The Year in Produce: 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, The Packer reflects on some of the biggest stories of the year. While some stories saw closure, most did not, and the themes of 2025’s headlines will continue on in 2026.
The Packer’s Jill Dutton’s urban farming series took us across the country to explore the pioneers reclaiming land for the sake of fresh fruits and vegetables, while our vertical farming and greenhouse coverage examined other ways of growing food closer to the consumer.
The Packer’s 2025 labor coverage kicked off with Christina Herrick’s labor series, and there was much more to read.
There were some big stories in 2025 that dealt with less common supply problems, such as high honeybee losses and too many apple trees.
The threat of raids on agricultural operations hit hard during the summer of 2025, and it will likely continue in 2026.
With President Donald Trump back in office in 2025, the wax and wane of tariffs and threats of tariffs kept the produce industry on its toes this year.
Some key political moves at USDA and nationwide had big impacts on produce-providing programs like SNAP and WIC in 2025.
The Packer broke some big tech stories for the produce industry in 2025, and they were often some of the more uplifting, helpful and future-looking stories out there.
Water will always be a big topic for produce and ag in general, but 2025 saw some big milestones in water news.
The Packer’s staff shares picks of the stories that made headlines in produce.