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buying U.S. product,” he says. “You under- stand everything U.S. growers have to go through, including food safety rules and regu- lations and labor. Buyers are supporting U.S. farmers and domestic product.”
Retailers should promote Florida’s produce, says Brooks’ Ostlund. “Enjoying local produce is so popular that folks in the winter and early spring will be more than willing to expand their de nition of ‘local’ to enjoy the exotic and nutritional tropical fruits harvested in Florida,” she says. “Say it loud and proud: domestic fruit. During late winter and early spring, there’s not many who can claim it. Florida does, and tropicals just nail home another reason to buy Florida. Tropicals aren’t your run-of-the-mill fruit. Why eat “same-old” when the tropicals deliver a much more exciting and exotic taste?”
Variety is the slice of life, particularly for Florida grower-shippers. “Florida farmers are continually working to improve the number of items we can provide to our customers,” says Duda’s Goodale. He cites Duda’s work on providing Florida Romaine hearts that consis- tently possess the quality expected by today’s consumer. “It was a lot of work with poor results in the early years, but for the past few years, the quality has rivaled or even surpassed the quality supplied from the West,” he says.
SUNSHINE STATE PROMOTIONS
Last year, 84 retail partnerships involving more than 11,000 stores with FDACS’ Fresh from Florida program resulted in the promo- tion of 43 commodities in 26 states, says Mindy Lee, Fresh from Florida bureau chief and media and communications and media manager for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), based in Tallahassee, FL. Florida produce is marketed in a variety of ways, including displays high- lighting Fresh from Florida fruit and vegetables, sampling events, point-of-purchase signage, ad-circulars, social media, grocery cart signage, special events and direct mail.
Consumer demand for brand name produce is increasing, says Lee. In a 2017 survey of primary grocery shoppers, 75 percent stated they were aware of the Fresh from Florida brand, up 85 percent since 2013 with 86 percent of those saying they are more likely to buy Fresh from Florida-labeled products than identical products without that label. Of those, 77 percent say they are willing to pay more for it, says Lee.
Retailers can be assured of strong marketing support from Florida shippers who participate in the Fresh from Florida program.
“ ey provide top-level marketing support to retailers of all sizes,” says Goodale. “We have provided support on items through all types of media, including TV ads in a retailer’s focus area. All our sleeved and bagged prod- ucts grown in Florida include the Fresh from Florida logo. Retailers can order point-of-sale display materials directly from the Fresh from Florida program.”
Because Florida’s market share has shrunk during the past decade, the state’s growers want to hold onto what they have and
increase their sales, says Weisinger. “When buyers want long-term pricing so they can run ads and draw customers into the stores and restaurants, they can come to Florida growers and make the kinds of deals that are farm-to-table deals,” he says. “ ey can guarantee the quality of the product all the way to your table and price in many cases. Even though we operate in a supply-and-de- mand situation, the Florida grower generally has changed with the times and has made it user-friendly for the customer base.” pb
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