Mills Family Farms ramps up 'Wholeaves' interest
Mills Family Farms ramps up 'Wholeaves' interest
SALINAS, CA -- Though in its ninth year, the award-winning "Wholeaves" product line of Mills Family Farms, here, has much room for growth, say brothers Jim and Dave Mills, co-senior vice presidents of the company.
Mills has spent much time refining the production process and concentrating its "Wholeaves marketing efforts on foodservice. The Arby's restaurant chain is an example of a national foodservice account that uses the "Wholeaves line.
Its forays into retail are more recent in the line's history, but the line of nine- and 10-ounce retail bags of "Wholeaves promises to expand. The company has had great success selling its "Wholeaves green leaf lettuce in Trader Joe's stores for a year-and-a-half under that retailer's "Just The Leaves label. Trader Joe's sales have been substantial, Jim Mills said.
For about three months, "Wholeaves has been the exclusive lettuce used in the "Emeril's line of product licensed by San Juan Bautista, CA-based Pride of San Juan. Among the four entries, three are whole lettuce leaves: "Oh Yeah, Babe Romaine; "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! red leaf; and "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! green leaf. The fourth is "Happy Happy Happy! -- a salad of Romaine hearts, green leaf and radicchio.
Several months ago, Mills began bagging its "Wholeaves line for Safeway supermarket' 250 Northern California stores. Under a heading on the bags that reads "Sandwich & Salad Lettuce, Safeway carries four items of Mills Family Farms Wholeaves: green leaf; red leaf; Romaine; and a green Cascade mix that has baby Romaine and baby green leaf with a "splash of radicchio. Northern California Safeway stores also carry Mills' Cascade mix in bulk.
Wal-Mart stores use "Wholeaves Romaine in sandwiches at its delis. The "Wholeaves line also has celery that is in between a whole stalk and diced or chopped celery.
At retail, the "Wholelaves line sells "around the same price as value-added salads, Jim Mills said.
Presented to Mills by the late Salinas Valley agricultural entrepreneur Jake Houghman, the unique feature of "Wholeaves is that they are premium lettuce leaves that were hand-separated from the core with a patented "no-cut system.
"All leaves are hand-separated from the core, Jim Mills said. "When you tear it, it tears around the cell wall structure, not damaging the leaf. The lactose seals the wound in a way that cutting won't. The process naturally maintains freshness, which extends shelf life, Jim Mills said.
Dave Mills said that with a typical head of lettuce a consumer buys in the store, there's a certain amount that isn't edible. Conversely, 100 percent of the content in a "Wholeaves bag is edible, he said.
The "Wholeaves product "can compete with whole-head lettuce, Dave Mills said, adding that it's been washed, sanitized, placed in a bag with bar coding on it and has a 17-day shelf life.
At its Salinas facility, Mills has 500 workers and two shifts a day dedicated to its "Wholeaves business from the end of March through November. The Brawley, CA, facility also utilizes about 500 workers over two shifts and runs from about mid-November through March. Sysco was the first to put the "Wholeaves product on the national radar at foodservice. The line has won numerous culinary awards, including a "Best of Class for foodservice five years straight by the American Culinary Institute and a top-taste seal by the American Culinary Federation.
Mills has spent much time refining the production process and concentrating its "Wholeaves marketing efforts on foodservice. The Arby's restaurant chain is an example of a national foodservice account that uses the "Wholeaves line.
Its forays into retail are more recent in the line's history, but the line of nine- and 10-ounce retail bags of "Wholeaves promises to expand. The company has had great success selling its "Wholeaves green leaf lettuce in Trader Joe's stores for a year-and-a-half under that retailer's "Just The Leaves label. Trader Joe's sales have been substantial, Jim Mills said.
For about three months, "Wholeaves has been the exclusive lettuce used in the "Emeril's line of product licensed by San Juan Bautista, CA-based Pride of San Juan. Among the four entries, three are whole lettuce leaves: "Oh Yeah, Babe Romaine; "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! red leaf; and "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! green leaf. The fourth is "Happy Happy Happy! -- a salad of Romaine hearts, green leaf and radicchio.
Several months ago, Mills began bagging its "Wholeaves line for Safeway supermarket' 250 Northern California stores. Under a heading on the bags that reads "Sandwich & Salad Lettuce, Safeway carries four items of Mills Family Farms Wholeaves: green leaf; red leaf; Romaine; and a green Cascade mix that has baby Romaine and baby green leaf with a "splash of radicchio. Northern California Safeway stores also carry Mills' Cascade mix in bulk.
Wal-Mart stores use "Wholeaves Romaine in sandwiches at its delis. The "Wholeaves line also has celery that is in between a whole stalk and diced or chopped celery.
At retail, the "Wholelaves line sells "around the same price as value-added salads, Jim Mills said.
Presented to Mills by the late Salinas Valley agricultural entrepreneur Jake Houghman, the unique feature of "Wholeaves is that they are premium lettuce leaves that were hand-separated from the core with a patented "no-cut system.
"All leaves are hand-separated from the core, Jim Mills said. "When you tear it, it tears around the cell wall structure, not damaging the leaf. The lactose seals the wound in a way that cutting won't. The process naturally maintains freshness, which extends shelf life, Jim Mills said.
Dave Mills said that with a typical head of lettuce a consumer buys in the store, there's a certain amount that isn't edible. Conversely, 100 percent of the content in a "Wholeaves bag is edible, he said.
The "Wholeaves product "can compete with whole-head lettuce, Dave Mills said, adding that it's been washed, sanitized, placed in a bag with bar coding on it and has a 17-day shelf life.
At its Salinas facility, Mills has 500 workers and two shifts a day dedicated to its "Wholeaves business from the end of March through November. The Brawley, CA, facility also utilizes about 500 workers over two shifts and runs from about mid-November through March. Sysco was the first to put the "Wholeaves product on the national radar at foodservice. The line has won numerous culinary awards, including a "Best of Class for foodservice five years straight by the American Culinary Institute and a top-taste seal by the American Culinary Federation.
