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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
The company is expanding its “food as medicine” initiatives, using Project DASH and SNAP/EBT integration to deliver groceries and fresh produce to families and food-desert residents.
The Hague-based agri-tech firm is transforming neighborhood food infrastructure by merging AI-powered greenhouse production with direct-to-consumer retail, a model set to revitalize U.S. food deserts starting in Pennsylvania this year.
By leveraging these merchandising tools to highlight specific health benefits of apples, avocados, mangoes and blueberries, retailers can transform the produce aisle into a destination for both physical and psychological resilience.
New research reveals that grocery retailers can increase profits by 6% and slash food waste by over 21% by simply optimizing shelf placement and discount timing for perishable goods.
Companies are prioritizing reliability through vertical integration, leveraging advanced logistics, proprietary genetics and automation to turn a delicate product into a predictable and transparent retail staple.
Bianca Kaprielian is redefining the role of the modern shipper by moving beyond USDA compliance to provide independent family farms with the operational support, crop planning and price stability necessary to ensure long-term survival in a volatile market.
National retailers like Whole Foods Market and local businesses like Pemberton Farms in Boston are turning potential losses into profit and sustainability wins through collaborative platforms and systemic supply chain shifts.
In The Packer’s executive series, Perkins discusses leading The Save Mart Cos.’ 2026 growth strategy, centering the brand’s digital and physical transformation around a non-negotiable commitment to produce quality.
Exploring unfamiliar plants through repeated exposure can turn hesitation into habit, giving the 30-plant challenge staying power while creating opportunities for retailers to inspire trial and repeat purchase.
Dina Newman, founder of KC Black Urban Growers, shares how the Kansas City nonprofit is reconnecting Black farmers to their agrarian heritage while building pathways to food sovereignty for the next generation.