Skip To Content Primary Navigation Secondary Navigation
Nature Fresh Farms Logo Nature Fresh Farms Logo

Naturefresh Logo

  • Products
    • Organics
    • Tomatoes
    • Peppers
    • Cucumbers
  • Recipes
    • Tomato Recipes
    • Pepper Recipes
    • Cucumber Recipes
  • Learn
    • Educator Resources
    • Greenhouse Education Center
    • Eating Healthy 101
    • In The Kitchen
    • Discovery Center
  • Blog
  • About
    • The Grow-To People
    • Peter Quiring
    • Food Safety
    • Building Partnerships
  • Sustainable Growing
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Sustainable Growing
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Products
    • Organics
    • Tomatoes
    • Peppers
    • Cucumbers
  • Recipes
    • Tomato Recipes
    • Pepper Recipes
    • Cucumber Recipes
  • Learn
    • Educator Resources
    • Greenhouse Education Center
    • Eating Healthy 101
    • In The Kitchen
    • Discovery Center
  • Blog
  • About
    • The Grow-To People
    • Peter Quiring
    • Food Safety
    • Building Partnerships

A PMA to Remember

This past weekend, I was given the opportunity to attend the 67th annual PMA Fresh Summit tradeshow in New Orleans, Louisiana with the NatureFresh™Farms team.  This was my first experience at a global tradeshow, and it definitely did not disappoint.

The Produce gals at the NatureFresh booth at PMA Fresh Summit in New Orleans Back in June, I attended the United Fresh tradeshow in Chicago, Illinois, and it was my first ever tradeshow experience.  I remember walking in and being completely floored by the number of exhibitors, the bright colors, and the amazing smells.  I thought the United Fresh Show was the largest event I would ever attend, but when I arrived in New Orleans at the PMA Fresh Summit Show, I was left even more in awe.  Seeing rows upon rows of booths of every size, and meeting people from all over the world, made me realize that PMA is on a whole different level when it comes to tradeshows.  Everyone within the produce and floral industries attends PMA, showcasing their best products and services for competitors and potential clients to see.  The diversity that was present at the show provided me with an opportunity to network with people from countries like Argentina and Brazil, visit booths showcasing foods and drinks I had never even heard of before, and try exciting activities like virtual reality and carnival games – and not to mention tasting all of the delicious free samples!

NatureFresh team members sampling TOMZ TomatoesSpeaking of samples, if you were an attendee at PMA, you may have seen Chrissy K. and I sampling at the NatureFresh™ Farms sampling booth, located in Hall B at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.  We had a blast sampling our TOMZ® Snacking Tomatoes and striking up conversations about greenhouse growing at NatureFresh™.  You may have tried a TOMZ® Red Cherry or Yellow Grape tomato by itself, or been lucky enough to sample one of our unbelievably tasty TOMZ® Tomato Crostini snacks.  With all of our samples, we focused on the flavor of TOMZ® tomatoes, and not on how we could incorporate them into elaborate dishes.  The simple focus on flavor was undoubtedly something that made us stand out from other sampling booths at PMA, and the positive feedback that we received about our snacking tomatoes was outstanding!  There were non-tomato eaters who tried TOMZ® and were beyond impressed, tomato lovers who proclaimed TOMZ® as the best tomatoes at the tradeshow, and samplers who came back multiple times for more tomatoes every single day that we were there!  We need to give a huge shout out to our Grow-To People team at NatureFresh™ – we could not be more proud of them for producing such consistently flavorful, high-quality products that all people enjoy.

Although we were in New Orleans to attend the tradeshow, we were still able to take some time and experience the amazing culture and history of the city.  I had an umbelievably tasty Po Boy sandwich and slice of sweet potato pie at Mother’s Restaurant, Gator Bites at the historic Howlin’ Wolf Music Club & Den, and authentic creole cooking at the Lula Restaurant Distillery.  Jackson Square was an absolutely beautiful sight to see, especially when it was lit up in the evening with horse-drawn carriages parked in front.  We were also lucky enough to happen upon a parade marching right in front of our hotel in celebration of Voodoo Fest!  Apparently Mardi Gras never ends in New Orleans – I left for home with more than twenty bead necklaces from the celebrations!  The culture in this city was like nothing I had ever experienced before, and without PMA being hosted there, I may have never gotten to experience the culture and history of New Orleans.

Brittany in New Orleans with her beads
Jackson Square in New Orleans
Brittany in New Orleans with her beads
Jackson Square in New Orleans

All in all, my first time attending a PMA Fresh Summit tradeshow was unforgettable.  The value of getting to see the industry laid out right in front of you cannot be understated, and the amount of knowledge that I gained from walking the floor and talking with various exhibitors could not have been found anywhere else.  If I could describe my experience at PMA in one word, it would be: impactful.

2017/11/02

  • Green In The City icon Green In The City
View all posts tagged with New Orleans New Orleans View all posts tagged with PMA PMA View all posts tagged with Produce Produce View all posts tagged with TOMz TOMz View all posts tagged with Tradeshow Tradeshow
Photo of Brittany MacAulay

Brittany MacAulay

Marketing Coordinator | Recent TOMZ Red Cherry Tomato addict | #LeafsNation

  • Email

Snack smarter with our guide to snacking healthy on-the-go!

Our guide includes healthy eating tips, delicious recipes, and inspiration from our community.

Get the guide

Categories

  • The Kitchen icon The Kitchen
  • Newsroom icon Newsroom
  • Healthy Lifestyles icon Healthy Lifestyles
  • How We Grow icon How We Grow
  • Community icon Community
  • Green In The City icon Green In The City
  • The Grow-To People
  • Uncategorized icon Uncategorized
  • The Bug Brigade icon The Bug Brigade

Tags

Tomatoes, Greenhouse Grown, Healthy Eating, Bell Peppers, Cucumbers, Sustainability, Grow To People, Community, Education, Innovation, Healthy Living, GreenInTheCity

Authors

  • Nature Fresh Farms
  • Noelle Martin
  • Molly DeGrandchamp
  • Brittany MacAulay
  • Bryn B. & Dana C.
  • Adam Mefrakis
  • Lindsay Fager
  • Marcos Diaz
  • Herman Fehr
  • Cole Burkholder
  • Hailey Quigley
  • Noah Mefrakis
  • Gluten Intolerance Group
  • Mitch Monaco
  • Jacy Brydges
  • The Produce Mom
  • Danielle Ferreira
  • Tina Friesen
  • Tyler St. Pierre
  • Bryn Parent
  • Zak Braun
  • Cam Lyons
  • Chef Zach Lightfoot
  • Stephanie Mastronardi
  • Chris Veillon
  • The Produce Nerd
  • Kathy Birkett
  • Kelly Noseworthy
  • Dave Froese
  • Frankie Fresh
  • Peter Quiring
  • Produce For Kids
  • Chef Henry
  • Jack Hannigan

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube

Latest Tweets

RT @BusinessBurton: My favorite thing at #DellTechWorld this year is our @Nature_Fresh green house! Learn how the Dell Technologies VxRai…

@Nature_Fresh 103 days ago

Visit us at #CPMA2022 https://t.co/G39vl7i0gb

@Nature_Fresh 132 days ago

RT @FreshPlaza_com: Tomatoes and other greenhouse commodities continue to see growing demand - @Nature_Fresh https://t.co/xlZIQKEyQy https:…

@Nature_Fresh 143 days ago
Creating a Unique Company Culture: An Interview with John Ketler

The Grow-To People 

Creating a Unique Company Culture: An Interview with John Ketler

NatureFresh™ Farms Supports Local Summer Learning Program With eatbrighter!™ Message

Newsroom 

NatureFresh™ Farms Supports Local Summer Learning Program With eatbrighter!™ Message

Adding More Veggies to Your Diet in 2020

Healthy Lifestyles 

Adding More Veggies to Your Diet in 2020

Fresh Updates

Join our email list for fresh updates straight from the greenhouse! We'll send you blog posts, recipes, and events in your area. Learn more about why you should sign up here.

What would you like to learn more about?
Select all that apply.*

By entering my email I hereby consent to receiving emails for the above stated purpose. Subscribers may at any time withdraw their consent to receive emails.

Javascript is required to submit this form.

Products

  • Organics
  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Cucumbers

Learn

  • Learn
  • Educator Resources
  • Greenhouse Education Center
  • Blog
  • Discovery Center

About Us

  • The Grow-To People
  • Our Guest Workers
  • Peter Quiring
  • The Bug Brigade
  • Food Safety
  • Sustainable Growing

Contact

  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • FAQs

Get In Touch

  • 634 Mersea Road 7, RR5
    Leamington, Ontario
    N8H 3V8
  • info@naturefresh.ca
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube
A Nature Fresh Farms Learning Initiative. © 2022 Nature Fresh Farms. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube
Nature Fresh Logo