I live near the confluence of two rivers in California, the Sacramento and the American. In the spring and summer, they provide a haven for swimmers and sunbathers, rafters and triathlon competitions. In the fall and winter, they wrap the region in wonder, rising to meet the crests of levees, parks, banks, and the cooler cascade. In December, they provide the perfect metaphor for the end of the year, especially in the produce industry.
While a confluence can occur when two or more flowing bodies of water come together to form a single channel, it can also occur in many other places—crowds, families, industries, experiences…you name it. For fresh produce, buyers and sellers find themselves on each others’ doorsteps in new ways as the nature of relationships change. We are in the midst of a watershed moment as the history of how we do business converges with a future path still yet to be paved.
Our year-long—at times, years-long—journeys and adventures merge with our hopes for the future and the road ahead. Because of this confluence, our mythologies are born in new ways, and we change course with one foot in the currents, eddies, and floods of 2024 and the other foot in the promises and hopes of 2025.
For me personally, such a confluence—and a beautiful one—occurred in my life this winter as I gave birth to my son, Beckett. His arrival in November changed the course of our lives. As I step away for a few short months to care for our little boy with my husband, Matt, and daughter, Niko, I cannot help but feel the timing of such an event deep in my bones.
It has been a beautiful and hard year for many in fresh produce. Many have chosen a life that does not separate the professional from the personal. Our friends are our colleagues, our defining experiences that volley us onto new personal paths happen while we are steeped in our work—or because of it. Our laugh lines have grown a little deeper, and our furrowed brows have discovered new terrain.
I am very thankful for all these moments and opportunities and for having experienced many of yours along with you.
As nature dictates, a river always finds its way home. I am happy to have made mine here with you all.
See you in 2025, my friends.
