Grower Insights: Stretching To Make Your Agribusiness Better [VIDEO]

Last year was one full of challenges for most in the produce industry. Growers leaned on every resource they had to make their operation work.  Looking for new solutions to perennial problems was a central part of discussions during the recently held Fruit & Vegetable Grower CONNECT 2025 in Isle of Palms, SC.

Editors from American Fruit Grower, Western Fruit Grower, and American Vegetable Grower were able to capture candid conversations with several growers at the industry event. Among those they were able to speak with was Jarom Empey, farm manager at Empey Orchards and Sheffield Cider in Mesa, WA.

When asked to describe the 2025 season in one word, Empey chose “stretching.”

Looking ahead to this season, Empey says he is sharpening the pencil and taking a more aggressive approach to every part of the business.

In the Grower Insights video below, watch Jarom Empey discuss that and how AI is also playing a bigger role in helping tackle new challenges, as well as how careful planning, innovation, and adaptability are keys to moving the farm forward.

Check out more 2025 Grower Insights videos to see how the experiences of last year are shaping growth strategies and innovations for 2026.