Fruit and Vegetable Grower Insights: Top Lessons Learned in the Past Year [Video]

For specialty crop growers, 2025 brought more than its fair share of challenges. Out of these challenges came opportunities to grow forward. These challenges and opportunities were the center of discussion during the recently held Fruit & Vegetable Grower CONNECT 2025 in Isle of Palms, SC.

The annual event hosted by Meister Media Worldwide brings together executives from the largest and most progressive grower operations in North America with senior leadership at the leading industry supplier companies for private, focused meetings to facilitate conversations and build relationships with the people who can affect positive change.

In between the one-on-one meetings, editors from American Fruit Grower, Western Fruit Grower, and American Vegetable Grower sat down with growers to explore the obstacles and lessons that defined the year.

In candid conversations captured on video, growers discuss regulatory pressures, rising input costs, volatile markets, and extreme weather conditions. They also share how they adapted by rethinking operations, finding efficiencies, and leaning into collaboration with partners, vendors, and neighboring operations.

Check out the Grower Insights video below that highlights how they are applying hard-earned lessons to move forward.

Stay tuned for more 2025 Grower Insights videos to see how the experiences of 2025 are shaping growth strategies and innovations for 2026.