BAKERSFIELD, CA - Over the course of this series, Phil Gruszka has written about persistence and consistency, the danger of commoditization, the importance of storytelling, and why great produce alone isn’t always enough to win in today’s market. Most recently, he pointed out to me that there is a common thread running through all of them: How a company presents itself matters.

As the produce, marketing, and storytelling veteran dives into the latest aspect of presentation, experience, and how everything weaves together, this is the perfect week to examine why a brand is the sum of experiences.

Presentation Goes Far Beyond Advertising

Your brand is being built every time someone interacts with your company.

A buyer opens a sales presentation. A consumer picks up your package at retail. Someone visits your website for the first time. A potential customer sees one of your LinkedIn posts. A buyer calls with a problem. A consumer sends an email with a question.

Each interaction may seem small. Collectively, they become your brand.

That leads to a question I believe every company should ask periodically: Are you proud of every touchpoint a customer has with your company?

Think about it:

• Does your packaging represent the quality of the product inside?
• Do your sales materials and presentations represent your company the way you want them to?
• Does your website reflect the company you are today?
• Does your social media presence tell a consistent story about who you are?
• When a customer or consumer has a problem, does the response reinforce the kind of company you say you are?
• If someone knew nothing about your company and experienced these things for the first time, what impression would they walk away with?

None of this means every interaction needs to be perfect. It means those interactions should be intentional and, more importantly, consistent.

Small Deposits Add Up

In an earlier article, I wrote about the value of persistence and consistency in produce marketing and why companies should not necessarily judge awareness efforts by immediate sales results. The same principle applies to the entire customer experience.

Brand building is cumulative.

A customer may see one of your LinkedIn posts and do nothing. Then they see another. And another. They notice your booth at a trade show. A salesperson sends them a professional presentation. They visit your website.

They see your packaging at retail. Eventually, an opportunity arises to do business with you.

There may never be one moment when someone says, “That LinkedIn post convinced me to buy from this company.” That is not necessarily how marketing works.

Instead, each positive interaction makes a small deposit into what I think of as a confidence account. Over time, those deposits add up.

This connects directly to something else I have written about in this series: great produce can still fail in the marketplace.

Quality is essential, but quality by itself does not always differentiate one supplier from another. When several companies can offer great grapes, berries, citrus or vegetables, the difference increasingly becomes the confidence a buyer has in the company behind the product.

• Can I depend on them? 
• Will they communicate in good times and bad? 
• Do they understand my business? 
• Will they be there when something goes wrong?

Those questions are not answered by one advertisement or one sales call. They're answered through experience.

I have also written about the danger of commoditization in fresh produce. When companies allow their products to be viewed as interchangeable, the conversation naturally moves toward price.

A strong brand helps change that conversation. Your story matters. Your packaging matters. Your sales presentation matters. Your digital presence matters. Your service matters.

Each provides another reason for a customer to see something beyond the commodity itself.

That does not happen overnight. It happens through the persistence and consistency we have discussed throughout this series.

How The Customer Sees The Company

One of the challenges for any business is that we see our own company every day.

We know the people. We know the history. We know the quality of the product and the work that happens behind the scenes to deliver it.

A prospective customer does not know all of that. They see what we show them.

That is one area where an outside marketing perspective can be valuable. It is not about coming in and telling a company everything it has been doing is wrong. In many cases, quite the opposite is true. There may already be an exceptional story, strong customer relationships, and excellent marketing pieces in place.

Sometimes the opportunity is simply connecting those pieces and looking at them through the customer's eyes.

An outside perspective can look across the entire experience and ask whether the packaging, website, sales materials, social presence, trade-show presence, and customer communication are all reinforcing the same message.

Because ultimately a brand is not built by one advertisement, one great sales presentation, or one successful season.

Your brand is what customers experience consistently enough to believe. And every interaction is another opportunity to make a deposit in that confidence account.

FULLERTON, CA - Albertsons® announced plans to build a new Albertsons grocery store in Valley Center, bringing fresh food, pharmacy services, ecommerce services and everyday essentials closer to residents in a growing San Diego County community.

Scheduled to open in spring 2028, the new approximately 51,000-square-foot store will be located on property owned by the San Pasqual Economic Development Corporation. The project represents a significant investment in the Valley Center, a community of approximately 22,000 residents where many families currently travel several miles to access a full-service grocery store.

The new Albertsons store will offer residents a convenient destination for fresh produce, quality meat and seafood, bakery and deli offerings, pharmacy services and a wide selection of grocery and household products.

“Albertsons is proud to expand our presence in Valley Center and help meet the community’s need for greater access to fresh, affordable food,” said Wayne Denningham, EVP of the California Region, in the recent release. “This new store will provide greater convenience for families, create local jobs and serve as an important community resource for years to come."

The project reflects a collaborative effort between Albertsons and the San Pasqual Economic Development Corporation to support the long-term growth and well-being of the Valley Center community.

In addition to expanding access to fresh food, ecommerce services and pharmacy services, the new store is expected to create local employment opportunities and contribute to economic development in the region. Albertsons has a long history of serving communities throughout Southern California and remains committed to providing customers with quality products, exceptional service and meaningful community engagement.

Additional information regarding construction milestones, hiring opportunities and grand opening celebrations will be shared as the project moves forward.

LOS ANGELES, CA - Generous Brands announced the appointment of Andrew Katz as Chief Marketing Officer, bringing one of the beverage industry’s leading modern brand builders to the company’s executive leadership team. Katz will lead marketing across the Generous Brands portfolio, focused on strengthening its market position, deepening consumer connections, and accelerating growth across the company’s premium refrigerated beverage platform.

Katz most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer of Athletic Brewing Company, contributing to the brand’s continued momentum and leadership in the rapidly expanding non-alcoholic beer category. His career spans leadership roles at some of the world’s most recognized consumer brands, including PepsiCo, American Express, and Heineken, complemented by the entrepreneurial perspective gained from building a company as a startup founder.

“Andrew combines world-class brand-building expertise with a bold, disruptive approach to growth,” said Steve Cornell, Chief Executive Officer at Generous Brands. “He knows how to build brands people love and how to turn that connection into meaningful, measurable results. His challenger-brand experience and modern marketing approach will be instrumental in shaping the future of Generous Brands.”

At Generous Brands, Katz will lead the company’s integrated marketing organization, bringing together brand strategy, consumer insights, creative development, performance marketing, and strategic partnerships to deepen connections and strengthen market impact. His appointment comes as the company continues its growth mission as the #1 share company in the refrigerated, better-for-you beverage category across a portfolio that includes Bolthouse Farms, Health-Ade, and Evolution Fresh, alongside a strategic partnership with SAMBAZON.

“The opportunity to help shape the next chapter for this collection of iconic brands is incredibly compelling,” said Katz. “Each has a distinct legacy, a loyal following, and meaningful potential ahead. I’m excited to work alongside the team to build on those strengths, tell their stories in fresh and relevant ways, and create deeper connections with the people and communities they serve.”

Katz’s appointment marks the latest step in the company’s continued investment in its marketing capabilities and broader growth strategy. He will work closely with leaders and teams across the organization to translate that strategy into meaningful brand and business impact.

TUCSON, AZ - On January 13, the FPAA will kick off the first produce show of 2027 with the fourth edition of SWIPE. This year, the show is all about one thing: networking, networking, and, yes, more networking.

So much of business is built on connections, and there may be no better place to make them than SWIPE. The FPAA members and staff have put together three days packed with opportunities to reconnect with longtime colleagues, meet new people, and build relationships. Each day is designed to get people out of their hotel room and into the action, connecting with peers throughout the industry.

SWIPE has golfers of all levels covered with a fun-focused tournament on one of the best courses in Arizona and with January weather that is hard to beat. A day in the Arizona sunshine, surrounded by green grass and a warm breeze, is a great way to relax, reconnect, and spend time with industry peers.

“No one on this course is retiring to join the PGA, but we are all there to have a great time with people we know and people we are meeting for the first time,” says SWIPE Golf Chair Kyle McGrath of EarthBlend in the recent release.

For the non-golfer crowd, SWIPE is taking the pickleball tournament to another level. Two world-renowned luchadores from Mexico will join the competition this year. The luchadores will play throughout the day, and the tournament’s top team will have to face them for the grand championship. The Lucha Libre Pickleball Paddle Battle is one event attendees won’t want to miss.

“Not being a golfer, I was very excited to see pickleball return. This year they are starting the tournament with a quick warm-up and some Pickleball 101 lessons held by some of Tucson’s top players. It’s a great way for newer players to jump right into the fun, and it’s a great way to start the show while meeting new people,” says Mark Munger of IPR Fresh and one of the SWIPE organizers.

Thursday will kick off with Education Sessions designed to bring value to all attendees. Suppliers and buyers will learn the best steps for negotiating in business, how to leverage the power of social media, and the many ways the Food is Medicine movement can benefit the produce industry. The FPAA is also excited to bring an exclusive look at “Reading the Signals: A 2027 Outlook for the Fresh Produce Supply Chain” by the data experts at the Blue Book.

“We really focused on elevating our education sessions to make them attractive to both buyers and sellers. We went out of our way to make them a place of learning, but also a place to spend time learning together,” said Allison Moore, Executive Vice President at FPAA.

SWIPE reimagined the Women’s Networking Event for an afternoon networking and speaker session, and the committee added a 35 and Under session to bring together more of the younger attendees into the conversation to help build new connections across the industry.

Add in goat yoga, golf lessons, cooking classes, opening and closing parties, and plenty of other activities, and people may start to wonder if they even need a hotel room. The SWIPE team suggests you get one anyway, especially since the JW Marriott’s newly designed rooms are beautiful, comfortable, and a good place to store all of the great takeaways from SWIPE.

“We look forward to seeing you in January. Bring plenty of business cards — you’re going to need them,” says Lance Jungmeyer, FPAA President.

MONTEREY, CA - The Organic Grower Summit (OGS), presented by Farm Progress, is proud to announce Thaddeus Barsotti, founder of Capay Organic and former Grower of the Year, as the opening keynote speaker for OGS26, taking place Dec. 2-3, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa in Monterey, California.

Barsotti, a second-generation organic farmer and an influential voice in the organic agriculture movement, will share his journey from growing up on a 1980s organic truck farm to building one of the largest organic direct-to-consumer platforms in the country. His keynote will offer a rare, personal perspective on the evolution of organic farming, the challenges and triumphs of scaling a values-driven business, and what it takes to lead in an industry that's constantly evolving.

“Thaddeus Barsotti represents the very best of what organic agriculture stands for—innovation, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to sustainable farming,” said Matt Jungmann, Farm Progress senior national events director, in the recent release. “His story is one that every grower, retailer and industry professional needs to hear. We're honored to have him open OGS26 and set the tone for two days of meaningful conversation and collaboration."

A Legacy Rooted in Organic Agriculture

Born and raised on an organic farm in California's Capay Valley, Barsotti has spent his entire life immersed in organic agriculture. He is the founder of Farm Fresh To You, which became the largest organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program in the United States before being acquired in 2020. Today, he continues to operate Capay Organic, a medium-to-large-scale organic produce farm, and he serves as Chairman of the Board for CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers), one of the nation's leading organic certification and advocacy organizations.

Barsotti is also a recently published author, having written a compelling memoir, Betting on the Farm: An Heirloom Childhood, about his experiences growing up on an organic farm and being part of the organic farming movement from its earliest days. His work as a farmer, entrepreneur, and advocate has made him a sought-after speaker and thought leader in the organic community.

As a previous OGS Grower of the Year, Barsotti's return to the Organic Grower Summit stage is a full-circle moment—one that underscores the event's role as a gathering place for the industry's most innovative and impactful leaders.

In addition to Barsotti's keynote address, OGS26 will deliver an immersive experience designed to connect, educate, and inspire the organic community. The summit will introduce an exclusive Farm Progress AGTech Reception & Field Demos at Reservoir Farms, an offsite evening networking event featuring live field demonstrations of the latest innovations in organic agriculture technology, sponsored by Reservoir, John Deere and Western Growers Association. A new Retailer Panel Discussion will bring together industry experts to share critical insights on product quality, consistency, pricing, packaging, and sustainability. Adding to the excitement, This Week in Agribusiness will be filming live on-site, hosting their weekly episode and engaging attendees while spotlighting the innovations and stories shaping the future of organic farming.

The summit will also feature educational sessions covering sustainable practices, emerging technologies, soil health strategies, integrated pest management (IPM), and market trends, alongside an enhanced indoor and outdoor trade show with live presentations of next-generation organic farming innovations. The prestigious Grower of the Year Award, sponsored by John Deere, will recognize four finalists for excellence in organic growing practices, with one ultimately being named Grower of the Year. Nominations close Aug. 31, 2026.

2026 Registration

The Full 2-Day Pass delivers the summit's most comprehensive experience:

• Complete access to all educational sessions and networking events
• Meals including breakfasts, lunches, and coffee breaks
• Entry to the opening general session and the retailer panel
• Transportation and entry to the Farm Progress AGTech Reception & Field Demos at Reservoir Farms
• Attendance at the Grower of the Year awards ceremony
• Full access to the tradeshow featuring leading-edge organic solutions

For those with limited schedules, single-day passes are available and include all activities scheduled for the selected day. Complete registration details and package options can be viewed online at www.OrganicGrowerSummit.com.

Registration is now open for all organic industry and allied trades professionals, including growers, consultants, and inspectors.