The Packer

01/10/2025

Plans are good, but not everything goes according to plan.

Columnist Armand Lobato recalls when a 10-minute commute became an 8-hour trek. Read how he endured being stuck in a blizzard: loom.ly/r6EJ_wQ

01/09/2025

GOPEX attendees, do you feel the need ... the need for speed?

Don't miss your chance for a flyby on with our "Top Gun" themed opening reception. Pack your aviators and bomber jackets and have a dangerously good time.

Register for GOPEX: https://events.farmjournal.com/gopex2025/agenda

01/09/2025

Going to GOPEX this year? Don't forget to pack your running or walking shoes. New this year is the Sunrise 5K Walk/Run 5K on Tuesday, Jan. 14.

We'll have prizes for the best costume and largest team. And, of course, fresh apples after the race from CMI Orchards.

Check out our race preview here: loom.ly/8n75uzg

And you can still register for GOPEX at loom.ly/_uqkaMQ

Join industry leaders from throughout the fresh produce supply chain for the event that will prepare the industry to earn and maintain the trust and buying power of conscious consumers. In addition to a full schedule of networking opportunities, attendees will be inspired and enabled by an education...

01/08/2025

This year, we’re especially excited to greet you at the new GOPEX venue — the beautiful JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort in Aventura, Fla. The Packer's eighth annual GOPEX event promises to be our most compelling yet, featuring dynamic speakers, exciting networking opportunities, and a focus on the freshest innovations in produce and conscious consumerism.

GOPEX 2025 looks forward to gathering leaders from across the fresh produce supply chain to explore the challenges and opportunities in meeting this important demographic where they are.

In addition to a full schedule of fun, sun, networking opportunities and an innovation-filled expo floor, GOPEX offers education sessions that explore what drives conscious consumer brand loyalty and purchase in the produce market.

Check out our GOPEX preview: loom.ly/NPnMRjc

01/07/2025

With an aim to offer farmers solutions that address some of their biggest challenges, while also improving operational efficiencies, John Deere is set to introduce an array of new at the 2025 in Las Vegas, Jan. 7-10.

The Packer recently sat down with Jason Brantley, John Deere’s vice president of production systems for small ag and turf production to learn more about how this new tech addresses the unique needs of produce growers and what other solutions the Moline, Ill.-based company sees on the horizon: https://loom.ly/NkXUxpY

With an aim to offer farmers solutions that address some of their biggest challenges, while also improving operational efficiencies, John Deere is set to introduce an array of new technology at the 2025 CES in Las Vegas, Jan. 7-10.

01/07/2025

Counterfeit fruits and vegetables are nothing new in the fresh produce industry.

In recent months, the fresh produce industry has been involved in several international intellectual property, or IP, cases where courts ruled that growers planted illegal proprietary varieties.

Variety management companies say this is, unfortunately, just a normal part of new variety management and releases and that enforcing each variety’s IP rights ensures the best quality produce for consumers.

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Fruit breeders say intellectual property rights protect proprietary varieties and help fuel innovation.

01/06/2025

We're about a week away from the start of GOPEX 2025. Don't miss your chance to learn from industry experts, network with fellow produce industry members and discover the latest trends in fresh produce.

Learn more and register here: https://events.farmjournal.com/gopex2025

01/03/2025

Mushrooms are reshaping the produce section with consumer demand for organics, larger packaging and marketing strategies that highlight their versatility, health benefits and consumer appeal.

Mushrooms are in the spotlight these days — and not just the button variety, but also specialty options touting nutrition and umami flavor as a meat replacement, such as lion’s mane, shiitake, oyster and more. These versatile fungi are also celebrated for their culinary potential and integral role in the plant-based movement, giving retailers opportunities for marketing — and fueling — consumer trends driving mushroom consumption.

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01/02/2025

Picture this: You’re relaxing at home — after all, you have toiled all day in the store — and you’re watching the evening news with your feet up. Your mind drifts to what’s happening in your department. Are you wondering if your mid-shift person took care of all the to-do items you listed?

Did your closing shift even show up?

It’s 10 o’clock. Do you know what shape your produce department is in?

Columnist Armand Lobato shares why working the occasional late night can show produce a lot about their operation and customers.

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Working the occasional late night can show produce managers a lot about their operation and customers, says columnist Armand Lobato.

01/01/2025

Here's to a year filled with bountiful harvests, innovative solutions and a thriving industry.

Happy 2025 from The Packer!

12/31/2024

The fresh produce industry will never be the same.

Tom Karst will retire today, Dec. 31, from his role as The Packer’s editor emeritus to spend more time with family and grandchildren.

Tom is as beloved as a true gentleman as he is respected for his 40 years of covering agriculture and the fresh produce supply chain. From labor to transportation, the USDA to industry issues, fresh trends to breaking news — Tom has had his finger on the pulse of fresh produce for four decades.

He will be greatly missed by his team at The Packer, the Farm Journal edit team and the fresh produce industry as a whole. As we wish him all the best in his next chapter, The Packer team and longtime industry colleagues shared the following tributes to the legendary produce journalist and editor: loom.ly/-UdjTr8

Tom Karst, editor emeritus for The Packer, announces departure.

12/30/2024

Looking to upgrade your skills and knowledge?

At GOPEX 2025, you'll have access to a variety of workshops and educational sessions led by industry leaders.

Register now and take your fresh produce business to the next level: https://events.farmjournal.com/gopex2025

12/27/2024

Before there was Wegmans’ Astor Place Manhattan market, the Rochester, N.Y.-based grocer opened its first urban New York store at 21 Flushing Ave. in Brooklyn.

The Packer explored the store’s colorful produce department as part of The New York Produce Show’s retail tours.

While the grocer’s Brooklyn store has the second-smallest footprint of any Wegmans, it is consistently in the top 10 for produce sales.

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While the grocer's Brooklyn store has the second-smallest footprint of any Wegmans, it is consistently in the top 10 for produce sales.

12/26/2024

Sustainability in the fresh industry can mean a lot of different things to different stakeholders. It could mean regenerative agriculture, integrated pest management, packaging, biological products — or a combination of any or all of those approaches.

Stakeholders from Measure to Improve,
Stemilt, Spoonfuls, Inc. and Western Growers weigh in on the future of in the fresh produce industry: loom.ly/njcXlp0

Sustainability in the fresh produce industry means many different things to different stakeholders, so what does the future hold for the industry?

12/24/2024

We all know change is the only constant.

The problem isn’t that change is a constant, so much so that we humans are reluctant to discard what is familiar and comfortable to embrace change.

Columnist Armand Lobato talks about finding success by embracing the ever-changing nature of the industry: loom.ly/hF4fJhc

12/23/2024

A recent survey by the Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans revealed that this holiday season, customers want to prioritize their traditional holiday recipes (77%), while also finding ways to keep holiday meals simple and easy and/or opportunities to simplify entertaining (78%).

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Shoppers are seeking ways to simplify holiday meals without sacrificing traditions that make them special, according to a Wegmans survey.

12/23/2024

Darren Seifer, industry adviser for consumer goods and foodservice insights for Circana, will take the GOPEX 2025 stage on Tuesday, Jan. 14, to offer some insights into the latest trends that will impact attendees’ businesses.

Seifer joined this episode of the “Tip of the Iceberg” podcast to offer a sneak preview of his presentation. Seifer said Circana, formed from the merger of Information Resources Inc. and The NPD Group, can help analyze what consumers are buying and eating in the food and beverage space and the motivation behind those trends.

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12/20/2024

As grocery retailers look ahead to 2025, some industry experts think vision artificial intelligence technology is poised to transform and streamline operations, reduce food waste and reshape the way consumers shop for fresh produce.

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Everseen's Alex Siskos shares how vision AI technology is being applied from the produce section to shelf optimization.