Frank Padilla, Peter Barone, and Kevin Barry Talk Organic Produce Summit Value and More
MONTEREY, CA - The Organic Produce Summit (OPS) has been the talk of the organic town ever since the show debuted more than four years ago—and to rave reviews at that. Displaying no signs of slowing, OPS is already ramping up for its 2020 annual event with sold-out exhibitor’s space and 152 of North America’s finest organic fresh produce growers, shippers, and processors set to showcase their coveted programs to attendees from across the buyside of our industry. With festivities and educational sessions already on the books for the July 8th and 9th OPS extravaganza at the Monterey Conference Center, I reached out to some of our industry’s leaders to share their insights on the show and where they find value in what the organic event has to offer.
Frank Padilla, Vice President and General Merchandise Manager for Produce and Meat, Costco
“Costco looks forward to sending buying representatives to Monterey for this year's Organic Produce Summit 2020, to continue to support the organic community and to seek out new suppliers. We also take this opportunity to tour the growing and packing operations of the fertile Salinas Valley and to take in the engaging and thought-provoking educational workshops.”
Peter Barone, Procurement Manager, Evolution Fresh, Starbucks
“The Organic Produce Summit has provided the Evolution Fresh team a platform to engage with the organic community in a multi-faceted manner. Our Procurement, Marketing, and QA teams have a chance to network and engage with subject matter experts across the organic produce industry.”
Kevin Barry, Director of Produce and Floral, Big Y Foods
“The Organic Produce Summit provides attendees with the opportunity to meet and network with organic growers, see their product, and exchange ideas. The field tours are informative and a chance to engage with some of the leading growers in the industry. The opening reception is a gathering of growers, shippers, and retailers—all eager to network and exchange ideas. The breakout sessions offer a range of pertinent organic discussions and the presentations on the exhibition floor make it one of the best expos of the year. If you are involved with organics and would like to get involved, this summit is a must-attend!”
Registration is still open! Find out all you need to know here. Interested in reading more about what our industry has to say? Stay tuned as we bring voices from around the industry as we look to the Organic Produce Summit 2020!
