February 19, 2021
Hazel Technologies Inc., a USDA-supported technology company delivering new solutions for fresh produce to extend shelf-life, increase sales, and combat food waste, announced Kellen Stailey Martin has joined the company as vice president of marketing.
Kellen Stailey Martin
With over 15 years of experience in the produce industry, Martin’s expertise ranges from marketing and product development to sales and merchandising. Most recently Martin served as vice president of marketing for Grimmway Farms, leading both marketing and merchandising teams across North America. Prior to Grimmway, Martin held leadership roles in sales and marketing at Sunshine Bouquet, one of the largest cut flower producers in South America.
By
February 19, 2021
Wider COVID-19 vaccine distribution should be well-timed with the oncoming Mexican spring vegetable deal, in the view of Ryan Jacobsen, sales manager of Coast Produce Co. Inc., in Nogales.
Jerry Wagner and Ryan Jacobsen
Jacobsen said Feb. 3 “We figure the vaccine will be readily available by then, in the early spring. That will help us supply increasing business.”
Jacobsen noted that, unlike the last two years, this spring deal is running earlier than normal, so a volume peak should coincide nicely with spring demand in an environment expected to be safer for retail shoppers… and foodservice diners.
The quality of the spring product looks very strong.
By
February 19, 2021
When Paige Huntington of the East Texas town of Jefferson and a graduate student at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Tyler, was crowned National Watermelon Queen at the National Watermelon Convention in February 2020 after a year as Texas Watermelon Queen, it was with the expectation that she would, like her predecessors, spend the year making personal appearances across the country promoting watermelons.
Paige Huntington
Then COVID-19 intervened.
“Over the past year, we have had to adapt our roles in the industry to meet the social requirements of today’s society due to the global pandemic,” said Huntington. “We have had to become solution-based thinkers and come up with different ways to promote our favorite fruit since we aren’t able to do things such as in store promotions and marathons.”
February 18, 2021
Lori Taylor continues to receive recognition for her work creating and building The Produce Moms® brand, and helping people incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables into their daily eating habits. Today
Forbes announced their inaugural
Forbes Next 1000, and Lori Taylor, CEO and Founder of The Produce Mom’s and produce industry advocate, has been chosen to join the first class of 250 of the 1000 outstanding entrepreneurs.
Forbes Next 1000 is billed as “The Upstart Entrepreneurs Redefining the American Dream” and is presented by Square, marketer of software and hardware payment products.
Lori Taylor
Forbes Senior Editor, Maneet Ahuja, declares that the
By
February 18, 2021
The mission of the National Watermelon Association, the oldest fruit commodity association in the United States, remains largely unchanged from what it was pre-COVID-19, but with restrictions on travel, in-person conversations and meetings with policy makers, the means by which that mission is pursued has changed.
“Last March, everything changed,” said Bob Morrissey, executive director of the Lakeland, FL-based National Watermelon Association.
The focus is now on constant electronic communications.
The NWA is certainly not alone in that regard, he noted, as virtually all of his peers who run produce organizations or, for that matter, any other non-profit, have had to take a completely different approach in how they go about doing what they do for their members.