Hot Topics Tackled At Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable Convention
February 3, 2016 From GMOs to food safety, and much more. That’s what the first day of the Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable Convention had in store for attendees.
The show, which is held in Hershey, PA, through Thursday, Feb. 4, wasted no time covering hot topics such as GMOs in one of the first educational sessions. In addition to presenting the basics of GMO technology, the session also covered consumer perceptions and how to deal with negative or “bad press” on virtually any topic.
Tackling the GMO perception issue was William Hallman, who has doctorate in experimental psychology and works in the department of Human Ecology at Rutgers University. He pointed out that when consumers are asked about GMOs, the answers are largely based on how the questions are asked, which can be confusing.
How To Handle The Public, The Press
At the same session, Heather E. Manzo, a Penn State Extension educator, told the people in the standing-room-only crowd what they need to do to tackle “thorny” topics such as GMOs and many others, especially when they are direct marketing their product to consumers.
In essence, she pointed out the importance of having good communication basics. Specifically, Manzo said when dealing with any kind of “bad press” it is important to be proactive and invite people to your farm. Define the story of your business, create talking points, add communication strategies to your standard operating procedures, and then train your staff — just to name a few things to do.
Particularly with social media, Manzo said it is important to keep stay positive. “Use social media to connect with a consumer. Don’t use social media to debate something,” she added.
Manzo also pointed out that most consumers get their information on food and food safety from the Internet, reinforcing the need for good communication.
The Produce Safety Rule
For growers, however, the Produce Safety Rule is what needs to be followed as the final rule has gone into effect. According to Wes Kline, agriculture Extension agent at Rutgers University, the good news for growers is most have some time to get their ducks in a row, so to speak. For some, the time frame to be in compliance may be as much as a few years.
“FDA wants education long before it has to do enforcement,” Kline adds. Click here for more information on the Produce Safety rule and compliance dates.
Plan For The Future
What needs to go into effect right now, however, is keeping the family farm running smoothly. The keynote speaker at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable Convention, Elaine Froese, a family farm coach who also is a partner in Froese Family Farms in Canada, encouraged all in attendance to tackle the tough topics first, such as facing your finances.
In fact, she said conflict is costly. By having regular communication and business meetings, family farms can be 21% more profitable. When conducting these meetings, she also mentioned the importance of emailing meeting minutes and creating timelines.
For more coverage on topics discussed at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable Convention, be sure to check GrowingProduce.com.
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