to be one of our key spokespeople on this issue at this year’s Washington Public Policy Conference. Eventually, I would see hard-working people in fields and packing houses across all six states, who only want a chance to support their families like you and I. And I saw farmers who do all the right things to check identification documents, and operate legally within laws that are often

at odds. But I also saw blueberries in New Jersey diverted to lower-value processing because no one could pick them. Sweet corn coming off too slowly and backing up orders due to shortages of 10-20 percent in harvest crews. Third- and fourth-generation growers telling me they weren’t sure they would continue in the business unless something changes drastically with the labor situation. Ironically, the one place I didn’t see labor shortage was in Leamington, Canada, where a guest worker program has brought legal and reliable workers from other countries to the fields for decades, balancing employment needs of Canadian citizens, treating the guest workers with respect and fairness, and seeing them return to their home countries at the end of each season. More than 5,000 foreign workers come into the one small town of Leamington each season. It is time for the U.S. Congress to meet its responsibility, not just to our

Local growers in Willard, OH, were joined by processors and distributors around the state for the United Fresh Town Hall lunch.

But back to the tour—rounding out Week 1, we toured a number of farms, shipping and processing facilities, and even the old Vineland produce auction (which is still going strong, but sadly gave up its tennis

While we often focus on either the grower or retail end of the supply chain, it’s important to realize these companies in the middle play an increasingly critical role in the logistics that make our industry successful. industry, but to all Americans who consume the foods we grow. Without a viable guest worker program, we cannot continue to bring the abundant bounty of fresh produce to your table.

As we drove back toward DC, David Masser at Sterman Masser and John Rice of Rice Fruit Company both reinforced the labor message, but also opened a new topic on food safety. They were actually foreshadowing what would become a major issue of discussion during Week 2. Back on the road to Ohio, where growers, wholesalers, and processors alike wanted to talk about food safety. Every individual I met said food safety was a criticallyimportant part of his or her operation.

balls for computer bidding). Then, we just had time for a few visits in Pennsylvania, but we’ll be back in September for two town halls.

Workers cut fruit in the “high care” processing room at F&S Produce.

United Fresh

Fresh Impact Tours continued from page 9

Even in these tough economic times, our industry is investing in the future— creating the jobs that will build this economy and bring more fresh fruits and vegetables to our public.

But almost everyone also was anxious about what’s coming in new food safety regulations, multiple audits and standards, and demands from trading partners that seem more about image than science. I wanted to say, “Don’t worry, we’re talking with the FDA every day and will help make sure new regulations are fair.” Or, I wanted to say, “Don’t worry, a year-long industrywide effort to harmonize GAP audits has made huge progress and soon all customers will accept one audit.” And, I wanted to say, “Don’t worry, trading partners don’t want to add needless cost to supply chains just for show; sound science will win out.”

But in the end, I’m the one who got worried. Talking with the front line of our industry, they are depending upon our associations at the national level, our regional and commodity association partners, our universities and consulting partners, to help them meet these challenges. Our industry has made huge strides in food safety, and I’m extremely confident that fresh produce today is safer than it’s ever been. But we have a major challenge ahead to get our food safety rules, regulations and industry auditing practices in line with what really counts. Everyone I met wants to grow, pack and distribute food safely; they don’t want silly, needless and costly bureaucracies that do nothing to make food safer. That,

David Masser of Sterman-Masser examines his coming potato crop in Sacramento, PA.

too, is a message that all of us have to take to Washington. But as Miriam and I traveled on, our trip was not all doom and gloom—far from it. If our industry let the hurdles dictate our business, we’d still be at the starting line not running the race. Even with our challenges, optimism was everywhere along the way. New cold storages and packing houses going up in apple country. Expansion of major fresh-cut facilities and distribution warehouses. Allied suppliers investing in R&D and the tools to grow a next generation of convenience produce items. Quick service restaurant menus featuring new salads and produce items that can compete with white tablecloth. Retail formats that take produce merchandising to a new level. Excitement about school districts that are finally beginning to grow into major produce customers, without depending on lower quality and price. It’s been said that a farmer is the eternal optimist every time he or she plants a seed. Surely that also applies to all of our industry, as we apply our vision, capital, brains and brawn to new products, facilities and programs to grow the fresh produce business. Week 2 took us from Columbus up through Willard, Ohio, to Lake Erie; over to Leamington, Canada, for a focus on greenhouse production; back through Michigan to Grand Rapids and the growing regions along Lake Michigan; and then a

Ken Holthouse of Doug Walcher Farms in Willard, OH, packing peppers in his new shed rebuilt after last year’s fire.

final trip south through Indiana to visit with some key allied suppliers and distributors. I was struck throughout with one last message I intend to take back to members of Congress when they return to DC. Our industry is ready to grow—we see the public health challenge of childhood obesity and soaring health care costs. We know that consumers want to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and are looking for more fresh produce in schools, in vending machines, in restaurants and venues where we’ve never been. So, even in these tough economic times, our industry is investing in the future—creating the jobs that will build this economy and bring more fresh fruits and vegetables to our public. While this was a trip through the East and Midwest, I don’t think I would have found too much different had I been driving through California or Florida, or any other state. I heard passion for our industry that spans multiple generations, but concerns

about labor that threaten that legacy. I heard anxiety about food safety, not about the importance of being safe, but about potential bureaucracy and extraneous issues that actually distract from what’s most important. And, nevertheless, I heard a growing excitement about what’s to come. Are we really at the tipping point whereby the produce choice really becomes the first choice for consumers?

Our Fresh Impact tour did everything I had hoped. Our staff team learned firsthand the concerns of people throughout our entire supply chain—growers, packers, shippers, wholesalers, distributors, fresh-cut processors, retailers, foodservice operators and allied suppliers. And, hopefully they each became more engaged in working to make a difference for our industry. But the tour also had a Fresh Impact on me. It was a coincidence that my 18th year anniversary as United Fresh CEO fell on August 16 during our trip. I hadn’t thought about that until I was standing there speaking at our Town Hall at the Varsity Club in Willard, Ohio, when it hit me. I may have even stopped talking for a moment. I was in awe of the responsibility of representing this great industry, and especially those 42 people sitting there in front of me. They were counting on our Board of Directors, our entire volunteer leadership, our staff team, and yes, on me personally, to do the right thing representing their interests to help them grow their business. That’s a pretty powerful responsibility.

United Fresh

Produce Industry Rallies for Its Most Powerful Public Policy Event

With a history that spans nearly seven decades, the Washington Public Policy Conference has built a legacy as the produce industry’s most powerful public policy event. Since 1943, industry leaders have converged on Washington, joining with United Fresh to meet with lawmakers and administration officials about critical issues affecting the industry. Like no other industry event, the Washington Public Policy Conference creates a unique opportunity for each member to make a lasting, personal connection with his or her elected leaders. Without a doubt, these personal connections have shaped the course and progress of the produce industry. This year’s conference, October 3-5, continues the tradition of offering strategic programs on industry priorities and access to top policymakers. Key issues for the 2011 Washington Public Policy Conference include Farm Bill programs, concerns about mandatory E-Verify requirements, increasing access to healthy food choices in federal nutrition programs, the impact of the new Food Safety Modernization Act and regulatory challenges facing the industry.

Many Ways to Make a Fresh Impact: Join the March on Capitol Hill, for strategic, face-to-face meetings on industry policy with key members of Congress. 14

Over the years, attendees at the Washington Public Policy Conference have met with pivotal lawmakers, including the speaker of the House, Senate majority leader, key committee chairmen, and other important legislators. The Fresh Festival on Capitol Hill, called one of the most popular nights in Congress by Congressman Sam Farr of California, puts the fresh produce industry on display before lawmakers, officials and their staff. Featuring bright and colorful displays and tastings, the Fresh Festival has become one of the most eagerly anticipated—and the most flavorful—receptions on Capitol Hill. When it comes to business development, companies have the opportunity to exhibit their products and services at the Management Resource Center. The MRC is designed to drive business solutions in traceability, food safety, sustainability, nutrition and more. The MRC offers ways to meet the future challenges and opportunities shaped by public policy today.

A Legacy of Uniting with the Nation’s Top Policymakers

United’s Board attends a White House Briefing in 1978.

Then First Lady Hillary Clinton celebrates fresh produce with Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy, White House Chef Walter Scheib and the United Fresh team in 1994.

Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK), current chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, talks with Bob DeBruyn in 1995.

Ten Year Anniversary of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), meets with current board member Fred Williamson and other members in 1988.

At the 2002 WPPC, Kroger’s Gale Prince advises Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) about food safety.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) addresses a packed house at the 2008 WPPC.

In 1998, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Kika de la Garza (2nd from right) talks with Beto and Alicia Maldonado and Richard Graves.

2003, Former Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, left, with Washington Public Policy Conference attendee Karen Caplan of Frieda’s, Inc.

Senator John McCain of Arizona, left, meets with attendees during the March on Capitol Hill at the 2010 Washington Public Policy Conference.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) makes history at the 2001 WPPC when he proposes the start of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which was implemented as part of the 2002 Farm Bill. See page 26 for details.

Former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas keynotes the 2004 Washington Public Policy Conference.

Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) discusses policy issues with WPPC attendees in 2010.

United Fresh

Face-to-Face with Regulators On Wednesday, October 5, attendees will sit down with regulators at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, and Environmental Protection Agency for a series of discussions on policy items affecting the fresh produce industry.

Food and Drug Administration The Food Safety Modernization Act is now law, and regulations are coming, bringing historic changes for the entire produce supply chain. Attendees will gain insights about how their business can adopt new practices on production, processing, handling, logistics and more to meet FDA’s coming rules.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Join United as we applaud USDA for revolutionizing the concept of better health with MyPlate. Attendees will engage with the agency about the impact of budget cuts on the

2012 Farm Bill and the possible impact on nutrition programs, research, block grants and other industry priorities. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions regarding the Microbiological Data Program and Pesticide Data Program.

Environmental Protection Agency

Attendees will sit down with Larry Elworth, EPA’s agricultural counselor to the administrator, and learn where the agency is headed with its pesticide and water policy and how these changes will impact the way businesses use these important production inputs. This session will allow attendees to engage in a dialogue with Elworth on pending actions that will affect agriculture.

Market Segment Breakout Sessions The Washington Public Policy Conference addresses priorities for every sector of the industry. At these special breakout sessions, attendees engage with speakers and policymakers focusing on each segment’s most pressing business needs.

Grower-Shipper Session: Could E-Verify Devastate your Workforce and Destroy your Business? Get the most up-to-date information on businessthreatening legislation moving through Congress, the impact of the recent Supreme Court case on E-Verify, and what the industry can do to help bring a sensible solution to our nation’s immigration problems. Hear from top policy authorities and industry experts sharing important trends and insights on E-Verify legislation.

Wholesaler-Distributor Session: How Produce Distributors and USDA Can Work Together to Maximize Efficiency in the Produce Supply Chain Wholesalers and distributors serve as buyers, aggregators and suppliers of produce, connecting consumers to healthy fresh produce. Join this session for a comprehensive discussion on how the industry can work with USDA at this critical point in the supply chain to ensure programs such as small farm GAP certification and border inspection are handled effectively for the industry.

Fresh-Cut Processor Session: How New Food Safety Rules Will Impact Processors

Retail-Foodservice Session: How Retailers and Restaurants Can Use New Policy Initiatives to Increase Sales

During this session, fresh-cut processors will participate in a town hall discussion focusing on the impact of the new food safety law on their segment of the industry, plus hear the latest update on the GFSI audit certification program.

With the USDA’s major new initiative to “make half your plate fruits and vegetables,” consumers will look to retailers and restaurants to help fulfill this critical nutritional goal. During this session, learn how retailers and foodservice operators can take advantage of new policy initiatives like the MyPlate campaign, new menu labeling regulations, WIC and other opportunities to increase produce consumption and increase sales.

2011 Washington Public Policy Conference

Schedule of Events Monday, October 3

Wednesday, October 5

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

United Fresh New Member & First-Time Attendee Welcome

7:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.

Morning Coffee & Networking in the Management Resource Center

2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Advocacy & Grassroots Seminar

7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Breakfast & General Session

5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Welcome Reception

9:30 a.m. - Noon

Face-to-Face with Regulators

1: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

2: U.S. Department of Agriculture

3: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Tuesday, October 4 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Morning Coffee & Networking in the Management Resource Center

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Opening Breakfast & General Session

10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Market Segment Breakout Sessions

noon – 1:45 p.m.

Luncheon General Session

9:30 a.m. - Noon Sights and Sounds Tour to the National Archives 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Closing Luncheon

2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. March on Capitol Hill: Congressional Visits 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Fresh Festival on Capitol Hill 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

United FreshPAC Dinner (Ticketed Event*)

A major theme of the 2009 WPPC, Rep. Sam Farr and LaTisha Savoy of DC Public Schools sample the salad bar on display at the Fresh Festival on Capitol Hill.

United Fresh

ince its inception in 1976, the United Fresh Political Action Committee has grown to become the lead fundraising political action committee for the fruit and vegetable industry. FreshPAC is a federal political action committee that pools the personal contributions of industry leaders to support candidates running for federal office that champion priorities important to the produce industry. In addition to individual contributions, FreshPAC can receive PAC-to-PAC contributions from company or association PACs. Our industry has strength in numbers. Support of FreshPAC helps to make a fresh impact on government policy. Participating in FreshPAC builds relationships with key members of Congress and candidates who support produce industry priorities before Congress. Supporting congressional candidates is an important part of the political process and FreshPAC allows the industry to show its support for members of Congress who are defenders of produce policy priorities. Every year at the Washington Public Policy Conference, FreshPAC hosts a special evening for all contributors. Last year,

John Boehner speaks to produce industry leaders attending United’s FreshPAC dinner in 2010.

Speaker of the House John Boehner was the featured speaker. This year’s signature reception, Tuesday evening, October 4, at Decatur House, features an outstanding Washington experience coupled with an award-winning dinner.

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United Fresh

Preventing a Labor Disaster United Fresh Responds to Potentially Damaging E-Verify Legislation

“One of the misunderstandings about migrant farmworkers is that they’re just wage workers without skills. That’s totally wrong. They are really specialists. Nobody could just walk out there and pick to meet our customer’s requirements.” Al Vangelos, CEO/President Sun World International

“Every day, we’re telling members of Congress and their staffs that mandatory E-Verify is a very bad idea for produce industry employers without an accompanying guest worker program.” Robert Guenther, Senior Vice President, Public Policy United Fresh Produce Association

hen the grapes are ready for harvest, there’s no waiting around for a harvest crew. The customer expects the best quality and delivery when promised. On this hot August day in the San Joaquin Valley near Bakersfield, Al Vangelos is concerned that federal lawmakers, 2,500 miles away on Capitol Hill, could impose sweeping labor law changes that may result in his grapes being left on the vines. Vangelos, president and CEO at Sun World International, depends on a steady harvest labor force, peaking at 7,000 workers, to bring the company’s grapes, tree fruit and other products to market. The work is fast, but precise. No machine could do this. “One of the misunderstandings about migrant farmworkers is that they’re just wage workers without skills,” said Vangelos. “That’s totally wrong. They are really specialists. Nobody could just walk out there and pick to meet our customers’ requirements.” Like Sun World’s Vangelos, other United Fresh members say there’s no way to know how many workers their companies might lose if proposed legislation requiring electronic verification of eligibility, called E-Verify, goes into effect. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, would require employers to use a system that matches Social Security numbers of employees against records at the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security to confirm worker eligibility. While E-Verify has been a voluntary system for years, the prospect of making E-Verify mandatory has many produce industry employers seriously worried, in large part because there is no provision for guest workers, only an implementation delay of up to three years for agriculture.

“Right from the start, we realized Chairman Smith’s bill was trouble for the produce industry, and we’ve been among the loudest voices telling him exactly that,” said Robert Guenther, United’s senior vice president for public policy. “Every day, we’re telling members of Congress and their staffs that mandatory E-Verify is a very bad idea for produce industry employers without an accompanying guest worker program.” Because many of the workers who could be lost have years of training and experience, the probable damage triggered by a mandatory E-Verify law that doesn’t contain a guest worker provision could be especially devastating and difficult to remedy. United Fresh member Grimmway Farms for example, employs workers who have several years of experience at specialized jobs, much of it in year-round production. Grimmway’s Sean McNally knows the value of having an experienced and trained workforce. As the company’s vice president of human resources, he has a workforce of about 7,000 on any given day, and the prospect of replacing thousands of them is daunting. It costs time and money to train new workers in safety, in trimming practices, and in how Grimmway wants its crops packed.

“I told them that nobody knows why the labor is so tight this year,” he said. “It’s been especially tight in Georgia,” Lytch added. “Some of our neighbors have left their whole fields unharvested, and others have left 50 percent in the fields.”

A Chilling Effect on Labor Availability On May 13 of this year, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed a bill that cracks down on illegal immigration in the state by, among other provisions, requiring many employers to check the immigration status of new hires. The law includes an E-Verify requirement that doesn’t kick in until July 2013. “By May 16, three days after the bill was signed, we started getting calls from our growers saying their crew leaders couldn’t get their workers to come to Georgia, and the law doesn’t even take effect for two more years,” said Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA).

“It would be a disaster,” said McNally. “It’s a train wreck that we just don’t need.” Even though McNally said he has been able to get the workers he requires this year, he knows that harvest crews have been scarce for others.

With crews fearful of coming to Georgia, even years before enactment of the state’s E-Verify requirement, Hall said growers left crops in the fields, resulting in estimated losses of several million dollars. The GFVGA, in cooperation with several other Georgia commodity organizations, has commissioned the University of Georgia to study crop production data and analyze the economic impact of the 2011 spring/summer harvest on Georgia’s farms and surrounding communities. The results should be ready by October.

Adam Lytch, of L&M Companies, said harvest labor has been in short supply, starting this spring in Florida and later in Georgia. This summer, he traveled to Washington and joined United Fresh staff in a series of meetings with lawmakers.

Other states have or are considering enacting E-Verify-type requirements similar to Georgia’s. Across the state line in Alabama, lawmakers passed a bill requiring employers to use the federal E-Verify system. United Fresh

Preventing A Labor Disaster

Seald Sweet Director of Global Affairs Bruce McEvoy, left, and United Fresh Government Relations Director Julie Manes discuss E-Verify and farm labor with Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), right, and Farr’s Senior Legislative Assistant Troy Phillips.

vegetable field jobs and, if they do, those workers don’t last long. “We know that Americans won’t take these agriculture jobs. We’ve been there before and it just doesn’t happen,” added Guenther.

Florida’s Legislature in May came close to enacting an E-Verify requirement. Gov. Rick Scott said he will make immigration a priority for the 2012 Legislature. “What’s happened on farms in Georgia can happen across the country,” said Julie Manes, United’s director of government relations, who helps spearhead face-to-face meetings between United Fresh members and key policymakers on E-Verify. It’s a top priority—United Fresh members and staff have spent countless hours this summer educating members of Congress about the potential impact of E-Verify on the produce industry. “We spoke to a congressional staffer who asked us, ‘Do you really think crops are being left to rot in the fields?’ and clearly they hadn’t heard what had happened in Georgia,” said Manes. The pictures she shows of cucumbers, peppers, melons and other commodities left unharvested help tell the story of an industry already seeing the effects of labor shortages—a grim preview of what mandatory electronic verification could bring.

Domestic Workers Are Not an Alternative “It’s unbelievable how little some of Washington’s policymakers know about agriculture,” said Bruce McEvoy, director of global affairs at Seald Sweet. McEvoy, a former United chairman and longtime veteran of United’s annual Washington Public Policy Conferences, knows he can’t assume that lawmakers understand the demands on fruit and vegetable employers, especially when it comes to maintaining a viable workforce. 22

United Fights for a Viable Workforce

Concerns about E-Verify caused labor shortages in Georgia this summer, resulting in crops being left to rot in the fields.

This is a serious situation and one where agriculture needs to stand together. During an August blitz on Capitol Hill, McEvoy joined United’s Guenther and Manes for a series of strategic meetings. At each stop, McEvoy asked lawmakers and their staffs if they had ever been in a citrus grove and if they had ever climbed a 30-foot ladder to the top of a tree carrying a heavy sack. “They have this misconception that just anybody can go up a ladder and start picking fruit,” he said. Experienced agricultural employers say that domestic workers don’t apply for fruit and

United’s message to lawmakers is clear: Mandating E-Verify without simultaneously establishing a viable guest worker program would be a disaster for agriculture. One option could come in the Legal Agricultural Worker Act, proposed by Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA). The measure would establish an agricultural worker program through the USDA, not the Dept. of Labor, which administers the H-2A guest worker program. United and other produce industry groups strongly advocate adoption of such a guest worker provision as part of any new E-Verify requirement. “A mandatory E-Verify bill without a workable agricultural worker program is totally unacceptable,” said Guenther. United has made marked progress in educating Congress about the critical workforce needs of the produce industry and why mandatory E-Verify could result in losses of hundreds of millions of dollars. To meet the E-Verify challenge, the produce industry must stay strong and united, according to Guenther. “There are still a lot of differing opinions in our industry. Some want us to try legalizing the current workforce, while others say they just want a workable guest worker program,” he said. “If we don’t stay together, if we start fracturing, it’s over for us.” Said Sun World’s Al Vangelos, “This is a serious situation and one where agriculture needs to stand together and tell Congress that E-Verify is not a good idea.”

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The Food Safety Modernization Act

Opportunity (and Regulations) Knocking DiMare Company Vice President Tony DiMare inspects grape tomatoes on his Ruskin, FL, farm.

andol Brothers’ David Dever and Tony DiMare of the DiMare Company know changes are coming for food safety in the produce industry. Both United Fresh board members also know that the process of creating and implementing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) hardly ended with the stroke of President Obama’s pen in January. “Our industry has worked hard to shape this process so that its end product, the regulation, is meaningful and palatable for the entire industry. We certainly don’t want regulations implemented that are going to be a burden on the industry such that they don’t make sense,” DiMare said. “Regardless of what the regulations end up being, our company will comply to the fullest, and it’s on our industry to do the same.” “It’s a positive step whenever we can try and protect the consumer from any potential issues and maintain the healthy benefits to the consumer,” added Dever.

New Powers for FDA Through FSMA, FDA is equipped with a new slate of responsibilities, including enhanced inspections, recordkeeping and

reporting requirements, traceback pilots and training programs, and the welldocumented mandatory recall authority. While it still holds its regulatory cards close to the vest, FDA has begun the process of holding public meetings on the legislation’s potential effects. “This situation is very similar to the Produce Traceability Initiative in that, in the case of the PTI, it was extremely important to develop internal standards across produce to prove to the government that we were addressing the issue of traceability, one that, if we didn’t ultimately confront, they would regulate for us,” said Dever. “The same holds true here: we need to continually be engaged.” Dever is not alone in encouraging engagement from the industry. FDA Commissioner for Foods Mike Taylor also underscores the importance of industry involvement. “We want a produce rule that is well thought out and practical for the diverse businesses out there, and the only way we will get this right is to work closely with farmers and others in the produce business.” he said. “That is why we have toured farms around the country, asking questions and listening. I urge everyone involved in the produce supply chain to stay engaged and to comment when we publish our proposed rule.”

United Leadership For many years—and most vocally since the widely-publicized outbreak of E. coli in spinach in 2006—United Fresh has been the most prominent voice in the food safety discussion within the produce industry, and the industry leader in shaping a more sensible, workable food safety bill. Testifying on food safety 12 times before Congress, United has consistently maintained that the industry must work hand-in-hand with the government to preserve consumer confidence in fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition to testimony from United staff, Dever and DiMare testified together before the House Agriculture Committee on the early language of the bill in 2009. From the outset, United Fresh held that any legislation on food safety must include language that: • Bases regulations on sound science and on the unique characteristics of each produce commodity • Applies regulations equally to both import and domestic products • Enforces regulations with sufficient oversight and resources to be credible to the consumer

Developed following the spinach outbreak, these three principles became the focal points of United’s 12 congressional testimonies, as well as countless meetings with leaders on both sides of the aisle. “As a direct result of the feedback and involvement of the industry, this bill was very much done through an open and transparent process carefully considering the feedback of companies on the ground level,” said United Fresh President and CEO Tom Stenzel. The law derives its strength from that collaboration, and reflects the industry’s desire to have an accountable regulatory framework under which to operate, said Robert Guenther, United’s senior vice president of public policy, “This is not a case of an industry having regulations imposed upon it,” he said. “From the outset, we have welcomed federal oversight as a key step toward engendering more confidence among consumers, and our industry remains committed to working alongside FDA as the provisions passed under FSMA are set into motion.”

Feedback is Key

Even before FSMA, the produce industry firmly embraced the drive for comprehensive food safety standards. From the collaboration of the tomato industries in Florida, California, Canada and Mexico with United in developing the Tomato Metrics protocol, to the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement’s food safety audit program for leafy greens, to the initiative to harmonize the myriad conflicting food safety audits for Good Agricultural Practices launched and led by United Fresh, the produce industry has developed and implemented practices that make fruits and vegetables subject to more stringent food safety requirements, holding the industry to a higher food safety standard. The January signing of FSMA set in motion a timeline for implementation of the powers given to FDA. In the coming months, the industry will see draft regulations, the opportunity for comments on those draft regulations, and pilot programs on various aspects of the bill, such as its traceback provisions. “While the government is certainly the expert on making laws on paper, the men and women of the fresh produce industry

Pandol Brothers‘ President and CEO David Dever testifies on food safety before the House Agriculture Committee in 2009.

At Pandol, we know that United needs our support to get the message from the ground level to the politicians to ensure that the regulations are drafted in such a way that they are workable, common-sense approaches to the issues at hand. remain the experts on how these laws work in practice. United Fresh works to ensure that industry feedback is weighed heavily during the rulemaking process, but we can’t incorporate that feedback if it isn’t given to us. Companies need to let us know what works for them and what doesn’t,” said Stenzel. DiMare points to lessons learned in the wake of the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak of 2008, first falsely attributed to tomatoes, as examples of the impact of constructive industry feedback on how the government approaches food safety.

Dever maintains that United Fresh is a key reason for much of the progress. “The federal agencies charged with ensuring food safety have been much better about opening up to industry and getting our input, and the main reason for that, I believe, is the huge presence United gives our industry in Washington. At Pandol, we know that United needs our support to get the message from the ground level to the politicians to ensure that the regulations are drafted in such a way that they are workable, common-sense approaches to the issues at hand.“

“I think that a lot of things came out of that situation in terms of food safety and how FDA and CDC go about investigations,” he said. “We’re able to educate the federal agencies on the industry and on the realities of what we have to deal with. As always, though, there is a lot of work still to be done.”

United Fresh

Tomato Industry Unites Under One Standard A t the end of years of painstaking debate and process, The DiMare Company’s Jeff Dolan was left with something he calls “truly real and viable.” That’s the kind of investment that the North American tomato industry has in better, more streamlined food safety practices. “I feel very confident that the metrics we developed are the best scientificallybased metrics that we are able to come up with at this point in time,” said Dolan.

“I have no doubt that where we are is at the apex.” The field manager for DiMare’s California growing operations, Dolan joined his counterparts from each corner of the North American tomato industry, including Florida Tomato Exchange Executive Vice President Reggie Brown, California Tomato Farmers President Ed Beckman, and United Fresh Senior Vice President of Food Safety and Technology Dr. David Gombas this spring to release an update to the 2009 Food Safety Programs and Auditing Protocol for the Fresh Tomato Supply Chain, more commonly referred to as the Tomato Metrics. The Tomato Metrics set forth food safety and auditing protocols for greenhouse, open field production, harvest and field packing, packinghouse and repacking and distribution operations. Each protocol contains auditable requirements that a working group, comprised of industry members from across North America, including California, Florida, Mexico and Canada, concluded should be attainable and in place for any fresh tomato operation, regardless of region, size, growing practice or sub-commodity handled. Additionally, the working group equipped each protocol with an accompanying checklist which provides an audit format that auditors can use to assess and record compliance. Put more simply, the goal of the project was to replace the multitude of similar audit standards with a single one, remedying a key problem, Brown and Beckman contend, that faces tomato growers throughout North America.

Under the tomato metrics, we’ve seen a very substantial decline in the number of audits that our growers have to go through each year. “Audit fatigue was a major factor in the sense that nearly every customer and every deliverer had their own audit, and when we looked at those audits, we saw that there weren’t too many differences between them,” said Brown. Beckman echoes that observation and noted that the Tomato Metrics are already starting to make the desired progress. “We’ve heard that the producers are spending so much time, resources and dollars on auditing and essentially repeating the same audit over and over again based on different customer demands,” said Beckman. “Under the tomato metrics, we’ve seen a very substantial decline in the number of audits that our growers have to go through each year.” With the reduced number of repetitive audits, the tomato industry is better able to focus on making substantive changes on food safety, rather than be mired in the technicalities of multiple audits. “I think that it’s really been an economic success story and it has allowed us to focus on the culture of food safety instead of just focusing on the paperwork associated with customer demand,” Beckman adds. Dolan notes that the collaborative nature of the Tomato Metrics project, developed with first-hand involvement and feedback from USDA and FDA, makes for a more comprehensive final product. “It’s certainly not an easy process, but it is a thorough process, and that’s what makes it a good one, because it is so thorough,” said Dolan. “It was painstakingly debated and worked out throughout the entire process, with really good input from some very involved and dedicated people throughout North America. When we got all

done with the metrics, what we had was something that was truly real and viable, and that’s what makes it such a good program. Brown and Beckman point to the program as a particularly impactful example for the rest of the industry as it pursues its goal of audit harmonization for other commodities. “If you don’t reach out to try to include the entire industry, which is such a broad term representing so many different aspects and interests, you’re never going to get the consensus you need to create a single platform on which everyone plays,” Brown said. “I think that ours is an example that those outside of the tomato industry can take a clue from,” adds Beckman. “Don’t hesitate to collaborate with government, with your customers, with your competitors. The goal that we all have is to reduce the risk from any food safety incidents that take place.” With Beckman and Brown at the helm, the working group knows that the job is hardly done. “Like any food safety document,” said Beckman, “the one thing that you don’t want to fall back on is saying that your work is done. It’s a living document and we have to continue to bring scientists into the discussion, we have to look at the questions that are asked, and decide whether we’ve asked the right question, and if we’ve captured the right intent. What is so very important is that our interpretations—as we travel around the country and see the difference in operations, from small to large—remain consistent. That requires an ongoing discussion.”

United Fresh

United Fresh Members Are Leading Advocates for Increasing Produce in Schools It’s amazing what can happen in six short years. In 2005, Muir Copper Canyon Farms of Salt Lake City served as a produce supplier for only four of the state’s school districts. That was before the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) started in Utah. “Our school produce sales were only one percent of our business,” said Phil Muir, the company’s CEO/president. “The FFVP opened a door and we began servicing additional school districts.” Today, Muir Farms is selling produce to 23 school districts in two states, with these sales now comprising almost 10 percent of its business.

The FFVP started with a pilot program authored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) in the 2002 Farm Bill. Since then, United Fresh has been at the forefront of this program’s growth.

“Our business has grown immensely due to the increase in federal funding,” Muir said. “The changes in federal nutrition policy have provided new business opportunities for food service companies like ours to sell lots of produce to schools and we know that children all over Utah now have a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables at school.”

“We have been lead advocates for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program since it began as a pilot in 2002 with $6 million in funding,” said Lorelei DiSogra, Ed.D, R.D., vice president, nutrition and health, for United Fresh. “United has used every legislative vehicle possible every year to expand the funding and national reach of the FFVP program.”

“The changes in federal nutrition policy have provided new business opportunities for food service companies like ours to sell lots of produce to schools and we know that children all over Utah now have a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables at school.”

Phil Muir, CEO/President Muir Copper Canyon Farms

“With recent efforts and reforms, we are finally making schools places that protect and promote the health of our children.” Sen. Tom Harkin Iowa

United’s members are helping to meet this increased demand for fresh produce in schools. “With the FFVP, schools are serving produce as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack,” Muir said. “A great variety of items that wouldn’t make it into the typical lunch offerings are included with this program.” Muir Farms currently ships a test run of fresh blueberry sleeves into schools, and will be providing sliced apples, grapes and peapods. “Just five years ago, we were only selling whole apples, oranges and bananas,” Muir said. “It’s exciting that schools and districts are experimenting more with new produce items and educating children about these foods.” Crunch Pak Sliced Apples, which participates as a supplier in the FFVP, also has seen its school business expand due to this program. “We’ve seen close to a 20 percent increase in this segment,” said Tony Freytag, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Crunch Pak. “We see the awareness level in this program increasing exponentially and the policies impacting the industry.” In addition, the country’s school children are experiencing the benefits of the FFVP. Fresh produce was scarce on menus in Connecticut’s New Haven Public Schools before July 2008 when Chef Tim Cipriano took over as the school district’s executive director of food services.

Letting Kids Make a Healthy Choice United applauded the expansion of the program in 2008, six years after the pilot’s launch, when the Farm Bill provided $1.2 billion to extend the FFVP to all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories.

United’s Lorelei DiSogra announces the donation of salad bars to schools in New Orleans at United Fresh 2011.

For the 2011-12 school year, $158 million is available to implement the FFVP, an increase of 40 percent from last year, benefiting as many as 4 million low-income elementary children by providing a fresh fruit or vegetable snack every day at school.

“For too long, we have failed to adequately address the physical health of our students,” said Sen. Harkin. “With recent efforts and reforms, however, we are finally making schools places that protect and promote the health of our children. The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is a key component of these efforts. Not only does the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program ensure that kids have access to high quality produce, it has also taught adults and parents an important lesson—that given the opportunity, kids will make the healthy choice.”

“We now have the FFVP program in a quarter of our schools, and would have it in all of them, if more funding was available,” said Cipriano. “We have probably tripled the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables in our schools in the last three years with this program.”

Aligning School Meals with Dietary Guidance

lso, for the first time in 15 years, USDA will align school meals with the Dietary Guidelines, which is expected to be another win for the produce industry.

“Since 2005, one of United Fresh’s highest priorities has been to bring school meals into compliance with the Dietary Guidelines because of what that means for the produce industry and improving children’s’ health,” DiSogra said. In its ongoing commitment to increase the variety and amount of fresh fruits and vegetables served in school meals, United Fresh testified twice before the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Advisory Committee that developed “School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children,” the recommendations that formed the basis for USDA’s new nutrition standards for school meals. USDA’s new proposed school meals rule includes provisions that will require schools to serve double the amount of fruit at

United Fresh

Produce in Schools breakfast, double the amount of fruits and vegetables at lunch, both a fruit and a vegetable at lunch, and a colorful variety of vegetables offered to school children every week. However, United Fresh is opposing the proposed rule’s provision that limits starchy vegetables, including white potatoes, corn and peas, as this proposal is not aligned with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines and inappropriately restricts a healthy vegetable. United Fresh remains engaged with USDA as the agency reviews more than 130,000 comments in preparation for publishing the interim final rule in December 2011. “United Fresh very much supports the new nutrition standards for school meals that will double the amount of fruits and vegetables served to students every day, and have urged USDA to be more flexible with potatoes and other starchy vegetables. We are committed to driving policy changes that will increase children’s consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables,” DiSogra said. “The FFVP is a WIN-WIN-WIN—a big win for the entire produce industry, for kids and for public health.”

United Fresh is working with lawmakers on the 2012 Farm Bill to ensure that produce industry nutrition priorities are a key part of Farm Bill discussions on Capitol Hill.

Produce leaders across the industry are supporting the United Fresh Foundation’s campaign to support Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools. The United Fresh Foundation is a founding partner of this high-profile initiative, which supports First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to end childhood obesity in a generation. Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools is a comprehensive public health initiative to provide salad bars to schools across the country to increase children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables. A special thanks to those produce companies that have joined the United Fresh Foundation in supporting salad bars in schools: Gold Partner

($150,000 +) Chiquita Brands International, Inc. Dole Food Company

Supporter

($75,000 +) Apio, Inc. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.

($10,000 +) CAMBRO Manufacturing Company Capitol City Produce Desert Glory Tanimura & Antle Perishables Group The Produce Exchange The Vollrath Company, LLC

Bronze Partner

Friend

Silver Partner

($50,000 +) Taylor Farms, Inc.

Advocate

($20,000 +) D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of New York, Inc. Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc. Mann Packing Company

($3,000 +) Andrew Smith Company Bonipak Produce Company Ciruli Brothers Del Monte Fresh Produce, N.A., Inc. Dennis & Susi Gertmenian DMA Solutions DuPont Crop Protection

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($3,000 +) Eastern Produce Council Fresh Gourmet Gills Onions, LLC Horton Fruit Company Marie’s McEntire Produce Muir Copper Canyon Farms National Watermelon Association Pero Family Farms Produce Business Southern Specialties, Inc. Stemilt Growers, LLC The Tom Lange Company, Inc. True Organic Products United Fresh Leadership Alumni Organization

Thank you for supporting the United Fresh Foundation and Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools! For more information about how to get involved with the United Fresh Foundation’s campaign to support Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, contact Andrew Marshall at amarshall@unitedfresh.org.

Growing Momentum for School Salad Bars

ith each new school salad bar, United Fresh members are helping to increase kids’ fruit and vegetable consumption.

Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools is helping make it happen. An initiative of United Fresh, National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, Food Family Farming Foundation and Whole Foods Markets, Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools is a public health campaign to increase salad bars in schools across the country and builds on United’s pioneering strategy for using salad bars to increase access to fruits and vegetables in schools.

vegetable consumption and launching them on a lifetime of healthy eating.” There are many opportunities for produce industry companies to support the purchase of salad bars through Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools. Please contact the United Fresh Foundation to get involved by calling 202-303-3400.

The initiative supports First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to fight childhood obesity. To date, salad bars have been donated to 800 schools nationwide. “There are studies that show that kids who eat their fruits and vegetables on a regular basis actually do better in school,” said Mrs. Obama during a launch event in November 2010 at a Miami elementary school. “We’ve also found that when you [use salad bars] to present produce in an interesting way, kids might actually eat them more.” After last year’s dedication by First Lady Obama, the salad bar initiative quickly gained momentum. United Fresh Foundation and Westport, Conn.-based NatureSeal, an edible film coating manufacturer, helped donate the first two salad bars to New Haven Public Schools as part of the initiative. “This was the beginning of our love of salad bars,” said Chef Timothy Cipriano, the school district’s executive director of food services. The school district was recently awarded 33 more salad bars through the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative. “We will now have salad bars in every school at the beginning of this school year,” said Cipriano. “This will double the amount of fresh produce that we are using in our schools.” “It’s exciting to be part of Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools,” said Tom Stenzel, president and CEO of United Fresh. “School salad bars are a proven strategy for increasing children’s fruit and

First Lady Michelle Obama, talks with students from Miami’s Riverside Elementary about nutrition during the launch of Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools in November 2010.

United Fresh

THE PRODUCE INDUSTRY BuildS ON PRIOR Successes FOR the 2012 Farm Bill

he microphones in the Dirksen Senate Office Building won’t turn on unless the “talk” button is pressed, but Charles Wingard hardly needs amplification to connect with the Senate Agriculture Committee. In a smooth, Palmetto State inflection, Wingard moves effortlessly from chatting with Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow about his collards, now the state vegetable of South Carolina, to catching up with Ranking Member Pat Roberts about the senator’s wife, a native South Carolinian like Wingard.

Once Wingard presses the “talk” button, however, it’s all business.

agriculture and to America’s lifestyle,” he said. “It’s one way you are encouraging Americans to live better.”

The director of field operations for Walter P. Rawl & Sons and a member of United’s Government Relations Council, Wingard wears multiple hats at this hearing addressing opportunities for specialty crops in the 2012 Farm Bill. His words are delicately and deliberately placed as he highlights the role of specialty crops in the larger agricultural landscape.

Unprecedented Funding

“The law makes a tremendous investment by recognizing the needs and acknowledging the importance of specialty crops to 32

The investment to which Wingard refers is indeed tremendous. The 2008 Farm Bill set aside $3 billion for specialty crops, including $1 billion for the nationwide expansion of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP); $466 million for Specialty Crop Block Grants; $377 million to create the Pest and Disease Program; $250 million for the Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program; $250 million to establish the Specialty

Robert Guenther, United Fresh Sr. V.P. for public policy, confers with Charles Wingard of Walter P. Rawl & Sons during a Farm Bill hearing of the Senate Agriculture Committee in July.

Crop Research Initiative; $200 in funding for the Market Access Program; and $59 million for the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program. Additionally, the legislation increased Section 32 fruit and vegetable purchase funding from $390 million in 2008 to $406 million in 2012. That funding simply does not exist without the work of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance. Established by United Fresh in 2006, the SCFBA works to ensure that the interests of more than 140 industry groups and more than 350 individual commodities— accounting for more than half of all farm income—are represented in the Farm Bill. Robert Guenther, United’s senior vice president of public policy, points to the united voice of SCFBA as a draw for other industry groups. “As challenges increased, the industry recognized that, by banding together, it improved its ability to impact the law that governs agriculture in this country.”

Programs in Practice For Jan Berk and Roy Nishimori, the Farm Bill was an opportunity to market a new product. For the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, it was a way to distribute better food safety practices. For Phil Muir and for Charles Wingard, it was a vast new world of sales opportunities. In 2008, each of these leaders was faced with the question of how to expand their business, and each found the answer in the Farm Bill.

At San Miguel Produce, United Fresh board member Berk and Nishimori used a Value-Added Producer grant to expand the company’s line of organic greens. “The grant enabled us to look at a more extensive promotional program for our product, to work with different media, and to customize the program for our accounts,” said Nishimori, San Miguel’s president. “We were able to take an unproven segment of the business and promote it.” And promote it they have. San Miguel has gone from four SKUs to six, and in August launched a line of organic dark leafy green salads and slaws. “We are constantly looking for new ways to provide fresh produce to consumers,” added Vice President Berk. “The grant helps us feel more confident that we can fine tune the program to make it more successful quicker.” At the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), the Specialty Crop Block Grant program was the answer to a question posed by producers in the early 2000s. “Major retailers started to ask for food safety programs, but it was really expensive, really complicated and really confusing,” said Beth Bland Oleson, GFVGA’s director of education and food safety and a member of United’s Food Safety and Technology Council.

United Fresh

2012 Farm Bill continued from page 33 Using money from a Specialty Crop Block Grant, GFVGA teamed with the University of Georgia, Georgia Department of Agriculture and Georgia Crop Improvement Association to create the Georgia GAP Food Safety Program. The program’s success led to the creation of a full-time position, Oleson’s, overseeing food safety matters at GFVGA. “This program has been invaluable for our members,” she said. “It has grown by about four or five hundred percent.” Muir Copper Canyon Farms wanted to expand into the regional school foodservice market, but it was complicated. “A lot of the schools didn’t have much funding, so the volume of business we could do weighed against the number of different stops we’d

have to make left us struggling to figure out how we could make it work,” said Muir, United Fresh board member and the company’s president and CEO. Enter the Department of Defense Fresh program. Muir won the contract to supply the program in Utah, and it has grown from there. “Where it’s paid off for us is the funding. It has since more than tripled in dollar amount per year. Any time you can do that, that’s great,” he said, chuckling. The contract has also brought with it other opportunities, said Muir. “School districts have both state and federal money, so we’re able to say ‘since we come here for your federal purchases, can we

Farm Bill Insights from Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow United Fresh asked Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, to share her views on the upcoming Farm Bill and its impact on the produce industry. How do you plan on working to maintain and even enhance the role of fresh fruits and vegetables in the coming Farm Bill? Fresh fruits and vegetables are one of my highest priorities, and I worked tirelessly to create the first ever specialty crop title in the last Farm Bill. Besides California, Michigan is the most crop-diverse state in the nation— we grow everything from apples, cherries and blueberries, to squash, potatoes and asparagus. Sales of U.S. specialty crops top $60 billion annually, with nearly $2 billion of those sales coming from Michigan alone, so it’s a major priority in terms of creating jobs and boosting the economy. I’m committed to making sure that the momentum created for fruits and vegetables growers in the 2008 Farm Bill continues. How will the recent deficit reduction agreement impact the agricultural sector? While the recent deficit reduction measure will impact all legislation coming out of Congress, we’re still driven by a fundamental principle that farmers and producers need a strong safety net and tools to manage risk, if we want to continue strengthening American agriculture. With that said, we will have less wiggle room in this Farm Bill process than most before it, but we’re committed to seriously looking at what

programs are most important to achieving our goals, and determining how we can strengthen them by streamlining and making them more efficient. What work is being done to ensure that funding for agricultural programs does not take a disproportionate hit when compared to other industries? We’ve secured the opportunity for the Agriculture Committee to weigh in on determining where cuts should be made, which I’ve always said must be a part of any agreement to ensure farmers and others impacted have input on these reforms. This is really an important opportunity to make critical policy recommendations to the new Joint Committee as they move forward in developing a larger deficit reduction package in the fall. We take this opportunity very seriously and will work with our colleagues to make sure that agriculture contributes its fair share—but doesn’t absorb a disproportionately higher level of cuts than other areas of government. Agriculture has already given, and this must be taken into consideration as decisions are made later this year. How do you foresee the Specialty Crop Block Grants being affected in the 2012 Farm Bill?

Block grants have been effective in helping producers in many ways—from developing new crop varieties to expanding markets as well as improving food safety and advancing pest and disease research. Moving forward, it will be important that we work to maintain the program’s integrity and target limited resources to areas and projects with the greatest impact for the specialty crop industry and producers. Given the heightened support for nutrition initiatives from the White House, and the increased spotlight on these matters nationally, how important is maintaining the progress on nutrition programs like the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program established in previous Farm Bills? Providing healthy snacks for children in schools has been shown to improve student performance in the classroom and build a foundation for healthy eating for a lifetime. The First Lady has been focused on encouraging consumption of healthy fruits, vegetables and nuts, and all efforts to highlight the health benefits of fruit and vegetables help us to continue our work to promote and improve programs for specialty crops in the next Farm Bill.

Sourcing Fresh Fruit Around the World come here for your state dollars as well?’ In that sense, the program has gotten our foot in the door. Now, with FFVP, we’re already in the school, so it’s a slam dunk.” For Wingard and Walter P. Rawl & Sons, perception and impact go hand in hand. Through FFVP, Rawl sends fruit and vegetable snacks in its popular Lazytown packaging to schools across South Carolina. “We were primarily a producer of leafy greens, and this helped us to diversify,” Wingard said. “The kids that benefit the most from this program are the ones that won’t see much, if any, fresh produce in other areas of their lives.”

Being United Oleson and Muir emphasize the importance of a unified industry voice heading into the 2012 Farm Bill. Oleson points to SCFBA as a consensus builder for the industry, noting the critical need for companies and organizations to set aside their immediate individual needs in the interest of the specialty crop sector as a whole. “If we’re going to have continued success, it’s so important that we stick together,” she said. Muir notes that the time for this type of coordination among the produce industry has never been better. “Right now, the sun is shining on our industry. If we can’t step up and be a leader in our cause, somebody else will fill that space. I think back on the years that we’ve struggled to increase consumption with minimal funding. Now finally that funding has come. We need to step up to bat,” he said. “We are made stronger by each individual voice,” added Guenther. “We are only as powerful, though, as our connection. We must renew our focus on maintaining the integrity of the Farm Bill programs. These programs create unparalleled opportunity not only for the produce industry, but also for the health and welfare of the American people.”

We are constantly looking for new ways to provide fresh produce to consumers, the grant helps us feel more confident that we can fine tune the program to make it more successful quicker.

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Jan Berk, Vice President San Miguel Produce, Inc. United Fresh

A Giant Step Toward Reducing Audit Fatigue

magine, for a moment, that you’re a cherry grower in Northern Michigan. You spend your growing season lining up buyers for your cherries, and you have interest from multiple wholesalers. Each has requested, rightfully, that an audit of your operation be conducted. The audit days arrive for each buyer and you open your facility, provide all the requisite information and dutifully answer the auditor’s questions, only to discover that the processes for all three audits are nearly identical, and you’ve had to foot the bill for each. Finally, when the audit results are reported, you’re confused to find that you’ve passed two audits, and failed the third. “This ‘audit fatigue,’ if you will, is an alltoo-familiar scene in the industry, and it is a huge burden,” said Dr. David Gombas, senior vice president for food safety and technology at United Fresh, and a leading voice in the effort to harmonize Good Agricultural Practices audits. “When you look at how similar many of these audits are—in some cases 95 percent aligned—you see that a concentrated effort is needed to

cut down on these duplicative audits. They cost the industry money, not just on the supplier end, but on the buy side as well.” To that end, United’s GAPs Harmonization Initiative established the goal of developing one audit by any credible third party, acceptable to all buyers. In the two and a half years since its inception, the GAPs Harmonization Initiative has made significant progress, highlighted by the July 2011 release of the Harmonized Audit Standard. At the forefront of the harmonization effort is McDonalds’ Suresh Decosta, chair of the

GAPs Harmonization Initiative’s Technical Working Group (TWG). “The harmonized standard is the first step toward minimizing audit fatigue,” he said. “To have a collective agreement on one standard is a giant step for the industry. We’ve had buy-in from such a wide spectrum of the produce industry, from leafy greens to tree fruits to mushrooms to potatoes. The second big part of this is having the buy-in from the end users that this is the base GAPs standard. Those two things will drive the reduction of audits.” Wegmans’ David Corsi, chair of the GAPs Harmonization Initiative’s Operations Committee, views the problem of multiple audits from a buyer’s point of view. “Eliminating the redundancy of the countless food safety standards that a grower must follow creates a solid solution for improving efficiency for many in the supply chain.” Corsi’s whole-chain view is a sentiment with which Gombas agrees. “This by no means just affects the supplier side of the industry,” he said. “When a buyer is looking at three audits, one that gives a facility an ‘exemplary’ rating, one that gives numeric score of 800, and one that gives the facility an ‘AAAA’ ranking, there is no common

continued on page 39 United Fresh

Reducing Audit Fatigue continued from page 37 rubric with which to compare suppliers. It’s comparing apples to oranges.” For Ahold’s Kent Killebrew, the buy-in from wholesalers, retailers and foodservice operations is key to the continued success of the harmonization initiative. “Having multiple buyers agree to harmonized food safety standards will contribute to a more efficient supply chain,” said Killebrew, a member of the TWG. “Seeing the agreement among owners of the multiple food safety standards has been a high point in this process.” In August 2010, TWG released its draft harmonized standard, and in July of this year, released its finalized standards for prefarm gate operations, signaling major progress for the effort, but Decosta cautions that the process is an ongoing one. “It is important to note that we will still have some redundancies, but this is a great—and huge—first step,” he said. “The next step, really, is broad use of the standard. We have commitments from more than 20 major retail and foodservice buyers and we already have some early examples of adoption. “Food safety, especially in the fresh produce industry, has always been a moving target,” added Gombas. ”We have to ensure that as an industry, we’re utilizing the best practices available at each stage of the supply chain, and that, at the end of the day’ is what this initiative is about: removing the redundancies and reducing the duplication of multiple audits, and allowing the members of our industry to focus their energies entirely on creating the safest, freshest products available.”

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United Fresh

What KEEPS You Awake at Night? Market Segment Roundtable

ou could say these are the

issues that cause sleepless nights for produce industry executives—food safety, E-Verify, fuel costs, nutrition policy and farm bill funding for crucial specialty crop programs. Looking ahead to United’s Washington Public Policy Conference, October 3-5, the conference’s co-chairs, who also serve as vice-chairmen of United’s four market segment boards, share a candid roundtable discussion with United’s Ray Gilmer about the top issues facing their businesses.

Gilmer: The E-Verify legislation is probably the hottest issue for the produce industry right now. What kind of impact would electronic verification have on your workforce? Steele: E-Verify labor is definitely the biggest issue facing my side of the business, on the grower-shipper side. There are so many misconceptions about what E-Verify could do, with questions about how effective it might be, and if it’s really needed. The cost of labor is going 42

up by itself, and if you go through with E-Verify, it raises that challenge even higher. We’ve got to find a way to legalize these workers, stay in production and feed the country. If we don’t, and we all know this because we’ve been through it, we don’t have a qualified workforce here in the United States to do it. I would say there might be some qualified workers, but they don’t want to work anyway. Those people do not want those jobs.

Will Steele President & CEO Frontera Produce Vice Chairman, Grower-Shipper Board Ron Carkoski President & CEO Four Seasons Produce Vice Chairman, Wholesaler-Distributor Board

Tony Freytag Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Crunch Pak Sliced Apples Vice Chairman, Fresh-Cut Processor Board

Randy Scott Category Manager, Produce Food Lion Vice Chairman, Retailer-Foodservice Board

Ray Gilmer Vice President, Communications United Fresh Produce Association

Freytag: As a manufacturer and as a processing facility we have a headcount of over 400 families on a year-round basis that depend on us and us on them. We want to do the right things as a company. I think anyone reading this article wants to do the right things. I agree with Will when he questions the efficacy of E-Verify. Am I 100 percent sure the information I get is correct? Because if I turn someone away because they don’t match in the system, am I opening myself up, as a company owner, to other problems?

I think there’s a misconception that, if we’re in agriculture or manufacturing, that we’re getting “cheap” labor, and nothing could be further from the truth. Most companies are going to pay what they have to pay to get the right people. So I get very frustrated when people say this is just about cheap labor; it’s about good labor and we have to find a way to validate the folks who are here. Steele: And the cost impact of this has to be passed on to the consumer. It’s not just an impact on the grower-shipper side. It’s an impact all through the marketing chain to the consumer. Carkoski: Several of the members of the Wholesaler-Distributor Board have used the voluntary E-Verify system. As a company, we’ve looked into it, and we feel it’s not going to be a big deal for us in terms of what we have to prepare for. Also, from the perspective of removing the onus from us, once E-Verify is in place, it takes the pressure off of our human resources. Scott: Obviously our labor concerns are a little different than other segments of the business. Hiring people is not a problem— retaining people who want to stay in the grocery business is. So who wants to manage a grocery store? Who wants to be a produce manager? Who wants to work their way through the ranks like many of us did? That’s our labor concern. To follow up on Will’s comments, anything that is impacting the ability to hire and keep harvest labor is going to affect us. There are crops that are not being harvested today because people can’t get labor. Some of that happened here in North Carolina and other states with the blueberry crop this year. All of that adds to costs and we get concerned about that because those costs have to be passed on to the consumer.

The cost of labor is going up by itself, and if you go through with E-Verify, it raises that challenge even higher. Gilmer: The FDA is preparing its regulations following passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act. How will your business be affected by these new rules? Steele: The feeling I get from the growershipper community and all the way up to the retail side is that we understand the importance of food safety. We understand how we can lessen the impact [of possible food safety recalls] to all of us going forward. Good operators get that. More importantly, how does food safety tie into traceability? How can we shut down a problem, trace it back immediately and lessen the impact to others in the business? From a food safety standpoint, we are all ears and open arms because it’s a good thing. It makes us all better operators from every tier in the industry. Carkoski: I’m hopeful that the new regulations get rid of all the ambiguity that’s there now in food safety overall. It’s important for us to stay together to help the FDA understand what it is we do and how we do it. That’s one of the strengths of the Washington Public Policy Conference, to allow us to get in front of the FDA and help them make this law beneficial, not only for the industry, but for the consumer and to get away from FDA

pointing fingers. Along with this, there’s going to be traceability, and the industry is working towards that. That’s not going to come without pain or cost, but it’s going to hopefully help the FDA have confidence in a good traceability program. Freytag: Food safety is one those things that can keep us up at night. We invest heavily in food safety. We work with multiple growers and packing houses. So we work directly with these growers and packing houses to mitigate the risks. It is a constant conversation with us. Any food safety incident hurts the category. When there was a spinach recall, it didn’t hurt just one company, it hurt the category and it hurt fresh-cut produce for a long time. There’s nobody out there that is saying, ‘I’m just going to let this slide.’ We’re continuing to spend more time and energy. Scott: The retailer is the last touchpoint before the consumer. In a food safety situation, the first call a consumer makes is to the store. Talk about an impact on the business … it can be devastating no matter how big the recall is. There is a cost to food safety and we all understand that. I agree with Tony that we’re all trying to do the right thing, but there’s always a cost, especially if it’s a new program. Traceability is United Fresh

Market Segment Roundtable an example of that, but we have to have it. If we have a problem with one commodity, like the spinach, it going to shut the whole thing down. That’s costly. Another United-sponsored program, the GAPs Harmonization Initiative, I think will trim some costs. The other guys in this discussion are being asked by multiple people to run audits. You know what, if you’ve got to be audited by five different people just to do business with five different customers, that’s a little over the top, in my opinion. Freytag: I agree completely. Gilmer: We’ve been making great strides in the nutrition area in recent years, but there’s a lot more potential for growth. How will these improvements in nutrition policy and increased consumption affect your business? Freytag: We do have an obesity issue in this country, so nutrition is one way to mitigate it a bit. [In July,] United hosted a nutrition webinar, which I participated in, where we talked about the growth in the school lunch program. The children that we’re providing healthier food to today are our customers of tomorrow. I firmly believe we are influencing the future consumer, but it’s not going to happen overnight. Steele: Let Tony do the talking because he’s saying all the right things! My only fear is that with all these budget cuts being talked about, we might lose some of these nutrition programs. So we need to take advantage of our jump start while we can, because it might not be here tomorrow. Freytag: Very true.

Scott: I’m going to echo that. Obviously, if you’re filling half your plate with fresh fruit and veggies, and finishing off with fruit for dessert, from a retail perspective, we’re very happy with that. We’ve got to get our nation healthy again, and eating more fruits and vegetables is the way to do that, and the more the government can draw attention to that, the better for all of us. Carkoski: If you get past the immediate question of whether or not you service schools or retail, you can see that whole nutrition focus is so much broader than that. We’re not only creating a younger generation of produce lovers, but we’re also changing the mindset of moms and dads in the process. That’s going to be a positive effect for generations, and growing business opportunities. We’re seeing the immediate increases now, but those will be minimal compared to what I think will be the long-term effects across the industry. Freytag: Those of us in the branded goods or the value added business in the produce industry, we need to make sure we are as attractive to the consumers, and that includes kids, in the sense of our packaging. I’m not saying you add packaging. I’m saying make sure what you’re doing is matching up against your competitors in the store. If you’re talking about snacking, you’re up against some major consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. It’s the

cereal companies, the soup companies. Most of us don’t have the same resources, but we can be smart and aggressive in how we package how things look. We have to be very creative. If all we say is that it’s nutritious, that isn’t going to get us very far. Scott: That’s the balance point that’s tough to find. Consumers are very busy, kids are on the run. So whatever we’ve got, it’s got to be easy, quick, simple and they’ve got to know what to do with it. And with this economy, if it’s too high- priced, they’re not going to buy it. Gilmer: Farm Bill discussions are happening now in Washington. The produce industry has scored tremendous victories in the past few years, but budgets have never been tighter, so we’ll have to push hard to keep the specialty crop programs. Carkoski: I think you’re right, this will be a fight. The specialty crops provisions will be crucial. Our country is in such turmoil and if we don’t get in front of our congressmen and senators and talk to them about this, we have a chance of sliding backwards. Steele: My complaint about the farm bill is that much of the funding goes into the wrong hands. I’m a firm believer in a free market and competition, and have never been one to look for handouts. There’s a lot of waste in the farm bill, and it needs to be cleaned up and strengthened. Freytag: You hit it on the head, Will. If there’s a dollar going out, it’s got to be in the best possible way.

Scott: Some of the funding cuts might affect food stamps. Food stamp assistance [now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP] is a big chunk of our sales. I don’t know what we should expect, but we’ve got to protect that program. Gilmer: What other issue is keeping you up a night? Freytag: Our transportation costs are an issue, which are mostly being driven by fuel costs. I imagine for all of us every freight bill probably has an escalator clause in it, or a fuel adjustment, because of the volatility of energy costs. So when you might think that energy policy doesn’t have an impact on the produce industry, but it has a big affect on all of us and it’s driving more of the costs. Scott: I don’t know how long the produce industry can sustain $4-a-gallon diesel. Being primarily an East Coast operator, and how much we buy from the West Coast, a big chunk of our costs is in freight. In some cases, fuel costs are forcing changes in how we buy and promote product.

In some cases, fuel costs are forcing changes in how we buy and promote product.

Freytag: And the ripple effect is all through it—the transportation, the plastics, and other inputs. An increase here and there, and before long it’s real money.

in-between. I think it’s imperative that we all join hands and find a way to solve them. And what better way than the Washington Public Policy Conference to do that?

Steele: Tony, you’re so right. Energy is one of the newer trouble spots. We’re changing some of our growing operations, moving out of southern Mexico and going into Central America because ocean freight is cheaper than our land freight.

Freytag: We all attend a lot of conferences, some we want to go to, some we have to go to. This is one of the conferences where as soon as it’s over, I mark my calendar for the next year’s conference. I will move things around to make sure I am there. As a produce industry member, we have this great opportunity to have the policymakers pay attention to us. Make plans and come.

And even the consumers, after they fill their gas tanks, instead of buying three onions, they might buy only one. As people pay more for gas, they get smarter with their money and buy less. Carkoski: Oh my, I can’t begin to tell you about the fuel costs this year. We go into hedging, so we can moderate the costs. We run out at the end of the year, and as you look at next year, they’re looking at much higher prices for diesel. Gilmer: What would you tell someone who’s never attended the Washington Public Policy Conference about the value of attending this October? Steele: There are so many issues that impact the industry from the growershipper end to the retail end and anything

to share the industry story from so many different perspectives. That is so much stronger than what you do yourself. We’ve seen the effects of that in the form of legislation. United supports us throughout the year, on a day to day basis, and this is a time for us to help United do the job on our behalf.

Scott: I would say that anyone who wants to have a say and wants to be heard, the only Executive place you’ll be heard is on the Hill. Come to Washington with other United members, speak in numbers, and you will be heard.

Carkoski: I tell you what, you make a difference when you come to Washington and talk to your congressmen and senators. When you have hundreds of produce industry people come

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www.dma-solutions.com 972-719-9097 United Fresh

$1 Billion Later, PACA Benefits Continue for

Industry

A Century of Commitment Protects Produce Industry Trading

very day, produce shippers and receivers depend on the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) to set the rules of fair trading, provide quick and equitable resolution of disputes, and recover debts following unforeseen bankruptcies. There’s probably no better example of the impact industry members can make in shaping public policy—and safeguarding their businesses—than the near centurylong United Fresh leadership on PACA. One has to go back to the 1920s to see the start, when association members first

The PACA Statute is a tough law that imposes numerous duties on PACA licensees and makes them strictly liable for the actions of their employees.

voted to seek national legislation to combat unscrupulous and fraudulent practices in produce marketing. Thus, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act was born, and after several years of work by members across the country, was signed by President Herbert Hoover into law in June 1930. For 50 years, PACA effectively governed the trading rules for the fresh produce industry, where carloads of product were sold on credit sight unseen to buyers thousands of miles away. But the 1980s brought a new realization—in the case of buyer bankruptcies, there were no assets to be recovered, since the produce was long gone. In 1982, United Fresh Chairman John R. Norton III championed a proposal to amend PACA to grant produce creditors a priority standing in bankruptcy proceedings. After a tough fight with the national banking industry, the PACA Trust amendment was passed in 1984. In the following quarter century, USDA estimates that more than $1 billion has been recovered for produce sellers from bankruptcies through the PACA Trust. But when it comes to regulatory programs and politicians, vigilance is always necessary. In 1995, growing costs to

administer the PACA led some retail interests to support a bill in Congress to repeal PACA altogether. While produce VPs at retail understood the importance of the law, retail associations looked at the cost of stores registering for PACA licenses as antiquated and unnecessary. A bruising battle ensued, with trading partners often taking opposite sides, until a fair compromise was developed. United Fresh members committed to a slate of comprehensive reforms that would make PACA more cost-effective for the entire industry, including automatic trust protection without having to file trust notices on every sale, retail exemption from licensing fees, and a greater variety of disciplinary options for PACA violations. The package won support from produce companies and retailers alike, and the PACA Reform Act of 1995 was born. President Bill Clinton signed the bill into law in November 1995. “The PACA Statute is a tough law that imposes numerous duties on PACA licensees and makes them strictly liable for the actions of their employees,” said Larry Meuers, an attorney who specializes in PACA law. “Prior to the 1995 amendments, USDA’s only options in disciplining companies were to suspend or revoke their PACA licenses. A suspension is a very harsh penalty because many produce companies cannot withstand the closure of their business for even a few days.” While PACA hasn’t faced another legislative threat since that time, the produce industry was stunned following the arrest and prosecution of eight USDA produce inspectors at the Hunts Point Terminal Market in the Bronx in October 1999. What could have led to the collapse of the USDA inspection system instead sparked positive change, through the efforts of United Fresh members. United Fresh organized an Industry Task Force, on Produce Inspection Services to evaluate the inspection system and make recommendations for needed reforms. The Task Force chaired by former United Fresh Chairman Bruce McEvoy, currently director of global affairs of Seald Sweet/ Univeg, developed a series of recommendations for Congress and met

USDA PACA and the Industry Working Together One-on-One with Edward Avalos Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Why is it important to ensure that PACA remains strong and continues protecting shippers and receivers? It’s more important than ever, especially in these challenging economic times, that PACA remains in place to protect produce industry members. PACA, which operates at no cost to the taxpayer, establishes a code of good business conduct for produce, an $80 billion annual industry. More than 14,500 trading firms and individuals licensed by USDA rely on PACA’s services and protection to efficiently operate their businesses. Small farmers who only produce and sell their fruits and vegetables and are exempt from the law can still use PACA to solve disputes or file formal complaints at minimal costs, potentially saving themselves thousands of dollars in legal fees. Each week the PACA branch receives hundreds of calls requesting help with problems unique to the industry such as interpretation of inspection certificates, advice on contract disputes and bankruptcy payments. USDA resolved nearly 2,000 PACA claims, involving $30 million, last year (FY 2010). USDA has been working to clear up the PACA formal reparation complaints backlog. What steps have you taken? On Aug. 1, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) dedicated three attorneys specifically to PACA casework. In the past, the work wasn’t always prioritized the way we would have liked. It was simply a matter of too few resources. Now that AMS has employees focused solely on PACA, the backlog will clear up and things should move ahead at a regular and predictable pace. The industry asked for greater flexibility in setting payment terms without affecting PACA Trust rights. Can you comment on how USDA helped the industry in this regard? USDA solicited comments to get industry perspective on this issue. After reviewing comments, we amended the PACA Trust regulations to provide greater direction on how trust rights may be preserved in post-default situations. (Federal Register, April 12, 2011) To be clear, the amendment didn’t change the 30-day maximum payment period. It does, however, clarify that: • The 30-day maximum payment period that a seller can agree to and still qualify for trust protection refers to pre-transaction agreements, and • If there is a default in payment, a seller (meeting PACA Trust eligibility requirements) can enter into a post-default payment agreement of the overdue amount without forfeiting PACA Trust eligibility. Now, with the clarification on post-default agreements and trust protection, we are confident that it will prove to be of greater benefit to the produce industry. How else has USDA’s PACA branch improved service to the produce industry? USDA has taken several steps to improve efficiencies and increase outreach. For example, we closed two regional offices and consolidated our licensing functions, saving the industry over $1 million annually. We now have 70 full-time staff members (down from 116) in three regional offices and Washington, D.C. The PACA branch conducts training sessions and holds free educational webinars to give members insight into PACA services, organizational structure, dispute resolution service, licensing, the PACA Trust and more. Recently, they presented an in-language webinar to meet the needs of USDA’s Spanish-speaking customers in the U.S. and abroad.

continued on page 52 United Fresh

PACA Impact

continued from page 51 with Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, Deputy Secretary Richard Rominger, USDA staff and Senate and House Agriculture Committee members. Importantly, Task Force member and a respected leader on the Hunts Point market, Matthew D’Arrigo, of D’Arrigo Brothers of New York, and a respected leader on the Hunts Point market, testified before Congress to urge support for the reforms. Congress soon passed a bill providing $71 million to modernize the U.S. produce inspection system for the first time since its creation in 1930. Those funds helped create a new Produce Inspection Training Center in Fredericksburg, VA, where all produce inspectors must now come for intensive training when starting service, as well as ongoing refresher courses. Adding to the “silver lining” of what had been a dark cloud over the industry, United Fresh partnered with the USDA to create a Produce Inspection Training Program for industry members, using the same new facility and USDA staff as trainers. Today, the United Fresh inspection program has trained nearly 750 industry members from every sector of the supply chain. And, with three courses offered every year, the queue is still full. Joseph Carey, quality assurance inspector at Save-a-Lot in Williamsport, MD, took the inspection training program last year. “I’m a new inspector here, and the Produce Inspection Training Program labs were really helpful,” he says. “In addition to showing me the defects, quality and condition, the

Nearly 750 produce industry members have participated in United’s Produce Industry Inspection Training Program, which provides hands-on instruction from USDA experts.

classes taught me how to properly set things up before inspectors arrive.” Carey also found the program’s handouts and simple learning process beneficial. “They laid it all out really well,” Carey says. “I would recommend this program for anyone in the produce industry. It is a very helpful tool in learning everything about the inspection process, whether someone is buying or selling produce.” The PACA story doesn’t end there, and probably won’t for years to come. It seems there will always be one more threat to repel, or one more opportunity to seize. Only last year, members scored another victory to enhance PACA’s effectiveness. In June 2010, United Fresh convened a PACA Trust Working Group to address a quirk

in judicial interpretation of post-default payment terms. Some courts had ruled that after a buyer defaults, sellers would lose their trust protection if they provided that buyer extended terms beyond 30 days for repayment. “Here we are saying we have a customer who wants to pay the bill over time, we don’t want to force him into litigation, so it seems like a win-win,” says Scott Danner, COO of Liberty Fruit Co. Inc., Kansas City, KS, and a member of the PACA Trust Working Group. “Unfortunately, the courts looked at that as relinquishing our PACA Trust rights because we have gone past the normal 30-day terms.” To circumvent this, the PACA Trust Working Group submitted comments to USDA on a new rule, and was successful in modifying the regulation to ensure that post-default agreements do not waive or forfeit a supplier’s properly preserved PACA Trust rights. “United members have a long history of fighting for fair trading standards to govern our industry,” said Alan Siger, president and CEO of Pittsburgh, PA-based Consumers Produce Co. Inc. “From the 1920s, members have worked to implement standards that were appropriate to their time, and I’m sure the next generation of produce leaders will continue to use their collective power to impact PACA for the good of the industry.”

United United Fresh Fresh

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UNITED FRESH S TA F F D I R E C T O R Y United Fresh staff consists of government relations, media and scientific experts, as well as education and program specialists. Our staff can be viewed as an extension of member companies’ own team, providing advice, counsel and broader industry representation for a fraction of the cost of employing your own full-time experts. United Fresh headquarters staff is located in the nation’s capital, the home of thousands of trade associations that represent and serve many industries. United Fresh also maintains a Western Regional Office in Salinas, California, to serve member companies in the western part of the United States. Please contact staff in either office for assistance.

United Fresh Headquarters 1901 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20006 202-303-3400 United Fresh Western Regional Office 512 Pajaro Street Salinas, CA 93901 831-422-0940

Led by President & CEO Tom Stenzel, United Fresh staff work to provide expert assistance and service to our members. Please contact any of these individuals for more information about United Fresh:

Victoria Backer Senior Vice President Member Services & United Fresh Research & Education Foundation vbacker@unitedfresh.org Patrick Delaney Communications Manager pdelaney@unitedfresh.org Lorelei DiSogra, Ed.D., R.D. Vice President Nutrition & Health ldisogra@unitedfresh.org Sophie Drayton Membership Coordinator sdrayton@unitedfresh.org Barry Eisenberg Western Regional Office Vice President, Food Safety Services beisenberg@unitedfresh.org Ray Gilmer Vice President Communications rgilmer@unitedfresh.org

David E. Gombas, Ph.D. Senior Vice President Food Safety & Technology dgombas@unitedfresh.org

Jeff Oberman Western Regional Office Vice President, Trade Relations joberman@unitedfresh.org

John J. Toner V Vice President, Convention & Industry Relations jtoner@unitedfresh.org

Erin Grether Government Relations Coordinator egrether@unitedfresh.org

Ashley Peay Receptionist/Administrative Assistant apeay@unitedfresh.org

Robert L. Guenther Senior Vice President Public Policy rguenther@unitedfresh.org

Marinell Saville Marketing Manager msaville@unitedfresh.org

Dan Vaché Vice President, Supply Chain Management Tel: 425-629-6271 dvache@unitedfresh.org

Dan Hilleary Chief Financial Officer dhilleary@unitedfresh.org

Burleson Smith Vice President, Environmental Affairs and Sustainability bsmith@unitedfresh.org

Leslie N. Howard, CMP Director of Meetings & Events lhoward@unitedfresh.org

Thomas E. Stenzel President & CEO tstenzel@unitedfresh.org

Julie Manes Director of Government Relations jmanes@unitedfresh.org

Tressie Tillar Administration & Accounting Coordinator ttillar@unitedfresh.org

Andrew Marshall Policy & Grassroots Manager amarshall@unitedfresh.org

Angela Tiwari Political Affairs Manager Executive Assistant to the President atiwari@unitedfresh.org

Miriam Miller Wolk, CAE Senior Director of Membership mwolk@unitedfresh.org Jamie Woodside Exposition Manager jwoodside@unitedfresh.org Shannon Young Education Manager syoung@unitedfresh.org

United Fresh

Growing a healthier world, one harvest at a time. Our task is simple, yet monumental. To provide enough food for the world while protecting it at the same time. We believe that with the right combination of innovative science, tenacious problem solving, and unshakable passion, we can do it. We will meet the needs of today while laying a foundation for a better tomorrow. And

Science For A Better Life

in doing so, we will not only grow a healthier world, we will make sure that abundance endures for us all. Learn more at www.BayerCropScience.us.

© 2011 Bayer CropScience LP, 2 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer (reg’d) and the Bayer Cross (reg’d) are registered trademarks of Bayer. For additional product information, call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our Web site at www.bayercropscience.us.

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By incorporating the best features of a square and a circle (Squircle), we’ve created the ultimate package for our Live Goumet Living Lettuce! n Our great new design allows closer nesting in our shipping boxes, so we’ll ship 20% more units per GMA pallet. That means reduced transportation and fuel costs per unit and that’s good for everyone. n Thanks to the Squircle design, our new clamshell uses 15% less post-consumer PET (polyethylene terephthalate) than its predecessor!

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Del Monte Fresh Produce feels that those of us who grow, sell, and promote healthy fruits and vegetables have the responsibility to help teachers educate children on the importance of good nutrition. We at Del Monte Fresh Produce invite all industry professionals to join us by participating in the second annual â&#x20AC;&#x153;Teacher Monday: Cash for Classroomsâ&#x20AC;? promotion. The Del Monte Teacher Monday promotion will award 60 teachers throughout North America with cash and fresh fruit for their classrooms. In addition, each winning teacher and their classroom will select a school in one of our producing countries (in Africa, Asia, and Central America), which will also

receive a matching Del Monte grant. Finally, selected schools in communities of participating retailers in North America will be awarded salad bars for their cafeterias. The Del Monte Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms promotion is one small way to support and thank teachers and schools for helping children understand how eating healthy leads to living healthy. Visit www.fruits.com/teachermonday or contact your local Del Monte representative to learn how you can support schools and teachers in your community and help children adopt healthy eating habits.

www.freshdelmonte.com 1.800.950.3683 www.fruits.com www.facebook.com/delmontefreshproduce www.twitter.com/delmontefresh ChooseMyPlate.gov is an initiative of the USDA. The USDA does not endorse any products, services or organizations.