How the produce department is like the Masters of golf

Each year, come April, golf fans everywhere turn their eyes to Augusta, Ga., for the Masters Tournament.

Whether or not you saw it this year, it's the most prestigious event on the golf calendar. The tournament is steeped in golf history, where the immortals of golf have walked the cathedral-like grounds lined with azaleas and long-needle pines, which create a whistle sound as the breezes passes through the needles.

It's a place where fans, called patrons, scurry to find the best spots on the course to see their favorite professional golfers up close while indulging in the classic dishes — a pimento sandwich and an azalea cocktail.

The Masters is the pinnacle of golf — the event all other golf tournaments aspire to become.

What does the Masters have to do with the produce department?

Plenty. The produce department is the pinnacle of the supermarket, with mounds of such colorful beauty and heavenly scents that it can be, dare I say, hypnotizing. Like a greenskeeper, the produce manager ensures that everything is in its place, perfectly presented and fresh for patrons.

Similarly, the produce department is the place to be seen in the supermarket. After all, shopping in the produce department means you have high food standards and care about selecting the freshest, healthiest and safest foods for your family. It’s where shoppers and professionals chat, ask about different products and learn more.

Like the azaleas of Augusta National in April, fresh fruits and vegetables bloom into availability according to their seasons, when produce departments flourish with sought-after items that can be enjoyed and celebrated at peak ripeness and flavor. And customers scurry to get their fair share while they can, like those famous pimento cheese sandwiches at the Masters.

Consider how retailers have positioned the produce department, not only in the top-notch physical placement at their stores, but in how they advertise and differentiate from their competition. They’re touting the “original plant-based” slogan on products to drive consumer awareness of the value of fresh fruits and vegetables. They’re employing staff dietitians, incorporating pharmacists and collaborating with schools and universities to educate staff and customers on why fresh produce is part of a health and wellness strategy for living a long and active life.

Truly, the value of a produce department goes beyond the financial aspects. Even more than the Masters is to golf, produce is the heart of the supermarket, where people from all walks of life merge to fulfill their desire for fresh, healthy, delicious nourishment for body and mind.

The Masters tournament has an amazing legacy and is a golfer’s paradise. But the produce department can lead all of us to a paradise of health. So, the next time you walk into a produce department, think of it not just as a place where customers come to buy the products we sell, but as a prestigious event with a legacy and excitement that can inspire patrons to see more health wins.

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This column is part of a series by Joe Watson, who spent 30-plus years as the director of produce for Rouses Markets and was named Produce Retailer of the Year and honored as one of The Packer 25, both in 2014. Watson now serves as a vice president of retail, foodservice and wholesale for the International Fresh Produce Association.