Planting the Future: A Call to the Next Generation

To the rising voices, innovative thinkers, and ambitious doers in the next generation of the produce industry: The fresh produce sector has always been rooted in cycles — cycles of growth, harvest and renewal. Now, it is your season to grow. The responsibility of stewarding our industry through the next generation of challenges and opportunities falls to you. I offer a roadmap — drawn from decades of field visits, kitchen collaborations, supply chain problem-solving, and conversations across every link in the chain.

CULTIVATE TALENT LIKE WE CULTIVATE CROPS

Talent must be nurtured like the crops we grow. We have long invested in soil science and varietal research, but too often we overlook our investment in people. All team members — from field crews to warehouse workers; marketing coordinators to corporate chefs — deserve mentorship, opportunity, purpose, and equitable pay.

Developing future leaders from within requires intention and vision. Hire for values, train for excellence, and create advancement pathways. Listen deeply, share knowledge, and build workplaces that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. As a recipient of the Jay Pack Cultivating Our Future Award, I know that investing in people is how we ensure that the mission of our industry continues long after we have left the field, warehouse or boardroom.

BUILD A SEED-TO-SERVICE SUPPLY CHAIN

The future supply chain must be seed to service — integrating knowledge from genetics lab to consumer’s plate. Innovation thrives when agronomists, procurement teams, and chefs work in harmony, driven by data, sustainability, and shared goals.

You inherit not just a business, but a mission to nourish, to innovate, to sustain.

Efficiency should be a shared responsibility. Smarter logistics, better packaging, and open communication mean fewer lost loads, fresher product and happier eaters.

INSPIRE NEXT GENERATION TO EAT FRESH

We all know the statistics: Fruit and vegetable consumption in America is flatlining or declining, especially among younger generations. But here’s the opportunity: We don’t need another clever marketing campaign. We need a movement. Fresh produce should be as exciting as street food, as culturally relevant as global fusion, and as craveable as the latest food trend going viral.

That starts with access, education, and storytelling. Show kids where food comes from. Normalize kohlrabi, mango and jicama. Support programs like FFVP and Pilot Light. Foodservice in schools, stadiums, hospitals, and campuses shapes lifelong habits — let’s make the fresh choice the easy and delicious one.

And never underestimate the influence of foodservice. Schools, colleges, stadiums, hospitals, and tech campuses — these are the places where lifelong habits are formed. Our role is to support institutions in making the fresh choice the easy choice — and the desirable and delicious one, too.

CHEF INNOVATION WILL LEAD THE WAY

Chefs are our frontline ambassadors, translating agriculture into appetite. Collaborate early — before the menu stage. When a chef understands seasonality, varietal characteristics, and postharvest life, they become storytellers, educators and champions of fresh.

But chef innovation must also be accessible. How do we support scalable, operationally feasible ways to showcase produce in institutional and fast-casual environments, not just white-tablecloth dining? How do we help the next generation of culinarians see produce as the center of the plate, not the garnish?
Invite chefs to the field, host ideation sessions, and pilot new cuts or applications together. Make innovation scalable for fast-casual and institutional dining, not just fine dining.

A FUTURE ROOTED IN POSSIBILITY

I challenge you to: cultivate talent, build seamless supply chains, inspire fresh consumption, and champion chef-led innovation. Create a delicious legacy.

The future of produce isn’t just in the ground — it’s in your hands and in your minds. The future of fresh is yours to lead.

M. Jill Overdorf is founder and president of The Produce Ambassador, which provides strategic insight, brand development, and innovative solutions for the foodservice, produce, hospitality and culinary sectors.