HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — The Global Organic Produce Expo floor was bustling on the last day of the event, Jan. 24, where exhibitors showcased products, innovations and solutions.
Morgan Stuckert, marketing and communication manager for Lipman Family Farms, said the company put an emphasis on its organic roma tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, yellow squash, zucchini and a grill-pack combo of a yellow and green squash.
“Our grape tomatoes specifically are showcased in these 100% compostable packaging,” she said. “On top of that, we have a compostable band for our two-count cucumber. It's wrapped with a tension band, so they're secure and its 100% compostable. We're looking at getting a compostable option for every one of our grown true organic items.”
Shown from left are Jed, Jerry, Jeph and Joe Watson with Watsonia Farms.
Jed Watson said the fourth-generation Watsonia Farms' main goal at GOPEX was to start dialogues with retailers and see how his family farm's portfolio of fruits and vegetables can alleviate pain points. Joining Jed Watson was Jerry Watson, Jeph Watson and Joe Watson.
Jesse Taylor (left) and Jim Alderman Jr. are shown at the Alderman Farms booth at GOPEX.
Jesse Taylor (and Jim Alderman Jr. showed off the company's organic tomatoes, cabbage, yellow squash, zucchini, corn, bell peppers and cucumbers at GOPEX.
Shown from left are Shannon Shuman, Ernesto Nardone, Angela Nardone, Marc Koutufaris and Tyler Rose of Share-ify.
The Food Safety Modernization Act' Section 204 was a key talking point for the team at Share-ify, which included Shannon Shuman, Ernesto Nardone, Angela Nardone, Marc Koutufaris and Tyler Rose.
"So many companies that visit us are looking for an easier way to manage their supplier community, and that includes product information certifications, things that validate that they're a qualified supplier,” Angela Nardone said. “We assist them with that.”
Nardone said on the heels of GOPEX's food safety education session, many attendees talked about FSMA 204.
“They're just trying to square out the market, see who has a solution and see if it's something that they think is viable,” she said. “Very important today, especially with produce, is quality control and making sure that the produce items that come in meet the standards of the buyer, and so we're assisting them with a quality control program.”
Shown from left are Jason Miller and Matthew Houmes with Altar Produce.
Jason Miller and Matthew Houmes of Altar Produce touted the company's organic produce at GOPEX 2024. Altar Produce grows more than 30,000 acres of asparagus and is the world's largest producer of the crop, according to the company.
Shown from left are Gabriel Gerado Tina Federico and Joanna Jaramillo at Wholesum's GOPEX booth.
Gabriel Gerado, Tina Federico and Joanna Jaramillo with Wholesum showcased the company's specialty high-flavor cherry and grape tomatoes, including its Poppies, Darlings, Kaleidos and Brites. The company also spotlighted its squash, cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes and bell peppers, as well as its sustainably packaged tomatoes on the vine.
“It was a passion project, because we really wanted to move toward and are looking forward and to continue our movement into more sustainable packaging,” Jaramillo said. “It's 100% recyclable; it's a cardboard pack, and we got a little bit of messaging to help promote sustainability within our packaging.”
Shown from left are DeSean Steele, Marcello Ferrer and Russell Reta at Giro Pack's GOPEX booth.
At the Giro Pack booth, DeSean Steele, Marcello Ferrer and Russell Reta talked about the company's 100% plastic-free bag. Reta said the net bag and paper film is home compostable.
“This can be thrown into your home compost pile, or if you're a municipality that has curbside organic waste, it can go into that bin as well,” he said. “We are gaining a lot more interest in the avocado market as well as the citrus market.”
Reta said Giro only needs to install an adaptor on the machine to run this new packaging, which he also hopes to expand into full-line automation for packing houses.
Shown from left are Ark Foods' Peter Robbins, Noah Robbins, Lindsay Belfatto and Ranwa Dbaibo.
Peter Robbins, Noah Robbins, Lindsay Belfatto and Ranwa Dbaibo showcase the company's shishito, poblano, serrano and jalapeño peppers.
“Our approach is really very much about taking farmers market-type vegetables and applying commercial growing techniques, trying to make them more accessible for people that otherwise wouldn't have access,” Belfatto said.
Belfatto said other noteworthy vegetables include the fairy tale eggplant, mini heirloom tomatoes and honeynut squash.
“In tandem with our growing operations, we have a line of chop salad kits called Clean Label Eats, along with a stir-fry kit,” she said. “They're all clean ingredients, Non-GMO Project-verified. We develop all the dressings in house with an R&D team. We've come up with some interesting flavor profiles like crunchy sesame, ramen and Southern barbecue ranch. They have a ton of texture and crunch to them from the ramen noodles to the roasted corn.”
Pictured is Eric McClam of City Roots Organic Farm.
Eric McClam showed off City Roots Organic Farm's new packaging, for its microgreens, that the company will roll out this year with post-consumer recycled plastics.
“We're really excited about the packaging and for us, that packaging and branding pops out,” he said. “At the end of the day, your shopper wants to see something that's going to catch their eye that's vibrant, that's fun. Obviously, you're going to have high-quality product within that. The graphics help drive some sale.”
McClam also said his team was moving operations into a new 75,000-square-foot greenhouse with a Cravo retractable roof system and sidewalls, with its energy use is offset by 1,000 solar panels.
“This facility is about six times the size of our current one,” he said. “It'll have a new wash-and-pack facility, new seeding building, germination building and geothermal, solar buildings. The site is 90 acres, and we're putting about half of that acreage in a conservation easement.”
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