New Tech Landing on Your Plates? Could be!

What if the next big thing in tech does not arrive on your smartphone or in the cloud? What if it lands on your plate?

That idea is enticing a wide group of venture capitalists in Silicon Valley into making big bets on food.

In some cases, the goal is to connect restaurants with food purveyors, or to create on-demand delivery services from local farms, or ready-to-cook dinner kits. In others, the goal is to invent new foods, like creating cheese, meat and egg substitutes from plants. Since this is Silicon Valley money, though, the ultimate goal is often nothing short of grand: transforming the food industry.

“Part of the reason you’re seeing all these V.C.’s get interested in this is the food industry is not only is it massive, but like the energy industry, it is terribly broken in terms of its impact on the environment, health, animals,” said Josh Tetrick, founder and chief executive of Hampton Creek Foods, a start-up making egg alternatives.

Some investors say food-related start-ups fit into their sustainability portfolios, alongside solar energy or electric cars, because they aim to reduce the toll on the environment of producing animal products. For others, they fit alongside health investments like fitness devices and heart rate monitoring apps. Still others are eager to tackle a real-world problem, instead of building virtual farming games or figuring out ways to get people to click on ads.

“There are pretty significant environmental consequences and health issues associated with sodium or high-fructose corn syrup or eating too much red meat,” said Samir Kaul, a partner at Khosla Ventures, which has invested in a half-dozen food start-ups. “I wouldn’t bet my money that Cargill or ConAgra are going to innovate here. I think it’s going to take start-ups to do that.”

In the last year, venture capital firms in the valley have funneled about $350 million into food projects, and investment deals in the sector were 37 percent higher than the previous year, according to a recent report by CB Insights, a venture capital database. In 2008, that figure was less than $50 million.

That money is just a slice of the $30 billion that venture capitalists invest annually, but it is enough to help finance an array of food start-ups.

The venture capital firms helping to finance these businesses are some of the valley’s most prominent names, in addition to Khosla: SV Angel, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, True Ventures and the Obvious Collection. Celebrities from Hollywood (Matt Damon), pro football (Tom Brady) and the tech world more broadly (Bill Gates) have also joined in.

“Consumers are interested in sophisticated experiences that are beautifully delivered, which we’ve seen happen on the Web and with products like the iPhone,” said Tony Conrad, a partner at True Ventures, which was an early investor in the coffee companyBlue Bottle. “Now, we’re seeing that happen with food and beverage.”

Still, some tech analysts and venture capitalists are skeptical that these companies, with their factories and perishable products, can reach the scale and market valuations of big Internet companies.

READ MORE: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/13e5bc85f9c212ae

Boston fast casual determined to keep ‘farm-to-table’ food while franchising

Can a fast casual concept based on locally sourced meat and produce find the economies of scale necessary to franchise?

The owners of b.good, a Boston-based better burger company are betting it can.

And with the opening of a new store in Shrewsbury, Mass., childhood buddies Anthony Ackil and Jon Olinto have set sail on a plan to add 35 locations over the next five years. Click here to see a sideshow of photos of the concept.

Alarmed by what they saw people putting into their mouths, Ackil and Olinto set out nine years ago to create a fast casual concept that would turn a profit while not serving nutritionally spotty food.

They expressed their values in their company name — b.good — and today their nine Boston-area stores have carved out a niche by serving natural beef, locally grown vegetables and seasonal items such as ice cream made with locally sourced blueberries.

They don’t quite ascribe to the “farm-to-table” description, Ackil said; they prefer the term “real food.” But they are more than happy to talk to customers about the farms that produced the actual food they eat — it’s part of their business plan. Their restaurants feature wallboards showing the specific farmers who’ve raised the beef and grown the produce served at each location

READ MORE – http://www.fastcasual.com/article/211315/Boston-fast-casual-determined-to-keep-farm-to-table-food-while-franchising

Prarieland Dairy, National Winner

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Dairy Farm Award Winners from Midwest Exemplify
Commitment to Stewardship and Sustainability
Midwest Dairy pleased to announce Prairieland Dairy in Nebraska as a national winner of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards and McCarty Family Farms in Kansas as an Honorable Mention

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy recently announced the winners of its second annual U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards, which recognize dairy farms for practices that advance the industry’s commitment to healthy products, healthy communities and a healthy planet. Midwest Dairy Association, the farmer-funded checkoff organization for 10 Midwest states, is pleased to announce that two farms within its territory were honored, including Prairieland Dairy of Firth, Neb., as a national winner, and McCarty Family Farms, LLC of Rexford, Kan., as an honorable mention.

The awards program is part of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment, an industry-wide effort to measure and improve economic, environmental and social sustainability of the dairy industry. The winners were selected by an independent panel of judges, which included experts from academic institutions, government, dairy science organizations, nongovernmental organizations, media and environmental and dairy industry leaders, and are based on the delivery of results to advance economic, environmental and social sustainability. The panel also assessed the potential for adoption by other farms as well as demonstrated learning, innovation and improvement.

Prairieland Dairy is a creative partnership between four Nebraska dairy farm families that milks 1,600 cows, farms 600 acres and is home to a processing plant, Prairieland Foods, and a composting site, Prairieland Gold. From the efficiently built barns that bring great cow comfort—to automatic cooling, waste management and pest control systems—each has a role in the farm’s sustainability solutions. Prairieland Dairy also taps into the natural power of wind, gravity and the geothermal properties of well water to reduce the use of energy, water and equipment.

“We take all of our commitments very seriously,” said Dan Rice, general manager of Prairieland Dairy. “And none more so than our commitment to sustainability.”

Honorable mention, McCarty Family Farms, has a milking herd of about 7,200 cows that produce almost 60,000 gallons of milk every day in northwestern Kansas. They have a unique partnership with Dannon, and the milk from the McCarty’s three dairies goes directly to their processing plant. First, the unpasteurized milk moves through an evaporator to remove extra water. Every drop of water is reused throughout the dairy for purposes such as cleaning, providing drinking water for the cows and irrigating crops. They reclaim 39,000 gallons of water daily from condensing milk, which means 75 percent fewer trucks are required to ship milk on their farm.

“Sustainability for us means respecting our roles and responsibilities as stewards of the land, caretakers of our animals, members of the community, parents and husbands – but also as members of the dairy community,” said Ken McCarty.

“The strength of the award winners’ stories illustrates why consumers can be confident about choosing their favorite dairy foods,” said Barbara O’Brien, president of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. “These and thousands of other actions taken every day – both large and small – contribute to the industry’s overall commitment to a healthy future for the next generation.”

To learn more about the industry’s commitment to sustainability, visit USDairy.com. To get to know more about Midwest dairy farmers and their sustainability practices, visit DairyMakesSense.com.

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Midwest Dairy Association® is a non-profit organization funded by dairy farmers to build demand for dairy products through integrated marketing, nutrition education and research. Midwest Dairy is funded by checkoff dollars from dairy farmers in a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. For more information, visit http://www.midwestdairy.com. Follow us on Twitter and find us on Facebook at Midwest Dairy.

USDA Ponders Nutrition Standards For School Snacks And Drinks

The Washington Post has a piece about the deliberations at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) over new “new federal nutrition standards limiting sugar, fat and sodium for school snacks and drinks. The rules would be the first update to school snack guidelines in more than 30 years and would come as first lady Michelle Obama continues to take aim at childhood obesity. About one-third of children in the United States are either overweight or obese.

“The mandates will be controversial. School districts worry that changes to snack guidelines will reduce food sales that help keep cafeteria budgets balanced. They also say the rules could limit some children from eating enough calories because recent federal rules shrank the size of school meals.

“Others say the proposed guidelines don’t go far enough. High-fat potato chips, candy bars and sugary sodas will be out, but flavored milks or low-fat yogurts with nearly the same sugar content as certain chocolate bars could be in.

“One person’s healthy snack is junk food in the eyes of another.

“USDA officials say the intent of the proposed standards is not to limit popular snack items but to provide healthier options for students.”

The story notes that “the proposed minimum USDA guidelines would generally require snack foods to contain fewer than 200 calories a serving, with no more than 35 percent of the calories or weight coming from sugar or fat and less than 200 milligrams of sodium a portion. The guidelines would prohibit trans fats and require that less than 10 percent of snack calories come from saturated fats.
They would also require that snack foods be either a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, a protein food or a ‘whole-grain rich’ grain product or contain at least 10 percent of the daily value of a nutrient such as calcium, potassium or vitamin D.

“The beverage guidelines would eliminate sugary soda. Students would be able to buy water, low-fat plain milk, and non-fat plain or flavored milk. Juices would also have to be 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice with portion limits.”

More Parents Purchasing Organic Products

U.S. families are embracing organic products in a wide range of categories, with 81 percent now reporting they purchase organic at least sometimes, according to the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA’s) 2013 U.S. Families Organic Attitudes and Beliefs Study.

Additionally, the majority of those buying organic foods are purchasing more items than they did a year earlier, and new entrants to buying organic now represent 41 percent of all families – demonstrating increased interest in the benefits of organic food and farming.

Produce continues to be the leading category of organic purchases, with 97 percent of organic buyers saying they had purchased organic fruits or vegetables in the past six months. Breads and grains, dairy and packaged foods were also frequently cited (all scoring above 85 percent) among those who purchase organic.

Consistent with findings from previous studies, nearly half (48 percent) of those who purchase organic foods said they do so because they are “healthier for me and my children.” Additionally, parents’ desire to avoid toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers (30 percent), antibiotics and growth hormones (29 percent), and genetically modified organisms (22 percent) ranked high among the reasons cited for buying organic products.

READ MORE:http://www.progressivegrocer.com/top-stories/headlines/consumer-insights/id37775/more-parents-purchasing-organic-products/?icid=homepage

Whole Foods To Build Rooftop Greenhouse Above Brooklyn Store

http://m.progressivegrocer.com/mtop-story-whole-foods-to-build-rooftop-greenhouse-above-brooklyn-store-37722.html

Fresh Food – Apr 1,2013

Whole Foods Market and Gotham Greens are building what they say is the nation’s first commercial-scale greenhouse farm integrated within a retail grocery space.

The 20,000-square-foot greenhouse, currently being constructed on the roof of the forthcoming Whole Foods Market store in the Gowanus neignborhood of Brooklyn, is scheduled to open later this fall. Gotham Greens will grow premium quality, pesticide-free produce year round in the greenhouse for Whole Foods Gowanus, as well as other Whole Foods locations throughout New York City.

“Gotham Greens has been a valued local supplier of high quality, flavorful and fresh produce to Whole Foods Market since early 2011, making this greenhouse project a natural and extremely exciting next step in our relationship,” said Christina Minardi, Whole Foods Market Northeast regional president. “We’re particularly excited to partner with a local organization with roots right here in Brooklyn and a mission in line with our own, in that we both care deeply about providing local, fresh and sustainably produced food.”

The specially designed rooftop farm will include advanced irrigation systems that use up to 20 times less water than conventional farming as well as enhanced glazing materials and electrical equipment to reduce overall energy demand. Based on the farm’s proximity to Whole Foods stores in New York City, the project will eliminate long-distance food transport and its associated emissions, while ensuring product freshness, quality and nutrition for thousands of customers in the area.

“Talk about local — this project takes the discussion from food miles to food footsteps,” said Viraj Puri, Gotham Greens co-founder. “Our greenhouse will provide Whole Foods Market shoppers with access to the freshest, most delicious leafy greens, herbs and tomatoes, year-round that will be grown right above the store’s produce department. We’re thrilled with this partnership and to be part of the growing national movement of farmers and food producers committed to providing consumers with high quality, responsibly produced food.”

The rooftop greenhouse will be fully operational at the time of the new Whole Foods opening and will create a variety of green collar jobs and economic development opportunities in the Brooklyn area. Whole Foods also plans to offer educational opportunities for area students and local schools to learn about greenhouses, farming and various environmental initiatives.

Vegetable Farm Tour – April 16th, Osceola Mo. Don’t miss out

The Missouri Vegetable Growers Association and University of Missouri Extension are sponsoring a vegetable farm tour to be held on Tuesday, April 16.  The tour leaves from Osceola Cheese (north of Osceola at 3700 NE Hwy. 13) promptly at 8:15 a.m. If carpooling, park NE of store.  Osceola is halfway between Kansas City and Springfield on Highway 13.

8:30 to 10:30 a.m.-Bear Creek Farms, Jim & Robbins Hail
Bear Creek Farms near Osceola, MO grows 15 acres of certified organic produce. Our markets include the Whole Foods Markets in Kansas City, Door to Door Organics, and The Root Cellar in Columbia. This year we are also planning at being at the Farmers’ Market of the Ozarks in Springfield. We sell garden transplants, fruit plants and vegetables.

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.-Evening Shade Farms, Cindy Parker
Our family has lived on this farm, located just south of where the Ozarks meet the plains, for more than 30 years. Our sole purpose is to provide skin care products that truly nourish your skin. Our products literally start from the ground up – handmade, hand cleaned, hand packaged – all right here on the farm.

Bring your own lunch, drinks provided.

1:15 to 2:15 p.m.-Wild Goose Gardens, Ethan Jones
Wild Goose Gardens is a small flower farm outside Osceola, MO on the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. We grow a wide variety of flowering plants-both annuals and perennials, shrubs, flowering trees and some bog plants for florists in the Kansas City and Springfield markets. We cultivate approximately 1.5 acres of open fields as well six hoop houses and in many permanent beds.

2:30 to 4:30 p.m.-Green Gate Farm, Ken & Katie Barber
We started farming in 2010, and in July 2013 we will be certified organic, which is part of the way we look after the land we farm and live on. The farm is balanced between intensive vegetable and fruit production, woodland, pasture for livestock and poultry, and protected steam. 2013 will be the first year farming in our newly constructed 2800 sq ft high tunnel. We produce heritage turkeys, chicken, duck, and goose eggs, and sustainably produced vegetables and fruit.

Call Robbins Hail at 417-282-5894 or Pat Miller at 417-448-2560 for more information.