Buying fresh tomatoes in the middle of winter was never an option or even a consideration when growing up on a farm. You just knew fresh tomatoes were the best off the vine in the summertime and relied on home canned tomatoes (or store bought) for winter days. But...
Food, friends, fellowship and faith are the elements that bring us together this time of the year and always. Likewise, at the same time, one or more of these can divide us. Food and water are the essence of our existence. While 2024 food and ag trends may not be top...
I learned a basic rule while growing up: Don’t get excited about the contents of a package until you opened it! In other words, what was in the box didn’t always match the outside label. My mother was resourceful, so using a box for the second or third time seemed...
"In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” This centuries-old statement by Benjamin Franklin resonates equally as well in today’s food and ag trend space. While food trends are not as finite, there are “certain” themes that continue to...
With the plethora of plant-based “milks” sharing space with dairy milk in the grocery store, the question of what is “milk” has been a source of contention over the years and a continuing saga. However, this is a question that can only be resolved by the Food and Drug...
Trends like weather are forecasts. Some will shine through while others may get covered with a dark cloud. Regardless of what consumer surveys or noted chefs may predict,1 unexpected storms, like pandemic-related supply chain snafus, can alter the path. Looking back...
We talk about “Eating Healthy,” “Healthy Food” or certain ingredients being “Healthy,” but has all this talk changed our eating habits? Probably not! The reality is that 80% of consumers in the U.S. aren’t eating enough vegetables, fruit and dairy (despite the...
Spring is here! The images of farmers’ markets and planting our own backyard or container gardens dance in our minds with delight … especially for those of us dealing with a long winter. Fruits and vegetables suddenly have a broader appeal when we see those first...
“What is old is new again” may be the perfect description of the coming food and agriculture trends in 2022. When you look at new products on the “must have” lists, it is clear that consumers desire to connect their health back to nature. Turmeric, sunflower seeds,...
Think about the last time you walked into a grocery store to buy a carton of milk. How many options awaited you in the dairy aisle? Growing up on a dairy farm, I had two options for milk, whole milk with cream on top or without (Holstein style 3.5% butterfat). It was...