February 2023 - 4

EDITOR'S LETTER
Farm shows and
growers' adapting tech
I
f the number of attendees at the Southeast Regional Fruit
and Vegetable Conference are any indication of a return
to " normal " (whatever that is), perhaps the U.S. has fully
entered the post-pandemic phase. Show organizers Georgia
Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association and South Carolina
Peach Council reported attendance, at more than 3,000, was
up 12% from last year, and near pre-pandemic numbers.
I haven't attended that many grower-focused expos and conferences - my
background is closer to the consumer end, marketing and retail - but I've spent many
hours talking to both production and sales desk representatives. Those calls and oneon-one
interviews in fields and conference rooms were focused on fruit and vegetable
crops: weather during the growing season, quality and expected yields and harvest
dates, and everything in between.
Even so, I haven't heard as many concerns about the future of farming during shows
and conventions such as the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo
in early December and the Southeast conference in early January. It's not just idle
" farmers, not government, know best how to farm " comments, either.
From the pressure to hire U.S. farmworkers despite there being little to no such
workers available or interested in farm labor, to more frequent extreme weather
events, there are many conversations happening at events. At the annual awards
breakfast during the Southeast show in Savannah, Georgia, Marshall Sewell, from
sponsor Bayer Crop Science, addressed the issue.
As an industry affairs representative for the international company, Sewell meets
with grower-packer-shippers, industry/trade association representatives, grocery
store produce officials and others, so he hears directly from people throughout the
supply chain.
" There is no shortage of change and challenges that we have noticed in the produce
industry, " Sewell said at the awards breakfast. " So, when I say 'Thank you for your
business,' I thank you for being in business, being here despite all of the challenges,
all of the change, everything you continue to face on a daily basis. "
One of these challenges is being met with a transformational wave of technology
sweeping the globe. As farm labor becomes scarce and no solution in immigration or
other laws is being seriously considered, tech and equipment companies are working
on ways to replace field and packinghouse labor with robots and other technology.
We're not that far away from advances in hardware and software that can discern
which piece of fruit is ripe and fits the size required to fill orders, and then take the
fruit from the tree, vine or bush without bruising it.
But we're not there just yet, and growers know it. During a session on precision
agriculture at the Southeast Regional show, several members of the audience
questioned why there were so many empty seats. Session presenters from academia
noted the steps they've taken in recent years to make the precision ag track at the
conference more prominent.
While a number of the grower attendees want to champion the idea of robotic
and automated fieldwork, one grower laid out a frustration with promotion of new
technology: Too many times, the message from tech or equipment companies seem to
be saying that " dumb farmers " should drop all concerns and embrace tech solutions
whose " pros " don't overshadow their " cons. "
This argument plays out throughout the consumer and business-to-business tech
marketplace all the time, from the introduction of automatic vacuums in the home
to packinghouse graders/sorters that can move thousands of pieces of fruit an hour
while finding defects that could render them unmarketable.
At some point, prices level off, equipment consistently meets specifications,
including being fast enough to surpass the efficiency of skilled labor on the line, and
within a few seasons, the equipment/technology pops up in fields or packinghouses
throughout the industry.
I look forward to seeing this happen in fields and orchards
from California and Texas to New York and Michigan.
We're not there yet, but we will be.
Chris Koger, Managing Editor
4 | FEBRUARY 2023
EDITORIAL
MANAGING EDITOR
ASSISTANT EDITOR
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Chris Koger, 616-520-2156
ckoger@greatamericanpublish.com
Doug Ohlemeier, 616-520-2162
dohlemeier@greatamericanpublish.com
Kristen Kazarian, 616-520-2144
kkazarian@greatamericanpublish.com
ADVERTISING SALES
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
ACCOUNT SPECIALIST
CLIENT SUCCESS
REPRESENTATIVE
Greg Sebel, 616-520-2146
vgnads@vegetablegrowersnews.com
Kim Meyers, 616-520-2137
kmeyers@greatamericanpublish.com
Kristy McDermott, 616-520-2158
kmcdermott@greatamericanpublish.com
PRODUCTION
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE
DIRECTOR
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Eric Hadden, 616-520-2147
vgnproduction@vegetablegrowersnews.com
Amanda Mackey, 616-520-2157
amackey@greatamericanpublish.com
Allison McKenzie, 616-520-2142
amckenzie@greatamericanpublish.com
CIRCULATION
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Becky Stovall, 616-520-2138
circulation@vegetablegrowersnews.com
CORPORATE
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
COO & CHIEF
MARKETING OFFICER
PUBLISHER/CEO
Deb Carnes, 616-520-2169
dcarnes@greatamericanpublish.com
Kim Baker, 616-520-2135
kbaker@greatamericanpublish.com
Matt McCallum, 616-520-2133
mmccallum@greatamericanpublish.com
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Frank Gasperini
Kevin Hosey
Simon Huntley
Bob Jones
William Lamont
Carolyn O'Donnell
Chris Pawelski
Rick Snyder
Tim Waters
Ben Werling
USPS 015-789, ISSN 1049-8494
PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT SPARTA, MI AND ADDITIONAL OFFICES
Published monthly except, May/June, July/Aug, and Sept/Oct by
GREAT AMERICAN MEDIA SERVICES INC.
Office at 75 Applewood Dr., Suite A, Sparta, Michigan 49345.
POSTMASTER
Send address changes to:
Great American Publishing,
PO Box 318, Lincolnshire IL 60069
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
United States: $35.50 per 3 years,
$15.50 per year
Canada: $56 per year,
Foreign Countries: $100 per year
Digital Editions: $9.95 per year,
Back Issues: $6 each
FEBRUARY 2023 | VOLUME 57 | ISSUE 2
The opinions and views expressed by authors, contributors and
advertisers in Vegetable Growers News do not necessarily reflect those
of the editors and publisher. Appearance in Vegetable Growers News
does not constitute endorsement by Great American Media Services
or Vegetable Growers News of the advertiser, its products, or services.
Great American Media Services and Vegetable Growers News accepts no
responsibility of liability for the validity or accuracy of information supplied
by contributors, vendors, advertisers, or advertising agencies. Great
American Media Services and Vegetable Growers News do not make any
claims or guarantees as to the accuracy or validity of information supplied
by contributors, vendors, advertisers or advertising agencies.
Copyright 2023
VEGETABLE GROWERS NEWS is a publication of
a division of Great American Publishing
February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2023
