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Wood Pellet Market Update There is only one word to describe the current market in wood pellets – unprecedented. Many of the changes that have happened in the pellet industry have been brewing for years, but the effects have really been felt by consumers since last spring. The appeal of wood pellet fuel has never been stronger, but that has driven some changes that every buyer of pellets will see. New Stove Sales Pellet stove sales continue to grow by leaps and bounds. The comfort and warmth generated by a pellet stove, combined with the run-up in heating oil prices and propane last winter, has convinced many households in New England to install a pellet stove. Many of the stove shops we work with in have let us know that their installations of new stoves are up as much as 50% so far this year and sales continue to be strong this fall. Anyone buying a new stove can see a wait time of several weeks for installation as the stores work to keep up with sales. These new stoves mean more people looking for pellets this fall. Exports Continue to Soar Pellets aren’t just used by people burning them in the pellet stoves in their homes. In fact, that’s that smallest part of the overall market for wood pellets – with international exports leading the uses of pellets at this point. The U.S. Energy Information Administration is reporting that “U.S. wood pellet exports have doubled in 2013 in response to growing European demand.” Exports aren’t just going to power plants, though. Italy continues to grow its residential wood pellet heating market. Because Italy produces just a small fraction of its pellet needs, the country’s imports have escalated from 500,000 tons in 2009 to over 2.5 million tons in 2013. The majority of the pellets that Italy imports come from North American pellet producers. And with many Italian consumers moving away from traditional fossil heating fuels, the demand for wood pellets is expected to grow by 15% (again) this year. Inventory on Hand After the harsh winter last year, many folks found themselves running out of pellets in February and March – causing a short term shortage of pellet fuel. Everyone in the industry, from the mills to the retailers to the people burning the fuel, ran through their entire inventory last spring. Many mills (and retailers and consumers) take the spring to stock up on pellets in anticipation of the fall sales of pellets. Since all the pellets produced last spring got sold in the spring, this meant that almost everyone was running behind in stocking up for this fall. Call this the hang-over effect from last winter. No one wants to be caught short of fuel in the middle of winter again this year, so people are buying early and stocking up now, increasing the demand for pellets this winter. Polar Vortex or Mild Winter? After a few years of mild winters, the winter of 2013 will go down as one of the coldest in many years. The question now turns to the future and to the winter of 2014. Will it be mild winter or a repeat of last year? That depends on who you ask. Sadly, the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting another harsh winter, both in terms of temperature and precipitation. Significant snowfalls and many winter storms are predicted across the northern zones. However, the Department of Energy is taking the opposite stance and predicting a mild winter. The EIA, using forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, predicts the number of heating degree days – a measure of heating demand – will fall 12 percent this year. As you can see, the forecasts are still all over the place, but after last year, we are seeing that people want to ensure they have enough fuel on hand going into this winter.

All About Sunflowers Sunflowers are Native American plants with an international history. Native Americans grew and selected sunflower varieties for flour, food, and oil. The Spanish brought this new-world plant to Europe in the 1500s and by the 1700s and 1800s the Russians were growing them in large quantities. It eventually made its way back to North America in the form of Russian varieties that we still grow today, such as ‘Mammoth Russian’. Canadian and American farmers now grow sunflowers primarily for oil production, but plant hybridizers also started creating attractive varieties for the garden as well. Today, there are many versions of the sunflower, some looking very different from the original tall, one-headed annual plant. Breeders have shrunk varieties to be smaller, and bred them to have colorful, multiple heads per plant. The result is a garden flower that shines throughout the summer and fall. Some newer varieties to try include ‘Velvet Queen’ with its 6 foot-tall stalk and deep-mahogany colored flowers, ‘Autumn Beauty’ with its 5 foot-tall plants and a mix of yellow, orange and red flowers, ‘Moonshine’ with it unique pale-yellow flowers on a 6 foot-tall plant, ‘Yellow Spray’ that grows only 1 to 2 feet tall and ‘Sungold’ with its 3 foot-tall plant and fuzzy, yellow blooms. For cut-flower arrangements, try pollenless varieties such as ‘Sunrich’, to reduce the yellow pollen indoors. Sunflowers in the Modern Garden While we mostly know sunflowers as annuals, there are perennial varieties as well. These types are good for the flower garden because they consistently come back each year, providing bright, cheery flowers with less work. Most are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. One of the most popular perennial sunflowers is ‘Maximillian’. This sunflower grows up to 8 feet tall, depending on the soil and water conditions, producing small, yellow sunflowers from late summer until frost. Swamp sunflowers grow 6 feet tall and are tolerant of salt spray and poor-soil conditions. This is a good one for coastal areas. Another type of sunflower is the Mexican sunflower or Tithonia. This bushy perennial is only hardy in warm areas, so it’s mostly grown as an annual. It produces a 4 to 6 ft tall bushy plant with small orange sunflower-shaped flowers in late summer. There are also varieties, such as ‘Red Torch’, with red-colored flowers. It’s another good cutting-flower type sunflower. Sunflowers are not only great additions to a flower and vegetable garden for their food and beauty, but they are also essential habitat plants for pollinators as well.

2024 Wine Trends: Everything You Need to Know It’s an exciting time for the wine industry – it seems as though the planet has stabilized again after the Covid-19 pandemic, but as usual, there’s plenty more change on the horizon. In 2022, we saw sustainability and respect for the environment become an increasingly important wine trend – this is expected to continue in 2023. The forces of climate change, digitalization, and globalization are all leaving their mark on this ancient industry, which is becoming increasingly driven by e-commerce. Add this to the crowds of pioneers blurring traditional wine styles, and 2023 is set to be a fascinating year for wine.  In this article, we’ll update you on all of the major expected wine trends of 2023. We will discuss how sparkling wine is set to replace beer as America’s drink of choice, and how the region of Franciacorta rises in prominence and popularity day by day. We’ll also explore the continued growth of e-commerce within the industry and what the concept of terroir means in 2023. Fizzy Wine is Still Popping Sparkling wine has always been a pretty popular drink in the United States, but in recent years we’ve seen sales increase dramatically. In 2023, we’re expecting to see sparkling wine overtake beer as the USA’s most-consumed beverage. This surprising trend goes hand in hand with the rising popularity of wine-based cocktails such as spritzers, or fizzy wine in a can. lso explore the continued growth of e-commerce within the industry and what the concept of terroir means in 2023. Champagne We can see more emerging fizzy wine trends in the specific region of Champagne. “Grower” Champagne has been gathering momentum over the last few years and is something you should definitely watch out for in 2023. Grower Champagne refers to wine that has been grown, harvested and bottled all by the same people. For a particularly fantastic example, take a look at Champagne Agrapart & Fils, who make small-yield, high-quality wines. Another phrase you may see tossed around in 2023 is “neo-négociant”. A négociant is essentially a wine producer who doesn’t grow grapes, instead sourcing them from various expert growers, many of which are families who have tended vineyards for generations. A neo-négociant, however, is a master of both – a grower turned négociant, who can pick and choose from a wide selection of terroirs. Expect to see the label “RM” for “Récoltant Manipulant” on even more bottles this coming year, as the trend continues to grow.  Franciacorta While famous regions like Champagne, Cava and Prosecco continue to thrive, it must be remembered that sparkling wine is often purchased for its novelty. In 2023, you can expect to see Franciacorta become a wine trend in itself. Relatively untouched by the mainstream, the name still brings a sense of intrigue and mystique that inquisitive wine drinkers find irresistible. In order to achieve DOCG status, these sparkling wines must be made using the traditional method, with the second stage of fermentation inside the bottle, on the yeast. They also have to spend at least 18 months aging. 2021 was a good vintage for Italy so the Franciacorta that see the light of day in 2023 are bound to be fantastic. If you want to learn more about the intriguing terroir of Franciacorta, take a look at our article on the topic, where we explain everything you might need to know. Style-Blending When we talk about wine in general, we could be referring to anything from a 5% ABV sparkling white, to an amber wine, to unctuous fortified reds. There are countless styles to explore, but as time goes on, the world of wine is beginning to look like a spectrum rather than a bunch of clearly defined categories. This is a trend we expect to see continuing over the next year.  These days, more wines of various styles are being produced in a wider variety of locations than ever before. The entire scene is looking more multidimensional, full of nuance, and sometimes just downright confusing with every passing day. One useful way to illustrate this is by looking through a microscope at a more specific section of the wine world – as we did with New World Chardonnays (Read more here). Traditionally, still Chardonnay wines can be split into two types – oaked, which are typically round and buttery, and unoaked, which are more elegant and acidic. What we see in the article, however, is that pioneering wineries are creating style-blending wines. Some are hybrid New World Chardonnay’s with the best of both, or incredibly full-bodied Chardonnay’s that you can pair with meat. A great way to discover this blending of styles for yourself is through our “Around the World” tasting case. It’s a carefully cultivated selection of Chardonnay, exhibiting the best of the New and Old World. You should also keep an eye out for a popularity spike in “off-red” wines, which combine the flavors of a red with the light body of a white, and a color that is not quite rosé either. These will utilize classic light red wine grapes, like Pinot Noir, Gamay, or Dolcetto.  As we said already, various styles of wine are constantly popping up in odd locations all over the world. Next year, look out for white wine from Rioja, and red wine from Champagne or England. In short, if it’s experimental or difficult to categorize, look out for a spike in popularity in 2023.

Nuts Industry Trends for 2024 There is a long list of nuts that may be conveyed in your facility. Almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts are a few common types of nuts that are consumed globally. The United States Nuts Market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 5% for the next five years. This growth trend mirrors what has happened in the past 10 years. Here is an example of the growth rate of roasted nut and peanut butter manufacturing in the past 10 years. What is unique about conveying nuts? Nuts are brittle and sensitive to motion and free fall, a common occurrence with certain types of conveying. Nut production and processing facilities either handle a single type of nut or a variety of nuts for various purposes. Nuts can be processed for their oils, for nut butter, or for packaging and sale as whole nuts or as ingredients in a wide range of food products. Selecting the best conveyor system for the nuts you are conveying is critical. Finding #1: Are you ready for the upcoming growth in the nut industry? 87% of facilities processing nuts are increasing their budget for conveying equipment and maintenance in the next 12 months. 34% tell us that they are significantly increasing the budget needed to meet growth opportunities. Growth in the industry is projected to continue in the next 5+ years, so advanced planning to meet that growth is critical to your future success. Why the increase in the budget? The increase is in response to how much these businesses grew in the past year. An astounding 71% of facilities experienced 11% or more growth in the past year. With this type of growth, facilities must plan to accommodate the increased conveying capacity of nuts to meet the growing demand. Finding #2: Professionals frequently evaluate their conveying systems. How frequently do professionals in the nut industry evaluate their systems? We can safely say that the answer is “sooner rather than later!” 96% of the professionals surveyed evaluate their systems at least every 6 months and 39% do it monthly. Finding #3: Energy efficiency is a BIG deal. What contributes to energy efficiency? The size of the motor and the amount of horsepower required to run a conveying system can have a major impact on production costs. What conveying system is the most energy efficient for conveying nuts? Cable and disc conveyors are #1 by a wide margin, at 54% Here are two questions to ask regarding energy and efficiency: How much energy will this system use? Is there a high or a low cut-off point at which this system becomes inefficient? Finding #4: What type of conveying system optimizes a facility’s workspace? An important consideration of growth is your workspace and facility requirements. What conveying systems are best for the space that you have available? Are you optimizing the space you have available? 94% of nut industry professionals told us that they are optimizing their workspaces and facility requirements. How are they doing it? According to the nut processing experts surveyed, the #1 conveying system (50%) for maximizing available space is cable and disk conveyors. Bucket elevators (43%) and pneumatic conveyors (43%) were a distant second place in optimizing a facility’s workspace. The fact is, you cannot have a conveyor system without taking up some floor space. And depending on the size and layout of your facility, the amount of space you have to work with will be different. When planning the layout of your facility, it is important to take into account all the specifics. Do you need multi-directional conveying? Multi-floor conveying? Do you have a lot of horizontal space or vertical space? Or both? What about any sharp turns or corners, or potential existing equipment or barriers? Your answers to these questions will help you determine the best conveyor type for your needs. It could be an overhead conveyor, a vertical conveyor, one that transports material at an angle, or similar. For example, if you need to move roasted or raw material between floors at a steep angle, a belt conveyor would not be the best option. A modular conveyor, such as a Cablevey tubular drag conveyor, is perfect for facilities both with ample and limited space. These conveyors can be configured to fit almost any layout, and they can be modified in time as your facility grows or changes.