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Jill Dutton

Jill Dutton, associate editor of The Packer, specializes in retail produce news, market trends and urban farming initiatives. With expertise in the rapidly evolving e-grocery landscape, she provides analysis on how digital platforms are reshaping food distribution. Jill is a prominent voice on sustainability and consumer trends, offering actionable insights that help businesses navigate shifting market demands. Her work explores the full produce journey — from farm to retail — featuring grower profiles, supply chain insights and emerging production models that shape American food systems.

Latest Stories
By adapting to a three-week accelerated harvest timeline through high-impact branding, robust postharvest protocols and strategic merchandising, California table grape shippers are positioning domestic supply to lead autumn produce sets.
The East Coast shipper is expanding fall production across North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
Food Lion debuts exclusive violet corn at 500+ stores for Labor Day. Grown in Virginia, this limited-time crop packs twice the sweetness of traditional sweet corn for late-summer grilling.
Researchers identify a genetic mechanism that coordinates flower development and fruit formation, paving the way toward tomato varieties with more reliable winter harvests.
Elevated Foods is connecting small-scale specialty crop growers directly to major retailers, using lab-backed soil health data and streamlined logistics to bring regenerative agriculture into mainstream grocery aisles.
A pioneering pilot from the U.S. Food Waste Pact reveals that redirecting farm-level surplus strawberries into commercial kitchens can deliver an 80% revenue boost over juicing channels for growers while offering foodservice operators a 22.4% cost savings.
After categorywide disruption from cyclospora outbreaks, the Bonduelle Americas CEO urges retail buyers to look beyond unit price, arguing that chasing the lowest purchase price creates systemic risks for retail brands, growers and consumer confidence.
A new report from Intouch Insight shows that the produce department acts as a direct indicator of overall store health, with 71% of consumers agreeing that a grocer’s produce reputation dictates where they shop.
By leveraging football-themed packaging and displays, Bako Sweet drove a 73% lift in Game Day sales, proving sweet potatoes can rival avocados as a tailgate favorite.
Driven by grocery inflation and a surge in home cooking, consumers are adopting “ingredient household” shopping habits, prioritizing long-lasting, low-shrink produce items like potatoes that span multiple dayparts.