TORONTO — Featuring over 600 exhibitors from Canada and beyond, the mood at the 2023 Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s Convention and Trade Show on April 26-27 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre was optimistic and leaned into the advantages of in-person connection and comradery.
Out and about on the show floor
Strawberry production is picking up in Oxnard, the California Strawberry Commission’s Chris Christian told The Packer.
“Half a million strawberry trays were harvested last week,” Christian continued, adding that some harvest is even starting now in Salinas and Watsonville.
The wafting smell of fries and draft beer lured trade show attendees to EarthFresh’s booth, where a pop-up food truck served the company’s potatoes as snackable crowd favorite — french fries.
At this year’s CPMA, the vegetable grower-shipper featured an all-in-one microwavable vegetable bag that includes root vegetables, such as carrots, Brussels sprouts and potatoes, along with spices.
Related news: Seen and heard at 2023 CPMA Show — Part 1
At this year’s show, Sun Belle was showcasing three new blackberry varietals for attendees. Grown in Mexico, the proprietary Aketzali, Amelali and Erandu varieties are notably big with a balanced sweet-tangy juice.
“What makes these different is that flavor is the most important thing. They’re sweet, but not too sweet; these blackberries have a tangy-sweet flavor with a crunch,” Ken Hopps, Sun Belle’s director of business development, told The Packer.
Beyond the standard blueberries, raspberries and raspberries, Sun Belle also featured unique, huskless golden berries at this year’s CPMA trade show.
Available year-round, these golden berries are a novel snacking berry that can be eaten alone or even paired on a charcuterie board, Hopps said.
Not everything exciting on the trade show floor was edible. Crawford Packaging spotlighted its new grow pack, a net tray from Switzerland.
The lightweight packaging features 50% less plastic and can chill produce 30% to 45% faster, said Crawford Packaging’s Stuart Jackson.
The team at Vineland Growers was excited to hop on the bed of a pickup truck and hand out apples and cider donuts to trade show attendees wistful for a taste of fall harvest.
The grower cooperative will have peaches, nectarines, plums and berries this June and will transition back to apples sourced from Norfolk County, Ontario, in the fall and winter, said June Denbak of Vineland Growers.
