About this event

Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association (OPGMA) – Ohio Produce Network (Annual Conference) – Attendee & Buyer Research Brief

Event overview (what the show is and why it matters)

The Ohio Produce Network is the annual gathering for the fresh produce industry in Ohio, hosted by the Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association (OPGMA). The event is described as formally known as the OPGMA Congress and regularly includes educational programming focused on improving the viability of the business and developing skills for owners, managers, and employees.

The Ohio Produce Network is positioned as a two-day industry event that includes: educational programs, a trade show, and networking opportunities. The website emphasizes that events and programs are open to the entire fresh produce industry, with discounted fees for members, and that the event includes topics such as: production techniques, disease/pest mitigation, management, marketing and retailing strategies, food safety, and emerging technologies.

Dates, venue/location

• Event name: Ohio Produce Network
• Dates: January 18–19, 2027
• Venue/city information: The official page includes the event name and dates, and provides an OPGMA office address, but it does not explicitly state the event venue city/venue address for the Ohio Produce Network itself on the provided text. As a result, we cannot reliably name the venue city without additional confirmation from the official event details page.
• Host organization address (OPGMA office): 6870 Licking Valley Road, Frazeysburg, OH 43822, USA

1) Who attends (buyers / attendees)

This event is not limited to one buyer segment. It is designed to serve the whole fresh produce value chain in Ohio—growers, marketers, and related service businesses—because the educational topics span production, food safety, and commercialization (marketing/retailing strategies). The strongest “buyer” fit typically comes from attendees who make decisions about: production inputs, food safety compliance tools, marketing channels, retail partnerships, labor/training investments, and equipment/technology adoption.

Primary attendee/buyer groups

• Ohio produce growers and farm operators (owners, partners, operators, general managers). They attend for education on disease/pest mitigation, production techniques, and practical operational improvements.
• Produce marketers and distribution-focused businesses that coordinate sales to retailers/processors and help manage market opportunities.
• Retail and direct-to-consumer stakeholders with responsibilities for merchandising, local retail supply, farm-stand strategy, and sales growth.
• Food safety and compliance decision-makers who care about farm-level food safety practices and training. The website strongly signals food safety as a long-running emphasis through its learning opportunities and program structures.
• Business development and marketing leaders focused on improving consumer/processor satisfaction, environmental practice standards, and business success.
• Service and solutions providers (trade show participants) that support produce operations, including technology, agronomy support, packaging/logistics-adjacent offerings, and training resources.

How we would define “buyers” for this event (practical lens)

We treat buyers here as the people who can evaluate and purchase solutions or influence selection—typically roles such as operations leadership, farm management leadership, marketing/retail strategy leadership, and compliance/quality leadership. In many cases, these buyers are also owners or senior managers, making the event especially valuable for direct engagement and shorter sales cycles than larger enterprise-only conferences.

2) Where the show is happening + attendee geographic origin

On the provided official text, we have confirmed the event dates and host organization address, but we do not have explicit confirmation of the Ohio Produce Network venue city/address. Therefore, we cannot state the exact venue location without risking inaccuracies.

Likely geographic origin (based on the show’s positioning)

• Core audience: Ohio-based fresh produce growers and marketers. The event is described as an Ohio annual gathering and hosted by a statewide organization.
• Secondary reach: Likely participants from neighboring Midwestern states (Midwest produce supply ecosystems often overlap with Ohio in sourcing, distribution, and retail relationships).
• National/global origin: The official text emphasizes statewide relevance; any broader audience is plausible but not proven in the provided page content.

3) Audience reach (Local / National / Global)

The Ohio Produce Network is positioned as the annual gathering for the fresh produce industry in Ohio. Based on the official descriptions, we would classify the reach as primarily local/statewide (Ohio), with possible regional spillover from nearby states due to agricultural networks. We do not have evidence in the provided text to confidently label it as national or global in attendance composition.

4) Sample buyer company names (buyers only) + websites

Below are buyer-fit examples that align with the event’s fresh produce focus: growers, marketers, produce distribution/aggregation, retail produce supply chains, and service-adjacent firms that typically buy solutions for production and market execution. These are sample accounts to seed a prospect list; we recommend validating exhibitor/buyer participation for the specific year once the event exhibitor or attendee listing is available.

Targeting note for buyer definitions

We recommend targeting decision-makers connected to the event’s hot education themes: production technique improvements, disease/pest mitigation, food safety, and marketing/retailing strategies. Those themes map directly to common operational buyer roles in produce businesses.

Sample buyer list (15–20) – for prospecting

Priority	Company	Website	Best Title to Target	Why This is a Good Buyer Fit
1	Fresh Express	https://www.freshexpress.com	Director of Food Safety / Quality Assurance Manager	Produce business with strong operational compliance needs; food safety training and process improvements align with the event’s education focus.
2	Earthbound Farm	https://www.earthboundfarm.com	Grower Operations Manager / Food Safety Program Lead	Produce grower with established food safety and farm management systems; buyers typically evaluate safety and technology enhancements.
3	Bonduelle	https://www.bonduelle.com	Procurement Lead (Produce Inputs) / Operations Manager	Fresh and produce-related processing footprint; aligned with growers/marketers focused on business success and production readiness.
4	Dayton Produce	https://www.daytonproduce.com	General Manager / Produce Sales Director	Regional produce marketer/distributor type account—high relevance to marketing/retail strategy discussions.
5	Tozer Seeds (Regional produce/agronomy ecosystem)	https://www.tozer.com	Account Manager (Produce Growers) / Agronomy Partnerships Lead	Seed and crop input ecosystems often support disease/pest mitigation and production technique improvements.
6	Limberlost Farms	https://www.limberlostfarms.com	Farm Owner / Operations & Marketing Manager	Family farm style grower/marketer fit; directly aligns with owner/manager skill enhancement and marketing/retailing strategy education.
7	Steve’s Farms	https://www.stevesfarms.com	Sales & Marketing Director / Procurement & Partnerships Manager	Produce-focused farm marketing and supplier relationships match the event’s emphasis on business intelligence and marketing.
8	Global Agricultural Supply (GROWER input ecosystem)	https://www.gasupply.com	Director of Agronomy / Business Development Manager	Input and agronomy service organizations often buy and sell solutions tied to pest mitigation, production techniques, and compliance readiness.
9	The Vegetable Seed Company (crop input category)	https://www.tvsco.com	Key Account Manager (Produce Growers) / Sales Director	Seed and vegetable genetics decisions connect strongly to production performance improvements and disease mitigation education.
10	Ohio vegetable grower co-ops (sample co-op category)	https://www.ohioagriculture.org (category reference; validate specific org)	Co-op General Manager / Marketing Director	Co-ops typically coordinate buyer relationships, retail supply, and market strategy—high alignment with networking and marketing sessions.
11	FreshPoint (McLane) – produce distribution ecosystem	https://www.mclaneco.com	Produce Procurement Manager / Category Manager	Distribution/procurement teams influence what gets sourced and how growers/marketers access wholesale channels.
12	Local retail chain produce buyers (regional)	https://www.kroger.com	Produce Category Buyer / Local Sourcing Manager	The event aims to improve consumption of Ohio-grown fruits and vegetables—retail sourcing managers are directly relevant.
13	Walmart (regional sourcing ecosystem)	https://corporate.walmart.com	Produce Sourcing Manager / Supplier Development Lead	Large retailers influence supply chain standards; solutions addressing food safety, consistency, and supply reliability are high priority.
14	Sysco (supply chain buyer ecosystem)	https://www.sysco.com	Produce Procurement Manager / Quality & Compliance Lead	Foodservice supply networks often set food safety expectations and procurement requirements that connect to farm training and compliance.
15	Martin’s Super Markets (regional retail produce buyers)	https://www.martinsfoods.com	Produce Department Manager / Local Sourcing Coordinator	Local consumption goals map well to retail produce buyers who evaluate local grower supply and merchandising needs.
16	Family orchards/cider producers network (sample grower category)	https://www.ohiosharvest.com (validate exact firm; category reference)	Owner / Marketing & Retail Partnership Manager	The event page references the Ohio Cider Contest; cider/orchard operators are often closely aligned with produce marketing and retail strategy.
17	Food safety & compliance training providers (service buyer category)	https://www.nsf.org (validate exact vendor fit)	Business Development Manager (Food Safety) / Compliance Training Director	These organizations commonly sell training and certification support that matches the event’s food safety and emerging technology themes.
18	Pest management & IPM service organizations (service buyer category)	https://www.ortech.com (validate exact org; category reference)	Operations Lead / Agronomy & IPM Program Manager	Disease/pest mitigation is explicitly listed in the event education themes, making pest/mitigation service buyers a natural fit.
19	Produce packaging/handling solutions provider (category)	https://www.graphicpackaging.com	Account Executive (Produce) / Strategic Partnerships Manager	Packaging and handling affect retail readiness and post-harvest quality; produce operations commonly evaluate upgrades via trade shows.
20	Crop monitoring/precision agriculture solution provider (category)	https://www.taranis.com	Enterprise Partnerships Manager / Agriculture Solutions Lead	Emerging technologies and disease/pest mitigation align strongly with precision ag and crop monitoring adoption.

Important: We can refine this table into a highly accurate “buyers-only” list tailored to your product offering and the Ohio Produce Network’s confirmed exhibitor/buyer mix for 2027 once we review your requirements and your client’s website.

5) Job profiles, industries & event type

Job profiles to target (high relevance to education + trade show intent)

• Farm Owner / Co-Owner – direct decision-maker; attends for business viability and skill enhancement.
• Operations Manager / Farm Manager – responsible for production technique adoption and operational improvements.
• Production Manager / Crop Manager – focused on disease/pest mitigation and production performance.
• Food Safety Manager / Quality Assurance Manager – aligns with food safety education and compliance readiness.
• General Manager / Business Manager – evaluates ROI of technologies, services, and process changes.
• Marketing Manager / Retail Strategy Manager – strongly aligned with marketing and retailing strategies education.
• Sales Director / Produce Sales Manager – engages to expand retail/processor relationships and understand market trends.
• Supplier Development / Partnerships Manager – connects to procurement-driven ecosystems and buyer/supplier collaborations.
• Training & Development Coordinator – may influence staff training investments related to food safety and farm management.
• Business Development Manager (Produce Services) – often the trade show gatekeeper for vendor solutions.

Industries we should map to this event (using an Apollo-style industry logic)

This event is most strongly connected to the following industry filters and adjacency categories:

• Agriculture
• Food & Beverages
• Food Production
• Retail (local and regional sourcing)
• Wholesale (produce distribution/aggregation)
• Logistics & Supply Chain (post-harvest handling requirements)
• Renewables & Environment (environmentally friendly practices focus)
• Professional Training & Coaching (food safety and skills enhancement training)
• Medical/Health-adjacent is less direct, so we prioritize food safety and compliance rather than medical categories.

Event type classification (what it is)

• Industry association annual conference
• Trade show with education sessions
• Fresh produce business development and networking
• Food safety + production technology education
• Marketing/retailing strategy sessions

6) Estimated attendance (expected total footfall)

The provided official website text confirms the event is two days and includes educational programs and a trade show, but it does not provide an estimated attendance figure. Because we must not fabricate numbers, we cannot provide a reliable total footfall estimate from the current source text.

We recommend we model attendance by validating one of the following from the official event pages or post-event reports: registration counts, exhibitor count, or any attendance summary for prior years. Once we have that, we can provide an evidence-based attendance model (including “how many buyers vs. general attendees”).

7) Key focus areas & buyer engagement

Key focus areas (explicitly supported by the official website)

• Production techniques (practical improvements for fresh produce output)
• Disease/pest mitigation (protecting yield and reducing crop risk)
• Management (operational and business management skills for owners/managers)
• Marketing and retailing strategies (improving sales channels and consumer demand)
• Food safety (risk reduction and readiness through training/education)
• Emerging technologies (adoption of modern solutions for growers and marketers)

Buyer engagement strategy (how we help a client convert attention into conversations)

• Position the pitch around “business viability”: the website language emphasizes viability and skill enhancement for owners/managers/employees. We align messaging to ROI, reduced risk, improved quality, and easier adoption.
• Lead with a “food safety and production readiness” storyline: because food safety is explicitly highlighted as a critical issue in OPGMA programming.
• Connect to marketing/retailing outcomes: we recommend framing solutions around increasing Ohio produce consumption, strengthening retail relationships, and improving processor satisfaction.
• Use trade show adjacency: trade shows typically attract solution evaluation. We advise capturing meeting leads from: farm operators, quality managers, marketing leaders, and business development teams.

8) Client-product fit check (request for client website + best buyer identification approach)

We can produce a best-buyer shortlist that is tailored to your client’s requirements, but we need one key input: please share your client product website.

What we will do once we review your client website

• We will map your client’s offering to the Ohio Produce Network’s education tracks (production techniques, pest mitigation, management, marketing/retailing, food safety, emerging technologies).
• We will identify which buyer roles are the most likely decision-makers for your product (for example, food safety/quality vs. marketing/sales vs. crop production leadership).
• We will prioritize industries that match your product’s buying logic (for example, growers vs. marketers vs. retailers/processors vs. compliance/training providers).
• We will return an improved “buyers-only” prospect table with: Priority, Company, Website, Best Title to Target, and Why This is a Good Buyer Fit.

Quick guidance (so we can tailor faster)

Please also tell us which best describes your client:

• Production technology / agronomy support
• Food safety compliance / training / auditing
• Marketing tools / retail strategy / merchandising support
• Logistics/packaging/handling solutions
• Software/analytics for farms/marketers
• Other (please specify)

9) Final recommendation (buyer quality score + what to target first)

The Ohio Produce Network is an excellent event for businesses selling into the fresh produce operational and commercialization layer—especially where solutions connect to: production techniques, food safety, disease/pest mitigation, and marketing/retailing strategy. Because the conference is industry-driven and hosted by an Ohio statewide association, we expect buyer relevance to be strong for Ohio-centric accounts and for companies serving Ohio produce growers and marketers.

Best “first targets” (roles to prioritize)

• Food Safety / Quality Assurance leadership
• Farm/Production Operations Managers
• Crop Managers focused on pest mitigation
• Marketing, Retail Strategy, and Sales leadership
• General Managers and Owners (where buying decisions are centralized)

What we need from you to finalize a “best buyers” list

Please share: (1) your client website URL, (2) your client’s product category (from the list above), and (3) whether your outreach is B2B sales, partnerships, training delivery, or technology adoption.

Once we have that, we will deliver a refined buyer list tailored to the Ohio Produce Network’s audience intent—focused on the highest-likelihood decision-makers and best-fit industries.