The U.S. government defines the produce industry to be one such high-risk industry from a food safety standpoint. So we must respond accordingly – as an industry, and as individual companies. That includes working to reduce our food safety risks, being prepared to respond in the event we are associated with a foodborne illness outbreak, and telling our story along the way.

For help, you can start right here at PMA. Our members enjoy free access to helpful tools including our manuals on regulatory inspections and recalls. You can also access experienced PMA staff members including crisis communications experts Lorna Christie, me and government relations lead Kathy Means. PMA food safety chief Dr. Bob Whitaker can advise on the logistics of a food safety-related crisis.

Studying other industries’ crises can also help. Here are a few of the lessons drawn from recent headlines – and not just about eggs:

• Don’t stonewall. There can’t be any holes in the food safety net, folks – so large, local, conventional, organic, everyone must get on the food safety bus. The good news is that help is available, for example through PMA’s new local grower workshops.
• Don’t settle for status quo. Face it, your grandfather or great-grandfather’s farming practices are no longer good enough. Our modern food safety reality necessitates risk assessment and risk management, GAPs, audits, and the courage to not harvest that suspect block. Here too, help is available, for example through Field to Fork and its sister blog Ask Dr. Bob.
• Don’t blame the victims. Consumers (rightfully) expect the food industry to work hard to produce safe foods, so we shouldn’t blame them when they get sick because they didn’t treat our foods like hazardous materials.
• Do consider the ROI. Look at your food safety program as an insurance policy. Causing a foodborne illness outbreak can literally cost you the farm. Investing in food safety can help reduce your risk.
• Do have a long-term view. The food safety landscape is perpetually changing, so strive for continuous improvement. Plug in to sources of new information, such as the 15 key learnings from the recent Research Symposium held by the PMA-founded Center for Produce Safety.

To turn around consumer confidence in the safety of our products, consumers must see evidence of our commitment to food safety. Here’s to staying out of this week’s kind of headlines, and telling our positive story.

The membership manager was younger (she got carded at a reception) and was looking for a mentor; the association has such a program, not unlike PMA Foundation for Industry Talent matches produce industry vets with students. She had specific issues and challenges regarding membership value that she wanted help with, and she was on a mission to find it – through the sessions and through everyone she met. She was very excited that her employer sent her to the convention, and she was intent on bringing back value for her association.

The executive director told me she’d known about this convention for years, but this was the first time she’d worked for an association that valued continuing education in association management. Her goals were more strategic, but like the membership manager, she was on a mission. She was meeting new peers and scouring the expo hall for vendors that could help her advance her association.

In each of these cases, an employer chose to invest in an employee, believing the association would reap the benefits. And they sent employees that took that task seriously. These women saw the opportunity to attend as evidence of their employers’ faith in them. Who in your organization could attend something like Fresh Summit and bring back ideas that will make your company more successful and more profitable? Who do you want to show confidence in? Whose potential are you developing?

I’m not quite sure how big the garden is, but for one person, the harvest is a lot more than he can consume. He could easily plant a smaller garden, but he’s used to the size of his plot and all the work that goes with it.

After sharing excess vegetables (usually tomatoes and cucumbers, sometimes bell peppers) with his neighbors and people from church, Dad usually brings one to three reusable plastic trays filled to the brim with produce to my house. My wife and I will select some vegetables for ourselves and then share some with our neighbors and friends. The rest goes with me to the PMA office.

The free veggies don’t last very long, as co-workers pick them for sandwiches, salads, and other dishes. One recurring comment I get (particularly from friends and relatives who don’t understand exactly what I do for a living) is how flavorful Dad’s produce is – which is only off the vine for a day or so at most. Some also comment that this time of year store-bought produce doesn’t compare to those same items direct from the garden, adding that is because the produce is picked too soon; it travels too far; etc. If our industry is to increase produce consumption, shouldn’t we be striving to give consumers the most flavorful experience with every bite?

Of course, we know that some local varieties wouldn’t make it commercially – they might not travel or store well enough. And we know that consumers – even friends and family – believe some of the myths or urban legends about how our industry operates. And, sometimes, they have a point.

Sadly, for some folks I know, having to wait for a three- to four-month window for a garden-ripe tomato or cucumber is worth it. It shouldn’t have to be, but it is. Luckily, my Dad has quite a few of them covered through the Lake Drive vegetable deal.

People, like you and I, can take the pledge to eat more than we currently are eating, with the goal of making fruits and vegetables half your plate – meals and snacks. You can also pledge to boost fruit and vegetable availability in schools. As an industry, we provide consumers with access to fresh produce. As individuals, we can boost consumption by starting with ourselves and broadening into our families, friends, and communities.

I took the “half your plate” pledge. And when I did, I was directed to a page that had lots of tips, meal ideas, budget-stretching information, and more. The website also has a Fruit & Veggie Happenings page where your zip code is your portal to fruit and veggie related activities such as cooking demonstrations, product sampling events, and contests in your community. You can also find out how schools can add fruit and vegetable vending machines and salad bars to lunchrooms, etc.

We’ll be supporting the pledge at Fresh Summit, where the meals over the four general sessions will feature fruits and vegetables that cover half your plate. And as for snacking, if you graze well at the exposition, far more than half your snacks will be fruits and vegetables.

So take the pledge – right now, it takes less than a minute. And do spend a few minutes looking around the resources on the site. Then forward this to everyone you know – your industry colleagues, your employees, your family, your friends. Because if we’re not supporting increased consumption, then who will?

In an era where food safety news is often about illness, proposed legislation or regulation, and lawsuits, it was refreshing to hear that our industry’s efforts were lifted up as a positive move that others (in our industry or elsewhere) should emulate.

Big pats on the back to everyone involved in the interviews – whether on camera or behind the scenes. It’s so important that we keep telling our stories – about taste, nutrition, safety, etc. We can use all the good press we can get!

One area PMA has focused on is the issue of fruit and vegetable access, and during Fresh Summit in Orlando, the “Bringing More Produce to More People” workshop will address gaps in the distribution system and explore new ways to make fresh produce more accessible to more people. In addition to learning more about this issue, participants will find out how they can get involved and how incorporating these ideas into merchandising and marketing strategies can improve their bottom lines.

For a complete listing of the event’s education program, visit the Fresh Summit website and look at the schedule. If you’re planning to come to Orlando in October, remember that the deadline to register online and save is September 17. The last day to register in advance is October 1.

To give you a bit of a preview on some of what will be discussed during Fresh Summit, check out the summer 2010 issue of PMA’s FRESH magazine, where we highlighted some of our members’ efforts in the produce access arena.

I attended the American Society of Association Executives convention in late August. (You knew there had to be an association for association people, right?) It is great to get out of the office and learn from fellow association execs that are facing the same issues we face and are willing to share solutions. Speaker Robert B. Tucker focused on innovative thinking. He talked about making innovation a systematic process, implementing idea management systems, collaborating with customers and suppliers, creating metrics and rewards, and involving everyone in the enterprise.

Tucker noted that there’s no such thing as a commodity (an undistinguished item in a sea of like items), just tired marketers. He stressed looking for new markets and new distribution channels. He challenged listeners to look outside their industry to find value and impact.

He also used a twist on a phrase that I liked. Tucker said we should ask ourselves “different” questions as we seek to innovate. That rang true with me – more so than the admonition to ask “better” questions, which makes a negative value judgment about the questions we’re already asking. Not only does this eliminate the value judgment, it also encourages us to open new lines of questioning that may lead to different paths, hence to innovation. So the next time you’re tempted to scour your brain for a “better” question, just let your mind wander to a “different” question and see where that gets you.

I enjoy getting out with my colleagues, examining common (or not-so-common) issues, and finding new ways to improve how I do my job. You’ve got that opportunity coming up as well. Come to Fresh Summit, October 15 to 18 in Orlando. Get out from behind your desk, engage on issues, and build relationships (new and established). Give yourself the mental and physical space to discover and develop the great idea that’s going to take your business to the next level.

As with the USDA and other federal agencies, a lot of work goes into these resources, and the Internet makes them more readily and easily available than when we all pored over print materials. You’ve heard of the National Export Initiative (NEI) that seeks to double U.S. exports over five years. Poking around in the department’s export resources you’ll find information on the NEI, basics about exporting, market research, trade leads and more. Whether you’re new to exporting or looking for broader markets, you’ll find resources that can expand your company’s horizons.

You’ll also find opportunities to network with buyers from around the world at Fresh Summit in Orlando, October 15 to 18, so be sure you’re there. Whether we’re talking about global business or local foods, fresh produce is at the heart of most food discussions. We’re part of health solutions, trade solutions, and business solutions. It’s not always easy to operate in such a complex environment.

You already take advantage of some of PMA’s resources (or you wouldn’t be reading this blog). Be sure you capitalize on all of them, and be sure you’re tapping the array of resources the U.S. government has to offer. After all, you helped pay for them.

My fiancé and I had stumbled quite accidentally on a small tapas restaurant in Chicago, and were absolutely delighting in incredible dish after dish prepared right in front of us. (We’d opted to sit at the bar, which as luck would have it also turned out to double as the finishing line in this small store). It was immediately clear to us that the menu had been prepared with love and ingredients chosen with care, and we foodies were in absolute heaven to be so surprised and delighted. So being a writer at heart, I simply had to find out this place’s story. Fortunately the assistant manager and sous chef was working right in front of us, and was quite happy to recount how the stars had aligned to allow the opening only two months ago of what turned out to be a second location of the owner and chef.

As the evening progressed, we queried her about ingredients. What was this leafy green? What kind of apples were these, and from where? (My fiancé is an apple grower and marketer.) As she educated us, we also learned a lot about her perceptions about produce – and her misperceptions. While she was well educated about food and health in general, a knowledge likely driven by her own celiac disease, she had bought into Dirty Dozen-type reports. She also thought that “organic” meant pesticide-free. This was a woman who works in the food industry, and has the ability to impact the dietary habits of easily thousands of people in an average year.

Simply put, we must do a better job of telling our story, folks – and at a minimum, not letting other folks tell our stories for us (often to our detriment). If you don’t already know this, telling our story has many benefits – both intangible, such as building goodwill that can help you in times of potential industry crisis, as I recently saw Earthbound Farms do artfully – and tangible, by helping us overcome misperceptions that limit our markets. And PMA can help you; your PMA staff includes several public relations experts who can help you do so, just give us a call, we are at your service. We can also introduce you about the resources available to help you better understand consumers, including our extensive consumer research library. We look forward to hearing from you.

(Our upcoming Fresh Summit will feature lots of programming on the subject of telling your story – from President & CEO Bryan Silbermann’s annual State of the Industry address to provide you with inspiration, to workshops to provide you with the skills. For more information, visit our Fresh Summit website.)

And if you want to know where to get really good tapas in Chicago, just let me know, I’ll be glad to share their contact information.

During the PMA Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition, we’ll look at this trend and examine the numerous benefits - and risks - associated with it during the “Keeping it Local: The Pros and Cons of Local Sourcing” workshop. If you’re headed to Orlando in October, join us for a panel discussion that will take a frank look at the good and the bad of local sourcing, including finding local partners, identifying potential savings, meeting quality and safety standards, and determining if a local sourcing strategy is the smartest move for your business.

For a complete listing of the event’s education program, visit the Fresh Summit website and look at the schedule. If you’re planning to come to Orlando in October, remember that the deadline to register online and save is September 17. The last day to register in advance is October 1.

In the meantime, check out this recent opinion piece from the New York Times as some food for thought and different perspective on the local trend.