In The News

WATSONVILLE, CALIF. – Driscoll’s has installed 3,384 solar panels on its 155,000 square-foot cooling facility in Santa Maria, Calif., which is estimated to generate 1.4 million kilowatt-hours of power annually. In addition to solar power, Driscoll’s has installed a battery storage system that can hold up to 700 kilowatt-hours. Together, both systems will allow the company to offset about 92% of the facility’s energy usage, generating a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing more than 7,750 cars from the road over the course of 25 years.

WATSONVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Driscoll’s, the world’s fresh berry leader, today joins The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment to help advance its pledge to prioritize sustainable packaging solutions that protect fresh berries while minimizing an environmental impact. The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme, and unites more than 500 signatories behind a common vision of a circular economy for plastic, in which plastics stay in the economy and out of the environment.

WATSONVILLE, CA - New faces are making an appearance at Driscoll’s today as the berry maven has announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors. Joining the team are Giannella Alvarez, former CEO and Director of the Board at Beanitos, and Graciela Monteagudo, former President and CEO of LALA U.S.

Nothing sparks joy quite like a delicious berry and today Driscoll’s invites consumers to add a little something sweet to their everyday with the launch of its latest campaign, Sweetness Worth Sharing™. The new, fully-integrated program features a digital-first approach to share the sweetness that’s been part of the company’s DNA for generations and inspires berry lovers to share that sweetness, whether by enjoying Only the Finest Berries™ or embracing simple shared moments with loved ones.

Driscoll’s invites consumers to add a little something sweet to their everyday with the launch of its latest campaign, Sweetness Worth Sharing™. The new, fully-integrated program features a digital-first approach to share the sweetness that’s been part of the company’s DNA for generations and inspires berry lovers to share that sweetness, whether by enjoying Only the Finest Berries™ or embracing simple shared moments with loved ones.

As this year has taken us through unexpected twists and turns, we could all use a little bit of sweetness in our lives. That is why Driscoll’s has announced its new Sweetness Worth Sharing™ campaign that encourages consumers to share the tender moments in their everyday lives using its new fully-integrated digital program. Whether its indulging in the taste of Only the Finest Berries™ or sharing small special moments with family and friends, Driscoll’s wants to make sure shoppers are celebrating its brand.

Driscoll’s, the leading consumer brand in fresh berries, and indoor vertical-farming company Plenty Unlimited Inc., today announced a joint development agreement to grow Driscoll’s proprietary flavorful strawberries year-round in Plenty’s vertical indoor farms. Driscoll’s 100 years of farming heritage and focus on delivering Only the Finest Berries™ is the ideal complement to Plenty’s industry-leading, sustainable, indoor farming technology and commitment to growing the best tasting produce. Together, the two companies will work to bring flavorful strawberry varieties to market, leveraging the benefits of a controlled growing environment while also creating opportunity for berry expansion into regions that have historically been difficult to serve.

As Driscoll's readies for its peak season, the family-owned company is gearing up for a bumper crop with a record supply of California strawberries and a plentiful amount of blueberries.

Driscoll’s Chairman and CEO, J. Miles Reiter, is one of the many individuals taking up this task and building a firmer foundation for his team and the communities in which the company operates. Recently, Driscoll’s deployed more than $4 million in global charitable funds, across health clinics, food banks, fresh berry donations, and other community resources in response to the COVID-19 pandemic—one of many gestures as of late.

U.S. berry distributor Driscoll’s has taken on laid-off restaurant and hotel employees at its U.S. distribution warehouses to work as forklift drivers and quality assurance inspectors.

Who focuses on the health and well-being of the family like mom? Seeking to connect with the matriarchs of consumption on a resonant level, Driscoll’s launched a special content series that put several new faces to the berry behemoth’s brand by highlighting Driscoll’s moms. As retailers begin Mother's Day promotions—and understand the importance of social media in bringing shoppers into stores—the new marketing campaign is sure to up foot traffic in the berry category.

Driscoll’s US employee-based community of mothers has created a special content series of shared stories, challenges, and tips for how to survive and even thrive during the widespread shelter-in-place resulting from Covid-19.

Mothers at berry company Driscoll’s joined to create a series of stories, challenges and tips on surviving — thriving, even — during the pandemic.

Many grocery stores have had to put restrictions on how much beef and pork each customer buys as meat processing plants work to deep clean their facilities and put other safety measures in place.

These packages include the How2Recycle® label on the bottom, which informs consumers on how to recycle accurately and where to go if they need to find information specific to their municipality. Driscoll’s is a member of The Sustainable Packaging Coalition and is committed to making packaging more sustainable. All major North American fresh berry producers announced their commitment to using 100 percent recycle-ready packaging by 2025.

Driscoll’s introduces Berry Big™ Strawberries, larger sized strawberries with versatility for endless everyday eating possibilities.  This special berry gives consumers multiple bites from just one berry.  Their quantity is limited and captures the beginning of peak California growing season. Fresh strawberries are packed in a single-layer corrugate package that is 100% Recycle Ready.

According to Driscoll's, quantity is limited and captures the beginning of the peak California growing season, with the large strawberries packed in a single-layer, recycle-ready corrugate package. 

The limited-quantity non-GMO strawberries are ready to give consumers multiple juicy bites and are packaged in a single-layer, 18-ounce corrugated package that is 100% recyclable, with recycling information including on the label.

Watsonville, Calif.-based Driscoll’s has introduced a new product, an 18-ounce corrugate package of large strawberries branded as Berry Big Strawberries.

Naomi Sakoda, Driscoll’s product marketing manager, said the company spent more than a year researching what could get consumers to buy berries more often. 

Driscoll’s and other produce companies have partnered with PRO*ACT to donate more than $1 million to support healthcare responders working tirelessly on the frontlines. The initiative, titled Feeding Our Frontlines, distributed more than 35,000 boxes of fruit and veggies to healthcare establishments, with Driscoll’s already committing more than $350,000 in berry donations.

Distribution of the produce will be prioritised to the hospitals that are at the epicenter of the Covid-19 crisis including New York Presbyterian, Johns Hopkins, Massachusetts General, and hospitals in 16 other states. 

Now more than ever, fresh produce companies are committed to feeding the needs of the public. The food and agriculture industry accounts for roughly one-fifth of the nation’s economic activity and has been identified as one of the critical infrastructures during COVID-19. Growers, farmworkers, transportation providers, and grocers are considered essential workers, and they are all proud to contribute to the U.S. economy.

The initiative, Feeding Our Frontlines, was created to show appreciation and gratitude to healthcare heroes for their courageous efforts on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis. More than 35,000 boxes filled with fresh produce and vegetables are being distributed to healthcare establishments so employees can take repacked boxes of produce home at the end of a long shift. The roughly 12-15 pound box can feed a family of four for up to a week. 

More than 35,000 boxes filled with fresh produce and vegetables are being distributed to healthcare establishments so employees can take repacked boxes of produce home at the end of a long shift.  The roughly 12- to 15-pound box can feed a family of four for up to a week.

Top fruit and vegetable companies across the United States have partnered with PRO*ACT to donate over $1 million worth of fresh produce to benefit healthcare responders on the frontlines of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

Driscoll’s, which earlier announced a $4 million donation campaign for the pandemic, is committing to more than $350,000 in berry donations to the Feeding Our Frontlines campaign.

Driscoll’s, the leader in fresh berries was the first company to commit more than $350,000 in berry donations to this initiative. Additional produce companies that are contributing to the effort include Sunkist, Taylor Farms, Dole, Mission, Rainier, Wada Farms, Mann Packing and Grimmway Farms.

In the next four weeks, it will be peak strawberry season in California. This is when U.S. producers switch from Mexican imports to domestic crops of the popular fruit. For Driscoll's, the world's biggest supplier of berries, that means the most important part of the year is overlapping with the fallout of coronavirus.

Driscoll's believes there is a tremendous opportunity for the USDA to come up with a program to buy fruit, even if it is just at cost, to give it to the food bank to people really in need.

Driscoll's of the Americas President, Soren Bjorn, said that Driscoll's is in active talks with the USDA to secure funding for food producers to donate their goods to food banks. He sees this as a potential solution for many farmers who are dealing with excess goods.

Driscoll’s will deploy more than $4 million in global charitable funds across health clinics, food banks, fresh berry donations and other community resources in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Driscoll’s plays an essential role in feeding the world and is compelled during these challenging times to support the communities who are working tirelessly to bring fresh, healthy berries to families. 

Driscoll’s is one such beacon of strength, recently announcing that it plans to deploy over $4 million in global charitable funds across health clinics, food banks, fresh berry donations, and other community resources.

The berry company is giving $2.5 million to initiatives in the U.S. and Canada, $1 million to central Mexico and Baja, and $500,000 to Europe and Morocco. Fresh berries valued at $500,000 will be delivered to first responders and hospitals in New York City, according to a news release.

Driscoll’s, which produces one-third of the berries sold in North America, is in the midst of a great California strawberry season. But as much as 30 percent of the crop could be lost because institutions and restaurants are closed, and shipping space on planes to global markets is at a premium, said Soren Bjorn, the company’s president.

Driscoll’s announced that it plans to donate more than $4 million in charitable funds across global health clinics, food banks, fresh berry donations and other community resources to contribute to coronavirus (COVID-19) relief efforts. 

In an open letter to the community, Joseph Miles Reiter, Chairman and CEO of Driscoll’s, outlined the company’s commitment to protecting the health and safety of employees, upholding food safety commitments, and assessing and responding on how best to support growing regions around the world.

CNBC’s Jane Wells reports on the disruption produce supply chains are seeing as the coronavirus pandemic creates challenges for farms to get workers.

Driscoll’s president Soren Bjorn and The Packer’s retail editor Ashley Nickle discussed how the coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting business, supply outlook and promotional activity.

Driscoll’s, the world’s largest berry distributor, and its partner farms will bring some 4,000 farmworkers from Mexico to California and Florida this year to harvest crops such as strawberries and blueberries. It donated $1 million to a network of local health clinics that serve farmworkers to help fund overtime pay for doctors and nurses already swamped by an influx of patients.

Driscoll’s collection is a curated series of best of season, ultra- flavorful offerings bred to give consumers an indulgent new way to experience their favorite fresh berries.

Driscoll’s announced the launch of Sweetest Batch™ Blackberries. The flavor-packed blackberry is the sweetest sensation to hit the produce aisle this winter and now Driscoll’s markets a complete berry patch premium flavor offering across strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.

The premium blackberries follow Driscoll’s Sweetest Batch™ blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, according to a news release. Like all the company’s berries, they are exclusively bred by Driscoll’s network of independent farmers. Sweetest Batch™ blackberries are available now in select regions across the U.S. for a limited time.

The blackberries join Driscoll’s Sweetest Batch™ lineup of blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. All berries are bred naturally by Driscoll’s team for its network of independent farmers to grow and harvest.

The blackberries are bred naturally by the brand’s 'Joy Makers', Driscoll’s team of agronomists, breeders, sensory analysts, plant health scientists and entomologists, exclusively for its network of independent farmers to grow and harvest. 

According to a press release, the new flavor-packed blackberry is one of the sweetest sensations to hit the produce aisle this winter and marks Driscoll’s as one of the first companies to market a complete berry patch premium flavor offering across strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.

Berry growers and trade associations across North America just announced an industry-wide goal to use 100% recycle-ready packaging by 2025. The collaboration includes a commitment to new label standards and an agreement to encourage consumer recycling.

A coalition of fresh berry industry leaders in North America, including growers and shippers, set a goal this week to use 100% recycle-ready packaging by 2025.

The new commitment enables the production of new berry clamshells using recycled content, unlike traditional berry clamshells that have been manufactured using post-consumer recycled content in the US.

This commitment to 100-percent recycle-ready clamshells complements existing actions that use recycled content to make berry clamshells. For over a decade, berry clamshells have been among the food packages that use the most California post-consumer recycled content in the U.S. For example, it is common for California berry clamshells to contain more than 50 percent recycled content.

In another step to further reduce the produce industry’s environmental impact, major North American fresh berry producers announced their commitment to use 100% recycle-ready packaging by 2025. The California Strawberry Commission, the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), Asociacion national de Exportadores de Berries (Aneberries, Mexico), members of the National Berry Crops Initiative, and South American exporters are joining to maintain industry leadership in sustainable packaging.

Individual berry companies are making commitments to explore more sustainable and scalable solutions that include encouraging material recycling handlers and consumers to recycle more clamshells, including post-consumer recycled content in clamshell packaging, and supporting innovation of new materials that are readily recyclable and/or compostable.

The cornerstone of this collaboration is the commitment to new label standards, which will optimize the recycle readiness of all berry clamshells throughout North America. The groups are further unified in their commitments to encourage consumer recycling of clamshells and establish new purchase specifications for packaging manufacturers. By working together as competitive collaborators, these actions will create economies of scale to reduce costs, and stimulate a closed-loop circular economy that recycles berry clamshells back into new berry clamshells.

The cornerstone of this collaboration is the commitment to new label standards, which will optimize the recycle readiness of all berry clamshells throughout North America.

The berry groups are not calling for an end to plastic packaging, which uses post-consumer products like water bottles to make clamshells. Clamshells create a market for those water bottles and make a lightweight and clear packaging to protect berries from damage and contamination, according to the release, reducing food waste and use of raw materials to make food packaging.

In another step to further reduce the produce industry’s environmental impact, major North American fresh berry producers announced their commitment to use 100% recycle-ready packaging by 2025. The California Strawberry Commission, the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), Asociacion national de Exportadores de Berries (Aneberries, Mexico), members of the National Berry Crops Initiative, and South American exporters are joining to maintain industry leadership in sustainable packaging.

Berry growers and trade associations in the U.S., Mexico and South America are pledging to use 100% recycle-ready packaging for all fresh berries by 2025. The collaboration includes a commitment to new label standards throughout North America, an agreement to encourage consumer recycling of clamshells, and plans to establish new purchase specifications for packaging manufacturers, according to a news release.

From its humble beginnings as a small family business more than a century ago, Driscoll’s has become a major producer of berries in the US and beyond. But the ideas of family and community still play a key role in Driscoll’s business philosophy — especially as it navigates increasingly challenging issues such as labor standards, immigration reform and water stewardship.

Driscoll's is a leading purveyor of classic and unique berry varieties, like Rosé Strawberries™ and Raspberries™. Keeping their streak of innovative fruits going, the fruitseller just released a brand-new, batch of super sweet blueberries they promise will be the sweetest you've ever tasted.

The Sweetest Batch™ Blueberries take the typical blueberry flavor to a new level. Driscoll’s has been working on its sweet fruit editions for a couple years now. Earlier this year, it released Rosé Berries and Sweetest Batch™ Strawberries, as well as Sweet Batch™ Raspberries. To complete the berry patch premium flavors, Driscoll’s is already working on Sweetest Batch™ Blackberries.

Appointed to the USHBC Promotion Committee is John Johnston, Senior Director of Blueberry Product Leadership for Driscoll’s. The Promotion Committee is charged with driving consumer demand and promoting the health benefits of blueberries.

With a value chain that includes over 700 independent growers, Driscoll’s has set long- and near-term water stewardship goals for its Americas business unit, including several time-bound, measurable commitments to address water quality challenges across the value chain.

The partnership reinforces Driscoll’s commitment to water stewardship as well as supporting its network of more than 750 independent growers, the company said in a press release.

Ceres and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have teamed up to promote the AgWater Challenge in an effort to manage natural resources. Today Driscoll’s announced its participation in the challenge, reinforcing a commitment to water stewardship and supporting its network of more than 750 independent growers within local agricultural communities.

The partnership affirms Driscoll’s commitment to water stewardship and also supports its network of more than 750 independent growers, according to the release.The AgWater Challenge is an effort coordinated by Ceres and the World Wildlife Fund to encourage companies to set ambitious goals that address the global water crisis. 

Driscoll’s and other companies have made “time-bound” commitments, including assessing water risks in key regions, collaborating at the watershed level to protect resources in high-risk areas and supporting farmers to manage water resources, according to the release.

The partnership reinforces Driscoll’s commitment to water stewardship as well as supporting its network of more than 750 independent growers within local agricultural communities.

Chances are if you’ve bitten into a strawberry, blueberry, blackberry or raspberry lately, it was supplied by the world’s largest berry company, Driscoll’s. With products sourced from 21 countries, and sold in 48, Driscoll’s supplies one third of the global berry business.

Building upon the accomplishment of more than 25 film festival screenings, Driscoll’s award-winning documentary, The Last Harvest, continues to elevate discussions around labor shortage and immigration reform through a grassroots strategy of partaking in high-profile community-led forums.

This feature, set to screen at PMA Fresh Summit as part of the expo’s first Experience Extension with Films, engages the dialogue around labor shortage and immigration reform through a grassroots strategy of community-led forums and discussions.

Sweetest Batch™ Blueberries are bred naturally with no GMOs by the brand’s 'Joy Makers', Driscoll’s team of agronomists, breeders, sensory analysts, plant health scientists and entomologists, exclusively for its network of independent farmers to grow and harvest.

Driscoll’s Sweetest Batch™ Blueberries will be available in select cities for a limited time. The company also has plans for Sweetest Batch™ Blackberries, which would make Driscoll’s the first company to have a premium berry program featuring strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.

Driscoll’s has launched its Sweetest Batch™ Blueberries. This newest addition to the company's collection will be available in select cities for a limited time.

Bursting with flavor, these specialty berries follow the marketplace success of Driscoll’s Rosé™ Berries and Sweetest Batch™ Strawberries and Raspberries earlier this year. Like all Driscoll’s berries, Sweetest Batch™ Blueberries are bred naturally with no GMOs by the brand’s Joy Makers, Driscoll’s team of agronomists, breeders, sensory analysts, plant health scientists and entomologists, exclusively for its network of independent farmers to grow and harvest.

Driscoll’s raises the flavor bar once again with the launch of Sweetest Batch™ Blueberries, the sweetest sensation to hit the produce aisle this fall. This newest addition to Driscoll’s collection will be available in select cities for a limited time and delivers on a unique, indulgent berry experience focused on elevated flavor.

"As a berry farmer in Coastal California my entire life, I have been a vocal supporter of groundwater regulation. This may surprise some, as ready access to water is the very lifeblood of our business. Our production areas have little to no surface water supplies, so we are almost completely dependent upon abundant, quality groundwater; something that has been deceptively available for the last 150 years. We are now seeing the profound risk of losing this critical resource, unless we collectively act soon to preserve groundwater resources for both the next decade and future generations." -Miles Reiter, CEO

The Roundtable will develop a long-term approach, looking beyond the legislative debate of the moment and advancing a combination of research, communications and services that promote the value of the new American workforce.

For Driscoll’s (of the America's) President Soren Bjorn, an example of just one of the litany of issues plaguing the U.S. immigration system showed up in the form of uncharacteristically heavy rains in mid-September along California’s Central Coast. The precipitation would delay work at the tail end of strawberry harvest season, before next year’s crops are planted. For Driscoll’s and other farm-related businesses that rely on the H-2A visa program for temporary agricultural workers, a last-minute delay of a few weeks means significant losses. 

“As a company whose network represents over 50% of foreign-born workers, it is our responsibility to stand in solidarity with immigrants that contribute so much to our company’s success,” said Soren Bjorn, president of Driscoll’s of the Americas.

The latest innovation from Driscoll’s—the company that introduced the plastic clamshell to fruit and defined the strawberry in our minds as wasp-waisted, full-chested, and lipstick red—is a rosé strawberry, “the least red berry,” the company says, it’s ever released to the American market.

Driscoll’s won the Best of Show award at the Produce Marketing Association Foodservice Conference and Expo, and Coastline Family Farms took second place.

This carefully bred non-GMO berry is a paler hue than your typical garden strawberry or raspberry, and it has notes of peach flavor with a floral finish. The texture is different as well, with a creamy flesh that blooms across the tongue, spreading the flavor through the palate much in the same way you would enjoy a rosé wine. The Sweetest Batch™ raspberries and strawberries are curated specifically for their intense sweetness, making sure that "sour berry face" is a thing of the past. 

The Rosé Berries, which are not genetically modified, are further described as having sweet, peachy notes and finished off with floral notes. As far as texture is concerned, the berries are described as “smooth, silky and creamy.” 

Hit the sweet spot this summer with a nice bite of Rosé because Driscoll's just released new Rosé flavored berries.

These special rosé berries will only be available to buy June through September through Whole Foods and Fresh Direct. It seems like the berries will only be available in Northern California and the East Coast.

According to the Driscoll's site, "Rosé Berries contain sweet, peachy notes capped off with a soft, floral finish that's as delicate as a rose. Plus, their smooth, silky and creamy texture perfectly complements a hot, summer afternoon." 

However, if the strawberries and raspberries prove to be as popular as the rosé wine itself, the company may make its blush-colored fruit available in more markets in the future.

Before you ask—no, the berries aren’t infused with wine. Rather, they’re naturally bred from a mix of dark berries and light berries “mixed with the power of the sun” to have that signature blush color. Per the announcement, the strawberries have a “smooth, silky, creamy texture” with notes of peach and floral flavors, like rosé often has; the raspberries are also sweet, and get their coloring from a blend of golden and red raspberries.

But for those who aren't into all things pink, Driscoll’s also is launching succulent-looking bright red Sweetest Batch™ strawberries and raspberries. These were bred to be more high flavor and indulgent, according to the company.

We got to taste test the special new Rosé Strawberries™ and found a familiar farmer's market-level of freshness, packed with strawberry flavor, additional sweetness and touches of white peach and nectarine notes.

While they won't be around forever, the new berries are first in a series of fruit innovations coming from the Driscoll’s team. Also on the menu are Driscoll’s Sweetest Batch™, a varietal of "high-flavor" berries that are said to taste particularly sweet.

According to Driscoll’s, it is one of the few berry companies with a dedicated research and development department focused on breeding proprietary berries. The company said this particular collection of berries is the first in a series of offerings.

The company’s agronomists, breeders, sensory analysts, plant health scientists and entomologists — dubbed the Joy Makers — are working on other varieties in the flavorful collection, according to the release.

The creamy, silky Rosé Strawberries™ have a sweet, peachy flavor with a floral finish, while the Rosé Raspberries™ are a sweeter, golden-red raspberry hybrid. And to be clear, neither of these fruits contain alcohol (they just mimic the sweet, floral flavors of rosé wine).

Driscoll's, a berry company known for its fresh fruit selections, announced two new rosé-inspired berries on June 12 that'll pair perfectly with your wine. They're called Rosé Strawberries™ and Rosé Raspberries™, and each of 'em was curated to mimic your beloved rosé. Before I get into detail about each selection, let me get this out of the way: No, Driscoll's new Rosé Berries™ aren't alcoholic. Therefore, you will not get a buzz from your fruit bowl, unless you pair your fruity snack with an actual glass rosé.

The creamy, silky Rosé Strawberries™ have a sweet, peachy flavor with a floral finish, while the Rosé Raspberries™ are a sweeter, golden-red raspberry hybrid. And to be clear, neither of these fruits contain alcohol (they just mimic the sweet, floral flavors of rosé wine).

Driscoll’s was awarded the best Health and Safety Labor Program globally at the 2019 Sedex Awards in recognition for the company’s comprehensive approach to labor compliance, which extends beyond farm audits and addresses systemic worker welfare issues.

Each time a consumer buys berries carrying the Fair Trade Certified™ seal, the farmworkers and the communities growing the berries earn additional money that goes into a Community Development Fund. Fair Trade Committees, made up of local farmworkers elected to represent their communities, organize projects that benefit the community where Driscoll’s berries are grown and the farm workers live and work, based on community needs and input.

Each time a consumer buys berries carrying the Fair Trade Certified™ seal, the farmworkers and the communities growing the berries earn additional money that goes into a Community Development Fund. Fair Trade Committees, made up of local farmworkers elected to represent their communities, organize projects that benefit the community where Driscoll’s berries are grown and the farm workers live and work, based on community needs and input.

Driscoll’s Fairtrade programme has increased berry acreage by nearly 14 per cent, with the goal of being 100 per cent Fairtrade certified by the end of 2019.

According to the release, each time a consumer buys berries carrying the Fair Trade Certified™ seal, the farmworkers and the communities growing the berries earn additional money that goes into a Community Development Fund.

This expansion builds on the continued success of its multi-year Fair Trade USA partnership which has contributed nearly one million dollars in Community Development Funds through the sale of Fair Trade Certified organic berries grown in Baja California.

Buying about $200 million in packaging materials annually, Watsonville, Calif.-based Driscoll’s is actively pursuing options to introduce more environmentally friendly packaging options for its berries.

J. Miles Reiter has reassumed the position of Chief Executive Officer for Driscoll’s, the market leader of fresh berries, as part of planned leadership restructuring announced on Friday.

Family-owned-and-operated for more than 100 years, Driscoll’s is positioned for future global brand expansion with this organizational announcement. As a fourth-generation grower and the grandson of one of Driscoll’s founders, Reiter will continue to serve as Driscoll’s chairman, a role he has held for more than 30 years.

The berry company announced the change as part of a planned leadership restructuring, a move that positions Driscoll’s for future global brand expansion, according to a news release. Reiter is a fourth-generation grower and grandson of a Driscoll’s founder. He will continue to serve as chairman, which he has been for more than 30 years, according to the release.

As a fourth generation grower and the grandson of one of Driscoll’s founders, Reiter will continue to serve as Driscoll’s chairman, a role he has held for more than 30 years.

Driscoll’s says this restructuring supports its “mission to delight berry consumers through alignment of its customers and network of independent growers”, and that the company is positioned for future global brand expansion with this organizational announcement.

In addition to that chance to adapt, the company expects this restructuring to support its mission to delight berry consumers through alignment of its customers and network of independent growers. Family owned-and-operated for more than 100 years, Driscoll’s concluded it is positioned for future global brand expansion with this organizational announcement.

The increased demand is adding to a big problem in the agricultural industry: a labor shortage that is unlikely to improve soon, according to farmers and researchers. It means berries that would otherwise be sold might instead rot in the field. Technologists think automation eventually could help producers pick specialty crops like berries.

Driscoll’s is promoting that berries are better when shared together. To bring this concept to life, the company has created what they describe as a one-of-a-kind experiential activation – a larger-than-life 3D picnic basket on wheels that will be rolling through local communities.

Driscoll’s noted that its long-term business objective was to continue building brand differentiation in what it called an otherwise commoditised agriculture industry.

This is just the latest step in Driscoll’s #BerryTogether campaign efforts. It is a strategic move that supports the company’s branding, transitioning berries from the produce aisle into an inspirational emblem that promotes emotional connections through shared experiences.

The giant basket is part of the company’s multifaceted #BerryTogether campaign, which debuted last year. The food truck basket is the first such promotion in the U.S. since the berry company launched a global visual identity across North America, Europe, Australia and China, according to a news release.

U.S.-based berry company Driscoll’s is expanding its national Berry Together campaign, creating a “one-of-a-kind experiential activation”.

Introduced last year, Driscoll’s #BerryTogether campaign marked the brand’s first U.S. communication strategy since unveiling its unified global visual identity system across North America, Europe, Australia and China. 

With 100 years of farming heritage in its roots, Driscoll's made the decision to dive into organics 20 years ago. As a brand consumers can trust, Driscoll’s is the market leader in organic berries with more than 66 percent of market share.

Industry giants like Walmart and Driscoll's are creating a blockchain to track food worldwide, which has now been dubbed the Food Trust.  It’s ultimately about expediting the time it takes to identify recalls and reduce risks for consumers.

At 600 thousand views, Driscoll’s episode on raspberries is currently the most-watched episode and has driven the highest rate of earned views. After watching this episode—the story of Driscoll’s breakthrough raspberry variety, patented as Maravilla—32 thousand viewers went on to watch a second.

Driscoll’s “Pursuit of Flavor” miniseries launched this past April. Driscoll’s is proud to share that the six-part video series has already garnered 65MM impressions, resulting in over 1.5MM views and is positioned to break Driscoll’s record engagement rate.

The six-part series has received 65 million impressions, according to a news release, and is poised to break Driscoll’s previous engagement record.

Later this month, Driscoll's will start selling a Build-Your-Own Braspberry Kit in Minneapolis-St. Paul, which they say is the market with the highest raspberry consumption in the U.S. Each one includes a package each of raspberries and blueberries -- and instructions.

Driscoll’s and its farmers don’t leave much to chance, having weathered drought conditions through much of this decade. And now they’re working on the next big challenge – implementing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and working to recharge the aquifer through a water recycling program.

Driscoll's largely manages research and development of the best berry varieties, sales to retailers, marketing and distribution. They also play an additional dynamic, supporting role for their growers. The company sees itself as a steward to help producers stay profitable, keep up with changing markets and focus on what they do best — growing the best berries on the market. 

Most afternoons, do you find yourself searching the shelves for something to snack on? If so, you’re not alone. A new survey sponsored by Driscoll’s revealed that.

Driscoll's berries was among the first companies to join Walmart's blockchain pilot, along with Nestle, Danone, Unilever and others.Based in Watsonville, Calif., Driscoll's grows berries in nearly two dozen countries, making it by far the biggest berry supplier worldwide. Almost immediately, Driscoll's saw a lot more than food safety in blockchain. A fully built-out ledger could one day get berries to shelves faster, figure out what varieties last longest, trim waste and even pay suppliers more quickly, the company believes.

As major food and beverage producers investing in agriculture, our companies are ever mindful of our dependence on water. We believe that responsibly sharing water and protecting watersheds are key to our businesses.

Driscoll’s Sustainable Communities efforts happen at the local level in our many production communities where hundreds of independent growers produce Driscoll’s berries. Because of that, there are so many local efforts to share, it is hard to pick just one. Keep reading to understand how Driscoll’s social work supports the longevity and success of the business, which skill makes Kelley uniquely qualified for her role, and how her team finds value in attending SB conferences.

In an exclusive chat, Driscoll’s® Director of Marketing and Global Brand Lead Frances Dillard tipped me off that this trend may be popping up in produce aisles throughout the country. 

Last week, the Driscoll's Instagram account posted what appeared to be a product announcement, writing, "New berry launch! Fresh from the farm, #Braspberries are an out of this world flavor combination! @justintimberlake, be on the lookout in a grocery store near you," with the hashtags #FinestBerries #newproduct #newproductalert.

If you follow pop star Justin Timberlake on social media, then you already know all about the braspberry craze. For those who don’t, an Instagram post in which Timberlake declares his love for blueberry-stuffed raspberries (referred to as “braspberries”) went viral late last year.

The pop superstar made a video in December 2017, which went viral on Instagram, showing himself shoving a blueberry into a raspberry – a snack Timberlake coined the “braspberry.”

The artist stuffed a raspberry with a blueberry in a post on his Instagram account in December, and now a berry company has made his idea a reality.

Driscoll took to Instagram to announce the launch of the new product and treated users with a picture of what the snack will look like. They made sure to give Timberlake a rightful shoutout as well.

Driscoll's, one of the biggest berry sellers in America, recently teased the launch of its newest product, braspberries, with an Instagram post of said blueberry-stuffed raspberries in their signature clamshell packaging. The post also included a message for JT, saying the singer should "be on the lookout in a grocery store near you." 

This week, Driscoll’s followed up on JT’s tasty creation with the Instagram post below and the accompanying caption, “Fresh from the farm, #Braspberries are an out of this world flavor combination! @justintimberlake, be on the lookout in a grocery store near you.”

The berries haven’t exactly made it to stores just yet, and for good reason. Each batch is being handpicked and hand-created, so yeah, it’s pretty labor-intensive. We have no idea how much they’d cost, but we kind of hope we have a chance to buy them ourselves.

Driscoll’s, the produce company, shared a picture in their Twitter account of a package braspberries. Could the produce company actually bring this product to market?

Berry giant Driscoll’s Instagrammed their newest berry product to great fanfare. Is it a new berry though? The fruit-based snack, called (and hashtagged) #Braspberries, appear to be nothing more than blueberries poked into raspberries. While fans of compulsively satisfying Tumblr Things Fitting Perfectly Into Other Things may rejoice, others are wondering “can’t I stuff my own damn raspberries?”

The fruit company Driscoll’s has started packaging the berry mash-up – a blueberry stuffed inside a raspberry – for promotional purposes, but they hope to have them in stores soon.

Last year, the pop star when viral with an Instagram video praising the simplicity of shoving a blueberry into a raspberry and eating them together—a concoction he dubbed a “braspberry.” Now, one of America’s best-known fruit companies, Driscoll’s, has made brasperries a prepackaged reality.

Research and development aren’t always common investments in commodity markets. But the Driscoll’s motto is “only the finest berries,” and the company has taken its innovation into growing, harvesting and even marketing strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. 

The ‘Pursuit of Flavor’ miniseries also includes an episode featuring J. Miles Reiter — Driscoll’s chairman, a fourth-generation grower and the grandson of one of Driscoll’s founders. Other episodes in the series highlight the past, present, and future of each of the four berries, through the art and science of natural plant breeding and the philosophy of pioneering superior flavor through proprietary berry varieties.

Driscoll’s is one of the few berry companies with a dedicated research and development department focused on breeding proprietary berries exclusively for its network of independent growers.

U.S.-based company Driscoll’s has debuted a six-part miniseries, Pursuit of Flavor, which “explores the passion of growing great tasting berries.” 

Driscoll’s has been working to expose more consumers to that sweet and sentimental taste with a year-round growing season, tastier berries, and a six-part miniseries that gives consumers the supply-end knowledge for which they’ve been longing.

Driscoll’s Berries has welcomed a new executive in the promotion of former Director of Commerce, Business Planning, and Quality Assurance Wyard Stomp. Having moved over from the company’s European operations to accept the Vice President of Sales and Marketing post in California, the newly-named executive is thrilled to begin this new chapter of his fresh produce career.

The berry category is as strong as ever, with healthy consumer demand driving sales and even prompting expanded growing operations throughout the globe. Soren Bjorn discusses what is driving the category growth and Driscoll’s plans for the immediate future.

The late fall represents the second peak production period for Driscoll’s conventional and organic raspberries, which are sourced throughout the holiday season from independent growers in southern coastal California and high elevation growing regions in central Mexico.

In a season traditionally characterized by a scarcity of vibrant, flavorful fruit, Driscoll’s is looking to change the landscape for consumer fresh food options during the fall and winter holiday period by offering an abundant supply of sweet, delicious raspberries and blackberries. With increased availability of Driscoll’s raspberries and blackberries this year, consumers have a bounty of possibilities to add a little extra joy to their holiday entertaining.

More blackberries and raspberries will be available from Driscoll’s for the holiday season. The late fall is a second peak production period for the fruit, which is grown in California and Mexico, according to a news release.

Similar to raspberries, blackberries also experience one of the highest volume periods during the holiday time frame which presents a unique opportunity for retailers and their shopper.

With increased availability of raspberries and blackberries this year, consumers should have a bounty of possibilities to add to their holiday entertaining, the company reported.

The holidays are sweeter when you #BerryTogether! In a season traditionally characterized by a scarcity of vibrant, flavorful fruit, Driscoll’s is changing the landscape for consumer fresh food options during the fall and winter holiday period by offering an abundant supply of sweet, delicious raspberries and blackberries.

The sweet, juicy taste of fresh strawberries is often associated with nostalgic memories of summer, smiles and time well-spent with family and friends. With more than 100 years of family farming, Driscoll’s is passionate about growing great tasting berries. Over this past generation, Driscoll’s has quietly created a strong community of brand advocates who have propelled fresh berries sales to the top-selling fruit or veggie in the produce aisle

An equally interesting list is one comprised of private, family-owned companies that have been in existence for more than 100 years and are quietly generating more than $1 billion. As credible category leaders with the ability to deliver business performance beyond one generation, these companies are also a special breed worth examining.

The #BerryTogether program launched in July 2017 with an announcement of the top 10 berry-loving metropolitan areas in the U.S., based on weekly berry sales per store.

The #BerryTogether campaign marks the brand’s first U.S. communication strategy since unveiling its unified global visual identity system across North America, Europe, Australia and China in 2016. 

From MarCom, the 3-D picnic and video of the picnic both earned platinum-level awards, and gold-level awards were given for the overall #BerryTogether campaign, landing page and curation of consumer social media posts for the Driscoll’s website.

Since the launch in July 2017, the brand video has been viewed more than 5m times, entries for the #BerryTogether Sweepstakes have gone into the thousands, and Driscoll’s says that its BerryTogether digital hub has been visited by millions of consumers.

The highly successful consumer movement is another phase in Driscoll’s multi-year journey to achieve differentiation and brand equity in the commoditized agriculture industry. The communication strategy demonstrates how Only the Finest Berries™ bring people together to make ordinary moments more special.

Dole, Driscoll’s, Golden State Foods, Kroger, McCormick and Company, McLane Company, Nestlé, Tyson Foods, Unilever, Walmart and others are now coming together with IBM to further champion blockchain as an enabling technology for the food sector. Together they will help identify and prioritize new areas where blockchain can benefit food ecosystems and inform new IBM solutions. This work will draw on multiple IBM pilots and production networks in related areas that successfully demonstrate ways in which blockchain can positively impact global food traceability. 

Driscoll's, the global market leader for fresh berries, went through this very process last year when it rolled out a global unification of brand strategy, design, and communication for the first time in the company's 100-year history.

Driscoll’s is expanding efforts this year to include more independent growers, expand retail distribution and increase sales of Fair Trade Certified to include organic blueberries and organic blackberries. In turn, more workers in Baja California will benefit from the program and receive additional funds for community improvement.

More than 500 contact lenses, 1,200 toothbrushes and toothpastes and dozens of education seminars were offered to community members at no cost.

Driscoll’s, which grows berries in nearly two dozen countries and is the world’s top berry grower, already is moving its berries to table-top troughs, where they are easier for both human and machines to pick, as it has done over the last decade in Australia and Europe.

More than 1,600 members of the San Quintín community have received free access to healthcare thanks to BerryMex—one of Driscoll’s largest independent growers in Mexico—as part of the grower’s first Health Fair held in May.

Driscoll’s is running a summer campaign focused on heightening its brand awareness, loyalty and sales in the nation’s top berry-loving markets.

As Driscoll’s retains its drive as a leader in the industry, President of Driscoll’s of the America’s Soren Bjorn discusses why farming innovations and technology are at the forefront of the company’s future strategies.

How do you #BerryTogether? Learn more about our U.S. nation-wide campaign that launched today.

Chinese consumers will now be able to purchase fresh strawberries on Alibaba’s Tmall platform. Our strategic cooperation was announced at Gateway '17.

Driscoll’s has been the strawberry on America’s shortcakes for more than 100 years. We celebrated National Strawberry Shortcake Day with ABC News.

Soren Bjorn has been promoted to President, Driscoll’s of the America’s. Bjorn previously served as Executive Vice President, Driscoll’s of the America’s, a role which he has held since 2013 when the company went through an organizational restructuring for global growth strategy.

Kevin Murphy was born in South Africa in 1962.  His family was in the farming business when he was growing up, mostly involved in timber.  

Driscoll’s announced that Brie Reiter Smith, a fourth-generation grower, will oversee its Northern Production Region operations in the U.S., the company’s largest single growing region, including Salinas and Watsonville, and accounting for more than 25 percent of Driscoll’s global revenue.

Henry Yeung, a sensory analyst at Driscoll's, spends his days preparing berry tastings for employees and consumers in order to understand what flavor traits people like and dislike about berries. His research then allows Driscoll's to create berry varieties that better satisfy taste preferences.

Driscoll's EVP, Soren Bjorn explains Driscoll's strategy to keep up with the increasing demand for organic berries. 

The world is changing. Driscoll's is changing with it. Read on to discover the new, innovative ways Driscoll's is revolutionizing agriculture. 

As California enters its sixth year of record-breaking drought, twenty leading organizations [including Driscoll’s] today announced their collaborative support for critical projects designed to protect California’s water future.

According to the results of a new consumer survey conducted by berry brand Driscoll's, the vast majority of Americans—89 percent!—associate eating berries with happy, good feelings. Seems sort of obvious, right? Berries are simple pleasures: they're sweet, portable, un-fussy to eat. But as it turns out, there's much more to berries than meets the eye.

On 40 acres at a farm near the central coast of California, new varieties of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are being tested, each of them proprietary. No other company in the world grows berries exactly like these.

The Reiter family started farming berries on the San Francisco Bay Peninsula in the 1900s. This was the birth of a family legacy that would blossom into two successful, dynamic agriculture companies lead by third-generation brothers, Miles and Garland Reiter. 

Where does technology fit in when your business model ultimately relies on Mother Nature and the art of growing practices?

Founder & CEO of Greenopia, Environmental Advocate & Humanitarian, and self-proclaimed Environmental Therapist, Gay Browne, writes in the Huffington Post about her experience with learning about where her favorite berries come from.

Food Tank had the chance to speak with Frances Dillard, the Director of Marketing for Driscoll’s. Driscoll's is one of the sponsors of this year's Food Tank Summit in Washington, D.C.

Long before the California drought became a national crisis, multinational berry company Driscoll’s knew it had to organize a solution to the water problem its grower partners were facing..

Fortune 500 company HR veteran Kate Terrell joins Driscoll’s as Global Chief Human Resources Officer.

Driscoll's is inspiring consumers to enjoy the sweetness of raspberries this fall through its dedicated #raspberrydessert campaign that focuses on all the delightful variations possible with raspberry pie.

A senior executive at Driscoll's is taking charge of a produce industry social responsibility alliance, placing the world's largest berry distributor at the center of an effort to improve working conditions for hundreds of thousands of farm laborers in Mexico.

Driscoll’s has won two Telly Awards for its web series “Desserts with Dorie,” an inside-look at baking with cookbook author and renowned baker Dorie Greenspan, using her favorite Driscoll’s berries.

Driscoll's announces a broad expansion of organic nursery plant production and a commitment to providing all of Driscoll's USDA certified organic growers with organic nursery plants.

The 2015 Forbes Reinventing America: The AgTech Summit comes to Salinas, California this July. Some of the produce industry’s most innovative companies are preparing to team up with the best of the Silicon Valley as they look to tackle the world’s most critical challenges in farming and food production. Among them is Driscoll's CEO, Kevin Murphy.

We are disturbed by the recent violence in San Quintín, and in no way condone these actions. We urge government officials as well as protesters to maintain a productive dialogue, and to work together to resolve differences in a peaceful manner.

Kevin Murphy, Current President and Chief Operating Officer, to Assume Driscoll’s CEO Role.

The first step toward finding solutions to long-standing groundwater overdraft in the Pajaro Valley was to acknowledge the problem and agriculture’s contribution to it, said Miles Reiter, chairman and CEO of Driscoll’s Strawberry Associates Inc.

Expanded role for Keith Refsnider to Global Food Safety Program Director. Building on Driscoll’s industry leadership in food safety standards, Keith Refsnider will now have overall responsibility for the development of Driscoll’s global food safety standards.

Driscoll's has awarded $10,000 to Whole Kids Foundation as a part of its school garden grant program.

Driscoll's CEO, Miles Reiter, discusses how critital it is to take action on the current groundwater crisis in California. Without water we cannot sustain life.

Three years before the California drought became a national crisis, national berry giant Driscoll’s, on the state’s Central Coast, knew it had a major problem with water. Read how they are proactively seeking out solutions.

Brie Reiter Smith Becomes General Manager of Driscoll’s of Chile.

To mark National Strawberry Shortcake Day on June 14th, Driscoll’s is sharing the history of Strawberry Shortcake and the evolution of this very classic dessert.

Driscoll's has announced the appointment of Tom O’Brien to the newly created role of Senior Vice President, Governance and External Engagement and General Counsel. Mr. O’Brien will join Driscoll’s Global Leadership Team reporting to Kevin Murphy, President and COO.

Daniel Stone and Spencer Millsap of National Geographic were interested in learning more about the food distribution system.  They decided there was no better food to follow than the strawberry, one of the planet’s most perishable crops. So they literally followed a strawberry truck the entire journey, from the field in Watsonville to a supermarket in Washington, D.C...

The CCOF Foundation and UNFI Foundation, along with other industry leaders Driscoll’s, Organic Valley, and Bradmer Foods are supporting the education of new farmers, ranchers, and food processors by establishing the Future Organic Farmer Grant.

Natividad Medical Foundation honored Driscoll’s chairman and chief executive officer Miles Reiter with its Hero Award for his company’s support of language interpretation and related services at the Salinas hospital.

From evergreen production ensuring supply to a more targeted approach with supermarkets, multinational Driscoll’s is endeavoring to build longevity in the berry category. To achieve this on a global scale, the company.

For the berry company growth this is not just about being market leader or increasing its turnover; it is about being the world’s most trusted berry company in which consumers, customers and growers have confidence for the future. Theo Houwen, Senior Vice President – Managing Director of Driscoll’s of EMEA explains what this means for his business unit.

Driscoll’s, the world’s largest distributor of fresh berries, announced changes in the organization to further advance their global business strategy. Formation of a new global management team will be completed by.

Summer is the perfect time to team up with retailers to promote berries during their peak season. This year Driscoll's partners with retailers for powerful in-store promotions featuring giveaways such as ice cream makers and blenders. Prizes were determined by how consumers are interacting with berries at home. 

Driscoll's has been the strawberry in everyone's shortcake for over 100 years. Americans eat nearly 12 pounds of strawberries per person, per year, and a recent survey revealed more than 60% of all consumers would choose Strawberry Shortcake as the 'Official Dessert of Summer'.

During the afternoon of Friday April 26th, the President of the United States, Barack Obama met with Miles Reiter, Driscoll’s Chairman and CEO, and other U.S. business leaders with a significant presence in Mexico and Central America in advance of his trip to the region.

The Community Champion Award recognizes a person who shares their expertise with the Microsoft Dynamics community in activities such as speaking at conferences, contributing to community forums, blogging about tips and tricks, and more.

As the top fruit category in the U.S, the U.K. and now Norway, berries have gained significant traction and are on their way to the number one spot in markets far and wide. This is the view of Driscoll’s vice president of international business and global development Soren Bjorn, who has seen his company’s European annual revenue more than quadruple in four years.

In recent years the berry category has shown buoyant growth in the United States to become the number one fruit group, with similar trends seen in the U.K. and Scandanavia. Driscoll’s CEO J. Miles Reiter speaks about the changes the industry has witnessed, as well as trends for the industry and competition.

The Paladins chronicles the success of six companies in the United States and the United Kingdom. While the individual businesses may be very different, they share one notable trait, the organizations each had a champion, a Paladin, who inspired the change which elevated the business to another level, allowing them to flourish in these trying economic times.