The success of all good leaders depends on personal development and relationship building. With that philosophy in mind, the Southeast Produce Council’s Education Committee five years ago wanted to offer a greater understanding of the produce industry to those who have chosen to make this industry their calling. To that end, the Southeast Training Education Program for Upcoming Produce Professionals was formed under the auspices of a group headed by Rick Estess, one of the past presidents of the council. We usually just call it STEP-UPP.

Steve Williams, then with Sweetbay Supermarkets, and I worked on the ground floor together; Joe Watson, then with Rouses Markets, got involved soon after that. Currently Tom Page, retired from Supervalu, and I co-chair the program.

I can honestly say that the experience has been a labor of love. Each year, with a little trial and error, it improves. Now in its fifth year, I think it is safe to say that we have far exceeded our expectations.

As director of sales at DiMare Fresh Tampa, I come from the grower-shipper side of the produce industry, and it has been so very rewarding to see how the retailer and the foodservice sides have interacted with the growers and gained a better understanding of how to deal with each other’s challenges. To watch the members of each and every class broaden their understanding of the fresh produce industry and form bonds and business relationships through the program is truly amazing.

The majority of each class has never seen fields of produce growing or being harvested, and many have never seen packing facilities. We start each year with a welcome dinner at the Southern Exposure exposition in Florida at the end of February. We continue with a tour, usually in April, with two full days of visiting growers who are corporate members of the council, with hands on, kicking the dirt, so to speak, and following through the whole process. The last day is an orientation workshop which includes a speaker from the Department of Agriculture of the state that we are in. Then another trip in mid-June or July with the same type of schedule but in a different state. We end with the class graduation in the fall at the Southern Innovations Symposium.

And this fall, we will have a reunion of all five classes.

I know that the STEP-UPP program has been extremely beneficial to everyone who has participated in it. But perhaps the best endorsement can be seen in the words of some of our graduates.

Kevin Hurley of Del Monte Fresh Produce and a member of the first class: “Being a retailer, STEP-UPP helped me to understand the obstacles that the grower-supplier side faced — difficulties and challenges such as labor, market conditions, pests and weather, just to name a few. Field trips to farms and packinghouses educated us on those issues that the growers faced daily. The friendships, connections and the networks that we developed were most valuable after the program ended and after I left the retail industry.”

Jeremy Schirle of Fresh Point/Tampa and a member of the second class: “The program was incredible — probably one of the best learning experiences I have been through since my career in produce. Best thing: relationships. The group stays in touch. Two of our members worked for our company afterwards, and the other two we do business together now. Same thing with the growers you visit. You build relationships together and are able to work on projects together in order to benefit both parties. Lastly, a better understanding of the business.”

Mike Roberts of Harps and also a member of the second class: “Being a member of the second STEP-UPP program was one of the most enjoyable and educational programs of my career. The field tours and agriculture information [were] enormously helpful. I use information that I learned in my STEP-UPP class every day, from understanding how and what the farmers go through and how that affects the retail side to knowing what crops to expect and from what region in the Southeast every year. I keep up and stay in contact with several of my class’s members. I cannot express my gratitude enough to the SEPC for allowing me to be part of such a great program and the education and connections I have made from the experience.”

I urge you to take advantage of this wonderful program, and there’s no better time than right now. Applications for the 2016 STEP-UPP class are now being accepted. The application can be found on the SEPC website (www.seproducecouncil.com), and the deadline for accepting applications of Aug. 1 is rapidly approaching. Applicants should be employed as entry to middle management in a related retail or foodservice role such as produce manager, produce merchandiser, category manager or produce buyer. Potential candidates must be active Corporate Members of the Southeast Produce Council Inc.

Chosen members for the 2016 STEP-UPP Class will be announced at the Southern Innovations Symposium, which will take place Sept. 17-19 at Wild Dunes Resort in Charleston, SC.

(Faye Westfall, who co-chairs the STEP-UPP program, is secretary of the SEPC’s board of directors.)