CanadaGAP to phase out aquaponics certification

CanadaGAP will begin phasing out certification for aquaponics operations in 2020, citing “potential chemical hazards (antibiotics, for example) associated with aquaponic production” and possible uptake of contaminants through leafy greens.

The government organization will stop GAP-certifying businesses on April 1 and begin revoking certifications from businesses in 2020.

The organization says it uses a generic HACCP model establish food safety requirements. According to CanadaGAP, using that model means more research is needed before aquaponics can be GAP certified again.

>> Read the full story here.

photo: Patrick Williams

Proven Winners to drop out of California Spring Trials in 2020

Proven Winners will not host a stop at California Spring Trials in 2020 and will reevaluate in following years whether or not to rejoin the tour.

With attendance slightly declining at the event in recent years, the company hopes to broaden the pool of horticulture industry members who can learn about its plant introductions, said Jeanine Standard, who handles media and public relations for Proven Winners.

“For us, we are respected for having marketing innovations and new approaches, and this is definitely in that category,” Standard said. “And we’ll be the first to say that there is no guarantee at anything we do. But we felt it was time to try a different approach — something that more of our audience could participate in.”

>> Read the full story here.

© vallefrias | Adobe Stock

Researchers with the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) have found that eggplant varieties developed specifically for growing in greenhouses and high tunnels produced a prolific amount of fruit.

“A comprehensive survey of high tunnel producers that we conducted in 2016 indicated that a surprisingly high number of producers were growing eggplant in tunnels. This number increased further in a 2019 survey. While some cultivars are marketed as being suitable for high tunnel production, there have been no comprehensive studies available to guide selection of eggplant cultivars,” said station researcher Becky Sideman.

According to the USDA’s Census of Agriculture, 92 Granite State farms were growing eggplant to sell fresh to consumers in 2017, an increase from 55 farms in 2012.

>> Read the full story here.

from rural communities in the Midwest to urban epicenters on the West Coast, colleges and universities are getting creative with how they bring fresh produce to campus. By going straight to the source of the food supply chain to building partnerships with local farmers, institutions are teaching the value of the farm-to-fork connection to the next generation.

“There is a special experience that can be formed by engaging with farmers and creating amazing meals with their harvest,” says Chef Adam Schmith, culinary arts director at Lorain County Community College (LCCC) in Elyria, Ohio, west of Cleveland. “The food always tastes better when you know where it was grown and the dedication and passion that it was grown with.”

Driven by sustainability, unique selections or farm-fresh flavor, there are a multitude of reasons university chefs are seeking farm partnerships. Here are some examples of how schools are working with local produce growers to impact their food supply.

Connecting with local farmers

Since its inception seven years ago, LCCC’s culinary curriculum always included a farm-to-fork course, designed to recognize the contributions of farms surrounding campus. But the class didn’t see enrollment until Schmith became director in 2016 and ramped up the program by strengthening ties to local farmers.

Schmith visited local farms to coordinate which products he could incorporate into the culinary curriculum, the student-run restaurant and the campus dining program. Through this process, he secured partnerships with a handful of local fish, dairy and livestock farmers and produce growers. In addition to supplying fresh ingredients, these partners also provide hands-on learning experiences for students in the program.

“Students travel to farms to meet the growers and learn daily procedures firsthand,” Schmith says. “Last fall, for example, students received a plot of land to plant lettuce and vegetables at Coleman Gardens in Avon Lake. They worked with the owners, Joe and Marcia Coleman, and learned how to prepare the land, seed and harvest the produce, then utilize it in the kitchen as a final project.”

LCCC also partners with Tyler’s Farm, a 6,000-square-foot hydroponic operation in Oberlin, Ohio. Owner Tyler Gogolek grows “lettuce in any leaf shape, color and texture available,” in addition to different varieties of kale, arugula, basil and other herbs. “Because of our selection and diversity, LCCC’s restaurants can provide more than just an ordinary salad,” he says.

Gogolek harvests greens with roots attached, so produce stays fresher longer in LCCC’s coolers. But the ingredients become more than just products on the shelf because students get to engage with the farmers who cultivated them.

“When you can put a face to something, all of a sudden it has meaning,” says Gogolek, a third-generation farmer with a greenhouse production degree. “You understand what goes into it to get it to your table, how it was grown and cared for, and why it’s important to support local farmers.”

After engaging with farmers, Schmith says students treat ingredients with more respect and creativity.

“Partnering with these farms gives the students an appreciation of the product they receive. Engaging in hands-on activities at the farms gives them an insight that they don’t get when a box of prewashed carrots arrives at the dock,” Schmith says. “They’re more resourceful when they’re using local ingredients, which translates into a larger sense of meaning and pride when delivering dishes to guests.”

Farming urban opportunities

Even urban campuses are finding innovative ways to farm. Administrators at the University of Southern California (USC) were exploring options to improve sustainability on campus when Eric Ernest, executive chef of USC Hospitality, suggested growing their own produce.

Ernest worked with Lettuce Grow, a Los Angeles-based urban farming organization formerly known as LA Urban Farms, to develop the USC Teaching Garden in 2015. Located behind the university-owned hotel, the plot consists of about 60 vertical tower gardens that grow greens, herbs and more to supply several restaurants on campus.

“Don’t just accept that you’re a landlocked campus without an agricultural reach,” says Kris Klinger, assistant vice president of USC Hospitality and USC Hotel in Los Angeles. “There are so many ways to improve your sustainability efforts and make a difference. Get creative and find ways to do it.”

“USC Hospitality wanted to find a way to get closer to their ingredients and reconnect people with food,” says Niels Thorlaksson, lead farmer at Lettuce Grow. “We wanted to showcase how technology can convert unused spaces into productive and efficient ways to sustainably grow your own food.”

Lettuce Grow maintains the hydroponic system at the USC Teaching Garden, which uses 90% less space and 95% less water than traditional agriculture. Thorlaksson’s organization grows all the seedlings at nurseries in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Texas, then delivers the young plants to USC and other urban farm locations.

The Teaching Garden has grown everything from cucumbers and melons to chilies and tomatoes, although the towers primarily produce fast-growing, high-yield greens like kale, lettuce and arugula, and herbs like basil, parsley and cilantro. The year-round operation harvests about 3,000 plants each week, which are delivered to kitchens within minutes.

“There’s a dialogue between the chefs and the urban farmers, where we’re always playing with new ingredients,” says Ernest, who meets with farmers regularly to plan different varieties. “From that perspective, it’s a great collaboration.”

Teaching the value of farm-to-fork

Although the volume of produce that comes from the USC Teaching Garden can’t meet the demands of the large residential dining halls, the urban farm helps the university save money and improve sustainability by sourcing certain ingredients hyper-locally. But the program’s impact far exceeds the fresh greens it supplies.

“We called this The Teaching Garden because our goal is to educate people about how produce is grown,” says Kris Klinger, assistant vice president of USC Hospitality and USC Hotel. “It puts them in touch with it and allows them to touch it, as opposed to just having ingredients show up in a truck.”

Since USC started its Teaching Garden four years ago, more than a dozen other universities across the country have launched similar farms.

“Seeing an institution like USC embrace a program like this brings more awareness to sustainability issues,” says Thorlaksson, whose organization operates urban farms for corporate, academic and residential clients around the country. “It paves the way for others to start making changes of their own.”

Whether colleges cultivate relationships with local produce growers or find ways to grow their own, there are plenty of opportunities to strengthen the connections between farmers and culinarians and teach the next generation the value of local produce.

“It’s so important to understand where your ingredients are coming from and how much effort goes into growing,” Thorlaksson says. “When you have that connection with your food, you’ll appreciate it more.”

Welcome to the fourth annual Produce Grower State of the Industry report. Inside this issue, you’ll find the latest exclusive research on revenues, market trends, operational challenges and new technology.

Growers are really starting to embrace new tools more than ever in 2019 as they work to improve operations and sales. We’ve seen an uptick in the use of tracking software (13 percentage points over last year), and for the first time this year, we asked growers about the use of e-commerce as consumers continue to embrace online shopping and direct delivery.

You’ll also find new statistics on supplemental lighting as growers look for new ways to improve production. Nearly half of growers aren’t using any kind of supplemental lighting, but 38% have implemented LED lights in their operations.

Growers are also taking note of the latest culinary trends. From gourmet mushrooms to edible flowers to other specialty crops, operations all over the U.S. and Canada are working with chefs, restaurants and ‘foodie’ customers to cater to demand for increasingly diverse foods.

But some things remain the same. Throughout the Produce Grower State of the Industry survey, tomatoes, lettuces and cucumbers have remained the top choices for growers, with herbs moving between the third and fourth spot over the past couple of years. And this year is no different.

As part of the report this year, you’ll also find updates from operations across the U.S. and Canada on how their businesses are faring and how they’re changing with the times. While one grower is moving into the cannabis market, another is specializing in gourmet ginger and yet another is carving out a niche in baby leaf greens and edible flowers.

We hope you’ll find this information helpful as you plan for the coming year and beyond. And we always want to hear about changes you’re making to your operation. If you have a story to tell, please contact us at kspirgen@gie.net. We’ll be happy to hear from you.

Photo © thruer | Adobe Stock

When it comes to keeping up with trends, are you in the driver’s seat or a passenger hanging on for dear life? Reacting to trends in the marketplace can feel like riding a roller coaster. By the time you can tap into a new foodie trend with your produce, the trend may have already passed. So, what are produce growers to do? Acknowledge the current trends you must respond to but resolve to get behind the wheel to drive the future trends.

Taking an assertive approach to marketing and trend-making can be a tough order for many produce growers. You have plenty to do on your plate already. But in today’s market, there’s really no way around getting involved with direct marketing to your end consumer. Ultimately, you are in control of your brand perception, and you must find ways to differentiate your product to improve margins and net profit. Now’s a great time to dive into market trends to make sure you’re not missing out on key opportunities.

A place to start

A good place to start is an audit of what you are already growing, and how you’re growing it, to see what matches up with current growing trends. There are a few current trends that will most likely continue to be key factors for produce growers for many years to come. If you haven’t already responded to these growing trends, you still have time to leverage them and integrate the messaging into your marketing long-term:

• Flavor; Consumers prioritize flavorful produce
• Organically grown produce + “clean” ingredients
• Food as medicine — health and wellness
• Convenience — produce size and portions
• Transparency + traceability
• Locally grown food
• Online ordering + home delivery

Using these key trends, you can make any changes needed to your processes or production. Then fine-tune your customer targeting and your brand messaging to help you stand out in your market — today, and in the future. With all produce growers adapting to these trends, the key for you will be to differentiate your produce from everyone else’s.

Less meat

Another important and growing trend is the reduction of meat in American and European diets. As more Americans either go meatless or reduce the amount of meat they eat, they’re turning to more creative uses for fresh produce. To keep up with these culinary trends, pay attention to popular diets, such as Keto or Paleo diets, but also many new emerging diet labels that guide consumers toward or away from specific produce.

Hyperlocal

Demand for fresh produce is growing and that’s a good thing. But increased demand will put strains on produce growers, especially in the form of both labor and trucking shortages. Hyperlocal food is already a growing trend with consumers, but a hyperlocal market may become much more of a necessity for growers. So why wait? Now is the time to invest in growing your local sales.

Going hyperlocal with your produce sales requires you to take a deep dive into your local market resources. How closely do you work with nearby chefs? Do you have any relationships with local foodies or influencers? Do you participate in, or run your own, local farmers market? What about local school food programs?

When it comes to local restaurants and chefs, they are looking for highly perishable produce they can get delivered in 24 hours or less. Farm-to-table freshness plus great flavor is the peak differentiator. Restaurants and chefs want growers they can rely on for consistent yet unique availability and quick turns.

Ultimately, you are in control of your brand perception, and you must find ways to differentiate your product to improve margins and net profit.

Seasonality

Growing under glass can also afford you the opportunity to offer availability of key produce year-round to your hyperlocal market. 365 availability will most likely become a bigger customer demand, if transport issues continue to be challenging. 365 availability can also be a huge differentiator for you as a grower.

Breeding

Produce consumers rarely know the difference between different varieties of fruit or vegetable. But they do know flavor, timing and convenience. Consumers who want these choices and improvements will continue putting market pressure on both breeders and growers. To stay on top of — or ahead of — flavor, size and convenience preferences, you need to monitor the market continuously. If you are breeding or working directly with breeders, make sure you’re tailoring for consumer preference — not just what you think is cool!

Respond faster

You might not be able to shift production or packaging quickly, but you can quickly pivot your content and market voice. If you’re investing in creating quality content around your product — which you should be — then you can at least respond quickly to changing trends on that front. Blog posts, recipes, social media engagement, and videos about your produce that incorporate a current or upcoming trend is a great way to stay relevant.

Stay ahead

Keeping up with and staying ahead of consumer trends will require you to get a little technical. Ever used Google Trends? If not, get online and search it now. You’ll see an application come up that allows you to enter keywords and phrases to track their search popularity by location. It’s quite fascinating. Also, set Google Alerts for specific keywords or phrases (including your company name and brands) to be sent to your inbox regularly. These alerts will keep you up to date on key trends and events that you may never know about otherwise.

Keeping up with — and driving — trends is certainly no easy task. To tackle it, think of your customer as your partner. Unless you know what they’re thinking and what’s important to them, it’s tough to have a successful relationship.