Wild Veggie — a Natural for Naples Whole Foods Customers

FRANKFORT, MI (September 2, 2008) — Wild Veggie, the new all-natural vegetable product that tastes fresh picked, is coming to southwest Florida. Four varieties of chilled soups will be offered in the prepared foods section of the Whole Foods Market® Naples at Mercato, which opens September 5 in Naples, Florida.

“We are excited to bring this all-natural product to health-conscious consumers in the Naples area,” explained Chris Walrad, National Sales and Marketing Manager. “Wild Veggie is a great fit for Whole Foods customers. The product has been very popular since launching in Orlando, and we look forward to introducing the fresh-picked flavor, nutritious appeal and innovative serving options of Wild Veggie at this new store.”

Available in broccoli, red bell pepper, cauliflower and edamame (soybean), each seven ounce serving of Wild Veggie provides the nutritional equivalent of up to 2.5 servings of vegetables, and can be enjoyed hot or cold as a soup or beverage. It is easy to prepare in a variety of delicious and nutritious recipes.

“Whole Foods customers enjoy the ease of Wild Veggie’s self-serve dispensers as well as its refreshing vegetable taste,” said Walrad. “They also appreciate Wild Veggie’s all-natural quality. We start with fresh in-season vegetables that are minimally processed to ensure rich vegetable taste and nutrition and use no preservatives, artificial ingredients, color or trans fat.”

The Wild Veggie chilled soups will be introduced during the grand opening of the Whole Foods Market Naples at Mercato, 9101 Strada Place (Tamiami Trail and Vanderbilt Beach Road), Naples, FL, 34108. Founded in 1980, Whole Foods Market is the world's leading retailer of natural and organic foods, with more than 270 stores in North America and the United Kingdom.

Wild Veggie is distributed by Graceland Fruit, Inc., the world’s largest distributor of infused dried fruits and vegetables. Founded in 1973, Graceland Fruit is known for its outstanding research and development, the breadth of its product line and for continually offering new food ingredients and applications. Additional product details and recipes are available at www.wildveggieus.com. For more information, contact Chris Walrad, National Sales Manager, at 231.651.9231 or cwalrad@wildveggieus.com.