The produce industry is still dominated by men while women tend to be underrepresented at the management table. However, North Bay Produce recognizes the importance of their female leaders and would like to put Jennifer Pulcipher and Sarah Quackenbush in the spotlight. “Both Jennifer and Sarah are extremely important team members today and for the future of North Bay,” says Nick Osmulski, President of North Bay Produce. “They are ambassadors for our company within the industry and have taken advantage of opportunities to get involved in various industry leadership development programs,” he added.
Passionate about advocacy
Jennifer, Director of Food Safety & Compliance at North Bay, grew up on a cherry farm in Northern Michigan where her family has a rich history in farming locally. “I am most passionate about the general produce industry and being an advocate for our farmers,” she shared. For Jennifer, it is very important to be a voice for the industry, particularly for growers, by educating consumers and others through a common sense approach. “Sadly, we are no longer an agrarian society, and I would argue that the end-consumer doesn’t quite understand how food gets to the grocery store and onto their dinner table. In addition, most consumers aren’t aware of the challenges that are faced along the supply chain, especially the growing level,” she said.” Jennifer feels this is a message that needs to be shared.
Her passion for advocacy enables Jennifer to attend the Washington Conference annually. This event allows IFPA members to engage with congressional members and other branches of government such as the FDA and USDA. “This is especially important in food safety where we have recently seen the implications of disorganization and a lack of structure at the highest level,” she commented. “There is always work to be done to help bridge the gap between industry and government, which is why it is so important for the produce industry to unite and come together for this event and keep showing up year after year.”
Left: Jennifer Pulcipher. Right: Sarah Quackenbush.
Link between customers and growers
The passion of sales manager Sarah Quackenbush lies in facilitating growth between North Bay’s customers and growers. “I’m part of the team that acts as the link between our customer partners and grower-shareholders, which enables me to help tailor our sales strategy to our production capabilities. In addition, I contribute to forming our procurement/production strategies based on our sales potential and sales goals as a company. It is rewarding to provide our customers with opportunities for incremental growth, while maximizing growers’ returns,” she said. This helps ensure sustainable, long-term profitability.
With blueberries being an integral part of North Bay’s business, Sarah is excited to get the opportunity to participate in USHBC’s year-long leadership program. “Gaining a more in-depth understanding and appreciation of the blueberry industry as well as develop leadership skills and form lifelong connections among industry peers is very exciting.” Through the capstone project, Sarah hopes to provide value to blueberry growers across the industry.
Both women attribute their success to the support and encouragement of their families, friends, mentors, and colleagues at North Bay Produce. They are both very grateful for the opportunities that have been provided and look forward to what the future holds. “Both Jennifer and Sarah share a strong desire to grow, learn and expand their network and knowledge within the produce industry,” said Osmulski. “Their day-to-day learning experience within the company, combined with the industry experiences they continue to seek out, have helped put them in positions to be strong future leaders within North Bay Produce.”
For more information:
Brian Klumpp
North Bay Produce
Tel: +1 (231) 492-7457
[email protected]
www.northbayproduce.com