Good Fruit Grower

January 15

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www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower JANUARY 15, 2015 35 on OHxF-87, & Pyro 233 Pears Apples on M-9 T337, M-9 PAJAM 2®, EMLA 26, Geneva® 41, Bud 118 & Bud 10 on Krymsk® 5, Krymsk® 6, Gisela® 6, Gisela® 12 Mazzard, Mahaleb & EMLA-COLT Cherries Available in 7', 8' & 9' lengths, uncoated or galvanized; ask about hardware-less cross arm specifications Standard Rolled Edge Vertical Line Post Visit Us @ WAWGG Feb. 11-13, Kennewick Toyota Center Diamond Back Stakes Diamond stakes are available with standard or alternating notch patterns, uncoated or galvanized 13 & 14 ga. Re-designed with added turns for extra strength! Bleyhl Farm Service Inc. 940 E. Wine Country Rd, Grandview, WA 98930 * (800) 645-4416 Bleyhl Farm Service Inc. We Want A Stake In Your Business Premier Dealer For AmeriTrellis Vineyard & Orchard Stakes In WA & OR Farm Direct Delivery & Competitve Bid Pricing We Want A Stake In Your Business "This is a growing phenomenon," Fumasi said. "This whole idea of going to the store once a week and stocking up, and planning meals, is declining." Despite increasing education about the importance of healthy eating, the average U.S. consumer is only eating 40 percent of the recommended daily consumption of fruit. But that leaves plenty of scope to increase consumption. Super foods are hot. Every green health drink has two essential ingredients: kale and fresh apples. Not only are apples healthy, but they add sweetness and tartness and offer good value in term of price per unit of mass, Fumasi said. "They have great fl avor, nutrition, and value." He recommended that apple producers team up with producers of other fruits and vegetables to do cross marketing in an effort to increase consumption. Sustainability The millennial generation—people aged from their teens to upper 30s— is the largest U.S. generation and has a major infl uence on the food industry in general, he reported. Millennials don't necessarily have the economic means to act on their desires, but that's changing as they get older and become more successful. By 2017, the millennial generation is expected to outspend the baby boomers, and by 2025 Millennials will make up 75 percent of the workforce. "So they're a growing economic power in this coun- try," Fumasi said. "And they're the ones that will pull the red fl ag on us if we can't deliver the whole package: high quality, decent price, and grown sustainably. That's what they expect. That's what they demand." Organic is no longer a niche market, Fumasi said. Seventy percent of U.S. consumers buy organic some- times and 20 percent buy only organic. A mere 10 percent of consumers have the attitude that they'd rather not pay more for something they can just wash. The local trend is more challenging for Washington, which is the country's largest apple supplier and ships to every state. But Fumasi said engagement with consumers is more important than whether the product came from more than 400 miles away. Millennials want transparency, which means infor- mation. They are by far the heaviest users of mobile tech- nology. Fifty-four percent of the U.S. population today use social media to discover new food items and share that experience with others. Almost 80 percent use the internet to shop or learn about food. "In the past, transparency has been heavily driven by food safety," Fumasi said. "Everybody's watching us all the time, which adds costs and increases management." But transparency is also a huge positive factor because it is not a one-way mirror, he added. "We have more infor- mation about what consumers need and want than we've ever had before. "We know exactly what the consumer wants," Fumasi concluded. "They want 100 percent perfection all of the time in every way that you can deliver it. "Now, it's our turn to deliver and we have to do it in a way that's sustainable and profi table for our industry. Because we have so much information about the con- sumer, we have a road map for what changes we need to make. "What you need to do now is identify the strengths you have and leverage them into these new U.S. purchasing decisions and continue to innovate in the areas you know they want." • VIDEO Dr. Roland Fumasi discusses the changing apple market. Watch at www.goodfruit.com VIDEO Dr. Roland Fumasi discusses the changing apple market. Watch at

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