Growers and Suppliers – What Really Happens in the Food Supply Chain

Growers and Suppliers – What Really Happens in the Food Supply Chain

When it comes to the growers and suppliers in fresh food supply chain, how many of us really understand what it takes to provide the fresh fruits and vegetables that we buy at our local grocery store? Perspectives from Western Growers Last week I was at the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology (WGCIT) in Salinas, California and had the chance to meet with Dennis Donohue, the WGCIT’s Consulting Director. While I’m perhaps more in-tune with the produce industry than your average American, speaking with Dennis...Continue Reading...
Margins Matter – Don’t Get Squeezed

Margins Matter – Don’t Get Squeezed

When my kids were young, each night at bedtime I’d read them two or three books. One of their favorites was “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” Maybe you’ve read it to your children or grandchildren. It details how poor Alexander’s day starts off bad (gum in his hair when he wakes up) and just gets worse. I’ll bet each of us has had at least one of those days. I wonder if that’s how grocery retailers feel these days. It seems almost daily we see stories in the news or trade press about a new challenge...Continue Reading...
It’s Like Waze for the Fresh Food Supply Chain

It’s Like Waze for the Fresh Food Supply Chain

Managing fresh food supply chain routing involves managing many changes and variables. It’s kind of like driving in commute traffic. Supply Chain Routing: It’s like Waze! Waze is my go-to navigation app. Most days I think I would be lost without it. But some days I think it’s getting me lost. In fact, in the last six months alone, Waze has charted about 20 different routes for my evening commute. Sometimes I take the freeway. Other times I go through residential neighborhoods that I didn’t even know existed. Sometimes I...Continue Reading...
A Picture is Worth…

A Picture is Worth…

You know how to complete that sentence. In many cases, such as when trying to describe a person’s face or the Grand Canyon, a picture is most likely well worth the thousand words. But, when it comes to determining the freshness of perishable foods, a picture doesn’t tell you all that much. Why? Because a picture only tells a part of the story and, without the rest, the information you get is incomplete and often misleading. For example, in the photo above, you can tell that runner number 2 was ahead at the time the photo was taken...Continue Reading...