Chelsea Consalo is a woman to watch in the industry.
Since graduating from college in 2014, she’s not only found her footing in her family business, she’s running at the front of the pack of young professionals in the fresh produce industry. Consalo is vice president of produce operations for Consalo Family Farms, Egg Harbor City, N.J., and Fresh Wave, Vineland, N.J., which handles packing, distribution and shipping. The company handles 9.5 million pounds of blueberries a year, as well as vegetables, and is four generations strong.
“The New Jersey growing season, I love it. It’s long days, long hours, but it’s really what motivates me,” Consalo said.
Consalo started with covering the food safety part of the business and then added marketing and brand management. She’s since discovered her passion lies in the farming operations and handling the labor force. “That’s a big part of my job, to make sure the workers are safe, and they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing, and everyone’s getting paid correctly,” she said.
Besides ensuring the labor living conditions and other aspects of the company are in compliance with regulations, Consalo strives to keep the business up to date, such as transitioning to an electronic payroll system with digital scanners to pay farm laborers by the piece. It provides accountability.
Listen: Podcast — 2021 Women in Produce honoree Chelsea Consalo
“The workers know they’re being paid; they get that receipt. It keeps track of everything down to the exact field they’re picking in, the exact worker that picked it, how many they picked,” Consalo said. “I want our business to keep up with the technology — the newest, the latest and greatest.” Consalo handles package design at Fresh Wave, where vegetables are in the mix, and is in charge of social media. There’s even a short video of rapper, actor, songwriter Ice-T gushing about Consalo Family Farms on the company’s Facebook page.
Her original dream was to run a bakery, and she’s perfected a blueberry cake that has unrealized partnership potential. “But I love this so much now, because I’ve found my niche in the farming side of the business, and I really enjoy working alongside my dad and my brother and my uncle,” Consalo said.
Her father, Skip Consalo, said she’s been a pivotal part of the company’s growth and success since she joined the team. “Chelsea is extremely intelligent. She has a straightforward but understanding way of leading and an unmatched attention to detail,” he said. “At times during our busy season, she can be managing 700 people or more. She’s compassionate, honest, loyal and has a true passion for the produce industry.”
She’s involved in the New Jersey Blueberry Industry Advisory Council and was an ambassador for the North American Blueberry Council. “I can’t say enough about her enthusiasm. I stay mainly in the lane of blueberries, but her family company does so many other things,” said Denny Doyle, president of the New Jersey advisory council and owner of D.G. Doyle Farms, New Lisbon, N.J. “It’s really impressive how she can shift gears into different commodities.”
Consalo also participated in Produce Marketing Association’s Emerging Leaders Program, which provided connections with other likeminded, motivated young people in the industry.
“Really, it was one of the best experiences of my life. I’m so glad I did it. I would highly recommend it,” said Consalo, who will mentor next year’s program participants. “I’d love to see more young people get involved, in these programs and everything else. We just need young people in this industry to keep it going.”
