On Thursday, April 6, 2023, nearly thirty members and guests of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture participated in a field trip to the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, the world’s largest fully-enclosed, fully-refrigerated wholesale produce terminal with 686,000 square feet of space.

Its most distinguishing operational benefit is cold-chain protection for fresh fruits and vegetables. Eighteen PWPM merchants carry a full line of fruits and vegetables and serve all types of food service and grocery businesses.  The Market is owned by the Port of Philadelphia.

PSPA member Joseph Harrison from the USDA hosted the tour.  Market Manager Christine Hoffman was our tour guide.  Joseph M. Procacci, CEO of Procacci Brothers Produce was our guest speaker.  JM (as he is affectionately known) talked about how water and food will be the lifeblood of economic development in the near future.  Supply chains will become more geographically diverse as labor shows itself as another key factor in food chains.  He also commented positively about the role of urban, vertical farms.

As one of the largest wholesale produce distributors in North America, Procacci Brothers works to grow and strengthen the business of its customers. Procacci Brothers operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week in its state-of-the-art facilities in South Philadelphia. Seven warehouses are located at one of the East Coast’s busiest ports on the Delaware River.

Receiving the freshest produce locally, domestically, and from around the world, it remain committed to building strong and unique programs for retail supermarkets, club stores, and the food service industry.