MONTEREY, CA - While many see September as the swan song of summer, I, for one, will already be singing “Jingle Bells” by the first of the month. With many consumers echoing this sentiment, holiday promotions should certainly be one of the topics of conversation at Organic Produce Summit 2021 (OPS), and Shenandoah Growers is ready to talk merchandising at the highly anticipated event.

“Our innovative shipper program drove exceptional sales growth in living herbs, and we are supporting the fall and holiday seasons to keep the momentum growing. At OPS, we’ll be featuring our lineup of USDA certified organic living herbs with new creative marketing and merchandising solutions, as well as our fresh-cut herbs and That’s Tasty purées,” said Philip Karp, President. “The entire team at Shenandoah Growers is passionate about offering fresh, organic products to consumers in the places they already shop and for prices they can actually afford.”

As Philip told me, this show is an opportunity for Shenandoah to not only showcase its 100 percent USDA certified organic produce, but to tell the story of what the company has been able to accomplish with its approach to growing indoors. Shenandoah views information sharing as incredibly healthy for our industry, and appreciates the opportunity for collaboration across the sector to boost consumer awareness and confidence in the value of organic produce.

“OPS is an excellent event because it brings together so many key players and stakeholders from all across the fresh produce industry, including both producers and buyers, to discuss and tackle a wide range of issues and trends,” Philip continued. “One of the things we love most about this event is that it provides a great platform for information sharing and collaboration and invites a wide range of fresh perspectives.”

Additionally, the supplier plans to emphasize the potential for growth in the controlled environment agriculture space, discussing the strategies and technologies that have enabled the company to achieve scaled indoor production of fresh organic produce.

“What sets Shenandoah Growers apart is that we’ve taken on the challenge of bringing nature indoors as a producer growing organic leafy greens and produce. In our Biofarms, we’ve been able to achieve production efficiencies that enable us to sell our organic herbs and greens affordably,” Philip told me. “We also produce using highly sustainable growing practices that use up to 90 percent less water than conventional growing and reduce the food miles our fresh products have to travel.”

And, as the company takes a “biology first, technology to scale” approach, Shenandoah provides fresh, delicious products that are not only meeting the needs of the consumer, but are meeting its own ESG goals, too.

“Climate considerations aren’t just for fancy boardrooms and CSR reports. Today’s consumers are thinking about the issue, too, and we see it in their purchasing behavior across a myriad of industries, including fresh produce. Between less reliance on water and land, no synthetic fertilizers, and decreased contamination risks, consumers want to feel good about what they buy,” Philip relayed. “Shenandoah Growers is giving consumers peace of mind when it comes to impact on both the environment and their wallets in produce aisles across 20,000 retail stores nationwide.”

Of course, bumping elbows with fellow produce champions across the supply chain is one thing Shenandoah Growers most looks forward to.

“Our team is excited to continue to build and strengthen relationships across the sector, especially as we’ve brought on so many new members to our Executive Leadership Team over the past year,” Philip stated. “We’re working hard to deliver current and new products at-scale for our many retail partners, and we’re excited to use OPS to expand our reach and introduce ourselves to producers and buyers in the industry.”

Be sure to connect with Shenandoah Growers on the show floor for all of these insights and more.

Shenandoah Growers