Spring is in the air and with it comes excitement for the new sights and flavors of freshly harvested crops. In our respective produce worlds, it is also a great time of anticipation. What is the weather like? How many heating units are we getting? How is our water situation? When will we REALLY start harvesting? Will my trucks arrive in time for the ad? Will my ad be as aggressive as my competition? As an industry, we have our systems and processes set up to be as accurate as possible, but ultimately, we are all at the hands of Mother Nature.
It’s at this point, when we’re worried about all the ‘what-ifs’ that we need to remember our end goal – delivering a delicious product to the consumer. It sounds so simple, but we all know the challenges we face to get this ‘simple’ task done. We’ve all been planning months, we’ve made marketing trips, we’ve set up promotions and everyone from the farmer to the produce manager has put their heart and soul into delivering the right item. We often find ourselves consumed by the daily grind and our seemingly endless stream of e-mails that now arrive 24 hours a day. However, the consumer doesn’t know our trials and tribulations, they show up at your store and all they see is a delicious cherry, a juicy peach, fresh asparagus, and in our specific case, the best blueberries and sweet onions you’ll find in a produce department. They aren’t worried about a truck arriving on time, or being short a pallet or two, or the fact that the harvest started three days late, the consumer wants to show up in your department and find the consistent product they expect will be there day-in and day-out.
Communication is so critical during this time and can help create truly successful seasons for everyone. When we are all on the same page, and have our processes streamlined as much as possible, we really do deliver something special during these months. Bon appétit! Let’s all have a great spring and summer and most importantly, let’s take a moment to make sure we enjoy the season’s harvest with our families and friends.
