Small Bites September 15, 2021
dedicated to creating opportunities to promote &
sell more VT products to more buyers
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Staff are breathing a bit of relief now that the big summer rush as receded a bit. -Morrisville Coop
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In the Grocery Aisle
A bit of fresh air is being breathed by grocers. With back to school & the beginning of seasonal shifts, stores feel like they have a little wiggle room from the crazy summer pace from travelers who came to Vermont, undoubtedly in part for our high vaccination rate.
Now they are retooling systems, up training new staff & taking stock of hiring & HR policies. At the Coop Food Stores which runs the Lebanon-Hanover-White River Coops they are increasing their starting wages from $13 to $15 an hour to consider rising costs of living. This will affect about 120 workers & aims to entice new workers during this stressful period of hiring gaps. Listen to the WCAX story & read about the Coop's wage plan implementation overhaul.
Others including several rural community-based stores are grappling with wages & hiring issues too. Each is taking an approach that reflects their unique variables. Most are looking to reward their long-time employees with an end of the summer season or a an all-store short paid time off bonus in recognition of great teamwork through the pandemic.
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“It is how we compensate people in this market for great work. So, it’s been a plan of ours for a number of years and actually, we are arriving at that milestone two years early, so we knew we could do it, we were careful, and we are going to do it.” - Allan Reetz co-op spokesperson about the new wage increase
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Goodwill & Community Partners
Renown farmer Jon Satz, of Woods Market Garden passed away recently. Stores across the state purchased his products DSD & over the decades, through the wider distribution network.
Many in the farming community knew him for his dedication of his craft & generosity in sharing his knowledge.
His H2A workers were his family. In recognition of Jon's love of farming & his commitment to his workers, the family is requesting assistance to provide for their Jamaican farm-family members.
We hope our Vermont stores will gift what they can in Jon's memory. Let's exceed the goal 10 fold.
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Get Up & Go with Big Gear
Big Gear Coffee, roasted in Montpelier is widely available at stores around Vermont & nationally through 3rd party platform Mable.
If your store is near a bike path, rail trail, or a mountain biking hub, Big Gear might just be a roaster to carry. They have a blend for every type of pre-or post-biking. Every corner of the state has its own micro or start up coffee company. It is fun to check out some of the brands, available through online visibility & DSD. Big Gear is available to farm stores, CSAs & of course stores of all sizes. Check them out for distribution details.
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Happy Bird Farm Store are keeping sales strong with baked goods from Red House Sweets |
With a wholesale route in Chittenden, Grande Isle & Franklin County, their products are available in stores & at farmstands across the region. They sell to larger stores including City Market & smaller outlets including the Wood Meadow Market in Enosburg & available in the Islands at the Happy Bird Farm Store & the Arbor Farm Market.
They are interested in expanding their distribution routes with new accounts. Contact them to round out your bread & pastry selection. Help them round out their routes while also expanding their support of VT ingredients & the positive multiplier effect to the VT economy.
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It is officially pumpkin pie season at Red House Sweets & Arbor Farm Market |
Right now, new seasonal items include cabbage, hard squash, leeks, pie pumpkins, cut beets & carrots.
We are sticklers for upgrading your signage. Be sure to switch out or update your old signs for local seasonal products.
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Cedar Circle Farm jamming the late summer crops! |
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Help on the way! A pumpkin Cabot Mac & Cheese recipe has all the makings of a great fall display!
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Cabot: More Than Cheese
We are all fans of the amazing Cabot Coop that keeps rolling out new products despite the pandemic.
The farm families that make up the Cabot Brand value all the stores that sell the various lines of products. From Mom & Pops to our largest multi-nationally owned stores, the products sold help keep our farms alive. Our green fields are part of the Cabot equation. Your sales of Cabot are good for the state, the farmers, as well as your bottom line.
The new products are a testament to the brand's position in the marketplace. We have all seen the incredible sales of the newly launched Mac & Cheese packaged line as noted in the NYT.
When the product first shipped it was hard to keep stocked. It’s time to retool end caps for this easy to eat, great for “back to school” dinner-time transitions. Cabot makes it easy for shoppers to either make Mac & cheese from scratch with shredded cheddar blends & Greek yogurt. And their food service pack sizes make it easy for bakers like Red House Sweets to incorporate the products into their bakery.
You may have some new staff. By giving them a little time to explore the Cabot website can help sell the products with more information. For instance, the “cheese tutoring” is so helpful; have your staff visit this page. You may also want to educate staff & promote their new varieties of Triple Cream Yogurt, a fantastic new line for your perishable cooler.
Cabot is helping us keep our state green through farming, building strong store sales with their fantastic product line, and creating alliances Vermont businesses & organizations.
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Free Promotions Reminder
Stores & farmstands (& distributors) use the merchandising & marketing tools from Harvest of the Month. Free & easy to inform your staff on different produce items. Our readers from around the country can benefit from these resources too!
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The Center for Agriculture & Food Systems has a handy Labels 101 guide to help navigate what is required legally & optional value-based claims. It is one of the many resources provided by the VT Law School in their quest to help farmers & food producers be the best they can be (which means compliant!) The resources are useful for farmers, food manufacturers & buyers.
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Attention Buyers
For September & October, VFN affiliate sponsor Farrell Distributing is working with Eden Specialty Ciders for a "give back" program to the Vermont Fresh Network. For all 4 packs of Harvest Cider Cans (Peak Bloom, Brut Rosé and Deep Cut) sold retail, Farrell will donate $1 back to the network. Contact your Farrell sales rep to place an order of Harvest Cider Cans to help make this program successful. For more information: 802-864-4422 ext. 1176
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September is Orchard Season
Every week new varieties of apples are available from local orchards. It’s important that your produce crew stay on top of the new varieties & their nuances. Be sure staff understand the varietal characteristics & use this quick guide for ways to use apples. Help your staff learn the fundamentals of flavor nuances during apple season. Learning which are great for baking or eating out of hand helps you with sales.
Varieties should be sampled by the produce crew to help inform shoppers to differentiate among fresh fall apples. Many varieties are not stored & are only enjoyed fresh or have storage until about December. Not sure if there is a local orchard near you? Here's a reference from the VT Fruit Tree Association.
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Utilizing the Farm to Plate resources, stores can learn about purchasing & onboarding new vendors & vendor relationship building tips. The tools guide processes & procedures to expand local food sales through sound operations & management. Also, we have a handy purchasing attribute guide to help steer your purchasing philosophy. Or maybe, your meat crew needs a bit of support & systems thinking. In that case, check this out.
Are you training new staff in your Produce Department? Make sure they review these 10+ 1 merchandising questions. Are you ready for an in person, in-store produce training? Reach out to us to schedule one. We can walk through some tips to improve sales through up-training your crew.
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Jamming on Your Maple Promo?
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When promoting local foods, be aware of the Vermont definition as enacted by ACT 129. Check out the fact sheet so that your purchasing values-based strategies & promotions comply.
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Have a job opening? Post it on the F2P webpage. Pumpkin Village Foods recently posted for a delivery driver. Where's Sam now? At UVM!
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Content created for farmers, food manufacturers, distributors, grocers, & anyone else interested in how food moves
Contact: Annie H Harlow
smallbites802@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, photo credits are from company social media, websites or Annie Harlow
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