The Big Show

My mindset in attending my first United Fresh show in 14 years is simple: act like a kid in a candy store.
The metaphor is admittedly a bit tortured. There won’t be much candy in the convention hall in San Diego, nor will I be wide-eyed and pointing at things. But there will be a wealth of products, people and ideas, and all connected with a vital segment of the food industry. To me, that’s sweet.
Events like this give us the chance to meet friends old and new in the industry, both during informal networking sessions and during scheduled one-on-one appointments. None of these meetings can be classified as “trivial,” and all of them will help us be better able to tell fresh-cut’s story.
Being around innovative thinking and concepts is stimulating, and those elements will be at United in abundance, both in new food products and the latest ideas in machinery and services required to bring those products to market.
We’re featuring an impressive sample of this kind of innovation in this issue of Fresh Cut. See pages 12-14 for a look at all the nominees for the United New Products Awards and a closer look at some of the items that are related to fresh-cut. Other show-related information can be found on pages 16 and 17.
Look for updates during the show on freshcut.com and our Facebook and Twitter pages and after the show in the June issue of Fresh Cut magazine. Stop by our booth (1032), drop off your business card and enter a drawing to win an iPad Mini.
Elsewhere in this issue, read about industry leader Lorri Koster of Mann Packing, a former honoree of the United Women in Produce reception, in the story on page 22.  Fresh-cut for the Hispanic market is a rapidly growing trend, and you can get a taste of that growth in the story on page 26.

You hear from us on a frequent basis, and now we want to hear from you.
A reader survey is included in this issue, which can also be completed online (see the print survey in this issue for details). The survey gives us helpful information about your operations, interests and how you would like us to serve you in print and online.
As an added incentive to participate, those filling out the survey will receive a free digital subscription to Fresh Cut or have their subscriptions extended a year.
Please take a few minutes to take the survey and help us better serve you for the next months and years. 



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