Very well written article highlighting the issue with cookie cutter legislation.  Interestingly, the author also touches on the goodwill generated when the individual grower’s identity is known.  Because all Top 10 Produce items identify the grower right on the item, local growers will be well-known locally.  Especially when they produce exceptional quality produce.  Enjoy!

This article talks about ranking produce items by pesticide residues.  The idea with Top 10 is that not all produce is created equal.  With Top 10 we intend to have rankings like this that are specific to the grower and to the particular produce item, rather than treating all produce items of a particular type as equal.

Couple this with their new “Breadcrumbs” software for the consumer level and it starts to become clear that IBM is making a power play for the traceability market in a big way.

Incredibly interesting white paper on the impact of social media on brands.  This paper helps to clarify Top 10 being a brand of brands.  Essentially, under the Top 10 brand, because each grower is unique and markets themselves as such, each grower is essentially their own brand name.  They are unified under Top 10 but they are independent from Top 10 also.

Therefore, if one of our growers should suffer from a product recall, we can address that, correct that, and most importantly isolate that.  One event or one grower does not have to impact the whole, because each grower has their own product numbers, their own customer ratings, and their own history.  That history is their own and can be taken with them if they choose to leave the Top 10 system, and will be taken with them if they are required to leave the Top 10 system due to significant issues with quality or for other legal reasons that may require a brand disassociation.

All will be transparent, and we will gladly go to bat for any grower selling under our brand in a public fashion.  But the bottom line is that a grower is their own brand and in this new age of tranparency no amount of brand association will help a low quality grower or hurt the best grower.  What we plan to do is to give the best the opportunity to shine and we expect that will continue to attract the highest quality, most sustainable, and most interesting small growers to our brand.

This blogger is remarkably clear about sustainability marketing issues, challenges, and opportunities.  She only has two followers but if the quality of the writing is any indication, she will have thousands in no time if anybody is paying attention.

This iphone app is a sign of things to come.  Consumers are about to be a powerful force in bringing about social change.

If you have not heard of current you need to check this out.  It is going to be HUGE.

This is an example of how the free shop savvy application from the company called “Big in Japan” works.  Since 100% of Top 10 produce has an item label including a small barcode (called a Databar), that means that all of our produce will be scannable by this shop savvy application.  This is brand new technology but will spread like wildfire in the next two years.

There has been a revolt against retailers misrepresenting produce as locally grown.  Having a Databar on each item protects the consumer and the retailer because the Top 10 brand is 100% transparent.

The consumer can see (for examples):

1) The location of the farm as compared to their current location.

2) Consumer reviews about that product that are specific to the farmer who actually owned or leased the land and who grew that produce item.

3) Any certifications (organic, naturally grown, Food Alliance) along with other specific information about sustainable practices that the grower cares to share.

4) Other relevant information about the farm and the farmer that the consumer may find interesting.