Produce sector eyes growth in partnerships with schools young people, Mills said.
By Bob Johnson School nutrition leaders from across the U.S. convened with fruit and vegetable grower-shippers and processors with two goals in mind: Increase healthy options in America’s schools and cultivate the next generation of produce consumers. A key focus of the Food Service Conference, held last month in Monterey, was to build awareness about the bene- fits of healthy produce and help students learn more about where fresh produce comes from. “Farm to school is a big trend,” said Julie Raway, a registered dietitian for Broome- Tioga BOCES School Nutrition Services based in New York. She noted the compa- ny serves 20,000 meals a day and tries to create them with locally sourced produce. During a panel on maximizing fresh produce for school menus, Raway said Broome-Tioga BOCES School Nutrition Services conducts frequent taste tests to learn which fruits and vegetables appeal to students. She credited school agriculture pro- grams for boosting demand for farm- grown produce. “We have several Future Farmers of America programs to expose students to how food is grown,” Raway said. “We also have a lot of schools with gardens.” Dorene Mills, a chef at Maine-based Hannaford Supermarkets, said “local is a state of mind for people. People want to know where their food comes from.” Shippers selling to local markets need to take care to ensure their fresh produce looks appealing to consumers, including
“Customers want to see that their pro- duce is fresh,” she said. “Salad products have to stay fresh at least three days.” As part of a fresh ideas showcase at the conference, shippers displayed the latest fresh fruit and vegetable products. Some new products are designed to make it eas- ier to use fresh vegetables in sandwiches or salads. Salinas-based Taylor Farms introduced single-serve salad kits in a variety of fla- vors designed to help schools, hospitals and quick-service restaurants save on la- bor costs. David Henkes, senior principal and head of strategic partnerships at Technomic, said demand has increased for healthy beverages. The trend provides opportunities for fruit growers to target younger consumers, he said. David Ruiz, executive chef at Scalo Restaurant in New Mexico, said his restaurant already caters to a younger generation that prefers fresh, fruit-based nonalcoholic beverages. “The younger generation just isn’t drinking (alcohol), and we’re playing into that,” Ruiz said. “We don’t call them mock- tails; we call them zero-proof cocktails.” The conference, sponsored by the International Fresh Produce Association, presented awards to restaurants, schools and hospitals showing excellence in their use of fresh fruits and vegetables. The event attracted a record 1,800 attendees. (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.) comply with regulations. Others highlighted the benefits of the different agricultural sectors, which contribute to the state’s economic base. For example, dairies and crops such as winegrapes provide year-round employ- ment. Vineyards also add to the state’s aesthetics, said Jeff Bitter, president of Allied Grape Growers. With the volun- tary California Sustainable Winegrowing Program, he said certified winegrape growers have led the effort on sustain- ability for California agriculture. Geoffrey Vanden Heuvel of Milk Producers Council said dairy cows are the “ultimate up-cyclers,” noting how the ani- mals can turn agricultural waste products such as almond hulls, which used to be a problem to dispose of, into milk and meat. California dairies have also invested “very serious resources” to environmental stew- ardship, he said, pointing to the amount of greenhouse gases that have been captured by dairy digesters. “We’re a big part of California reaching its climate goals,” Vanden Heuvel said. (Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at clee@cfbf.com.)
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He said while the California-grown and buy-local movement is admirable, it does not immediately address the “loss and lack of opportunity for young, motivated farmers” who want to start their own op- eration but can’t overcome the high cost of doing business here. In the Panoche Water District where he also farms, for example, a 700-acre piece of ground costs around $4 million, Callis noted. “Who in their 20s is going to come up with that kind of capital to get started? And who in the world is going to borrow that kind of money?” he said. Catherine Van Dyke of California Association of Family Farmers echoed the concerns about increased farm consolida- tion. She also pointed to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture census, which showed California lost more than 7,500 small and mid-sized farms of fewer than 500 acres between 2017 and 2022. Van Dyke said challenges for small farmers include access to land, capital, infrastructure and insurance. Small mi- nority farmers also face language barriers, which make it more difficult for them to
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