The Year in Produce 2025

From Urban Ag to Indoor Farming: Fresh Produce Grows Up

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 18:41:56 GMT

Not all produce growing operations look the same. Some are indoors with the plants growing out of the walls, while others are nestled in cities rather than rural landscapes. The Packer covered interesting developments there as well in 2025 and will continue doing so in 2026.

Readers can look forward to more of The Packer’s Jill Dutton’s ongoing “Sowing Change” series focused on urban farming in 2026, for instance. When she kicked off the series in February , she profiled an urban farm in Kansas City, Mo., that was dealing with some of the most quintessentially urban problems: City codes, zoning regs, and NIMBY neighbors.

That story, though still in progress, didn’t go the way the urban farmers had hoped; their rezoning bid was denied, and the city required yet more costly changes to survive. But not all urban farming stories in 2025 went that way.

In a May installment of the series , Dutton highlighted how a new generation of Black farmers is changing the future of urban agriculture. She profiled Black, urban farmers in Chicago, Atlanta, Mississippi Delta, and Los Angeles, and looked at how their efforts and innovations are working to reclaim land, build food sovereignty and strengthen communities.

“Our ancestors’ legacy lives through us as we try to balance the scales for food equity and urban societies,” said one source. Another said they want the next generation of Black children and those beyond to reengage with agriculture, regardless of where they are.

In another May installment, Dutton interviewed an undercover-billionaire-turned-urban-farmer who seeks to unite trains and farms . By turning abandoned rail depots into local food hubs that connect farmers directly to consumers, Elaine Culotti hopes to turn forgotten train systems into a lifeline for the country’s farmers and food-insecure communities.

Dutton also interviewed the country’s youngest certified farmer in late September as part of the “Sowing Change” series. Ten-year-old Kendall Rae Johnson’s passion for ag started at age 3 and grew from there. At age 6, she became a certified farmer. At 9 she was offered a full-ride scholarship in agriculture from South Carolina State University.

Today, Kendall is a USDA National Urban Agriculture Youth Ambassador with a 1-acre garden and volunteered patches of land by supportive area farmers where she grows collard greens for her community. She wants to share her experience to help other kids interested in agriculture.

“I want them to know they can dream big, and with the right tools and support, we can make those dreams come true,” she told Dutton.

Vertical and indoor farms took the stage too

Some urban farms embrace the city so much, they’ve gone indoors. A couple of The Packer’s top stories in 2025 focused on controlled environment agriculture, a seemingly growing segment of the industry.

In February, The Packer’s Jenn Strailey looked to the north — Onterio, Canada, specifically — to report on gains made in the greenhouse industry there. The Canadian province is home to the largest concentration of greenhouse vegetable production in North America, and also conveniently only a day’s drive from over 58% of the U.S. population, according to one of her sources.

“As we deal with climate change globally, greenhouse farming is able to yield up to 20 times more per square meter than conventional farming,” he said. “We are able to control the growing conditions in harsh climates while producing food.”

The CEA coverage continued in March, when Strailey wrote about the two perennial stories playing out in the vertical farming industry yet again , one of bankruptcy and another of extreme growth. But the two stories actually tell an overall tale of progress in vertical farming, according to sources.

The progress is a result of the industry’s growing pains. A decade ago, vertical farmers struggled with taking too much of the wrong kind of money and trying to be tech experts before farmers. The successes of today however are learning how to scale their technology and their funds in a sustainable way, according to Strailey’s sources.

These were the top six stories on urban and indoor farming that The Packer covered in 2025. But there were, and will be, many other articles dealing with urban agriculture and indoor or vertical farming , too.

Labor Issues Dominated 2025 and Are Sure to Continue

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 18:24:45 GMT

Labor is always a big issue for the fresh produce industry, and 2025 was no different. Not only did perennial problems come to a head in some cases, but the return of Donald Trump to the presidency in January 2025 kicked off a slew of highly impactful events for all agricultural labor that hit produce hard.

The issues that dominated headlines in 2025 will without question continue into 2026. For example, in the final installment of her year-long labor series, The Packer’s Christina Herrick reported that the labor policy shifts made in 2025 will define farm labor in 2026 .

The series kicked off in early February, exploring the current state of labor in the fresh produce industry. In the first installment of the series , Herrick reports chronic problems with the H-2A program, including complexity and cost, are weighing on growers along with the growing issue of declining numbers of ag workers. She also highlights research showing that as much as 99% of tree fruit growers’ net returns went to costs associated with labor.

“We knew it was bad,” a source said. “I’m not sure we knew it was this bad.”

The second installment of the series , released in mid-March, focused on the individual impact of the cost of the H-2A and the Adverse Effect Wage Rate. For one source, the climbing costs of the program meant that the operation would stop its asparagus production altogether.

“It just doesn’t make [financial] sense anymore,” he said.

Much like the asparagus grower in March, an apple grower told Herrick in mid-May the overtime laws for ag labor make it almost impossible to farm.

“With having to pay overtime to harvest [second-pick organic galas], it would have cost us more,” the source said. “We would have gone negative on our return. We would have picked that fruit and then actually gotten a bill [for the labor].”

In the series’ final installment in early August, Herrick did a deep dive into the backbone of ag labor: the farmworkers. Reflecting back on the events of the pandemic, sources pointed out how essential they are to the country and everyone in it who eats.

“If agriculture stops, what are we all going to eat?” one farmworker asked. “We are essential all the time because no one else but those of us who work in agriculture know what it takes to work in that field.”

Getting into the legislative details of AEWR

When it comes to ag labor, the laws and their litigative legacies will likely have big impacts on life on the ground for produce growers and workers alike.

In late August, a federal court in Louisiana reversed the Department of Labor’s 2023 AEWR Methodology rule. Herrick broke down what the ruling means to the fresh produce industry; in short, to potentially bring stability to agricultural employers. In the words of one of her sources, “This is a big deal.”

While helpful, the ruling did not solve all the issues surrounding ag worker wages in the U.S. Key among these is that, “it’s critical for wages to fall in line with other countries, where lower wages outside the U.S. can drive out American production,” says Herrick’s source.

In her more recent reporting on AEWR, Herrick notes the interim final rule on how AEWR will be calculated has closed, so final implementation could potentially come in 2026, pending ongoing litigation.

Labor issues will remain at the forefront of The Packer’s coverage in 2026. You can find past and future stories on labor here .

Supply Issues with Honeybees and Apple Trees

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 17:42:57 GMT

While the produce industry is no stranger to supply and demand issues, a couple stories in 2025 shined a light on some less common supply problems that will continue with us in 2026 (and likely beyond).

On the one hand, in late January, a survey of U.S. beekeepers uncovered a staggering 62% loss of commercial honeybee colonies across the U.S. A follow-up survey went out to find out the cause, but by the end of February, experts still didn’t know the answer. The Packer’s Jennifer Strailey went into detail on what honeybee experts do know about the losses .

Historically, honeybees have been declining for a number of interrelated reasons. While the significant decline discovered in January might be due to those usual reasons, “it could be a new, novel disease, an environmental stressor that we hadn’t thought about or a combination of many things,” said one of Strailey’s sources.

Given the long-term trend in colony losses, it is certain this will be a dynamic in 2026 and beyond.

On the other hand, during the U.S. Apple Outlook conference in mid-August, experts presented the industry’s problem: Too many of the wrong kind of apple trees are still in growing in orchards while consumers demand new varieties at the store.

The Packer’s Christina Herrick summed the problem up with the question: “ Is it time to pull out apple trees ?” The answer, it seems, is a resounding “yes.”

“At the end of the day, we know the answer, so we can either do it by choice or by force,” said one expert who highlighted the historic trends across varieties. “I think we will expect large orchard removal starting after this crop year.”

Shifts in orchards will, of course, take time, so this too will play out in 2026 and in years beyond.

Fear, Uncertainty on ICE Raids Complicated 2025's Labor Crisis

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 17:43:35 GMT

Despite some labor-related wins early in the year, the threat of raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on farming operations had chilling effects on labor in the fresh produce industry in 2025.

Given that President Donald Trump said that the raids “haven’t gone far enough” in an early-November 60 Minutes interview , it is quite possible they will continue in the future.

The raids kicked off in earnest in early summer, hitting right in the heart of fresh produce’s biggest season. On June 11, The Packer’s Christina Herrick reported on the fallout of an ICE raid in Oxnard, Calif., the day before. The Farm Bureau of Ventura County called ICE’s actions “an unacceptable escalation,” describing agents as having tried to enter a local packing facility without a judicial warrant and having targeted locations and routes frequented by agriculture workers.

“Let us be unequivocal: racial profiling is illegal; intimidation is not enforcement,” the organization said. “Using fear to destabilize the workforce that powers our farms is a reckless and short-sighted tactic with far-reaching consequences.”

A few days later, in the wake of Trump’s mixed messaging on ICE raids, The Packer’s Jennifer Strailey sat down with Kevin Kelly. Kelly is the CEO of Emerald Packaging, the largest flexible packaging supplier to the leafy greens industry. Strailey had questions about the impact of the raids and the uncertainty around them from the front lines.

“I think a lot of folks are feeling uncertain and afraid,” Kelly said, noting rumors are sometimes as good as reality when it came to ICE raids’ chilling effect. “We’ve certainly heard that folks aren’t turning up to work in the fields, and we’ve seen it in our facility.”

The uncertainty persisted in June, and just a few days later, Joe Del Bosque, CEO of Del Bosque Farms in California, talked to Michelle Rook of “AgriTalk” radio .

“There’s so much uncertainty as to what the administration is going to do,” he said. “One day they say they’re going to help the farmers … and then the next day they come out and say, ‘we’re going to deport them all.’”

The flip-flopping made farmworkers and farmers alike nervous, even though there had been few actual ICE raids of agricultural operations up to that point. Del Bosque talked about what it would take to make everyone feel safe to come to work again.

The Packer will continue to cover ICE raids and other impacts to farm labor as it happens. You can find that and related coverage here .

Tariffs and Trade Wars in 2025 and Beyond

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 22:25:23 GMT

True to his campaign promises, President Donald Trump began announcing tariffs shortly after taking office on Jan. 20. Since then, announcements of tariffs have been on then off in a matter of hours, creating what has been called a chaotic landscape of trade wars that is unlikely to end any time soon.

Most recently, Trump threatened Mexico with a 5% tariff if they didn’t start paying down their water debt, and it’s possible growers could get refunds for tariff damages in the future. Billions could be in the balance.

After roughly nine months of real and threatened tariffs, early November 2025 saw the first day of oral arguments before the Supreme Court on whether or not the Trump administration had the authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The Packer’s Jennifer Strailey covered what we knew that day. Namely, that the U.S. could owe billions in tariff refunds , including to produce importers.

Getting a refund could be a complicated matter and comes with a ticking clock, however. And, according to Strailey’s sources, the Supreme Court did not give guidance about how specific companies should seek a refund.

The commodities particularly hard hit by tariffs

Produce casualties of the 2025 trade wars could be felt in winter of 2026 because many fruit and vegetable favorites available during winter and early spring depend on imports. These could include exotics such as bananas and mangoes, and seasonal favorites such as berries of all kinds, avocados, broccoli, cucumbers, strawberries, peaches and many more according to reporting by Strailey during the summer.

She talked to Miguel Curiel, the president of Aneberries, Mexico’s National Association of Berry Exporters, during the group’s July trade fair . He said the U.S. consumer currently enjoys berries all year round due, in large part, to trade with Mexico. Tariffs could threaten that, he said, adding that “in the mid to long term, it is the consumer who takes the hit. There’s no doubt about that.”

But it wasn’t just berries at risk. Basically, any fresh produce available en mass in winter would be struck down in the trade war, according to one of Strailey’s reports in August .

“I think there will be a decrease in variety, and I think there will be price increases,” one source said, adding that the Make America Healthy Again movement might help mitigate some of the negative impacts of the trade war on fresh produce and consumers’ pocketbooks.

Things started quickly in 2025 and will continue in 2026

The impact of the tariffs, realized and threatened, was felt in the earliest weeks of 2025.

In the first week of February, Strailey reported from the floor of the Fruit Logistica trade show , having talked to Ron Lemaire, president of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association. He told her Trump’s threatened 25% additional tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada would represent a significant risk to the Canadian produce industry, especially the greenhouse industry.

“Ontario greenhouses ship about 80% to 85% of their product to the U.S., and they’ve integrated their business strategy having Canadian and U.S. operations. Tariff systems in that sector would be dramatically consequential to that industry,” he said.

The message was much the same on the southern border. In late February, Texas produce growers had a front-row seat to the potential impact of Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico. The Packer’s Christina Herrick interviewed Texas International Produce Association’s CEO, Dante Galeazzi , on potential impacts to the state and the country overall.

Most immediately, tariffs on Mexican fresh produce imports would “close the valve of the fresh fruits and vegetables arriving in the country,” particularly in the U.S.’s growing off-season. That’s something that “could not come at a worse time” according to Galeazzi.

As the ongoing trade war updates and tariff news breaks, The Packer will be here covering what growers need to know.

The Politics of Produce and Hunger

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:45:21 GMT

The food supply chain cannot be detached from politics, so when something big happens in the government, it has ripple effects that reach the kitchen tables of millions in the U.S.

Such was the case in 2025 and will certainly continue into 2026 as fights between feds and the states continue on key food-funding programs.

USDA announced a lot of big changes in 2025. Early in March, it announced it was cutting funding for the Local Food for Schools program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program. Collectively, these two programs spent more than $1 billion to help schools and food banks buy food from local farms and ranches.

In her coverage of the move, The Packer’s Christina Herrick talked with food bank leaders on the impacts. Sources who led organizations that provide access to fresh produce said the cuts would directly impact their abilities to help those in need.

The USDA’s reorganization, particularly closing key facilities and moving or downsizing personnel, also posed negative impacts for groups keeping those most in need fed. The Packer’s Jennifer Strailey sat down with Georgia Machell , National WIC Association president and CEO, in July on what the moves would mean.

“We’re always thinking about the end user and the folks who participate in the program to access healthy food and fresh fruits and vegetables, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and [we’re concerned about] the disruptions to service that we know this is going to present,” Machell said.

Also in July, Strailey covered USDA’s “ National Farm Security Action Plan .” The wide-ranging plan touched on everything from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding benefits, tackling supposed SNAP fraud, the continuation of mass deportations and more in the effort to position American agriculture as a key element of national security and to strengthen the domestic food supply.

OBBB, SNAP, WIC and the government shutdown

The reconciliation bill, previously titled and widely known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” was signed into law on July 4, 2025. Alongside massive cuts to food support programs like SNAP and WIC, The Packer’s Kerry Halladay dug into what the massive funding bill held for the fresh produce industry .

In short, most of what specialty crops growers had hoped for in a farm bill was included, especially hundreds of millions worth of funding increases to key programs. The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance praised the bill, saying: “Any Congressional investment in American agriculture must include specialty crops … Specialty crops represent nearly a quarter of U.S. crop value and make up more than half of what Americans eat.”

Though the OBBB slashed SNAP funds for the future, another political situation had a much more immediate impact on SNAP: The government shutdown in the fall.

As the longest government shutdown in history continued, states, foodbanks and retailers were scrambling with how to address a likely SNAP funding halt that would start Nov. 1. The Packer’s Jill Dutton reported on what groups were planning to try to prevent over 42 million Americans going hungry in the month of thanksgiving, but prospects were bleak.

“Philanthropy is not going to solve this hunger problem, and SNAP is our nation’s No. 1 defense against hunger,” said a Boston food bank leader. “There’s no way that our charitable food network or the system in this country can provide that much food overnight or quickly.”

Just days before the shutdown, Strailey spoke with Eric Mitchell, president of The Alliance to End Hunger. He warned that a potential SNAP funding halt could have a multibillion-dollar ripple effect on entire food supply chain.

“These changes don’t just impact the beneficiary, they also impact the larger community as a whole,” he said. “The impact is around $8 [billion] to $9 billion in economic loss to the food economy — that’s hitting retailers, farmers, producers, the truck drivers, the manufacturers — everyone is impacted by this policy change.”

The fight over SNAP funding seems sure to be a long-running issue. As of early December, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins issued an ultimatum to Democrat-led states : Turn over SNAP recipient data or no federal SNAP funds. States sued the federal government over such data requirements on privacy concerns, and that suit will drag on into the new year.

Technology to the Rescue in 2025

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:33:21 GMT

Not all the big headlines in 2025 were doom and gloom. The Packer’s technology coverage often highlighted the hopeful and helpful ways the produce industry is growing and adapting the changing conditions.

By it’s very nature, most ag tech is helping arm the growers of today for the realities of tomorrow.

For example, in mid-March, The Packer’s Jennifer Strailey talked with FarmWise CEO Tjarko Leifer about how the business’ restructuring was helping it prepare for the next chapter in ag robotics with its precision weeding technology. That new chapter involved being acquired by Taylor Farms , which had previously implemented FarmWise’s Vulcan technology and saw a reduction in its weeding costs of nearly $550,000 as a result.

“We believe in the FarmWise technology and think we have an important role to play with industry adoption in the specialty crop space,” said the president of Taylor Farms agricultural operations. “This acquisition is another step forward in our mission to drive the future of agriculture with thoughtful and impactful innovation.”

Reducing Food Waste With an Apps

In late August, The Packer’s Jill Dutton looked into how various apps are changing the way retailers deal with unsold food items approaching their sell-by dates, thereby preventing food waste. The three food waste-reducing apps in focus in the story are Too Good To Go and Flashfood, both geared towards connecting retailers with individual consumers in need of lower-cost options, and Careit, which connects retailers to nonprofits and community organizations in their areas for food donations.

Apps like these have a big potential to not only reduce food and especially produce waste, Dutton’s sources said, but also benefit retailers financially as well.

“The ability to sell more product, even at a discounted price, suggests greater food access could be achieved while recouping previously lost revenue,” one source said. “Additionally, applications that enable more accurate forecasting, facilitate coordination of logistics and optimize inventory management could prevent food from going to waste all along the supply chain.”

A Visceral Type of Technology

For a long time, consumers have shunned GMO foods. But in early September, Strailey sat down with Nathan Pumplin , CEO of Norfolk Healthy Produce, the company behind the Empress Purple Tomato, which is bioengineered to have more antioxidants. He said that consumers are hungry for change and starting to see through GMOs’ past bad publicity.

“When the first GMOs were launched, they were really marketed to farmers, and the innovative farmers said, ‘OK, there’s these new GMO crops, do I want to use them?’ And they very quickly saw, ‘Wow, this solves a lot of problems for me. Yes, I want to adopt them,’” said Pumplin.

“What was forgotten was that it was food being produced and sold to consumers, and consumers never had an opportunity to engage with GMOs in the food system,” he added.

But that has changed. Pumplin reported that 80% of consumers the company surveyed about the purple GMO tomato said they were interested to extremely interested in trying it.

Technology in Defense of Tech

In late October, The Packer’s Christina Herrick did a deep dive on a device to deter copper theft called Cop-R-Lock. The brainchild of a former law enforcement official and customizable farming automation company Farmblox, the Cop-R-Lock device aims to reduce or even eliminate the costly issue of copper thefts on farms.

“Every pump site, depending on its location, has upwards of a 40% chance of being hit every year by a thief,” said the Farmblox CEO. “Every time it happens, it’s between like $8,000 and $100,000 just for fixing the equipment, not minding the cost to the crop for the lack of irrigation for weeks on end, sometimes months.”

Working much like a home security system for your farm equipment, the system involves a wire wrapped around and inside the irrigation system’s conduit. When cut by a potential copper theif, an alarm goes off. The system will text the grower and also alert local law enforcement in the area, in an effort to help prevent and respond to copper thefts while they are happening.

These were some of the top tech stories The Packer covered in 2025, and there will be plenty more coverage in 2026, which you can find here .

Water Issues Headlined 2025 and Will Likely Stay There in 2026

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 19:29:39 GMT

The year 2025 saw several big water issues hit the news, both nationally and in some of the biggest produce-growing states. Many of these stories will continue into 2026’s headlines.

For example, EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers set a water milestone late in the year when they finally released their long-awaited updated definition of Waters of the U.S. with implementation expected in February or March of 2026.

The announcement was made Nov. 17, and the proposed rule was released Nov. 20. This update was spawned by the 2023 Supreme Court’s Sackett decision, and — according to the EPA — will bring the definition in line with that ruling .

The release followed numerous listening sessions seeking input from states, industry, agriculture and other stakeholders. A resounding theme was the need to maintain state’s rights on the one hand and streamline the WOTUS determination process so landowners can easily determine if something on their operation counts as a jurisdictional water.

The proposed rule is up for public comment through Jan. 5, 2026.

The five-year water cycle ended, but the story continues for Texas

Late October 2025 saw the end of the most recent five-year water delivery cycle from Mexico to Texas according to the 1944 treaty. As expected, Mexico did not deliver the 1.75 million acre-feet it is required to within that five-year span, only sending just over 50% of that.

However, it did deliver more than a year’s worth of water (350,000 acre-feet) between late April and Oct. 24. That is good in the short-term, but Texas water and produce experts warn that the pattern of late or non-existent Mexican water deliveries is not sustainable for the state. They worry more crops, including the Texas citrus industry, will go the way of its sugar industry .

A common refrain from Texans is that Mexico is not keeping up it’s end of the bargain, having instead built up its permanent agriculture in arid Chihuahua and capturing water that should flow to Texas for those water-hungry crops. Experts have pushed for some ability to enforce the 1944 treaty, potentially through the upcoming U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement renegotiations .

But the story is and will continue into 2026. Early in December, President Donald Trump demanded Mexico deliver 200,000 acre-feet of water on its debt by Dec. 31. Mexico’s president called that impossible but said Mexico and the U.S. are working on an agreement for the future to pay down the water debt.

California’s water woes and their impact grow

The economic value of water to California’s produce drew the limelight early on in 2025. In April, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the Golden State had become the fourth-largest economy in the world . But that rank is tenuous and could be threatened if the state does not take action to ensure its water future.

Up to 3 million acres of farmland, 67,000 ag jobs and $39.5 billion from the economy could be lost if the state doesn’t invest in water storage and other strategies, according to a University of California, Davis study . All of this played out on a backdrop of ongoing, many say man-made , drought and disappointing water allocations even when there is water available.

As the year came to a close, California’s largest irrigation district released its economic impact review report, which found that water restrictions had wide-reaching negative impacts on the state and its people. In short, when water is cut, the production of fresh fruits and vegetables declines, more acres are fallowed, jobs and economic benefits are lost and more.

As the new year kicks off, the 2026 irrigation allocations will start to trickle in, so growers in the Golden State will know how to plan for their coming crops.

A look at the Year in Produce 2024

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 13:54:32 GMT

For this year’s annual look back at the stories that made headlines in produce, we challenged The Packer team to select just two stories each that resonated with us both personally and professionally, while also reflecting a broader perspective of where the fresh produce industry is now and where it’s headed.

These reports offer a look at hurricane devastation and recovery; probe the opportunities and challenges of adopting artificial intelligence; examine the psychology behind consumer purchases; dig into the outlook for some key crops; highlight produce-related initiatives; and more.

Each one also includes notes from the team about why the story stands out, as well as a link to the full article for further reading.

With that, here are just some of the stories that made an imprint on our editorial team. We hope you found them memorable as well.

Why they buy: The psychology behind produce purchases

Pictured is Michael Barbera, chief behavioral officer for Clicksuasion Labs and an award-winning consumer psychologist.

(Photo courtesy of Michael Barbera)

Selected by Jill Dutton: This consumer behavior article highlights a fundamental but often overlooked aspect of the produce industry: the psychology behind what drives consumer choices. In a year marked by shifting shopping habits and heightened awareness of health and sustainability, understanding the why behind produce purchases has become more important than ever for retailers. Consumer psychologist Michael Barbera’s insights into sensory triggers, pricing strategies and marketing techniques reveal how these factors intersect with consumer value and decision-making. Read the full story here.

10 produce trends for 2025

Produce trends for 2025

(Illustration: Adobe Stock and Tasha Fabela-Jonas)

Selected by Jill Dutton: Trends were, well, trending this year, and “10 produce trends for 2025” represents more than a list of what’s trending; it encapsulates the shifting priorities of consumers, industry innovation and the role produce plays in everyday life. Whether it’s the continued interest in luxury produce, the practical focus on sustainability or the interest in food as medicine, these trends highlight how the produce industry is evolving to meet the demands of a changing world. Read the full story here.

End of an era: Produce industry ‘legend’ Gary English retires

While Gary English has meant different things to different people — “a gift to the produce industry,” “icon,” “mentor,” “the unofficial ambassador of the produce industry,” “the ultimate professional,” “a true partner” — all who’ve had the pleasure of working with him during the past four decades say he’s a “friend” first.

(Photos courtesy friends and family of Gary English)

Selected by Christina Herrick: I was lucky enough to work with Gary English for close to a year. He was kind, funny and seemed to know almost everyone in the industry. He was hard to miss on the trade show floor, thanks to his height.
After 40-plus years with The Packer, Gary retired at the end of August. I loved this sendoff to this industry legend. Jennifer Strailey said it right when she wrote “Gary English is a rare breed.” Read the full story here.

What does the future hold for the almond industry? / Why it’s a time of transition for walnuts / Can pistachio demand keep pace with growing supply?

Expanded exports are a big focus for the California Walnut Commission in Southeast Asia and Northern Africa, says Robert Verloop, the commission’s executive director and CEO.

(Photo courtesy of the California Walnut Commission)

Selected by Christina Herrick: It was hard to pick one story in my series on the state of the walnut, almond and pistachio industries. In my mind, they’re almost interrelated, as each story tells a different point in time for tree fruit production. Pistachios have been buoyed by strong prices and demand, while almonds, and to a greater extent walnuts, have suffered from oversaturation in the market.
I have to tip my hat to Rolan Fumasi, head of RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness for North America, for his tremendous insights and data, which helped quantify some of the rumblings and grumblings I had heard through industry conversations. Read the full stories: Almonds | Walnuts | Pistachios

Progress touted against avocado-linked deforestation in Mexico

Avocados

(Photo: Andrii, Adobe Stock)

Selected by Tom Karst: U.S. avocado per capita consumption has climbed from 2.1 pounds in 2000 to 8.7 pounds in 2020, and the value of U.S. avocado imports from Mexico from $2.28 billion in 2021 to $3.28 billion in 2024. Total U.S. avocado imports in 2023-24 totaled $3.6 billion.
With Mexico accounting for 91% of U.S. avocados imports, the industry is facing headwinds in expanding avocado production to meet demand. This story describes how the industry is responding to restrict fruit from Mexico from illegal orchards or from deforested areas. Read the full story here.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee introduces statewide food-as-medicine initiative with FarmboxRx

A partnership between Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee and FarmboxRx aims to expand access to nutritious foods at a time when Tennesseans, particularly in urban areas, continue to struggle with the affordability and accessibility of healthy meals.

(Photo courtesy of FarmboxRx)

Selected by Tom Karst: The food as medicine movement has been gaining momentum, and produce is a big part of the concept. Healthcare providers and insurance providers are recognizing the potential of nutritional interventions to prevent and manage chronic diseases. Some healthcare systems now prescribe specific dietary plans for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic disorders. This story from August talks about the progress FarmboxRx has made with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, one of 90 health plans the group is working with. Read the full story here.

Where will artificial intelligence take the produce industry?

Drone

(Photo courtesy of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences)

Selected by Wayne Hardy: Artificial intelligence’s capacity to reshape operations throughout the fresh produce supply chain can be both fascinating and intimidating.
“Whether it’s autonomous orchard sprayers, software solutions that assess data or sorting machines helping packers and shippers screen for imperfect fruits and vegetables, artificial intelligence is taking hold throughout the fresh produce supply chain,” The Packer’s Christina Herrick writes in this story.
While this technology provides opportunities for efficiencies, obstacles remain when it comes to widescale adoption of AI. In this report, experts offer insights into the present and possible future of AI, or as one describes it, “the fourth agri-revolution.” Read the full story here.

As the fresh produce supply chain pursues sustainability, industry says challenges remain

Stemilt Growers compost farm

(Photo courtesy of Stemilt Growers)

Selected by Wayne Hardy: From the grower to the consumer, sustainability remains a key consideration for the fresh produce industry and allied services. Throughout this year, and previous years, we’ve heard what companies are already doing to meet demand for more sustainable operations and consumer options.
What that journey looks like — and the challenges faced — depends on one’s place along the supply chain. This story features perspectives from a grocer, a grower and packaging companies. Read the full story here.

‘Changed forever’: Western North Carolina farmers remain resilient in Hurricane Helene aftermath

“How the water moves through farmers’ fields will never be the same,” said Sandi Kronick, Happy Dirt CEO and co-founder. “The rivers will need to be rewritten. The routes of water through that area are changed forever.” Shown: A new stream of water runs through TendWell Farm.

(Photo courtesy of Happy Dirt)

Selected by Jennifer Strailey: While farmers living and working at the mercy of Mother Nature is not a new story, in 2024 growers were tested by the frequency and intensity of weather incidents around the globe in profoundly heartbreaking ways. In covering the story of Western North Carolina farmers navigating the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene, we were reminded that farmers — who are critical to the sustainability of the planet — are thankfully among the most resilient. Their stories continue to be a source of inspiration for everyone at The Packer. Read the full story here.

Meet the 2024 Produce Retailer of the Year

Sonya Constable is vice president of produce for Sprouts Farmers Market.

(Photo courtesy of Sonya Constable)

Selected by Jennifer Strailey: This story was particularly meaningful because, though The Packer and Produce Market Guide have celebrated women in produce for many years, 2024 was the first year in the nearly 30 years we have run this program that the industry nominated — and in overwhelming numbers — a woman for Produce Retailer of the Year. Sonya Constable, vice president of produce for Sprouts Farmers Market, was our Produce Retailer of the Year and her history-making win was well deserved. Read the full story here.