Got the delta blues? Just when we thought this fall would be our industry’s homecoming, the COVID-19 delta variant has reminded us that we are still living with a pandemic. We’ve grown blurry-eyed from Zoom meetings and Teams chats, but we know that these adaptations have allowed us to maintain a sense of business continuity throughout the past 18 months. Our hopes of un-masked, double-vaxxed gatherings may be changing, but we have already proven our resilience. Here are some focus areas to continue to grow our marketing efforts as we plan for more uncertainty.

Printpack recently launched its Preserve line of breathable laminated film for fresh produce, which is pre-qualified by the How2Recycle organization. The film comprises all polyethylene and is approved for in-store drop-off recycling. The advantage of Preserve PE for fresh produce is that it offers customers a sustainable product that does not sacrifice manufacturing performance, product protection, shelf life or brand differentiation.

Easy Rider, The Wild One, The Produce News? Sturgis is over — now the real motorcycle rally can begin. Bikes elicit the passion that those in the produce industry are known for, so TPN asked you to show us your rides and you responded. The Produce News' bike rally got Hog Wild, so get a look at what some of your fellow industry friends and colleagues ride when they take to the open road.

There’s a lot of research out there about the Millennial and the Gen Z shopper and how to market fresh produce to toddlers and elementary age kids, but there’s a demographic we often ignore — tweens and teens. They aren’t enticed by characters on packages or colorful stickers on fruit, they are enticed by what they are seeing on their streaming service, social media, podcast or other networking platforms.

Vision Import Group, based in Wyckoff, NJ, recently announced several staff changes to position the company for its expanding future.

Angela Aronica previously was sales director and was promoted to vice president of sales. Aronica is a second-generation produce industry member and has been with Vision Import for four years. She graduated from Penn State University with a major in agricultural sciences and minor in agricultural communication.

Coming off the 2020-21 shipping season that was largely shaped by COVID-19, Phoenix, CO-based Epic Produce Sales Owner Art Miller said flexibility is key to the current Colorado potato season.