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1. Would you be willing to share with us some details about your professional career?

When I graduated with a degree in English, almost everyone told me I wouldn’t find a job. Not the most encouraging thing for a young graduate to hear! Ultimately, I trusted in my skills as a writer, storyteller, and brand advocate and started freelance work. Along the way, I did some copy editing for The Snack Magazine. Little did I know I would soon click with Vantage Point Media and its team of creators. 

I’ve been working under the VPM umbrella for nearly six years now, during which I’ve helped develop and grow AndNowUKnow, Deli Market News, and The Snack. I was green to the industry when I started—never in my wildest dreams did I think I would write about ag! But like so many others, the passion and the people got me hooked. 

2. Can you tell us about the content of AndNowUKnow (ANUK) and Deli Market News? Who is the target audience, and what is their main impact?

Our vision across both publications is to provide a direct connection between buyers and suppliers. To do that, both AndNowUKnow and Deli Market News bring a balance of content, from written editorials to one-on-one interviews and specialty video segments from a business-to-business perspective. 

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We’re a nimble team, and we want to be on the leading edge of news media. I think our main impact stems from how we’re geared toward the next generation of industry professionals in both fresh produce and specialty foods. We also look at the industry with this 40,000-foot lens that, I think, helps us advocate for the overall health of the industry while nurturing the relationships that allow us all to thrive. 

3. What is it like for you to work in a portal specialized in the produce industry? How important do you think it is to have media dedicated to this industry?

In many ways, I feel very privileged to work within this aspect of the industry. We’re afforded this behind-the-scenes look at how fresh produce gets to market that many people on this planet will never get to see. On a personal level, this made me exponentially more thankful for the farmers and farmworkers getting produce on the plate. On a broader scale, I think every industry should have media dedicated to it, especially fresh produce. We are in a unique position to connect our viewership with their target audiences, whether that is suppliers with buyers, or vice versa. I will always advocate for the importance of the written word in connecting people, and nowhere is this more important than in the relationship-heavy world of our industry. 

4. How crucial is it for produce companies to have a marketing strategy to promote their products and brands?

Very. The world and its consumers have changed—and so have their expectations. I would hazard to say that most consumers don’t even think about marketing on a conscious level; they just know to expect it. Consumers have been trained to expect a brand with a story and a message; retailers too expect this from their supplier partners more often than not. Any company that brings a toolkit of marketing and messaging to a retail partner just makes that partnership more advantageous as a whole. 

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5. What projects is ANUK currently working on, and how can growers in Mexico effectively promote themselves?

We have been working on our newest platform, ProducePilot, which will allow buyers to search for vendors based on category, location, organic/conventional programs, with more tools  still in development. In addition, suppliers can create robust company profiles and share information securely with buyers. It’s an interactive and dynamic approach to supplier company profiles and category directories which we will direct traffic to with our newsletters and stories. 

8. Based on your experience, what have been the most impactful stories related to the Mexican industry?

Stories that seem to have the most impact include those related to import programs, as many of our clients operate in Mexico; current border plans; and the labor market. We know that Mexico, like many countries essential to fresh produce, face the same weather issues, water policies, and market conditions as the U.S. and Canada, and those are themes very relevant to our viewership as well.  

9. How important are food safety and social responsibility in terms of marketing for agribusinesses?

I think they’re incredibly important. Food safety and social responsibility, to me, highlight that an agribusiness is serious about both the people it employs and the people it hopes to feed. I’ll speak for myself, but as a consumer, I want more information about how a company is conducting its business, not less. 

10. What market trends should farmers pay special attention to?

If I could pivot this question a bit, I would say there are market impacts happening now that may go far beyond the label of trend. I think the stress of production and labor costs, consolidation in both the suppy-side operations and retail organizations, and changing consumer buying behaviors are going to keep us on our toes, to say the least. I know I am preaching to the choir here, but the futures of small and mid-level companies are changing. 

We’re right here with the industry though and we understand how flexibility and customer service continue to be our strong suit in this environment. 

11. How do you envision the agricultural sector evolving over the next decade, and what major changes do you anticipate?

I think the impacts listed in the above question are relevant here as well. There is a lot hinging on costs, consolidation, and more. We have experienced some unanticipated changes in the past handful of years, most namely beginning with COVID-19, which had continuous ripple effects. We try not to forecast to far into the future, but we do wonder how sustainable some of these impacts will be.