NASHVILLE, NC - Exhibitors are coming from far and wide to strut their stuff at PMA Foodservice 2021. Nash Produce, for one, is joining us from the East Coast, and I had the chance to talk shop with Rebecca Scott, Grower Accounting and Marketing Director.

“We will be bringing sweet potatoes straight off of the packing line for attendees to see and feel the quality we are able to provide,” she told me. “We appreciate that this show is specifically for the foodservice industry, and it gives members of our team an opportunity to connect with this sector through one-on-one conversations. Nash Produce has attended this show for many years, and it is always a treat for us to visit with customers located in the western region.”

Rebecca relayed that fresh produce is a key part of the foodservice industry, with consumers looking for a fresh-and-ready meal that fills their appetite and provides their body with nutrients. And, not only does produce look visually appealing on a plate, but it also provides consumers with an essential health halo. As such, this show is integral for produce suppliers to attend.

“This show will be the first show Nash Produce will be attending in person in over a year, so that alone is something to celebrate! Given the impact COVID-19 has had on the foodservice sector, we are very much looking forward to speaking with industry leaders to see how, moving forward, we can assist with any of their sweet potato needs,” Rebecca said. “It will be so good to see returning customers in person again, and we hope to meet with as many familiar, and new, faces as possible!”

By the time of the show, Nash Produce will be close to the conclusion of its pickling cucumber season and ramping up for the beginning of sweet potato harvest. Typically, growers begin harvesting the new sweet potato crop by the end of August or early September, which will continue through late November or early-December, and all sweet potatoes will be cured and stored for the upcoming year.

“Dale Bone Farms, which became Nash Produce in 2006, grew into one of the largest cucumber operators on the East Coast. When the need to provide product year-round arose, the farmers made their venture into sweet potatoes. Almost entirely owned by sweet potato growers today, there is a sense of true community amongst Nash Produce’s multi-generation team,” Rebecca shared. “From the early seed stages all the way to consumer’s dinner plates, we work closely with our farmers at each stage of production.”

President Thomas Joyner and his wife, Melissa, will be representing Nash Produce at booth #202, and those who visit will learn about the company’s array of impressive facility capabilities such as electronic sizing, packaging opportunities, sweet potato variety options, and logistics resources.

Cheers to good times ahead!

Nash Produce