Campbell Soup buys Pacific Foods for $700 million
As Campbell struggles through a three-year sales slump, it adds Oregon-based Pacific Foods, maker of organic soups and broths, to its portfolio. “The acquisition allows us to expand into faster-growing spaces such as organic and functional food,” CEO Denise Morrison said in a statement. Read more at Bloomberg...
Amish farmers square off against Big Organic in milk battle
Amish farmers in Iowa are part of one of the densest clusters of organic farms in the country. But how long can they hold on to their edge as large dairies turn to organic? Some of these competitors, however, have been called into question for whether their practices actually meet organic standards, and the USDA has taken a lax approach to investigating and punishing them. Read more at The Washington Post...
Chobani's founder reveals three secret ingredients to finding success with a new business
"While you always have the big picture in your head, always focus on the details—the cup, the label, the lettering," says Hamdi Ulukaya, who immigrated from Turkey 23 years ago and later founded Chobani, which brings in more than $1 billion in yogurt sales annually. Read more at The Street...
Agriculture startup raises $7M to grow apples, cherries and nuts in high-tech gel
Seattle startup Phytelligence has developed proprietary non-GMO technology that could help crops grow faster and with a lower mortality rate through a proprietary tissue culture process, rather than using soil and water. Read more at GeekWire...
Bring on the omelets: Bigger flocks send egg price to decade-low
It's not just organic milk that's being produced in excess right now—egg supply in the U.S. has surged so much that prices are the lowest they've been this time of year in at least a decade. Prices skyrocketed in 2015 amid an avian influenza outbreak, then bounced back as producers expanded their flocks. Read more at Bloomberg...
