Opinion
If there’s one thing 2020 has shown us, it’s that expectations can be upended in a second when the unpredictable happens.
I have a new poll question out this week to the LinkedIn Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group.
Produce managers wear a lot of hats. They are, in essence, merchandisers, inventory control specialists, shrink monitors, clerk trainers and mentors.
Produce managers attain their skills over many years, learning everything from the difference between regular and flat leaf parsley to which mango variety tends to be the most popular and flavorful.
Can the world really expect Dollar General to evolve from selling bargain paper towels, breakfast bars, and bleach to “sustainably grown” local produce in one fell swoop?
Nearly 7,000 comments have swarmed in already to the regulations.gov portal for the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.
I was positioning the little American flag on my desk when Russ T. Blade peeked from behind Old Glory.
Is the celery market finally ready to settle down?
The country is graying, and that may prove challenging for the fresh produce industry.
How is the produce department similar to soda, to chips, to beer?
Old-time salespeople used to say it all the time, “Don’t sell ‘em the steak, sell ‘em the sizzle.”
I was thumbing through a copy of “The Packer, a Century of Produce,” published in 1993. It’s a rich collection of reflections, produce and people.
“There is nothing new under the sun,” the writer of Ecclesiastes says.
That cucumber shouldn’t be trashed; it is merely a senior citizen.
With this blog post, I have included a series of charts showing export sales of fresh fruit and vegetables to some of the biggest export destinations for U.S. producers.
The Washington apple market so far reflects the premium pricing of the Honeycrisp apple, as ever.
Several industry groups have provided input to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on the question of hours of service rules as they relate to definitions of agricultural commodities.
Farm labor floats to the top of all fresh produce concerns, and thus any report that takes a comprehensive look at the issue is worth exploring.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has published a new report showing agricultural exports by state.
Eighty percent of a produce supervisor’s time is typically spent with 20% of the produce managers.
Looking back at 2019, what stories have resonated with readers of The Packer the most?
Looking at the month-to-month news items that resonated with readers this year, today I will review the top stories in February.
More and more communities with few to no grocery stores are looking to require that small-box retailers such as dollar stores carry some fresh foods.
In previous posts in this space, I have reviewed top news items for each month on The Packer’s website. Find the rewind on traffic for January, February, and March.
We have been reviewing The Packer’s most-viewed stories throughout the year, and you can find links to all of the previous posts on this topic here.
With this post, we are halfway through the year in reviewing some of the top fruit and vegetable news, both for The Packer and for the consumer press.
The saying goes that when March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb.
I wanted to gather some vital statistics on blueberries, and this space is a good way to illustrate trends in fresh blueberry imports, along with other stats of interest on the still-rising fruit.
Look at a visual comparison of U.S. grape imports in 2019, 2010 and 2000, and then the long-term import trends for international suppliers.