For Hilary Craig, director of produce category management for Misfits Market, a 20-year career in the produce industry began with a sudden, unexpected nudge into the unknown. From managing a grocery fridge to becoming a passionate advocate for sustainable sourcing, Craig’s journey has been defined by a deep curiosity for where our food comes from and a commitment to reducing waste.
She credits her longevity in the field to a willingness to learn — a process she views as never-ending. After two decades of navigating the complexities of sourcing and supply chains, she has fully embraced her identity within the industry.
“I remember early on someone had said that in a year I would know ‘a little bit about produce.’ And I feel like that’s how it’s gone for the past 20 years … every year I learn a little bit more … until one day I realized, ‘I’m a produce person.’ It’s just so exciting, because it’s always changing. There’s so much to know and so many different varietals and weather pattern changes. No two days are the same.”
At Misfits Market, she leverages this expertise to bridge the gap between growers and consumers, finding creative ways to salvage perfectly good, cosmetically blemished food and sharing the “cool things” she learns with a wider audience.
The Packer: What do you think sets you apart from others in the field, and how do you continuously work to elevate your contributions to the produce industry?
Craig: I think I’m really comfortable with being wrong, and I think that that has really served me well and helped me grow a little bit faster and with less pain over time. Because when you’re not afraid to be wrong, it just opens you up to be a little bit more creative or bold with some of the choices that you make.
Just knowing that, if you’re going to make a mistake, at least make one big enough so that you get a clean read on, “Oh, it was a mistake. And here’s what I’ll do differently next time.” I really encourage my team to do that as well, because I think you just never know unless you try. We’ve done a lot of things that are like a big swing; sometimes we knock it out of the park, and sometimes we miss, and we just figure out what we’re going to do differently.
In terms of contributions to the industry, my entire team of category managers at Misfits is female. I love that, because produce can be very male-dominated. I’ve had amazing mentors all over the place in produce, but I love seeing more women get really invested in and interested in the field. I would love to just encourage them to ask more questions, raise their hand, take up space and really engage and get involved. There are so many amazing things to learn, and I really see that passion in my team as well.
If you could magically make one misfit vegetable the most popular snack in the world, which one would it be?
I struggle with this because I love all the different types. The cool thing about the misfit idea is discovery; it’s always something new. We did a program called Mystery Item so growers could send mixed lots. For example, instead of selling a specific Pluot, we sold a Season’s Best Mystery Pluot Mix. Growers packed whatever was best and most exciting that week. We tried so many new produce, and customers were really engaged. They liked the surprise of opening their box and figuring out, “Which one is this?”
Learn more about The Packer’s 2026 Women in Produce honorees:
- Beth Atkinson-Keeton — owner, Elephant House PR
- Brenda Haught — co-CEO, Creekside Organics
- Danelle Huber — senior marketing manager, CMI Orchards
- Gwen Jackimek — senior director of sales, avocados, Fresh Del Monte; chair, Hass Avocado Board
- Bianca Kaprielian — co-CEO, Creekside Organics
- Erin Mittelstaedt — CEO, The FruitGuys
- Dina Newman — founder, KC Black Urban Growers
- Jonna Parker — vice president of fresh foods group, Circana
