The Southeast Produce Council held its annual summer board meeting July 15–17 in Nashville, TN, where Southern Innovations will be taking place in less than two months.

Taylor Farms will feature its full line of innovative and convenient culinary solutions in booth No. 608 at the upcoming IFPA Foodservice Conference.

Current industry challenges revolve around labor, rising costs and inflationary pressures. Taylor Farms' national network of facilities and growing regions offers a wide variety of fresh products from convenient grab-and-go items to a comprehensive lineup of value-added foodservice ingredients for every kitchen space.

One of the leading proponents of sustainable produce packaging said the idea that plastic can be eliminated from the manufacturing process is an unrealistic goal and will not happen in his lifetime, though he quipped the younger panelists may witness it.

“Plastic is here to stay,” 63-year-old Kevin Kelly, CEO of Emerald Packaging, said at the “Sustainable Packaging: Reducing Plastics in the Produce Department” breakout session during the Organic Produce Summit, held July 10-11 in Monterey, CA.

Giorgio Fresh Co. is known as a leading mushroom provider for good reason.

“We’ve been growing mushrooms for three generations, and today Giorgio is one of the largest mushroom growers in the world,” said Bryan Shelton, vice president of sales and marketing for the Blandon, PA-based company. “Rooted in nearly 100 years of experience, we are committed to our consumers. It’s why you can’t pick a better mushroom than Giorgio.”

North Bay Produce, a powerful cooperative of 31 grower-owners representing more than 1,000 farms from around the world, markets and distributes fresh fruits and vegetables 52 weeks a year.

Some produce managers inform me that by expanding organic displays and placing some of the more popular items on an end cap, they are moving more of the category tonnage. That’s great news.