MCALLEN, TX - Is it just me, or is the window between the Fourth of July and back-to-school shrinking? While it might feel like we were just heralding summer celebrations, already we look ahead to the third quarter of the year, and though off-and-on-rain in the Southwest has kept veg markets like tomatoes and cucumbers up, GR Fresh’s Tony Incaviglia is looking forward to change on the horizon with coming industry events and eyes on innovation.

“The summer markets have been high, but a lot of the local growers retailers love to support will be kicking in more in the coming weeks. Likewise, we’ve seen a lot of early bloom across categories, so we may not see the second or third picks in peppers, for instance. It has kept things relatively stable,” the Vice President of Sales and Marketing shares of the veg outlook.

While Roma tomatoes have been on the tighter side, cucumbers have remained relatively steady, and bell peppers are staying in the 20-dollar range, which Tony points out is a nice balance from the dramatic swings the category has seen previously.

“Our summer program is mostly grown six hours south of the border, so it’s packed during the day, on the road overnight, and we have it before morning. Shrink goes down with a system that is relatively seamless when Mother Nature is not consistently challenging us—thankfully that’s been less the case,” he assures me.

Though there is always gratitude for any weather reprieve, change and challenge are inevitable in the world of fresh produce, and to this end, Tony says GR Fresh is constantly working in the future as well as the present. Because of this, he is excited the team will be attending its first Southern Innovations, hosted by Southeast Produce Council September 12–14.

“Doing the same thing over and over is the definition of insanity, which innovation disrupts, so we are excited to go to this show and learn more about how the industry is looking forward. Smaller regional shows, in my mind, always offer great opportunities for connection, even with just four or five hours on the floor,” Tony shares.

As the countdown to autumn is underway, AndNowUKnow will keep you up on the latest in product and events impacting the produce industry.