Our team recently attended IFPA’s Foodservice Conference in Monterey, California, connecting with growers, chefs, school nutrition leaders, restaurant operators, foodservice management companies, and fellow distributors from across North America to explore the future of fresh produce in foodservice.
Walking the Fields Behind the Product
One of the most meaningful parts of the trip was walking romaine and strawberry fields in California’s Salinas Valley and meeting the growers who tend them. Seeing their care, expertise, and innovation firsthand was a good reminder: it’s easy to take a clamshell of strawberries for granted, but every one represents the work of countless people: planting, growing, harvesting, quality assurance, transportation, and delivery.
Why Relationships are Part of Sustainable Sourcing
Experiences like this deepen our relationships with customers, supplier partners, and our own team. Sharing a meal, connecting over coffee, and walking fields together builds a real appreciation for the people and systems behind our food supply, and it’s a big part of what sustainable sourcing actually looks like in practice. And the Salinas Valley scenery didn’t hurt, either.
The Balance Growers Manage Every Season
Time with these family-owned growers was also a reminder of the region’s remarkable productivity, and the complexity of balancing supply, demand, quality, and food waste reduction. Perhaps most humbling: how much still depends on factors farmers can’t control, especially weather, to get fresh produce from field to table.
Bringing it Back Home
Trips like this reinforce what our team works toward every day here in the Midwest: sourcing produce thoughtfully, building real relationships with growers, and reducing waste across the supply chain. If you’re curious how that shows up in our own operations, take a look at our sustainability practices — or reach out to our team directly.
This recap is based on updates from Midwest Foods’ Local & Sustainability team, originally shared in our Local Newsletter. For more information or to subscribe, please email marketing@midwestfoods.com.