LOS ALAMITOS, CA - Sometimes all it takes to keep going is a little recognition for your efforts. As produce aisles across the country have positioned themselves on the front lines of safety, our fresh produce heroes deserve that recognition and then some. With this in mind, Frieda’s Specialty Produce officially declared April 2 as Love Your Produce Manager® Day (LYPM). Today is the perfect time to show gratitude for produce department teams and recognize all the hard work they are putting in every day.

“The inspiration for LYPM came from when my mother Frieda introduced the kiwifruit to America in 1962. A shopper at a Safeway store asked their produce manager to locate what is now known as kiwifruit. The produce manager and produce buyer connected with Frieda, who was able to locate the first shipment of the fruit and, as they say, the rest is marketing history,” says Karen Caplan, CEO, President, and Frieda’s eldest daughter.

Now more than ever, in-store produce teams need to remain motivated and inspired. The extra time and effort they are putting in is making a big difference and these teams deserve recognition for a job well done. According to a press release, this is why Frieda’s created the holiday in 2012 to recognize produce managers—highlighting the hard work they put into their departments to keep them fresh and stocked all year round.

Here are a few easy ways to recognize your produce teams today:

• Buy them lunch (great way to support local eateries who have pivoted to takeout only)
• Ask your produce vendors for extra support right now. If suppliers have employees with unused hours, ask them to spend some of that time helping to keep local produce shelves stocked, which will stretch the efforts of your produce teams and give them a much-needed break
• Ask your shoppers to use social media on April 2 to give shout-outs to well-stocked produce departments in their stores, using the hashtag #LYPM. Frieda’s will report back to you on which stores were mentioned so that you can share that social love with your produce teams. Need signage for this endeavor? Just call your Frieda’s account manager today

Please take some time today to visit your stores and show appreciation for your produce teams. From all of us here at AndNowUKnow thank you today and every day, produce department leaders, for your irreplaceable contributions to our industry.

Frieda's