“Nothing encapsulates the dynamic energy of the organic produce trade better than Organic Produce Summit. It is a jam-packed dynamo of an event that reflects the vitality of our sector,” says Ben Johnson Bridges Produce president, when asked about the company’s attendance at the OPS show next month in Monterey, California.
Bridges Produce has been on a mission to further organic agriculture since its founding more than 20 years ago. This aligns with the OPS as it is 100 percent focused on the organic produce sector and works to bring together organic-focused businesses from across the supply chain. This, combined with a smaller format, allows the company to meet with many of its partners new and old for meaningful face-to-face conversations. The optimal timing of the OPS is ideal for talking about summer fruit sales as well as fall program planning.
The Bridges Produce team at last year's IFPA show in Orlando.
When it comes to summer flavors, it is hard to beat fresh Northwest blueberries. “Pacific Northwest organic blueberries have had an excellent spring for pollination and will be getting started with a very nice crop around the end of June,” says Michael McMillan, blueberry category manager. “While there should be enough fruit for the 4th of July, look for promotional opportunities to ramp up from the time of the show in mid-July through early August.”
While Bridges will be nearing the end of its New Zealand organic apple program come mid-July, it expects this to continue to be a hot topic. With the short domestic market and weather damage to the South American fruit, New Zealand apples are demanding strong prices as apples will be in tight supply until new crop domestic fruit starts.
The show will also be a prime time for discussing the upcoming fall season. Bridges has a robust, diverse organic fall program including Northwest apples, pears, onions and potatoes and an extensive Mexican row crop program featuring hard squash, summer squash, cucumbers, eggplant and peppers. OPS comes at a time when the company can still adjust its fall crop and packing plans to accommodate new customers and new program business.
Six members of the Bridges Team representing a wide variety of product categories will be in attendance at the show so come by booth #726!
For more information:
Sydney Fairchild
Bridges Produce
Tel: +1 (503) 235-7333
[email protected]
www.bridgesproduce.com
