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Vonnie Estes: So this particular conversation is with Jenny from Taylor Farms and Taylor Farms just won the IFPA Science and Technology Circle of Excellence Award for the launch of the plant based tray. So we're very excited within IFPA in looking for.
Vonnie Estes: new packaging solutions. We're so excited [00:01:00] about the work that you all are doing, and we're so glad to give you this award. So the plant based tray preserves the freshness and convenience while decreasing the use of plastics, which is the type of innovation that we're looking for. And to give you a little orientation of what the award is.
Vonnie Estes: So this is a yearly award that we give based on member input and then a panel within the company to decide what's the best technology. So the award recognizes an organization or an individual that solves business challenges within the produce industry through the application of scientific and technological advances to create better products, processes, or value to our customers.
Vonnie Estes: So congratulations and it's great to have you and Jenny, I'll turn it over to you to introduce yourself and then we'll start talking about the product.
Jenny Panziera: Thank you, Vani. My name is Jenny Panziera. I am Director of Product for Earthbound Farm Brand and Organic Salads at Taylor Farms.
Jenny Panziera: I'm honored to be here today [00:02:00] to have this conversation about the plant based tray. It's been five years of investment and innovation, and we've just had a great team involved, and we've had customers along that journey as well. And it's just been a lot of it's been a long road to get here longer than we thought.
Jenny Panziera: You know, I think that goes
Vonnie Estes: with innovation, right? I think
Jenny Panziera: some of the off. There are a lot of optimists in our organization. I think some of the optimists were thinking it was going to be more like a year. And here we are five years later, but We have packed in so many great learnings during that timeframe, and we're really excited.
Jenny Panziera: We've been deliberate about when to release this to consumers and so we're really happy to be here today and thank you for having me.
Vonnie Estes: Great. I have so many questions, so, okay, good. , if someone was looking at the tray, what would it look like and what, what products are in it?
Jenny Panziera: Okay, so it looks, it is a. The first thing that cues in my opinion is natural. So it's the tray itself is [00:03:00] made from plant based fibers. So you're seeing something that's more like paperboard. And then we're leveraging a breathable plastic film that is basically that combination to make this packaging is what's housing our leafy green.
Jenny Panziera: So this package has been specifically designed to house our leafy green products. And right now we have it in two varieties. So we have spring mix and spinach that have been, we've been market testing, and then we're going to release additional sizes and varieties in the, in 2025, in early 2025.
Vonnie Estes: So you're doing a pilot launch now.
Vonnie Estes: Is that correct? Yes.
Jenny Panziera: So we've been doing it since this summer. So there've been so many phases to this. So first of all, there's been about 5, 000 trials of this package behind the scenes over the years. And then We also put it out to our own internal teams in different parts of the country, just collecting feedback throughout this process, too.
Jenny Panziera: We've had thoughts around could these, what the [00:04:00] barriers could be for consumers, and wanted to make sure, kind of gut check that, really, and see what is the feedback and response. And so then we got to a point where we said, we're, we want to get this out there. We have The Earthbound Farm brand, which is the brand that this product is being offered in, is, we have a farm stand.
Jenny Panziera: So basically, it's tied to the birthplace of really the brand of Earthbound Farm. It's in Carmel Valley, California. And so we have a farm stand there. And so it's, it's kind of our little incubator store that we get to get like a first read from our loudest and most loyal consumers. So yeah. We put it in the farm stand, got some feedback there.
Jenny Panziera: That was April. We timed that with Earth Month because we, you know, it just felt right to do it around Earth Month, the more sustainable, eco friendly package. And then we rolled it out in market test this summer. So we had a, we had some customers that were willing to take that journey with us. So we had whole foods roll it out in the summer.
Jenny Panziera: And then we also had sprouts and then Some of our independent retailer partners. [00:05:00] So, really focused on the West Coast, just to get it in market. Mainly California, but also some stores in Washington, Oregon, and Arizona.
Vonnie Estes: So then, how do you get feedback? Is it just like, if people buy it, that's the feedback?
Vonnie Estes: Well, that's the, that's,
Jenny Panziera: that's great feedback. We absolutely are looking at sales and looking at how that's performing. We're talking to our sales team to understand and boots on the ground in the stores or their feedback from the customers directly. And then from a consumer standpoint, which is critical, we want to make sure the whole impetus for developing this package was, we knew that consumers, There is demand for more eco friendly packaging out there.
Jenny Panziera: It might not be for everyone, but especially in the organic space with the organic consumer. There's been, you know, several requests for packaging that uses less plastic as, as an option. So, to answer your question about how we're getting that read on that, we have our, uh, Customer service line. So we have a freshness guarantee on all our packaging.
Jenny Panziera: And so there's a way to reach us to let us know if [00:06:00] consumers are not happy. And then we also, through our social media channels too, we're looking there and seeing what kind of sentiment, you know, we're seeing from consumers, especially younger consumers that are more vocal and can be more vocal in those spaces.
Jenny Panziera: So it's a combination of, of those really, like the sales piece, customer feedback and consumer feedback from those different channels. So what are you hearing? We're hearing, we're, we're optimistic, we're hearing great things so far. I will tell you one thing that we were a little unsure about and we needed to kind of get a read on was are consumers going to care that they can't see all of the greens in the package?
Jenny Panziera: Is that going to be the barrier? So if you lift, if you
Vonnie Estes: lift it up on the bottom, can you see? No, it's, so
Jenny Panziera: it's all, so the way you can see the greens and it's displayed on shelf in a. So if it's in our five ounce size, it's usually vertical. And then when we launched the eight ounce size, it'll be probably in the well.
Jenny Panziera: So you see, you see the plastic and the graphics on the branding, but then you can see the rim of the tray. So you can see that there's [00:07:00] paperboard, you know, that there's something different about this packaging. And then if you pick it up and look at it, you're, you can only see the greens through the top.
Jenny Panziera: So, whereas today consumers are used to being able to flip over the bag, the tray and, you know, kind of inspect it.
Vonnie Estes: That's where I live. Especially in airports if I'm buying a salad.
Jenny Panziera: Right. So what we're hearing from consumers is, is nothing about that. What we're hearing is, thank you for doing this. You didn't have to do this, but you did.
Jenny Panziera: You know, we hear some consumers saying, you know, when are you going to move everything to this? And they're, I can talk about that later. That's not an easy thing to do or an immediate thing. And yeah, it's a lot of thank you for doing this. It's a lot of Thank you for this option. And
Vonnie Estes: is the price point the same?
Vonnie Estes: Did you have to know
Jenny Panziera: it's at a, it's a premium, the material that we are utilizing to have this more sustainable option is more expensive. So it's the material that the tray is made of is naturally sourced fibers from [00:08:00] trees. And so recycled plant fibers, if you will. So there's absolutely a premium for it, but it's a choice for consumers that want to make that.
Jenny Panziera: You know purchase and when we did research about four years ago looking into this Type of concept in the premium that consumers were willing to pay 84 percent of consumers said that they were interested in this product and would be willing to pay a premium
Vonnie Estes: and they are Yeah, you know, I mean, I'm sure
Jenny Panziera: that It's gonna vary based on you know, the store and kind of the consumers, but it's absolutely we're finding that there it's It's, it's driving incremental growth from a sales standpoint where it's featured.
Jenny Panziera: And consumers are, I would say, pleased that it's an option.
Vonnie Estes: And then what's the afterlife, is it is the tray compostable?
Jenny Panziera: So that's, that's really tricky. I've been learning a lot about that from our sustainability team and our packaging team. It's [00:09:00] H2R recyclable. And so it, and paperboard fiber is more likely to be recycled than even recycled plastic and recyclable plastic.
Jenny Panziera: So, the compostability, we're pursuing different certifications for that. There's not one standard in the U. S. for home compostable, but we're absolutely pursuing. So in
Vonnie Estes: California, it goes into the blue bin? Yes. Yeah. And the top as well? Yes. The top is recycled? The
Jenny Panziera: top you discard, so take the plastic off, discard.
Jenny Panziera: Okay. You can't recycle that, but then you've got the tray that is. It's more likely to be recycled than plastic, and it's made from materials that are obviously more sustainable.
Vonnie Estes: And is there any drop in freshness? Because I know that's something that's so important to Taylor Farms. No.
Jenny Panziera: Thank you for bringing that up.
Jenny Panziera: There's so many things to talk about with this product. So no, there's not. So basically that was really a core requirement for us was to match that shelf life and that product quality of the plastic packaging counterpart. [00:10:00] And so it's the same. It's P plus 16.
Vonnie Estes: Oh, excellent. So you said you've been working on it for five years.
Vonnie Estes: That's the whole And I personally have not been working on it for five years. So I just want
Jenny Panziera: to let you know. There's a lot of people involved. And I would list all their names if I could. But yes, yes.
Vonnie Estes: But I, I mean, we Getting away from, Trying to find alternatives to plastics has really come into our view at IFPA just in the last couple years as the regulations around the world have really changed and we realized that we need to have some different solutions for this.
Vonnie Estes: And so I've started to get more involved and of course my boss Max is super involved in it. And we're gonna, this accelerator that I run, we've been focusing in the accelerator on climate smart ag. And so I've had three years of companies that have solutions for climate smart ag. Next year, the accelerator is going to focus on finding technologies for this exact issue of what are we going to do with, with packaging going forward and all sorts of different, you know, looking at, [00:11:00] do we need to more, uh, compostables?
Vonnie Estes: Do we need, you know, different types of PLU stickers? Like, do we need other kinds of coatings, like all different kinds? And so, if anyone's listening to this and has a solution, let me know. But five years ago, I was not thinking about this at all. So what? What kind of started Earthbound and Taylor Farms to think about we need to get on this because it wasn't very loud five years ago.
Jenny Panziera: No and you brought something up that I've already, that I want to mention too. One of the big differences with this tray versus other trays that may look similar to it is there is no plastic liner. So it's a plastic free tray. The coating, there's a coating that's a food grade coating. So that in itself is a unique differentiator for our customers.
Jenny Panziera: Packaging specifically for leafy greens and then in terms of remind me your question one more time, sorry,
Vonnie Estes: is what got you started to start working on it and thinking that this was a problem that needed to be solved before there was a lot of pull for it.
Jenny Panziera: I think [00:12:00] that, uh, that goes back to, In terms of our company and what's important to us, innovation is just core to who we are, but also I think being stewards of the land and trying to lessen our environmental impact, you know, where we can while still achieving the goal that we're all here to achieve, which is increasing the consumption of fresh produce.
Jenny Panziera: So it started a few years ago. It's, my understanding is that basically a combination of Bruce's youngest son, Bruce, coming back with an idea around a sustainable package and then our, our packaging team really kind of already having some ideas as well and then the EarthBound brand had been acquired in by Taylor Farms in 2019 and core to EarthBound is sustainable innovation.
Jenny Panziera: So I think it was kind of a combination of those variables that got us to Pursuing that type of packaging that far in advance, I would say.
Vonnie Estes: And what were some of the challenges that you hear? The [00:13:00] technical people talk about that took longer, made it harder. Oh, it's just difficult. Yes.
Jenny Panziera: Okay. This is a favorite topic because we're not all the way.
Jenny Panziera: You know, we're gonna continue. We have this packaging today and we're gonna look at additional sizes and then we're gonna continue looking for We have over, we have thousands of products of fresh produce products. Taylor Farms spans multiple divisions in terms of the types of products we offer from servicing food service operators to quick service restaurants, fast casual restaurants, retailers as big as they come club stores to your neighborhood market.
Jenny Panziera: So it's, we're going to be looking for additional sizes and variations of this type of packaging and where it does make sense versus maybe it doesn't.
Vonnie Estes: Yeah. So what what were some of the technical challenges when they looked at, okay, we're not going to use plastic anymore. They had to find the plant based trays.
Vonnie Estes: Yes. So part of it
Jenny Panziera: was finding that, that tray, right. And that did
Vonnie Estes: you, do you know if it was that [00:14:00] developed in house or did they find a vendor? No.
Jenny Panziera: No, we found a, yeah, we found a vendor a partner supplier and, and, and Then it was the iterations around their team working with our R and D team.
Jenny Panziera: So we spent a lot of time in terms of trialing. How do we get the produce to live in this environment? So leafy greens, depending on the variety and the combination that we're putting in the package, they require different environments to survive. So in terms of the design of that tray, you know, even something from the angles to the depth to the actual structural design to that coding.
Jenny Panziera: to how the coatings applied, you know, all of those variables and then testing, shelf life testing. So our R& D team actually doing the shelf life testing of these different products in the tray. And then basically looking at how much moisture is left in the tray and what adjustments do we make with our, with the supplier based on that.
Jenny Panziera: So that we're ultimately, you know, you're not opening the package and there are soggy greens inside or dried out greens [00:15:00] inside. So. How do we control that environment in there through the design of the tray and the, the coating that complements it? Does that answer your question? Yeah. Okay.
Vonnie Estes: Let's talk a little bit about the culture at Taylor Farms.
Vonnie Estes: I've been really fortunate enough to meet people in all different parts of the organization and, and different, in different functions and different roles and different products. And what amazes me is it, is how consistent the culture is across the whole organization. of people saying, uh, talking about innovation and that they feel very free to try all sorts of new things and that there isn't punishment for failure and that there's really just this, we need to keep innovating and trying new things and it's, it's amazing for a company that size.
Vonnie Estes: I've, I've never seen it actually. So talk a little bit about that, especially you kind of came in from the outside and like, what does that look like to you and how do you keep a culture like that going?
Jenny Panziera: I love that you asked that question. So I will tell you [00:16:00] that you're what you've observed is how I feel about our company as well.
Jenny Panziera: I think that it really goes back to Well, first of all, you're right. There's a lot of autonomy. And then there's an absolute there's a there's a high tolerance for risk, too. So it really is. Innovation is just a constant thought and consideration and part of How we operate. We know that we it's forward.
Jenny Panziera: We have to go forward. Our job's not done. You know, we have a lot of work to do. And so I think that it comes back to our the culture. I love that we have our employee handbook is three bullets, which I'm grateful for because I can digest information better when it's short and concise like that. But no.
Jenny Panziera: So it's take care of the customer. So it always goes back to our customers and We've been, Taylor Farms was founded 29 years ago, so we've built some amazing relationships with customers over those years, and so taking care of the customer is critical, and that's been number [00:17:00] one since the company started, and it doesn't change, which I love.
Jenny Panziera: The second one is take care of each other, and so there's this, you know, really there's definitely a spirit around, I think just a team, but also everyone's empowered to Drive forward and to innovate and to problem solve, but at the same time take care of your team, take care of each other. And then the last one is do the right thing.
Jenny Panziera: So, just kind of wraps it up with do the right thing and we trust you, you know, as someone that we brought into the team to do the right thing. So, I think that that's it. That's the culture, in a nutshell. It hasn't changed since I've started there. I've been with the company for seven years now. And I've worked in different departments and with different teams.
Jenny Panziera: But there are so many people. One of my favorite questions to ask when I meet people from, you know, different facilities or teams within our organization is, How long have you worked at Taylor Farms? Because Sometimes it's 27 out of those 29 [00:18:00] years, and, or 20 out of those 29 years, and then as the team continues to grow and grow it's just
Vonnie Estes: Adding on new people.
Vonnie Estes: Yeah. Yeah. That's amazing. Yeah, and that is that, that I, and everyone that I've talked to within the organization can name those three bullet points, and That's unusual as well, you know, that people have the core values so much as part of who they are and you know, everyone can say them and it's much better than having a paragraph mission statement that people have to stumble over words and can't remember.
Vonnie Estes: But that's very clear. Yeah. They're
Jenny Panziera: guiding principles and I think they're very clear and energizing.
Vonnie Estes: So as we wrap up, what's next, what's the plan for expansion and the future? launch into different products and kind of what's that pacing going to look like
Jenny Panziera: specific to the plant based tray? Yeah. So we come early 2025.
Jenny Panziera: So Q1 2025 we will be launching. So we'll actually be rolling out the plant based tray. So our, it's on display today [00:19:00] at our booth prominently. So we're showcasing it. We're so excited to share it with everyone here at IFPA and we will be launching. So we'll have a total set of four varieties in our five ounce tray.
Jenny Panziera: And then we'll have two varieties in the eight ounce tray. And so they'll be available for distribution. And then we're going to keep working. So that's just, you know, that's the first wave, if you will. And then what we'll continue to do is we'll be continuing to trial different product varieties within that tray.
Jenny Panziera: Because, as I was saying, it's They all act differently. And And we aren't going to limit ourselves to these varieties, right? So we're going to continue to pursue additional varieties, but it's, it's, again, we're just trying to meet consumers with where they are and what they want, you know, and so as many choices as we can give them in the plant based tray, we will and then we'll, we'll look for the next solution too.
Jenny Panziera: We're always looking for the next solution.
Vonnie Estes: So do you have other innovations in the pipeline [00:20:00] around packaging that, that you're working on?
Jenny Panziera: Always. Okay. Yes. Always. There's always many irons in the fire. And then there, because, uh, you know, another thing is it's sizing. It could be the packaging format. It could be the actual product itself.
Jenny Panziera: We have other products that, you know, other innovation not related to the tray where basically, for example, we have some an earthbound farm brand. We have our avocado oil salad kit. So we're innovating there in terms of how do we use a healthier oil. So we know there are some consumers that are. Kind of averse to seed oils.
Jenny Panziera: So how do we use a healthier oil to provide that option for those consumers that are interested in it? And then we have so many things that we're sharing but yes And then always we're always looking at the film as well, too like what other options do we have in terms of the film that we're using and How we can have more environmentally friendly options there
Vonnie Estes: Jenny, thanks for being here and congratulations on the award and the wonderful work that you do and I look forward to [00:21:00] continuing to see new packaging innovation and all the other innovation you guys do.
Vonnie Estes: So very much for being here. Okay, very much. It was great
Jenny Panziera: to be here.
Vonnie Estes: Great. Thanks to our listeners and viewers for watching this very exciting episode and hearing about our Circle of Excellence Award.