Improve Access to Healthy Food and Create a Better Sense of Place with a Well Managed Farmers Market

By Heather Manzo, Extension Educator, Allegheny County. If the proper assets are in place a farmers market can create activity in building local economies and leveraging assets for mainstream redevelopment projects, enhancing relationships between business, increasing access to fresh food, and making social services more visible to community members.

Farmers markets have historically played a role in weaving together the social and economic fabric of communities. Farmers markets today still play the role of creating a sense of place and community.


Penn State Extension partnered with Sustainable Pittsburgh and the Local Government Academy to deliver this program to help Community / Economic Development organizations, municipal leaders and staff, and farmers market managers decide how a well managed market can benefit any community.

The archived webinar can be found by following this link.

Emerging Food Trends--Peruvian Items Are On The Rise

If you're involved in the ethnic foods industry (whether that's growing, selling, education, or just plain consuming), I suggest joining the Ethnic Greens and Herbs Workshop Facebook group.  This group was formed to disseminate helpful research information and news regarding the ethnic produce industry to growers, wholesalers, retailers, Extension personnel, researchers, and association representatives.  


Fellow blogger Kathy Kelley recently posted a link to the article "From Aji peppers, amaranth and pichuberries to purple corn and quinoa, Peruvian cuisine is hot, says Packaged Facts".  In the article, results from the 'What's Hot in 2014' survey of American Culinary Federation chefs shows that 57% of respondents "voted Peruvian cuisine the top trend in the ethnic cuisines and flavors category".  The article also reports that "the UN declared 2013 the 'International Year of Quinoa' (a Peruvian staple) and the Culinary Institute of America has declared 2014 to be the year of Peruvian cuisine".

So what kind of foods are popular with Peruvians?

• Purple corn- most commonly used to make chicha morada (a drink) and mazamorra (a pudding). 

  

  Purple corn being sold at a farm market. Photo taken by Kathy Kelley on a 2013 trip to South America.

• Aji peppers- a species of chili pepper.  Aji Amarillo, Aji Panca, Aji Rocoto, Aji Mirasol, and Aji Limo are the most commonly used varieties of Aji peppers in Peruvian cooking.

  

  Aji panca pepper.  Photo from TheHotPepper.com.

• Amaranth- a grain with a high nutrition value; the seeds are consumed whole toasted or milled into flour. 

  

  Amaranth harvest.  Photo from NationalGeographic.com.

• Pichuberry- a polyphenol-rich fruit.

  

  Pichuberry. Photo from LAMag.com.

• Pisco- a grape brandy produced in Peru and Chile.

  

  Two different brands of Pisco.  Photo from wikipedia.com.

Why is this trend important to you, the food producer?  Hispanic and Latino populations in the United States are seeing dramatic increases.  According to the 2010 Census, 16% of the US population were of Hispanic or Latino origin.  (The US Census Bureau defines "Hispanic or Latino" as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.)  The Census also shows that between 2000 and 2010, the Hispanic population grew by 43%, which was four times the growth in the total population.  

With this tremendous growth, Hispanic and Latino customers are not to be ignored.  Are you looking to expand your product line and/or market to a new target audience?  This might be your answer, but as always, do your research to find out if you should start selling any new product or marketing to a new audience.  

How's the Produce Competition Doing?

by John Berry, Extension Educator in Lehigh Co.

U.S. consumers have benefited from an increasing volume and variety of fresh produce at both retail and food service outlets.  There has been a significant accompanying growth in imports, particularly since the 1990's.  The produce section in today's grocery store often has dozens, if not hundreds, of different fresh fruits and vegetables on display all year around.  This product typically comes from all corners of the globe as additions to our domestic fresh fruit and vegetables.  Improved logistics, technology, and transportation have allowed this increase in availability.

Did you know nearly two-thirds of our fresh produce imports from from Mexico, Chile, and Costa Rica? Additionally, California, taking advantage of its diverse geography and climates, is the nation's largest fresh-market producer.  The State is the nation's leading producer of fresh-market grapes, strawberries, peaches, and a major producer of a wide variety of fresh vegetables and greens.

What does all this have to do with me as a local produce farmer?  As we continue to finalize 2013 and develop a growing and marketing plan for 2014 - we may wonder how the upcoming season will treat us compared to previous years.  Could there be any impact from this produce typically coming from outside our local area?

Precipitation is forecast to be in short supply in 2014.

A recent Wall Street Journal article noted that, "Record-low precipitation in 2013 has worsened California's drought, draining reservoirs, forcing farmers to keep fallow thousands of acres of fields and leaving some ski resorts high and dry during the busy holiday season.  Urban and agricultural customers, including Southern California's huge Metropolitan Water District, have been told by the state to expect to receive this year, on average, just 5% of the water they historically request, after a year in which rainfall totals hit record lows in many parts of the state.  Last year, customers received 35% of requested supply, on average."  Additionally, checking NOAA drought monitor data, we see most of Mexico and much of South America are currently rated at "dry" or "drought" status also.

As our customers expand concern for healthful foods and build increased awareness of local farm-food sources we may expect another strong demand year in 2014.  Local distribution is also seeing some growth.  Not only are there examples of local food distribution systems starting to mature, the many established food brokers are carrying more and more local produce as their conventional customers demand.

Of course, no one can predict the future - but - if growing conditions in the southeast U.S. and South America are not ideal, perhaps east coast growers will be able to fill more of the expanded regional demand for fresh produce in 2014.  Will we be prepared?

Remember to consider participating in the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable Convention January 28-30. There are many educational sessions appropriate for those of us in the commercial produce business.

* This article includes information from FTS-356-01; Economic Research Service/USDA

Convenience is King for Female Grocery Shoppers

The National Grocer’s Association and Supermarket Guru recently conducted a survey (which is discussed in the article "How Women Shop") concerning where and how consumers shop.  Not surprisingly, females are the main shoppers (75.7%) and their biggest concerns when grocery shopping are "accurate shelf tags (74.6%), clean and neat surroundings (83.7%), and a safe environment outside the store (61.2%)."

Woman and her son grocery shopping.

Neat, easy-to-read shelf tags.

This information is very telling for retailers.  Are your shelf tags neat, easy-to-read, and accurate?  Is the inside as well as the outside of the store neat and tidy?  Is the parking lot well-lit and safe for your customers?  Your answers to these questions should all be "YES"!  If not, resolve these issues immediately and observe how customers react.  







Another important issue for survey respondents was the quality of their perishable items.  Items that were seen as "very important":

High quality, well-stocked produce.

• high quality produce (90%)
• high quality meats (71.4%)
• high quality seafood (45.5%)
• high quality bakery (32.4%)

Also in regard to product quality, 82.7% of survey respondents wanted ample time in product dating to extend shelf life of their purchases.

As a food retailer, how do these survey results compare to your own observations in your store?  Are you surprised by any of the results?  What changes will you make in your store to better suit these concerns?

As a consumer, are your shopping needs similar to the survey results?  What else can retailers do to attract you?

Stay tuned for another post in the near future with more results from this survey!

We’re eating smaller, frequent meals. Do you have a snack for that?

Quite a few reports have been published lately that describe how the U.S. consumers’ eating habits are changing.  One noticeable trend is that we are snacking more. 

If you are a food retailer, manufacturer, producers, restaurateur, or have another role in the food industry offering snacks could be a huge opportunity.  Think about how you, too, could meet consumer need for mid-meal or meal replacement products.  

Some reasons we are snacking more: 

• Boredom, food budget,
• our hectic grab-and-go lifestyles,
• increased availability of portion controlled packaged items,
• and weight loss/weight management programs and experts suggesting that more frequent, smaller    meals may be the key to a healthier lifestyle. 

Regardless of the cause, snacking has become a norm.  According to the USDA Agriculture Research Service, most U.S. consumers (90%) snack at least once a daily  and 62% of men and 68% of men snack two or more times a day (http://tinyurl.com/7tzt4qt).  

Not only has the research been published as to how often we snack, but recently the Hartman Group (www.hartman-group.com) held an online webinar about snacking, titled “The future of snacking and the influence of global flavors.” During the webinar, the presenter indicated that consumers have an interest in snacks made with authentic “global” or “ethnic” flavors.  Current popular ethnic flavors included:

• Korean/kimchi, 
• Lebanese/falafel, and



Photo source: http://tinyurl.com/7os9k8e



• British gastro pub/pig trotters.  

Some of the flavors that we should expect to 
enjoy in the future are:

• Nordic/caraway rye crisps, 
• Moroccan/fennel crisps, 
• Ethiopian/puffed millet, and 
• Cambodian/lychee juice.  

It is easy to understand why U.S. consumers embrace ethnic flavors.  We are traveling more and are influence by the cuisines we try.  Some of us then return home and share meals made with these ingredients with family and friends.  It is also very likely that a consumer is embracing their heritage and preparing meals associated with their culture.  Or, like my family, cultures have been blended by marriage.  My sister-in-law is from South Korea and I can tell you that bulgogi (marinated beef) is delicious (especially when she uses kiwi and Sprit in the marinade).  

Whatever the reason – if consumers are eating foods with ethnic flavors at traditional meal times it only makes sense that they have an interest in snacks with a bit of these spices and tastes. 

Certainly, there are several other snack food trends that need to be considered including:

Photo Source: http://www.elskitchen.com/

• Consumer interest in “natural” snacks, 
• gluten-free options, 
• sweet and salty combinations, and
• low calorie options, for example. 

Deciding on the best snack for your business hinges on a few factors:

• Snacks that complement your current offering (do you already offer seasoned popcorn, nuts or other crunch snacks?), 
• your core products (e.g. fresh fruits/vegetables, meats, breads) and what snacks make sense for your business (if you are known for local fruits and vegetables does it make sense to offer your own brand of dried pineapple slices?), 
• flavors or cuisine you currently focus on (can you incorporate Asian flavored products with what you current off?), 
• your customer base (do you or could you tap into a local ethnic community that new snack offerings may appeal?), and
• what equipment you need to process (or can your outsource manufacturing?) and stock new snack items (do you have or will you need freezers or coolers for dips and other perishables?).

Just a few things to think about as you explore how you could use trends, such as snacking, to increase sales.  

Surveys of mid-Atlantic consumers conducted by Penn State researchers part 11

Continuing with the Penn State research I've been writing about the past few months, a series of questions asked participants to indicate their purchasing behaviors towards new varieties of fruits and/or vegetables. If participants indicated that they noticed and purchased a new variety of a fruit or vegetable, they were then asked to indicate how strongly they agreed or disagreed with a list of reasons for purchasing a new produce variety.

For the participants who noticed and purchased a new variety, they reported, on average, that they “somewhat agreed” to purchasing a new produce variety (an average of “5,” according to a scale, with “1” equaling “strongly disagree,” and “7,” “strongly agree”) because of the “visual quality” of the produce, that the “appearance of the produce was appealing,” and that they “enjoyed trying new foods,” as shown in the graph below. Participants also reported that they “somewhat disagreed” (an average of “3”) to purchasing a new produce variety because the “item was featured in an advertisement.” Additionally, they reported being “neutral” (an average of “4”) towards “price” of the new produce variety for choosing to purchase.



To read more about this topic, please see the press release.

As you can see by the graph, "visual quality" and "appearance was appealing" are 2 of the 3 highest ranking reasons for trying a new produce variety. As an ag entrepreneur, how do you showcase your new offerings? As a consumer, how do you agree/disagree with these results? What are your most important reasons for trying a new produce variety?

Can convenience stores extend the shelf life of fresh fruit?

When purchasing a snack at a convenience store, more and more customers are looking for a healthy option. Many convenience stores are starting to sell fruits and veggies, but are facing problems with the very short shelf life. For a store like 7-Eleven (which is estimated to sell 27 million bananas this year), this is a major problem.

7-Eleven has partnered with Fresh Del Monte to create a plastic wrap that slows respiration by keeping most oxygen and moisture out. By wrapping a green banana in this wrap, a banana will stay firm for about 5 days as compared to an unwrapped banana which has a shelf life of only 2 days. 7-Eleven will be testing these wrapped bananas in 27 Dallas-area stores. If the test goes well, the chain expects the wrap to be used in most of its stores by early 2010.

banana wrap article

As an ag entrepreneur, would you use this wrap on your fresh produce? Do you think that this wrap will help you sell more produce and allow you to sell in new venues (like convenience stores, gas stations, rest stops, etc)? As a consumer, would you buy produce wrapped in plastic?