The requests for category managers and other employees in retail to visit suppliers never ends. People are proud of what they do, and they want their customers to see their operation. When I was working in retail, we could never get to all of the farms. We were managing hundreds of suppliers and almost everyone wanted us to visit. There is no doubt, it is valuable to see suppliers in action and understand their business better. Unfortunately, it is just not realistic to get to them all.
If you have invited your customers for a visit, but they tell you it probably will not happen, then take a different approach. Take the farm to them.
We all have the technology to make it happen
Now is the time when most fresh produce operations in Canada are at their best. Greenhouses are in operation all year, but outdoor farms are busiest during the spring, summer and fall. Take photos of different parts of your operation and if you can, add video too. The surroundings you work in every day are the norm to you. To a category manager sitting in an office, there is a lot to learn about how a farm works and what is happening out there.
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