ATLANTA — The International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce and Floral Show featured a full slate of new product showcases, crop outlooks and opportunities for companies to connect with customers.
Oppy and Blue Diamond Growers are teaming up to let consumers and retailers know that almonds belong in the produce department, not just center-store shelves.
At the show, Blue Diamond showcased new SKUs including fresh whole almond flavors Oven Roasted Honey, Lightly Salted, Whole Natural, Sea Salt & Black Pepper as well as a pair of dried fruit and almond blends, Sea Salt Almonds & Blueberries and Toasted Almonds & Cherries.
The assortment comes in resealable stand-up bags with a front window providing visibility of the actual product, “which we know is important to a produce shopper,” said Brett Libke, senior vice president of national sales for Oppy.
The products feature a natural ingredient list to go along with almonds’ health benefits, such as being high in protein, fiber and vitamin E, Libke said.
“It’s something people can feel good about,” he said. “That’s another reason we know it belongs in the produce section.”
Blue Diamond noted that while annual almond consumption triples that of the next most popular nut, they only have a 5% share in produce.
“[Almonds] are highly consumed, but people are getting our product everywhere but the produce section,” said Carmen Bourgaize, Blue Diamond Growers chief commercial officer. “It’s very important that we make that entrance and people expect to see us in the produce area.”
Oppy is presenting the new almond products to retailers this fall, with plans to launch them early in the new year, she said.
Table grape grower-shipper Pretty Lady Vineyards’ booth was decked out in a Day of the Dead theme matching its new Día de los Muertos grape program. As one of the company’s holiday-focused programs, Día de los Muertos features brightly colored seasonal packaging.
“We always try to have something new and exciting to offer,” said Nick Dulcich, president.
Pretty Lady Vineyards also spotlighted its in-season grape varieties, such as Emerald, AutumnCrisp, Allison, Scarlotta and Adora.
Taylor Farms highlighted new flavors in its line of single-serve mini chopped salad kits, including Maple Bourbon, Sweet Kale, and Taco Ranch, as well as a Pizza Ranch chopped salad kit, said Charis Neves, director of innovation and product management. The booth also showcased new additions to its nonchopped salad kit lineup: Honey Balsamic and Everyday Ranch.
Taylor Farms featured bags of Rainbow Cauliflower — a tri-color mix of orange, purple and green cauliflower.
“Those artisanal types of cauliflower are becoming so much more popular in fine dining,” Neves said. “It allows consumers to be exotic in their own home.”
Under its Earthbound Farm brand, last year Taylor Farms debuted five organic, on-the-go salad kits with dressings made with 100% avocado oil for consumers looking to avoid seed oils. The company has added two new flavors — Caesar and Balsamic Crunch — to the line of multi-serving kits, Neves said.
Also showcased was Earthbound Farm’s new organic Limited Harvest Wild Red Arugula blend, which features a peppery flavor profile and red coloring along the vein, Neves said, who added it that it comes in a peel-and-reseal package using less plastic.
G&R Farms recently wrapped a “historic” Vidalia sweet onion crop, said Cliff Riner, Vice President of ag production and grower relations.
“From a quality standpoint and volume, it’s been an outstanding year that has bled over to some really good-looking Peruvian sweet onions through our import program,” he said. “The volume and supply looks adequate there.”
In addition, G&R Farms has been planting seedlings for its 2025 Vidalia onion season
Riner said G&R Farms has seen an increase in the consumer pack business.
“But we’ve also been able to provide a bulk supply of onions in a very tight specification and look for the consumer,” he said.
The company also plans to advance its Growing America’s Farmers program, which provides academic scholarships to FFA students to foster careers in production agriculture.
Green Life Farms LLC, a vertically integrated grower-packer-shipper of conventional and organic fruit and vegetables, was eager to let booth visitors know about the start of its winter season, along with its expanding acreage and available commodities.
Green Life Farms Albert Gomez said the show was a valuable opportunity for the company to inform customers and introduce itself to prospects.
“We’re looking to maintain current relationships while obtaining new connections,” Gomez said. “As our acreage has grown, we’re looking for extra support.”
The Foxy and Foxy Organic brands were on display at the booth featuring The Nunes Co.’s vegetable offerings and fruit from Blazer Wilkinson Gee. The booth was among multiple California-based companies exhibiting at the Grower-Shipper Pavilion, complete with meeting rooms.
While known for providing year-round strawberries from California, Florida and Mexico and for its blueberry program, Blazer Wilkinson Gee also expanded this year into marketing grapes, citrus and cherries seasonally, said Joe Meeks, sales representative and account manager.
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