Cranberry article with a United Cranberry member!

http://www.getactivetoday.com/milwaukee/nutrition/blogs/Fall-into-the-Cranberry-Craze-176308111.html

Nice job Teskes!

Lots of things going on in our cranberry world

I’d say that harvest is mostly finished and handlers are counting up their berries.  Looks like the crop was larger than expected, mostly due to Quebec bringing in huge numbers.  Good for them, but probably bad for prices.  The OS auction was held on Weds, and concentrate prices dropped a bit.  I have heard that one big WI handler dropped his bacse price to $26.50, due to dropping SDC prices.  Also not good.   The good news is that we brought in a quality crop, and there is always a place for quality fruit!

On the legal front, a class action lawsuit has been filed against Ocean Spray in Massachusettes court.  I didn’t know anything about it, so I am just reading and absorbing as you will.  Looks like 7 independent growers from all the main growing areas and one B pool grower have instigated this.  Don’t know who they are, or how they are doing it.  I did google search the attorneys and they look intesting.  Seems like the suit is from Oregon originally, but I’m not a lawyer and don’t really know how to read these things. I just tried to load the lawsuit file and it is protected somehow.  You can find it online here  http://dockets.justia.com/docket/massachusetts/madce/1:2012cv12016/147455/

United Cranberry is just rocking along.  We took in some fruit, have it cleaned and in bins and are looking for buyers!  thanks to our growers for a great first season!

 

 

 

Important! US Cranberry Marketing Order review….take survey

Your participation is important!!!

U. S. Cranberry Marketing Order Review

 

 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CMO_REVIEW

 

The U.S. Cranberry Marketing Committee (CMC), established in 1962 by the cranberry industry to promote the industry’s best interests, would like to bring to your attention an opportunity for you to make changes to the Cranberry Marketing Order (CMO), a sub-section of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act. The CMO encompasses regulations, guidelines for administering programs, and the CMC’s ability to expand marketing programs in domestic and international markets.

Of late, the CMC Volume Regulation Review (VRR) sub-committee has been engaged in examining the volume regulation component of the CMO. Through conversations with the USDA, it has become apparent that if any other changes that require a formal rule making process are desired, proposed changes should be put forward with any changes proposed by the VRR sub-committee. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, the CMC has recently formed a CMO sub-committee to review & recommend any changes to the Order beyond those that may be proposed for volume regulation.

The CMO sub-committee held a conference call on June 20, 2012 and, per its mission to review all sections of the Cranberry Marketing Order Title 7 Code or Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 929 et seq., identified several sections for which there have been questions and/or desires expressed to modify (excluding sections related to volume regulation that had been taken up by the CMC Volume Regulation Review sub-committee). Although the following survey frames several questions related to those specific sections, we also encourage you to identify other sections and/or changes that you believe need further examination and potential modification.

WE URGE YOUR PARTICIPATION in this important informational effort and thank you in advance for taking this opportunity to help YOUR Industry meet today’s 21st century needs.

 

Click here to start survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CMO_REVIEW

Preliminary results of this survey will be reported at the upcoming meeting of the CMC. Any responses should be provided by August 20, 2012.

If you have any questions, please contact the U.S. Cranberry Marketing Committee office at 508-291-1510 or email ssoares@cranberrymarketing.org  OR mhogan@cranberrymarketing.org .

 

Cranberry supplements China style

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is HUGE in China.  There are two types of hospitals/doctors over there, TCM and Western (our type with antibiotics, etc, etc)  So, these TCM doctors prescribe herbs for all kinds of illnesses and many many Chinese use these before they go to Western doctors.  The supplement shown here was found in a regular pharmacy, the local Walgreens if you will.  If we could ever find out how to get into the TCM hospitals, look out!

Ok, so here are some photos of cranberries in China!

So here are our cranberries in China!  No bottles just the waxy paper bottles. Please note that even in China they list % cranberry content…25%!  Not bad! (Still want more though)

 

Growers ask government to purchase cranberries

http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=93843#SlideFrame_1

I received several Google Alerts about this and actually thought it was an old article recirculated since David Farrimond was quoted, but this article calls him former head of the CMC, so I guess it is current.  I actually was called by staffers at my Congressman and Senator’s offices  to see if United Cranberry supported this request and I told them yes, we do.  Both of them are against this kind of spending, but I said as long as the government has it in the budget to do these things, why not cranberries when we have an oversupply?

This article doesn’t say if the purchase has actually happened…the request was made back in September 2011.

Craisins vs Raisins…this will add fuel to the fire :)

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120223005880/en/Ocean-Spray-Challenges-Raisins-Fans-Leap-Craisins®

Besides all this, sweetened dried cranberries TASTE better.  Just saying.

The cranberry measurement debate, from the source: Complete Phytochemical Solutions

http://www.phyto-sol.com/CompSol_V4/Complete_Phytochemical_Solutions_files/2012-02-20%20Technical%20Bulletin%20.pdf

This is the link to Complete’s webpage and announcement of the efforts to commericalize a test for PAC in cranberry.  Check it out!

The cranberry measurement debate Ocean Spray and United Cranberry

http://www.oceansprayitg.com/Blog/  So here is Ocean Spray ingredients blog, which is a pretty good info place for all things Ocean Spray and their cranberry measurement post details their efforts to commericalize the cranberry content test that Complete Phytochemical Solutions developed  with United Cranberry support.  So, industry people working together, all good! 

Ocean Spray has also announced the date of the next concentrate auction, April 25, 2012.

Wal-mart to label healthy foods…this is great news and what we are all about!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/business/walmart-to-add-great-for-you-label-to-healthy-foods.html?_r=2

So this article is a few weeks old (thanks Mary Brown!) but still right on the money.  Wal-mart is taking the lead in healthy foods.  As cranberry growers, we know that we grow a healthy fruit.  Yes, it is a bit on the tart side, and yes it needs sweetening for all but the most stalwart.  Pick your sweetener, as they are all available.  We need to stop apologizing for the added sugar!  Sweeteners makes cranberry palatable  and cranberries are GOOD FOR YOU.  They are available in every combination.  Our goal at United Cranberry is to identify those products with high cranberry content…and we are working towards our seal of approval.  With the help of companies like Wal-mart, consumers are going to have all the information they need to make the right choice.