Small Bites
October 6, 2022
Making a difference by creating opportunities to promote & sell more VT products to more buyers in the northeast & beyond
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It is a happy time in Vermont. So much brilliance from top to bottom & from east to west. Big time shifts in displays & merchandising at stores, changing diets for people & farm animals, & new workload focus on farms.
Orange is the color of October in Vermont. Despite the many other colors radiating, it is associated with autumn sales. Merchandisers have fun, new produce crews have a steep curve informing customers of the many unique qualities of winter squash & 'storage' vegetables while farmers showcase their fall bounty of pumpkins for locals & travelers alike.
October is national coop month. And no state has as many coops per capita than Vermont. Food coops. Farmer fruit & vegetable coop. Dairy coop, we've got them all! This month is also cider donut season. The brown tones of the donuts are compliments to displays of the rich array of apples, squash, & root crops. Beyond food there is a change in beverages too. Rich craft brews speak of October as do the warming spirits of Vermont distillers.
Before local was a big thing in Vermont, its strong roots were cultivated in Napa Valley California. We dedicate this Bites to Sally Schmidt who started the French Laundry as a pioneer of handcrafted, locally sourced ingredients which were the bedrock of "California Cuisine". Here is a lovely video highlighting her influence on local agriculture, food, women farmers, & as a fabulously innovative chef. Sally died in March of this year & the New York Times obituary also tells of her extraordinary, passionate life.
Read on for info on our Vermont food, coops, producers, distributors & stores working to move the needle on local & regional sales.
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New Products: Easy to Shop
Springfield Food Coop has become very good at promoting Vermont products. Perhaps that is why their sales of them are on the rise!
They recently promoted through social media new products from Cabot. DIPS! They are perfect for snacking especially with fall carrots & locally made corn chips from All Souls Tortilleria. The dips are part of the expanded line of Cabot products. You might remember we featured Cabot Cheddar Popcorn merchandised at Healthy Living Market's end cap. Promotions that help give visibility to products both inside the store & in various media help make it easy to shop our locally produced products.
Cabot products as you all know, help keep Vermont’s landscape vibrant through the working farms. It is also a large farmer cooperative whose products are sold in every kind of retail food outlet in the state & of course available nationally too.
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Warm Foods for Chilly Days
It is time for stores to include more local grain, flour, & bean options in your product mix. Morningstar Farm in Glover produces beans sold through Green Mountain Farm Direct & Farm Connex as well as other distributors. Stores can promote the beans as part of a fall sales campaign with clear signage, featured in social media, & by encouraging visibility with cafe menu items.
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Planning for Holiday Sales
A reminder that in 2022 Vermont had 13 Good Food Award winners Buyers across all categories can work with marketing to promote the GFA brands you carry, or perhaps you want to up your displays with the winners for holiday sales promotions.
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The (Semi-) Circle Economy
In the Upper Valley Moon & Stars is an organization with a mission to connect community with traditional food, & regenerative farming through heirloom corn & the arepa-making process. They also produce empanadas & other specialties using local produce from many farms including Honey Field & Long Wind Farm.
Traditionally arepas are made with heirloom native open pollinated corn specific to each region of the Andes. The characteristics vary by color, flavor, size, & thickness depending on the region. It can be topped or filled with beans, vegetables, eggs, cheese, hogao (tomatoes, scallions sautéed on olive oil). Moon & Stars works with regenerative several farms in the area.
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Pro Tip: Pricing
Stores should take time to develop a pricing strategy that reflects shoppers' price image of your store & your margin goals. This is true for food manufacturers too.
Part of this is internal communication that optimizes margin, reduces errors in POS systems, & supports streamlined promotions.
1. Endcaps, displays & case stacks near the front of the store should be focused on excellent deals.
2. Front is first! Be conscious of prices when selecting items to feature outside the store & close to the entryways, first impressions are made there.
3. Consider the dollar amount of the item. Regardless of how great a deal it is, products that cross the $9.99 mark encourage a high price perception, so focus on $9.99 & under for displays.
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Food Service Pack Feature
Global Village Foods in White River Junction are makers of fabulous allergen-free creations of bold African meals. Their facility is 100% is free from dairy, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood & sesame.
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along with national brands, customers have come to rely on their hot meals. The
Autumn Shift has begun with Mac & Cheese, Shephard Pie, & loads
of roasted vegies every day. Other things heating up at the store are instore promos celebrating National Coop Month!
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Sweet fall carrots are being harvested across the state & are rolling into all our local stores! Sweet & dandy |
Heads Up! Store & Farmstand Buyers
Check out the current
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Self Check-out Creates Conflicts
We all know labor has been an issue this past year at all businesses. Everyone has been navigating the trying times looking for solutions.
Solution driven decisions often involve technology. Since the mid-1980s large department & grocery stores have been noodling around with self-checkout. In 2022 there are now several iterations of using technology (phone apps, self checkout).
Here we are, in these times of significant labor & tech disruptions. Industry is adjusting to increased use of technology to streamline the checkout experience. Stores seemingly "like" the technology for at first glance they can reduce labor costs, create "smoother checkout", & there is minimal contact (think covid 2022). However, there are several challenges from the customer experience including difficulty with the unfamiliar system, a highly impersonal experience, accusations of theft risk, & the anger of some customers who do not like the idea of having to checkout & bag as this should be embedded in the cost of the products. Added to that the use (overuse?) of cameras & security measures that erode the customer experience.
Incidentally, in late September Wegman’s announced that due to losses it is discontinuing self-checkout app which was created for use during the early stage of the pandemic.
"The company did not specify the amount of losses or indicate whether they were from thefts or from customers who forgot to scan certain items, but it said in a statement that it was discontinuing the app’s use until it could make improvements “that will meet the needs of our customers and business.” -NYT
Meanwhile at Lantman's Supermarket in Hinesburg they are creating several self-serve check lanes as way to keep up with the labor issues they have been faced with.
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West Meadow Farm Bakery delivers their line of gluten free baked goods direct to stores, including City Market South. Their products are in high demand & their delivery driver runs the route Tuesdays & Fridays. By keeping their own delivery routes, they build relationships with the store receivers & buying teams. They also make monthly trips to the Upper Valley! Find out more to carry their line of gluten free products.
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Things to Know:
Packing & Shipping
Corrugated cardboard is a global industry built to move products safely. Pressures from the war in Ukraine & from economic upheaval in Russia are impacting global supply. On top of that, there are pressures from businesses responding to consumer trends to minimize plastics with corrugate as an alternative. Consequently, alternatives to plastics are on the rise. This includes corn starch a natural-based alternative superior to most plastics when considering recyclability & carbon use in production. They are also ideally suited to the use of vegetable-based inks when printing.
Speaking of ink. Let's look at the trend to eliminate the resin-based inks by moving to soy which then moved to vegetable-based ink. 100% veg based ink is 100% recyclable & compostable. Businesses with branded corrugate boxes need to ask their suppliers if they are using recycled cardboard & vegetable-based inks. This can then be used to further educate customers that sourcing is an important part of sustainability.
By not utilizing cardboard from trees that were cut for the purpose but rather sourcing recycled cardboard & using vegetable ink, you are making a positive difference. Consider helping educate your customers toward packaging with (more) positive environmental impacts.
"Dedicated steps to vet and study the environmental practices implemented by their suppliers & partners will be rewarded by consumer and retailer loyalty.
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Attention! Holiday Shipping
Rates are on the Rise
Price hikes are in the works at FedEx, UPS & USPS. With the crush of online sales shipping rates are going to make for some big changes at FedEx . Starting in January 2023 there will be ground & freight fee increases & changes.
Meanwhile, UPS has begun price increases with new surcharges in effect from Oct. 2 until Jan. 14, 2023. They are also raising per-package additional handling (from $3.50 to $6.50), large packages ($40 to $70) & packages more than its maximum shipping limits (no charge to $400) on qualifying customers.
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The Forum on Nov 2nd filled up fast! This year we have speakers from Upper Valley Produce, Mixed Up Nut Butter, Pin Up Pickles, Springfield Food Coop & more! We have a waiting list for those who wish to attend & are hopeful they can grab a spot. Send you name & business name to [email protected]
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Fall harvested greens are a delight for produce departments & shoppers. The robust flavors are savored in salads & braises. Some crops are coming from the field, while others are harvested from hoop & greenhouses. Either way they are welcome sights up & down the state & are perfectly displayed at the Buffalo Mountain Community Market, a cooperatively owned store.
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At Middletown Farm, cows are queens & fed only locally grown hay made & processed on the farm. To maintain the highest quality milk, a nutritionist comes to sample the hay providing mineral supplements as needed to ensure the cows are getting the proper nutrients. During the Spring, Summer, & Fall months the cows spend all day on lush rotational pastures. In the Winter they use an exercise yard & hay is available 24/7 in their clean, cozy barn.
The farm produces Bovre, a fresh, spreadable cheese made exclusively from the farm’s milk. The name comes from a French word for bovine (similar to how “chevre”, the French word for goat, is used to describe fresh goat milk cheese). The milk & cheese are sold DSD in a distinct area around Manchester & Londonderry. Stores carrying the products include Mt Energy Market, Londonderry Village Market, & Nature’s Market in Manchester among others.
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Did you know there is a New England Cider Donut Map! Naturally there are several Vermont Orchards on this list because up here it is cider donut season! We also have Stowe Ciders's "Cider Donut" limited release hard cider. A perfect complement to the season!
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Attention: Orchardist &
Cider Makers
Down south in Brooklyn, NY Food
Karma's Ciderfest is featuring ciders of the NY & NE. Looking ahead to June 2023 they will host a cider & mead fest. Vermont cideries should sign up to gain visibility to the Boston direct to consumer market by featuring your craft beverages.
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Food Connects Food Hub
There are many changes going on at Food Connects. Leadership roles are shifting, software updates are in
process, buildings are being expanded & new products are being added.
Meanwhile more & more regional connections are being made to move more Vermont products around the region, while also offering regional products for stores to widen their mix. Their expansion includes new jobs- take a look-see at what is available.
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Small Bites comes to you via USDA & High Meadows grants. Content is created for farmers, food manufacturers, distributors, grocers to increase VT food sales
Contact: Annie H Harlow
Unless otherwise noted, photo credits are from company social media, websites or Annie Harlow
Photo Credits: self checkout courtesty of the BBC
All info is subject to change; thank you to all who contributed to this issue!
(Special shout outs to Eileen , Hernando & Peter!)
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