The Packer
U.S. agriculture trade press, industry-focused
Background
The Packer was founded in February 1893 in Kansas City, Missouri, by Isaac N. Barrick, a former restaurant owner who recognized a gap in dedicated reporting for the fresh produce trade. After Barrick died in 1903, George A. Gurley, formerly of Armour Meat Packing Company, took over management and helped grow the paper significantly; by 1919 it had reached a peak circulation of 48,000. In 1964, George H. Gurley sold the publication to Vance Publishing Corporation of Chicago, a larger family-owned trade media company that held it for more than five decades. Under Vance, The Packer remained the dominant trade newspaper for the produce industry, covering commodity markets, shipping logistics, retail trends, and relevant legislation. Farm Journal, Inc. acquired The Packer along with other Vance agriculture publications in December 2015, adding it to a broad portfolio of agricultural media. Today the publication is headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas, and reaches more than 18,000 subscribers through print, digital, and video products. It also organizes trade events, including the West Coast Produce Expo and the newly launched East Coast Produce Expo. Its editorial focus remains tightly on the business of fresh produce; it does not take broad political positions.
Sources
- The Packer – Wikipedia
- The Packer – Farm Journal brand page
- The Packer – official website
- A Century of Produce: Packer Milestones – The Packer
- Farm Journal and The Packer Launch East Coast Produce Expo in 2026 – Farm Journal
- AgriMarketing: Farm Journal's Acquisition of Vance Publishing
Profile compiled 2026-07-26; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.