"When United Fresh members work together across the supply chain, our impact is magnified in shaping national policy," Stenzel said. "This will be a great opportunity to highlight the work of our members throughout these eastern growing regions, and see their operations in the middle of production season. We want to show that members across the country have a real voice in setting national industry policy. While the produce industry may have a larger population in some other production regions, each of our members in these states can have a huge impact on national issues by working with their members of Congress and joining in the industry’s annual Washington Public Policy Conference this October."

Stenzel pointed to the tour’s town hall meeting in Southern Ontario as one of many highlights.

"Our visit to Leamington recognizes the stake that our Canadian members have in sound U.S. policy, and vice versa," he said. "Our industry transcends governmental borders, and deserves fair and equitable business and government standards among all trading partners. Our members in more than 30 countries around the world are just as interested in pending new U.S. food safety regulations as our domestic members."

The Fresh Impact Tour will begin in western New York on Monday, August 8, with visits to growers, packers and local retailers along the way. The tour will then make stops in the Garden State for visits with local distributors in northern New Jersey before heading south to the Vineland growing regions to see a wide range of fruit and vegetable producers, brokers and local companies. The tour ends its first week moving west to central Pennsylvania, visiting with fruit and vegetable growers and fresh-cut processors. The second week of the Fresh Impact Tour stops in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, and will include a meeting with greenhouse producers in Leamington, Ontario.

The Fresh Impact Tour Town Hall Meetings are scheduled as follows:

Western New York - Monday, August 8, 12:00 noon

Captain Jack’s Driftwood Lounge, Sodus Point, N.Y.

Southern New Jersey- Wednesday, August 10, 4:30 p.m.

Merighi’s Savoy Inn, Vineland, N.J.

Central Ohio, Tuesday, August 16, 11:30 a.m.

The Varsity Club, Willard, Ohio

Ontario, Canada - Wednesday, August 17, 11:30 a.m.

The Roma Club, Leamington, Ontario

Central Michigan - Thursday, August 18, 1:00 p.m.

Grand Rapids, Mich

Throughout the trip, visits will include numerous fruit and vegetable growers, distributors and retailers in each of these areas, and members and staff will be posting updates and photos to the United Fresh Twitter (www.twitter.com/unitedfresh) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/unitedfreshproduceassociation) pages to facilitate engagement and discussion among the entire industry.

The Fresh Impact Tour takes its name from United’s current program promoting member involvement in the public policy process. More than 500 industry members are expected to descend on Washington, D.C., in October for this year’s Washington Public Policy Conference, which will feature individual congressional meetings as well as general sessions with key national leaders. In September, United will debut its first Fresh Impact Magazine, an annual publication designed to showcase how industry public policy efforts are helping members grow their sales and profitability.