Reading the Market: A Q&A With Nichole Towell, Senior Director of Marketing and Packaging Procurement, Duda Farm Fresh Foods

How we snack now may have seemed inconceivable to us decades ago. The inroads our industry has made in aligning healthy products with the snacking sector are nothing short of miraculous, and certainly something worth celebrating. Within this space, Duda Farm Fresh Foods has thrived.

Over the years, the company has taken the small mightiness of the celery stalk and pushed it to verifiable stardom. Already, the company’s Dandy^® celery brand is synonymous with the category.

Furthering this natural association, celery dippers^™ are the latest extension of the grower’s portfolio of innovative products. Its patented technology and premium celery varieties have always kept Duda Farm Fresh Foods at the forefront of the category. Taking a peek behind the curtain ourselves, we dive into the decision-making process behind such a product launch.

Andrea Allen: Nichole, with so much experience in fresh produce, as both a witness to and participant in its rapid growth, which trends in the marketplace led to the demand for a product like this?

Nichole Towell, Senior Director of Marketing and Packaging Procurement, Duda Farm Fresh Foods: Over the years, we’ve seen an increase in demand for snacking items. Our 2" Dandy celery dippers are not only the perfect size for dipping, but they are pre-washed, cut, and ready to enjoy! The celery dippers take it a step further with the convenience of bite-size portions that do not require additional chopping or prepping. As many consumers are looking for healthier snacking products in general, there’s been an increase in demand for celery.

AA: The popularity of celery only seems to grow. Do you see the demand for value-add changing the landscape of this category?

NT: Value-added items have become a must for brands like ours to stay competitive in the market. Shoppers are always looking for new and different—whether that’s flavor, product size, package size, and so on.

Within the fresh produce industry, we fully expect to continue seeing new variations of ready-to-eat fresh snacking items hit retail shelves. Our culture is one of busy schedules and full calendars, so we know shoppers are on the lookout for items that make meals and snack time easier, but still healthy.

AA: Since the program’s launch, what has been the response from both consumers and the buy-side?

NT: We’ve seen steady growth in the program since we launched. As we continue to grow this business nationally, we are excited to see new customers join the program. We look forward to the back-to-school season that provides many ways for shoppers to enjoy the convenience of celery dippers in both lunches and snacks.

“Our culture is one of busy schedules and full calendars, so we know shoppers are on the lookout for items that make meals and snack time easier, but still healthy.”

Nichole Towell, Senior Director of Marketing and Packaging Procurement, Duda Farm Fresh Foods

AA: I can’t imagine the level of work necessary to launch a new product. It sounds staggering! What innovations within Duda’s operations make new programs like this possible?

NT: Duda is very focused on ways to utilize more of the celery stalk as we harvest and process into our expansive fresh-cut product mix. Our goal is to minimize food loss with each new product we introduce, while meeting consumer demand for healthy snacking options. Our Growing Greener Generations team is actively involved in every step of the product development process to ensure we are a responsible partner for our retail customers.

Careful planning, market data, and years of research and development stand behind the product launches cultivated at Duda Farm Fresh Foods. It’s simply an honor just to be able to take a peek.