From elevating iconic farm-fresh brands to empowering local grower networks and reshaping retail relationships, three of this year’s Packer 25 honorees demonstrate how strategic marketing and collaborative partnerships drive the fresh produce industry forward.
Whether it is Kim St George, vice president of sales and marketing for Bolthouse Fresh Foods, leveraging decades of commercial expertise to spark brand growth; Taylor Meadows, marketing manager for Happy Dirt, bridging the gap between regional organic farmers and conscious consumers; or Kristina Lorusso, vice president of retail partner services for The Giumarra Cos., tailoring solutions that elevate the shopping experience, each leader brings a distinct, transformative vision to the supply chain.
Keeping Commodities Front and Center
St George, recognized for her innovative leadership in expanding value-added product lines and driving growth for core produce staples through strategic cross-merchandising, says that while carrots are a staple, “that doesn’t mean the category has to be static.”
She says there’s a real opportunity to help redefine the carrot category, so it is more exciting for both retailers and consumers. Carrots are a product people already know, trust and buy regularly.
“The classic appeal of carrots hasn’t changed, but consumer habits continue to evolve. Our opportunity is to help consumers discover new ways to enjoy carrots while keeping the familiarity and versatility that have made carrots a staple for generations.”
This, she says, means looking at different eating occasions from snacks to side dishes to an everyday cooking ingredient. She says Bolthouse also focuses on how to make carrots more convenient, interesting and relevant to today’s consumers.
An example of this is Bolthouse’s Fresh Carrot Fries, which capitalizes on the popularity of sweet potato fries while offering a healthy alternative with several flavor options. She also points to the company’s Soup N’ Stewin’ Carrots, designed to simplify meal preparation with a cut carrot specifically tailored for soups, stews and home cooking.
“By creating products and formats that make carrots relevant across more of those occasions, we can give consumers more reasons to put them in their basket,” she says. “… Innovation is most successful when the new product delivers great flavor, unmatched convenience, and solutions that a consumer didn’t know they needed until that new product becomes part of their everyday routine.”
Strategic partnerships are another way in which Bolthouse uses cross-promotions to bring consumers into the carrot category. St George says this is a great way to bring fresh energy into a familiar category. She points to Bolthouse Fresh Carrot Shakers’ collaboration with Tajín and a strategic partnership with Crunch Pak to expand into the snacking segment with licensed Paw Patrol, Bluey, Disney Frozen and Shrek co-branded carrot snack packs. Both, she says, reach new consumers and add unique experiences to the category.
“The right partnership can introduce produce to consumers in a way that aligns with how they’re already eating and shopping,” she says.
St George says when she sits down with retail partners, the discussion usually centers around consumers’ purchasing habits of carrots and use. She discusses with retail partners the data gathered around shopping behavior and the opportunity that data presents for the category.
“It’s not always about adding more products,” she says. “Sometimes it’s about making sure you have the right products, pack sizes and price points for the consumers shopping that store.”
Translating Farm Ethics into Shelf Velocity
Recognized for creative marketing strategies that connect consumers directly with regional organic growers while advancing fair-labor transparency, Meadows says Happy Dirt seeks to keep the organic category fun and approachable.
It’s also about highlighting the unique value proposition of organic produce, which goes beyond health messaging into the benefits of organic production for the planet and soil and having fun with that education so it’s fun for children.
“Our whole approach was to be bright and colorful and feature these little characters—our ‘heroes,’” she says. “There is room in the produce section for better branding and fun. Let’s have fun with produce.”
Meadows says while there are a lot of buzzwords in the fresh produce industry, Happy Dirt is very intentional in how it connects growers to the end consumer. For example, “local” can mean a lot of things to different people, but Happy Dirt focuses on the grower, not the region.
“It’s leading with the farm story rather than the local and regional story, because the farmer is honestly who matters the most,” she says. “Yes, it matters that we’re growing locally and regionally, but the farm should be the star of the show.”
As a Certified B Corp business, Meadows says, Happy Dirt takes a holistic approach to sustainability.
“It’s not just about the earth — which we need to make sure our soil is sustainable and healthy — but it’s about people and economic sustainability,” she says. “For us, being a B Corp, everything we do is always done with people in mind first.”
This includes adding the Fair Food Certification. When a retailer approached Happy Dirt about adding its growers to the program, many of the growers realized they were already doing most of the practices the program calls for already. And Meadows says its grower-owners and partners see the importance of highlighting how they treat their farmworkers, many of whom have worked for these farms for nearly 40 years.
“Us being a B Corp, it was a no-brainer because we care about how not only the main farmer is surviving, but also about their employees and farmworkers and are they being taken care of?” she says. “At the end of the day, they are the ones in the field picking and harvesting.”
And Meadows says it’s exciting to see consumer awareness grow about programs such as the Fair Food certification.
“It’s really hopeful seeing the end consumer excited about that and wanting to know more about the welfare of farmworkers and people in the food system in general,” she says.
While consumers don’t see what farmers get paid or the hard work it takes to get produce from field to store, she says Happy Dirt tries to highlight farmer stories.
“They’re all small to midsize farms,” she says. “You’re actually supporting family farms, sometimes fifth-generation farmers. … Our model is small-batch artisan produce.”
Produce Department and Retail Partnerships of the Future
Lorusso, recognized for her forward-thinking approach to retail partner services, data-driven merchandising and commercializing high-value proprietary fruit varieties, says today’s produce buyers are surrounded by data all day, every day.
“Increasingly they are looking to suppliers not simply to provide more data, but to help translate it into useful insights and action,” she says.
And while produce buyers have become more data savvy, those same buyers have much higher expectations around supply chain performance.
“Efficiency is no longer just about getting a truck to the door faster and more reliably,” she says. “Retailers are looking for solutions tailored to how they operate, from just-in-time, just-the-right-size deliveries and category-specific delivery windows to strong food safety protocols, sustainability and greater supply security.”
She says while price is important, the conversation around total value has become a greater focus than just discount.
“Five years from now, I expect the strongest produce partners will be those that can combine data and technology with customized service and dependable supply,” she says. “AI will certainly play a role in that evolution, but produce remains a relationship business. The ability to understand a customer’s needs, build trust, and solve problems together will continue to be essential.”
Lorusso says that while technology and social help shoppers discover fresh produce and savings, she says a major challenge to the modern-day produce merchandising is what she calls a “sea of sameness,” and she worries there isn’t a technological fix for it.
“Ultimately, people create differentiation,” she says. “People make sure the best product reaches the shelf. People build displays that are abundant, fresh and inviting. Technology and analytics can tell us a ton about the consumer, but someone still has to turn those insights into an experience at retail.”
She says this is where suppliers play a key role as “the last three feet,” where produce and shopper meet.
“Beyond providing great product at a fair price, we should be helping our retail partners create departments where shoppers want to explore, supporting them with ideas and insights, marketing, and compelling collateral,” she says.
Lorusso notes that partnering with Epic Sales allows Giumarra to bridge retail labor gaps by deploying field teams directly into store aisles to ensure promotional concepts translate into flawless shelf-level execution.
“Ultimately, the goal is to turn the produce department into a place to discover something new while still celebrating the products consumers already love,” she says.
As for what the produce department of the future will look like, she says of course there will be more sophisticated technology operating behind the scenes to help forecast demand, reduce shrink and food waste, improve traceability and better inform consumers.
But, when it comes down to it, she says she hopes to the consumer, fresh produce is still the highlight.
“I don’t think shoppers will walk into the produce department hoping to have some far-out technological experience or feel as if they are in an episode of ‘The Jetsons’; at least I hope they won’t,” she says. “I believe they will still prioritize affordable, fresh and healthy food that tastes delicious and inspires them to put something in their cart.”
