Oregon food bank combats rising meat prices by turning to local lentil farmers for protein The Republic
The food bank in Eugene says it’s facing a shortage of protein brought on by rising Asian demand for meat and domestic animal production squeezed by high feed costs. The solution? Local lentils. Food For Lane County has contracted with five farmers to enlarge the stock of high-protein lentils and barley soup mix it developed this year.
Food business training is hot commodity New York Daily News
A variety of training programs are bubbling up in Queens to help the culinary entrepreneurs start up food businesses. The Queens Chamber of Commerce is offering a free Restaurant Boot Camp in Spanish on Monday in Astoria to help aspiring entrepreneurs navigate often confusing city regulations, secure funding and avoid costly fines.
Maryland hopes to win sales with sustainable crab The Seattle Times
Competition is tough when it comes to the packaged blue crab meat many associate with the Chesapeake Bay but which often comes from the Gulf of Mexico, Venezuela and the Far East. That’s one reason Maryland fisheries officials hope to set their catch apart by touting the state’s sustainable fishing methods.
Alaska state Rep. Tammie Wilson sponsors bill to do away with most safe food regulations Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
A bill introduced by North Pole Republican Rep. Tammie Wilson would do away with much of the state’s safety regulations for food sold directly to consumers in an attempt to grow Alaska’s local food industry and farmers markets. Wilson’s bill would require sellers to provide a card that alerts the consumer that “This product has not been inspected by any governmental agency and may be harmful to your health.”
Black farmers file claims in USDA settlement The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The 1999 settlement of the Pigford v. Glickman lawsuit provided about $1 billion to 15,000 farmers who say the agency unfairly turned them down for loans because of their race between 1981 and 1996. A second settlement approved by a court in October 2011 is giving another chance to black farmers with discrimination claims from that era who were left out of the first Pigford settlement.
There are far-reaching social, environmental, economic and health impacts that go along with creating a more regionally centered food economy. But apart from that (and what we hear from you buyers ALL the time) is that the local ingredients that come out of it just plain taste better!
Local ingredients do need to be sourced and priced out with some special attention and effort in order to fit into a profitable business model, but doing so can offer your restaurant financial benefits, especially if you pay attention to the following five recommendations for how to make local sourcing pay out…
1. Start with the easy stuff. Begin the transition to local products by capitalizing on ‘low hanging fruit’, or local products that can be sourced in large quantities for minimal cost. Utilize local suppliers for dairy products, potatoes, onions and other year-round goods. You could also start small: Source local lettuce or kale for a salad or create a special using a new ingredient that you’ve found from a local farmer. Just remember, even if it’s an ingredient that you use otherwise – let’s say sausage for pizza – the fact that it’s LOCAL sausage is important, worth mentioning and can be grounds for a higher price-point.
FoodHub Tip: Have larger quantity needs? Use the FoodHub Marketplace to look for a producer – or group of producers – who can help supply your local sourcing needs. Creating a post is easy and takes only seconds. Read the rest of this entry »
Country Natural Beef co-founder Doc Hatfield dies Capital Press
Patrick Dale “Doc” Hatfield, co-founder of Country Natural Beef, died of pancreatic cancer March 20. He was 74. Hatfield founded the cooperative with his wife, Connie, in 1986, in Brothers, Ore., with 14 ranching families. The cooperative now includes over 100 ranch families who manage some 6.3 million acres in 13 states.
At the Co-op, Tofu, Kale and Cocoa Puffs New York Times
Three new co-ops — Fiddlehead Food Co-op in New London and the Local Beet in Chester in addition to Elm City — have started in the state in four years, and another is poised to open in Noank in a few weeks. While still owned by customers who pay one-time membership fees, for which they typically receive a few minimal discounts, they are many steps removed from their hippie predecessors.
WSU program for organics outgrows space The Spokesman Review
Since the university broke ground on its organic farm in 2003, WSU has provided a place to put farming tools to the test. Now, after nine years, the farm is getting an upgrade that could cost $15 million, depending on fundraising. As part of a campus master plan, the WSU Organic Farm will expand from approximately three acres to as many as 30.
Scientist who coined ‘Pink Slime’ reluctant whistleblower Reuters
Every time someone calls former U.S. government scientist Gerald Zirnstein a whistleblower, he cringes a little. When he coined the term “Pink Slime” to describe the unlabeled and unappetizing bits of cartilage and other chemically-treated scrap meat going into U.S. ground beef, Zirnstein was a microbiologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He made the slime reference to a fellow scientist in an internal – and he thought private – email.
Executive pleads guilty to tomato price fixing The Spokesman Review
A former California food company owner pleaded guilty to racketeering Thursday in a tomato price-fixing plot that authorities said drove up costs to consumers across the nation. Frederick Scott Salyer, 56, was charged with bribing purchasing managers at food giants including Kraft Foods Inc. and Frito-Lay to buy tomato products from his company, Monterey-based SK Foods.
New Study Explores Innovation and Opportunities for Diverse Local Food Distributors USDA.gov
Today, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan released a new report on the distribution practices of eight producer networks and their partners distributing locally or regionally-grown food to retail and foodservice customers. The report shows how these networks tap into the growing commercial demand for local and regional food products while creating additional economic opportunities and expanding healthy food access.
Locally Produced Food Gets Boost Through Food Hubs SustainableBusiness.com
The USDA is helping small farmers connect with people who want to buy locally produced food by fostering “food hubs.” By aggregrating local produce from many small farmers, food hubs can sell to large buyers that want locally and regionally grown food, such as schools and hospitals. These hubs remove some of the most onerous, time draining chores for farmers, who typically reach consumers by driving long distances to farmers markets and restaurants.
Bad Food: Illnesses from Imported Food Are on the Rise, CDC Says TIME
Altogether about 16% of the food eaten in the U.S. comes from other countries — and given some of the many holes in the food safety net for imports, that should be a little concerning. In a new report published on Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that foodborne disease outbreaks caused by imported food appeared to rise in 2009 and 2010.
Brooklyn food pantries go grow-your-own New York Daily News
A Bedford-Stuyvesant food pantry built an indoor farm where clients grow fresh produce year-round — and provide vegetables for hundreds of families a week. Brooklyn is in the grip of an urban farming craze. Grow-your-own is going strong, from rooftop gardens to massive plantings at public high schools.
Food Craft Institute to open in Jack London Square San Francisco Chronicle
Local producers will share some of their skills and experience as instructors at the new Food Craft Institute, a school for artisan food companies opening in Oakland’s Jack London Square in April. A nonprofit affiliated with Oakland’s Eat Real Festival, the annual street food festival, the institute will offer its first “master course” in jam, followed by courses in pickling, charcuterie, and coffee roasting and coffee bar management.
Hey FoodHubbers! It’s me, Megan. We’ve been getting a lot of questions about why folks should upgrade their memberships. This video covers the top 5 reasons. Check it out, and click here if you’re ready to be highlighted on FoodHub!
Right now, you might be prepping for the upcoming planting and growing season, but have you taken some time to think about how you’re going to market all that beautiful bounty once it’s out of the ground? FoodHub can help with that.
FoodHub is designed to be an all encompassing marketing tool. That includes using your Profile and the Marketplace to spread the word about your products, services and business practices. However, taking advantage of one of FoodHub’s many advertising opportunities puts the cherry on top of your marketing efforts, increases your standing in the community and kick starts connections. But where to start? And how to ROS ads work anyway? What the heck is a Member Spotlight and why do I want one?
Keep reading for answers to those questions and more …
What is a Member Spotlight?
The Member Spotlight gives you arguably the most bang for your advertising buck. When you buy a Member Spotlight you appear in front of the audience of your choice (either buyers or sellers OR both!) not only on their dashboard (that page you land on right when you log in), but your ad ALSO goes out in the Fresh Sheet – FoodHub’s weekly Member newsletter delivered straight to Members’ in-boxes every Tuesday.
What does ROS mean?
ROS stands for Run of Site. When you buy one you get a package of 3 ads that could appear on any one of the hundreds of FoodHub pages at ANY time including the Marketplace – arguably the most-visited section of the site!
Can I buy an ad that stays in one spot?
The short answer is ‘Yes’! These are called ‘banner ads’. We have lots of spots, but we can show you what each one looks like, how big your ad should be and what it will look like once it’s live on the site.
How do I appear at the top of the page when a buyer looks for my product?
Easy: buy a search term. For example, if you buy the word ‘apple’ you’ll always appear at the top of the page. There are three spots available per search term so you and two other Members will share the spotlight. Don’t worry: we rotate the Member who shows up at the top so you’ll have your chance to be king of the mountain. At $4.99/week per search term this is one of the easiest (and cheapest!) ways to appear in front of buyers at the height of the season.
There’s so much information I don’t know where to start! Can you help?
Absolutely. Give us a call (855-FOODHUB) or send us an email (meet@food-hub.org), tell us when you want to start your ad campaign and we’ll work up some specs for you that work with your budget. If you’d like to start crunching some numbers for yourself we have them right here in our Media Kit.
Pssst … I want to save some money on advertising? Can you cut me a break?
Didn’t you know FoodHub is the land of ‘yes’? With an upgraded membership you can save 10% on all advertising. Even better, with a month-to-month Advantage membership, you can save money on advertising, spruce up your profile (click here to see an example of an upgraded profile with all the bells and whistles), cancel your upgrade when the season is done, and then – when you want to be highlighted again NEXT year – all that hard work is saved and appears automatically when you renew at the Advantage or All-Access level.
Do I have to be a Member to advertise on FoodHub? Nope. As long as you’re a food-related seller or service provider you can advertise on FoodHub. (However, it’ll be WAY easier for folks to connect with you if you’re a Member … and it’s FREE so go ahead and join!)
Treated beef dubbed ‘pink slime’ to show up in school lunches The Seattle Times
When McDonald’s and other fast-food chains said last month that “pink slime” was no longer being used in their burgers, some believed the product, beef trimmings partially treated with ammonium hydroxide, had disappeared from the nation’s food supply once and for all. But a new report in the Daily tablet newspaper suggests the slime will appear in school lunches this spring, 7 million pounds of it.
Don’t blame food deserts for obesity Washington Post (blog)
Roland Sturm, an economist at RAND Corporation, analyzed the food environments of 13,000 adolescents in California, looking at how many fast-food restaurants and supermarkets were within a 1.5-mile radius of their homes and schools. He then looked at how much fast food, fresh fruits and other foods the kids consumed. And his study found no correlation between what food sources kids lived near, what the kids ate and how much they weighed.
More foods going to pouch packaging Chicago Tribune
Packaged food makers are thinking outside the bottle and can. More to the point, they’re increasingly partial to pouches. Kitchenstaples from Campbell Soup Co. and H.J. Heinz Co. will be joining other consumer products in pouches this year. The trend is being driven by savings on packaging and shipping costs as well as aesthetics — an upscale pouch sporting elaborate graphics offers a modern look and premium appeal, marketers say.
FoodHub makes second trip to White House Sustainable Business Oregon
The Ecotrust’s FoodHub program had its second cameo at the White House Monday when Amanda Oborne, acting director, participated with some 60 other industry leaders in a conversation about the importance of local food. Oborne was the first speaker called to the microphone by U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan during a well-tweeted and Web-broadcasted summit on local food.
USDA begins tweeting state-specific food call alerts Washington Post
Anyone with a Twitter account can now be among the first to know about food recalls with a new service the Department of Agriculture is rolling out. The USDA says state-specific food safety alerts for meat, poultry, and processed egg products are included as well as information on how to protect food during severe weather events. Up until now recalls have been announced in news releases and on a general USDA Twitter feed. Read the rest of this entry »
Thursday, March 15
10am-4pm
Red Lion Hotel, Pendleton
Registration: $10
DAY-OF REGISTRANTS WELCOME!
For buyers, the Eastern Oregon Food and Farm Connection is your chance to meet face-to-face with farmers, ranchers, dairies and other producers who can help you stock your kitchen.
If you’re a producer in Eastern Oregon, take this opportunity to network with buyers who are looking for more local, delicious ingredients to add to their menus.
And don’t miss out on the FoodHub round table. We’ll be partnering with Shop the Northwest during the 2:15-3pm session to talk about how participants can use different models of food hubs to connect with buyers and sellers.
Good News: The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that funding is available for farmers interested in transitioning to organic production. Already an organic farmer? The same round funding can help you implement other conservation practices on your property including buffer strips, conservation crop rotation, cover crops, drip irrigation, fencing, field borders, mulching, nutrient management and pest management.
Nationwide, NRCS has nearly $50 million in financial and technical assistance available to certified organic producers, those who want to make the transition to organic production, and producers who sell less than $5,000 in organic products annually.
“The Organic Initiative has been a great tool in assisting both existing organic producers and those transitioning to organic farming for nearly four years now,” said NRCS’ Oregon State Conservationist Ron Alvarado. “Last year, Oregon NRCS contracted with over 40 organic producers through this initiative. Growers received financial assistance to implement conservation practices that can improve not only production, but the health of the land.”
Under NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative contracts, the agency provides financial payments and technical assistance to help producers implement conservation measures in keeping with organic production. Beginning, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged producers may obtain additional assistance. The 2008 Farm Bill limits EQIP payments for organic operations to $20,000 per year, per person or legal entity, with a maximum total of $80,000 over six years.
“Through landscape initiative partnerships we’re maximizing conservation efforts to address some of our most pressing natural resource challenges,” NRCS Chief Dave White said. “The result is far-reaching and long-lasting environmental benefits for the Nation.”
Bill seeks to reimburse farmers for organic certification North Bay Business Journal
Recently introduced legislation in Sacramento would reimburse farmers for costs associated with transitioning land to certified organic production. Called the California Transition to Organics Act of 2012, the bill would create a new state Transition to Organics Fund administered by the state Food and Agriculture Department. The fund would reimburse 25 percent of certification costs, including inspection, certification and registration fees.
Wasted food on campus put to good use at PEAS farm Montana Kaimin Though there is still snow on the ground, many a green thumb is beginning to itch around Missoula. Just north of campus in the Rattlesnake Valley, the Program in Ecological Agriculture and Society (PEAS) Farm has been humming with activity in preparation for the growing season. But there’s a lot to be done before any work goes into those fields.
Bay Area Hospitals Aggregate Demand to Push the Market for Certified-Humane, Cage-Free Eggs MarketWatch
A team of San Francisco Bay Area hospitals recently secured a contract for certified-humane, cage-free eggs from Wilcox Farms through U.S. Foodservice, one of the major food distributors serving the health care sector. The University of California San Francisco Medical Center and John Muir Health are now purchasing 100% of their liquid eggs from Wilcox Farms.
New face in cooking: Latina chefs make it big in food industry, especially on television Washington Post
A decade after Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez helped Latin music explode into the mainstream, Latina chefs are doing the same for food. From Food Network’s Marcela Valladolid and Evette Rios on ABC’s “The Chew” to uber-restaurateur Michelle Bernstein and cookbook author Lourdes Castro, these senoritas are proving to be the new face in cooking — especially on television.
Food hubs link local growers, wholesalers The Packer
When it comes to finding locally grown produce, don’t automatically head to the farmers’ market. In fact, many local growers would rather focus on wholesale and are banding together in co-ops, or “food hubs” to give them more marketing muscle. “Farmer’s markets are not the right solution for many local growers,” said Jim Crawford, owner of Hustontown, Pa.-based New Morning Farm and president of the Tuscarora Organic Growers co-op. Read the rest of this entry »
