Welcome to iGrow News, Your Source for the World of Indoor Vertical Farming
Pushing The Boundaries of Creativity In Fresh Produce
These days image is everything in the fresh produce industry, as consumers become more brand conscious and aware of what they are eating and where the product comes from, not to mention how sustainable it is. Specialists agree that the brand stories and images conveyed on the packaging are of paramount importance.
Igor Moulder, Creative Director at Virtual Hub design agency has been in the business for many years and has seen how much things have changed. “When I started in the fresh produce industry in 1996 it was run by big companies who were slow to move on global consumer developments. Around 15 years ago things changed rapidly when growers started to market their produce.”
“It used to be only the technical qualities of the carton which growers had to think about. However, when growers became more aware of marketing their own products it really opened up the market, and the brand story and end packaging became really important. Modern consumers need to trust a brand and trust the quality that goes with it. They also like to know the story behind the product – where does it come from, is the supply chain transparent, what is the situation with regards to ethics and sustainability, etc.?”
Originally from South Africa Igor has worked with some of the best-known companies designing logos, website, brochures etc. One of his long-standing clients is Cool Fresh.
“Cool Fresh has built a credible story behind their fruit and are also strongly promoting corporate responsibility by supporting large-scale educational, sport and community development projects in South Africa. This gives back to the communities and gives the consumer a good feeling when buying the product.”
“Today, digital marketing and fresh produce need to get together, as there is a big gap to fill. Most people use mobile phones to search these days, so the fresh produce industry needs to become mobile friendly. The fruit sector has been slow to move but things are changing. Having said this, we cannot just rely on digital - print and old-fashioned networking are still important. You can have 1000 friends on facebook but it means nothing if it cannot be turned into sales. People are still people and need to see things and feel emotions. There is lots of emotion behind buying fruit and we need to give this to the consumer while still providing price and quality to the retailer.”
According to Igor it is a case of juggling time and money when designing a new brand. The grower has to like it, it has to be within budget, it has to be acceptable to the retailer and it has to be appealing to the consumer.
Corporate identity is very important, and most companies like to stick to the same logo and style. This year Igor worked on a new concept with Cool Fresh where communicating the company’s strategy was given a whole new look, whilst keeping the old logo but almost hiding it under the new corporate message. “The idea was that if nothing changes, people stop seeing ‘the real message’ after a while. Cool Fresh wanted to create something different and create a talking point, while still maintaining a very clear corporate and strategic identity and message. This was certainly the case with the company’s ‘Connecting Fresh’ approach to this year’s Fruit Logistica in Berlin.”
Igor admits that his ‘out of the box’ style does not fit every company. Yet, in the very competitive retail and consumer world it is important for any brand owner to stand out amongst the competition. Igor believes that innovative fresh produce companies should look at how branding and marketing is done in the fashion business. Igor closes: ‘The Dutch call it ‘gluren bij de buren’. Take a look at how other sectors are managing their marketing. Do not be scared of trying new things!’.
To view Igor's portfolio click here
Igor may be contacted on igor@virtual-hub.net
Publication date : 2/22/2019
Author: Nichola McGregor
© FreshPlaza.com
Bulgaria is the Largest Producer of Herbs in the European Union
According to Eurostat, in the year 2017, a total of 81,000 tons of aromatic and medicinal plants and spices were grown in the country.
Nieuwsbericht | 08-01-2019 | 14:59
Bulgaria is the largest producer of herbs and spices in the European Union. According to Eurostat, in the year 2017, a total of 81,000 tons of aromatic and medicinal plants and spices were grown in the country. The quantity of Bulgarian herbs is almost double to the second largest producer of herbs in the EU - Poland, where 44,000 tons were harvested. Spain ranks third with 32,000 tons.
Bulgaria is one of the largest producers of sunflower seeds. The country ranks second with close to 2.1 million tonnes and is ahead of Hungary. The first is Romania with 2.9 million tons.
The harvest of 7.5 thousand tons of raspberries in 2017 places Bulgaria fourth in the EU. The largest raspberry production in Poland is 104 thousand tons. Spain and the UK occupy second and third positions respectively by 43.5 thousand tons and 15.5 thousand tons respectively.
Bulgaria ranks fourth in growing sweet cherries. The fruit harvest is 48,000 tons, with Italy, Spain and Greece ahead of the country.
Bulgaria is the fifth largest tobacco producer in 2017. A total of 13,000 tonnes have been grown in the country. Italy and Poland are leaders with 48,000 and 32,000 tons.
In the production of rice, lucerne, watermelons, peaches and apricots, Bulgaria is sixth in the EU, according to the Eurostat study.
Source: Novinite.com
Westland Promofilm 2019
Pioneering solutions to meet global challenges.
Westland is a dynamic municipality. In this relatively small area of just 9 000 hectares, we come up with pioneering solutions to global challenges. We produce high quality food products, flowers and plants, sustainably and innovatively, to improve the well-being and welfare of people all over the world.
The Westland area is the world’s main greenhouse horticulture cluster. Over the last 120 years, Westland has become the international hotspot when it comes to growing indoor crops. As early as 1918, Westland growers started planting indoors to extend the growing season of their tomato crop. The development and exchange of knowledge make innovation possible.
An unparalleled cluster of greenhouse horticulture companies and related industries. Importers, exporters, packaging and repackaging companies, growers, breeders, R&D, suppliers, transporters and warehouses, and many more. A cluster like this concentrated in such a small area is found nowhere else in the world. With the opening of the World Horti Center, the region now has a campus where the business community, education and government can come together.
The international innovation hub is also the main innovation centre of the international greenhouse horticulture sector, where business, research, demonstration, teaching and education converge. It is also where local and international greenhouse companies innovate and do business. Westland’s geographical location is unique. Situated close to Schiphol and the Port of Rotterdam, our logistics hub can reach 500 million European customers within 24 hours.
Our mentality is our defining feature: we work hard and efficiently, while always looking for ways to create synergy through partnerships. Many companies have chosen to establish their business in Westland. www.westlandhortibusiness.com
Andrew Balducci of Famous Balducci's In NYC Dies at 92
Andrew Balducci of Famous Balducci's in NYC Dies at 92
Aramark Deal Spurs Lettuce Dream Growth
A lot more than hydroponic produce has been growing these days at Lettuce Dream, a local non-profit greenhouse that provides vocational training for post-high school young adults coping with cognitive and developmental disabilities.
Aramark Deal Spurs Lettuce Dream Growth
- By TONY BROWN | Staff writer
-
- Mar 10, 2018
Diners fill up their plates Friday over the noon hour during the second annual Taste O’ Green salad luncheon fundraiser for Lettuce Dream, a local non-profit greenhouse that provides vocational training for post-high school young adults coping with cognitive and developmental disabilities
MARYVILLE, Mo. — A lot more than hydroponic produce has been growing these days at Lettuce Dream, a local non-profit greenhouse that provides vocational training for post-high school young adults coping with cognitive and developmental disabilities.
On Friday, the organization hosted its second annual Taste O’ Green salad luncheon in the Maryville First United Methodist Church fellowship hall, where Director Charlie Clodfelter was on hand to offer an impressive list of accomplishments posted by Lettuce Dream over the past several months.
Scores of area residents attended the self-serve luncheon, which from late morning through mid-afternoon offered diners a tasty assortment of salads, wraps, fruit dishes, and desserts.
Most of the dishes on offer were made from produce grown at the Lettuce Dream complex near the intersection of East First Street and the U.S. Highway 71 bypass.
Clodfelter said the greenhouse’s current line-up of crops, which are sold to area restaurants, grocery stores, and food-service operations, include romaine lettuce, butterhead lettuce, Salanova, basil and pak choi, a variety of cabbage associated with China and other Asian countries.
The inventory of fresh-grown greenstuff is proving attractive to a growing list of Lettuce Dream customers, Clodfelter said, including Aramark, the food-service vendor for Northwest Missouri State University.
Aramark’s coming on board as a major customer — the company currently purchases 54 percent of Lettuce Dream’s total crop output — followed Lettuce Dream’s acquisition of a Good Agricultural Practices certificate through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The regulatory designation that means the greenhouse has implemented traceability and sanitation practices, including worker training, designed to ensure its produce is grown and distributed under safe and healthy conditions.
Clodfelter said the arrangement with Aramark means Lettuce Dream is providing Northwest’s Campus Dining operation with 200 pounds of nutrition-rich romaine lettuce each week.
Other businesses on the organization’s customer roster include Hy-Vee supermarkets in Maryville and St. Joseph, the Dusty Trails wild-game restaurant in Rock Port and the employee cafeteria operation at Maryville’s Kawasaki Motors manufacturing plant.
The influx of customers, Clodfelter said, means Lettuce Dream is seeking to raise around $5,000 in grant funds and donations to pay for a new nursery bay, which could raise the greenhouse’s production volume by nearly 90 percent without construction of additional cultivation space.
“In a year’s time we’ve come a long way on all fronts,” Clodfelter said.
Other Lettuce Dream developments include efforts that could lead to client referrals through the Developmental Disabilities Division of Missouri’s Department of Mental Health.
The cost of training, placement and other services offered to those clients, Clodfelter said, could then be billed to Medicaid, creating an additional revenue stream.
Current Lettuce Dream clients receive all services free of charge, a practice Clodfelter said would continue for trainees not covered by the DMH referral program in the event it is ultimately approved.
Additional vocational offerings available through the non-profit include paid internships for qualified clients at the local Pizza Ranch restaurant.
Lettuce Dream currently serves nine clients working through a progressive series of vocational training modules. Clodfelter said three people have completed the program, one of whom is self-employed. The remaining two graduates both hold jobs in the private sector.
Staff writer Tony Brown can be reached at tbrown@maryvilledailyforum.com or by calling the newspaper at 660.562.2424.
Tags:
Northwest Missouri State University