Thank you for the FMI link and for taking the time to offer a comprehensive reply! This is very helpful. I'm also planning to offer recipe cards next year! I'll definitely consider adding a "nutrition facts" section to each page in my crop compendium.
Original Message:
Sent: 01/31/25 09:34 PM
From: anahit Hovhannisyan
Subject: Hello
Hi Zach!
So I don't have a lot of experience with the website from the customer side, but I'll reach out and see if I can get you any info. I do know that FMI, the food industry association, has some of our data on their website, so that's also a place to look! Website is here: https://www.fmi.org/our-research/research-reports/u-s-grocery-shopper-trends
As far as trends, I think small farms need to focus on the increased push towards sustainability, clean ingredients, and longevity/health. People are still looking for value, but that means a lot more now than just price per oz. Most people want to do things that help the environment, but don't know how, so if you can elevator pitch how you're more sustainable - even just because it's not shipped - people will consider your product to have that value that their looking for. Clean foods is another big one. There is increased push away from ultra processed foods and towards simple ingredients that you can capitalize on. Using the words 'clean', 'raw', and 'unprocessed' are things consumers understand and look for, while 'natural' can be over used - though not a bad one of you can back it up!
As far as health/longevity, that's easy for fruits and veggies, but if you can talk about any specific vitamins/minerals/phytonutrients that do the health portion, that's a plus! People like to know that YOU know why it's healthy.
One other thing is recommend is including recipe cards! A lot of people want to cook but don't know how, especially with lesser used ingredients like fennel bulbs and celeriac. Including a recipe cards can make the produce more approachable.
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anahit Hovhannisyan
Original Message:
Sent: 01/30/25 08:58 PM
From: Zachary Chan
Subject: Hello
Hey, Anahit!
This is cool! I appreciate you offering this.
It was great to meet you during the breakout sessions. I'm Zach, the market gardener from New Hannah Farm on San Juan Island. We're offering...
- Fresh produce (organic, not certified)
- Customized online ordering (twice per week)
- Farm stand (twice per week)
- Minimum packaging options (allowing customers to collect unpackaged items from sanitized bins)
We're currently working on offering...
- Content marketing with an online "Crop Compendium": A library of crops we grow with photos, descriptions, storage tips, cooking tips, favorite recipes, and fun facts.
- Community volunteer program: Encouraging hands-on participation in food production to educate and promote a sense of agency and ownership within their local food system.
I'm very interested in learning more about the free webinars and resources that the instructor mentioned. I checked the Hartman Group website, but couldn't find anything. Do you know where these resources are located?
Secondly, are there any specific trends that YOU think we should be paying attention to in particular?
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Zachary Chan
New Hannah Farm
Original Message:
Sent: 01/29/25 11:30 AM
From: anahit Hovhannisyan
Subject: Hello
Hi everyone! Wanted to get a thread started in our group. :) I'm Anahit, I got introduced yesterday as working for the Hartman Group. While I obviously can't give any proprietary data, happy to chat about market trends in general and marketing ideas.
Would be cool to have small intros!
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anahit Hovhannisyan
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