We like to think of them as code breakers—the elite professionals of our industry. Translators destined to steer the direction of fresh produce. Instead of following the tides and the currents, they are making them. Within this progressive task, they surface time and time again pivoting the way we listen to consumers, clients, and the economy. They tune the rest of us into how the world is changing and how we must change along with it.
For our second annual Besties Awards, these individuals amplify not only the companies they work for, but what they individually and collectively stand for—constantly breaking out of the echo chamber of marketing and communications messaging into a more nuanced and creative way. Rebuilding and recharacterizing what the definitions themselves offer.
As we wrap up 2023 and look to 2024, these Besties Awards winners have helped reshape the way we view and perceive excellence and, for that, we thank them.
Please join me in congratulating these trailblazers. These highlights are shared on behalf of our editorial team who individually composed each piece for our sister publication AndNowUKnow.
We thank these award winners for their ability to make the progressive a standard, and passion something more than palpable, but tangible.
Industry catalysts, innovators, and visionaries—these are the architects that build our fresh produce industry into the progressive, vital, and passionate force that it is today. Time and time again, they inspire us to new heights while strengthening our roots by being the connective tissue that binds us all together. Mark Hilton is one of these remarkable individuals. Bringing nearly 50 years to his fresh produce tenure, Mark is an example of how one person can inspire the many through his own hard work, mentorship, and dedication. And, while we thank Mark for all that he has done, Mark, true to form, shared that he is the thankful one.
“I have had the good fortune to work with many great leaders and mentors during my 47-year career! When I reflect on those influences, I have to say that those that were hard on me and challenged me the most helped shape me into the leader I have become. What I am most proud of is the team that worked alongside me, both in the office and in our stores. To see them grow and have the same passion for produce as I have is very rewarding. When it comes to what I cherish most about my time in the industry, it is definitely all the friendships I have made over the years. Had I not been in this industry, I would have never met my best friend and wife Stephanie!”
I’d never worked with John Pandol before, but when we connected to write “The Making of Fresh Produce’s Jekyll and Hyde,” I instantly knew John’s was a voice I couldn’t stifle. With trademark candor, the Director of Special Projects for Pandol Bros. utilized his industry know-how to win himself the Besties for the Annual Snack Storyteller Award.
“To say it as a marketer, ‘I differentiated my authentic self enough to stand out in the minds of the panel of industry peer judges. YES! Spike the ball and do the silly end-zone dance. It feels good every time I receive an attaboy. I want to continue to provide rigorous analysis, relevant insight, and bust myths. My brother Louis was this quiet figure in the corner for years…yet the know-it-alls always asked him questions…now he’s treasured for his observations and vision in his areas. That’s thought leadership. When your competitors poach your opinions so they sound more informed.”
We are an industry full of close-knit relationships, of hugs and handshakes over phone calls (when possible), and collaboration for the betterment of all. Few know this better than Natalie J. Machado, National Director of Marketing, FreshSource. Her ability to connect, create, and galvanize others and her company are just a handful of the reasons why we love to work with her and why the industry can’t get enough of this inspiring individual. “A rising tide that lifts all boats” was an aphorism written about people like Natalie, so we knew, without a doubt, that awarding her with the 2023 Besties Award for Best Marketer to Work With was as natural as the fresh produce we grow.
“I am beyond grateful and blessed to be considered for this incredible honor and to be recognized as the 2023 Besties recipient for the Best Marketer to Work With. The pleasure has truly been mine. Working with AndNowUKnow has always been wonderful throughout the years. The team’s professionalism, ideas, ingenuity, and attitude have always been things I admired and find contagious. They have such warmth and a positive outlook which always makes the work fun and a pleasure! makes it such fun and a pleasure to work! Keep up the great work! It truly shows in everything the AndNowUKnow team puts together!”
In the marketing world, going beyond the ad or campaign to create a visceral experience can capture new customers and skyrocket popularity. That is exactly what Nature Fresh Farms® set out to do with its Greenhouse Education Center (GEC), a unique approach to educating shoppers about where their food comes from while encouraging them to invest in its products. Because of this outside-the-box approach, the greenhouse grower earned the 2023 Besties Award for Best Alternative Marketing Campaign. The Greenhouse Education Center is a mobile greenhouse that travels to retail stores and additional destinations across North America, showing consumers how greenhouse vegetables are grown. It is a 38-foot-long mobile snapshot of the grower’s combined 250 acres of greenhouse farm in Leamington, Ontario, Canada, and Delta, Ohio.
“Educating consumers using innovative and creative marketing techniques can set you apart from the competition, so our team is continually focused on bringing new ideas to the table that will allow us to stand out to consumers amongst a sea of sameness. The Greenhouse Education Center has allowed us to do this.”
Getting produce into shoppers’ baskets is no small feat. The journey from field to packing to retail is a journey few consumers truly understand, but it’s one that informs their buying decisions nonetheless. How do suppliers take this mountain of information and condense it into bite-sized pieces that appeal to both the buy-side and the shoppers frequenting their organizations? For Homegrown Organic Farms, winner of our Besties Award for Best Educational Videos, the answer came in the form of its GROWN by video series.
“We see education as a responsibility. Helping people understand how their food is grown and who grows it should be something we all are dedicated to. We sought to communicate a boots-on-the-ground perspective, allowing viewers to experience everything from cultivation to harvest, while witnessing the successes and struggles our growers face each day. Our goal was to provide a deeper understanding of the realities of farming and help to educate and empower both consumers and buyers.”
When it comes to a merchandising campaign, vision, communication, and partnership come to mind. In all these things, I see the Dole Food Company marketing strategy. From a cohesive vision, message, or partnership in each campaign to clear communication between its team, the retail customer, and the end consumer, the brand shines when it is put on display on the screen and in the store. It is no surprise, then, that Dole was nominated for the Best Merchandising Campaign and selected for the title.
“Thank you so much for the award. It’s beautiful and sits right on my desk. We really appreciate it. Consumers want information about the product and how to use it, and not everybody can be everywhere, even as produce managers do such an excellent job. Merchandising can do so much to help with something exotic like a pineapple or something as familiar as a banana. Embracing and showcasing in-store point-of-sale, versus how they are generally utilized now, is how I think campaigns can be elevated. If you can put a sign up of a size that makes sense to you, you give the shoppers the power to make more decisions. It doesn’t have to be a big display or sign, we used to do a great job of this in the early 2000s, and I think we can get back to that by finding a balance between less clutter and the information and education shoppers have told us they want.”
Advertising is an educated guessing game. Already one with moving targets, the constant change of fresh produce demands makes marketing even more of a challenge. Recently, 4Earth Farms™ confirmed a bullseye, winning not just a nomination for the 2023 Besties for Best Email Ad Campaign, but securing a win from our panel, many of whom are a part of the audience such strategies hope to engage.
“The 4Earth Farms team does a town hall meeting every Wednesday to talk about what is happening at the company, and the Wednesday following Organic Produce Summit was a great one because I had the opportunity to let everyone know we won a Besties Award this year. Our email ad, which won the votes, was, in part, driven by some of the things AndNowUKnow was trying and experimenting with to get the message out there to our target audience, making the decision easier. We were collaborating on methods of communication. The team came up with a compelling idea on how to get our message out, what we do, and how we do it.”
My favorite thing about the produce industry is the willingness to give back. Every day, I see examples of companies using their time and resources to make a difference in the communities they serve, and it never ceases to inspire me while also warming my heart. Among them is Shuman Farms, led by John Shuman, which continues to stand out as a pioneer when it comes to philanthropy. Because of its unique initiatives, the supplier was honored with our second annual Besties Award for Best Philanthropic Initiatives. The team at Shuman Farms and its sister company Healthy Family Project have donated more than $7.5 million to those in need and 18 million meals to Feeding America® through its various charitable projects and programs.
“Shuman Farms believes that, as farmers and food producers in the United States, it is our responsibility to shed light on hunger in America. Our team is made up of individuals who go above and beyond because they are passionate about making a difference in the world and the communities where our products are sold. We have been very blessed to help countless families across the country understand the importance of living a healthy life, which starts with access to nutritious food.”
To be in the produce industry is to be in constant conversation with your fellow industry members. Oftentimes, things are moving so quickly that we keep these conversations short and to the point. The Fresh CrEd gives us an opportunity to breathe new life into those conversations, which is what earned the podcast a 2023 Besties Award. Co-Founders Craig Slate, Chief Executive Officer of SunFed, and Ed Bertaud, Director of Retail Sales at IFCO, had a passion for podcasts, and although they were unsure of the execution at first, they vowed to get it done and continued learning along the way. This was only the beginning of a content journey that continues to evolve today.
“Receiving the award for me was very special. It indicated at least there are a few people that enjoy the show and maybe take something away from listening to our conversations. I only started out this venture as a passion project, with a desire to learn. I did not expect two years later we would be doing live interviews from different parts of the country, with a multitude of different people. Thanks so much to ANUK and the Besties Awards! It really means a lot and gives us reason to keep moving forward.”
Freshness always wins in our industry, but sometimes you need a little change to freshen things up just a bit more. One company comes to mind: Chelan Fresh. The Chelan, Washington-based grower values its place in the industry to its core, and this shows through its latest brand refresh. Joyfully Grown™ is its newest program and brand identity, putting its values at the forefront of its company mission. Chelan Fresh’s Besties win highlights its attention to detail, brand messaging, and creative marketing. Not only has the new brand identity caught our eyes but also the hearts of shoppers. With a high-graphic design, Chelan Fresh reinvented itself in the eyes of consumers while echoing its company culture.
“Winning a Besties award for Best Rebrand means a lot to the Chelan team. We’ve put a lot of work into creating the Joyfully Grown name and program. Our Joyfully Grown brand identity focuses on where the fruit came from, how it was grown, and who these families are. We hope this will continue to make buyers and consumers more interested in learning about how we nurture, honor, and protect the three pillars of the Joyfully Grown brand—Our Food, Our Planet, and Our People.”
We are creatures of curiosity, with minds in a constant search of expansion. Sunview Marketing International has met that need time and time again—bringing forth engaging and creative ads that truly communicate the Sweet Carnival™ table grape experience. That is precisely why we recently named Sunview as the recipient of our Besties Award for Best Snack Ad.
“The inspiration started with the amazing taste and flavor of our Sweet Carnival grapes. The consumer-eating experience was so different than any of our other proprietary varieties that it just screamed for new and innovative marketing to build awareness for the brand. The genesis for the idea of our virtual reality ad was to recreate the thrill of a carnival that matches the experience of eating our Sweet Carnival grapes. That ad was so well received that we knew we had to up the wow factor of the ads to match the wow factor of our grapes. This season, we will be introducing Carnival Fruit Punch, another amazing brand and what we believe to be another amazing advertisement in The Snack Magazine.”
With last year’s introduction of our official Besties Awards, we aimed to bring industry members well-deserved recognition for their unbelievable achievements in the world of produce. Gold nuggets of inspiration, innovation, and incredible impact can be found in every corner of our industry. D’Arrigo New York’s social media strategies are a dynamic combination of all three—which is exactly why the wholesaler was honored with a Besties award for Best Social Media Campaign. D’Arrigo New York caught our attention with a host of social media posts spotlighting its most integral associates. Not only does this unique social media play put a well-deserved spotlight on the people of D’Arrigo New York, but it also humanizes the company and gives the brand a more personal feel.
“For as long as I can remember, starting with my grandfather, D’Arrigo has always spoken internally about how important our employees are to this company. We cannot do what we do without them—we are not the same company without them, period. After hearing this for so many years, spotlighting our employees seemed like a no-brainer. The thought process behind it was that we wanted to start spotlighting the people that make us D’Arrigo New York.”
I’m sure I speak for most consumers, we eat with our eyes first. The shine on the fruit, the steam rising from the plate, or the curious colors and shapes on a piece of produce not on our radar, these attributes and more are what drive our stomachs—and wallets. Social media has been a powerful tool in helping amplify fresh produce aisles, and Frieda’s Branded Produce has proved its strength in utilizing this platform to put out tasty creations. Choosing the company that represents the Best Social Media Culinary Artistry category was no easy feat, but this year’s winner goes to the company that embraces the uniqueness all around us—and puts it onto the plate.
“Our team is over the moon to have received the Besties Award from our friends at AndNowUKnow. Being recognized in the Best Social Media Culinary Artistry category is a tremendous honor. This award isn’t just for us. It’s for every foodie friend who’s joined our culinary adventure, every grocer who’s displayed our products, and every fork that’s dug into the creations we’ve shared. We promise to keep cooking up creativity!”
Creativity and passion are contagious, and we hope by honoring these select companies and individuals that their actions will influence the many. Whether it is taking risks or simply following their heart, fresh produce holds a special place in the marketing arena and on the wider food industry stage.
Congratulations, 2023 Besties Awards winners! 
