The Packer

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The Packer is a leading weekly newspaper for the U.S. and North American fresh produce industry. Written for retail and foodservice buyers of fresh produce, The Packer covers a wide range of news and issues affecting the U.S. produce industry.

The Packer is a weekly produce industry publication

The Packer has regular weekly sections covering nutrition, crops, shipping sections, handling and distribution, leadership profiles, and tradewatch. The publication has a national focus and covers all of fresh fruit and vegetable production throughout the U.S., including growing and shipping in California, Florida, Texas, Michigan, Washington and Georgia. In 2008, The Packer and its Web site each were nominated for a Neal Award.

The Packer began publication of weekly produce industry news in 1893, making it one of the longest running produce industry publications.

Sister pubilcations include Produce Merchandising, The Grower and Citrus & Vegetable magazines. Global Produce, discontinued in 2003, was a former publication.

Editors of The Packer have been quoted in mass-media reports such as the Associated Press and others on food safety topics.

Produce accounts for nearly half of U.S. farm receipts, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to Specialty Crop Farm Alliance, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture data, specialty or fresh produce crops represent more than $50 billion in farm-gate value and account for more than 45 percent of farm-gate crop receipts. Source: United Fresh Produce Association, March 20, 2007 news release.

Vance Publishing, Lincolnshire, Ill., owns The Packer.

[edit] Principal Editors & Writers

Lance Jungmeyer, editor; Greg Johnson, managing editor; Chris Koger, news editor; Dan Galbraith, sections editor; Tom Karst, national editor; David Mitchell, senior writer; Doug Ohlemeier, eastern editor; Andy Nelson, markets editor; Fred Wilkinson, copy chief; Chuck Robinson, assistant copy chief; Johanna Barnes, copy editor; Leslie Winjum, copy editor.