A trio of California grower-shippers revealed their own paths and motivation to the organic produce sector at the recent Organic Grower Summit, which was held in Monterey, CA, Dec. 1-2.

BrightFarms, a leading national player in growing indoor leafy greens, announced that Abby Prior has been promoted within the company to chief commercial officer. She will spearhead the newly formed commercial team, a convergence of the company's sales and marketing groups. The new structure will allow BrightFarms to grow rapidly over the next five years, expanding growing capacity tenfold to reach two-thirds of the U.S.

The robot takeover is in full swing, with a particular eye toward agriculture. According to PitchBook Data Inc. and reported in the Wall Street Journal, $1.54 billion has been invested in agricultural software companies in 2021, surpassing the $1.42 billion invested last year. According to PitchBook Data Inc., investment in the sector for the previous two years was $1.03 billion combined. 

The Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association (WF&FSA) will hold its 2022 Floral Distribution Conference (FDC) in Miami on March 7–9. Organized around the theme “Breaking Boundaries, Bridging Divides,” the 2022 conference brings together floral industry wholesalers and distributors for three days of engaging speakers, educational programming, and networking opportunities.

New York Apple Association always touts the local nature of its offering when promoting in the region, consequently the New York Produce Show & Conference is a perfect fit for the group.

“We love this show,” said NYAA President and CEO Cynthia Haskins. “We go to a lot of different shows, but this is one we definitely don’t miss.”

Ocean Mist Farms, a leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., hired Jeff Hutterer as director of value-added sales and Christa Schuck as sales representative.

As director of value-added sales, Hutterer will be responsible for developing value-added business for Ocean Mist Farms. Prior to accepting the position, Hutterer served as director of retail sales at Mann Packing. He earned his bachelor's degree in marketing from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, MN.