Publication of the AFBF Public Relations Department
Insider
on Trends
2
John’s Custom
Meats
Amy Sipes talks
about custom
butchering and
meeting consumers'
expectations
3 Top Food Stories
Most memorable
this year and decade
4 Food By The
Numbers
The American Heart
Association is study-
ing heart-healthy
foods such as whole
grains
Quote
“Ring out the old, ring in 
  the new,
Ring, happy bells, across
  the snow: The year is
  going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in
  the true.”
•  Alfred, Lord Tennyson,
   1850
The preferences of
foodies, who generally
are more discriminating
than other consumers,
continue to influence the
food grown by America’s
farmers and ranchers.
With this trend in mind,
we hope you enjoy this
edition of Foodie News.
Volume 3 Number 1 January 2010
‘Winter Locavores’ Flourish
Thanks to Farmers’ Markets
Summer is a locavore’s white potatoes or rutaba- has been in business
dream, with plenty of gas. Kale and other winter since December 2007
fresh fruit and vegetable greens are great for vege- and continues to grow
choices that fit in perfect- table and potato soups.” in popularity. Much of
ly with the long days and The Christian Science the produce is grown in
warm weather. In the win- Monitor reports that greenhouses, but live
ter months, particularly many year-round farmers’ lobsters, baked goods and
in colder climates, many
locavores believe they
have to give up eating
markets are popping up
across the country. It’s a
trend that is expected to
grass-fed beef also are
popular.
In cold and snowy Fort
local produce, but that build momentum as more Collins, Colo., a winter
isn’t necessarily so.
Locavores are discover-
ing they can eat local pro-
consumers seek a local
connection to the foods
they eat.
farmers’ market run by Be
Local Northern Colorado
offers root vegetables,
duce even when the days The Rhode Island Win-
are short and the weather tertime Farmers’ Market Continued on Last Page
is cold. It’s true that find-
ing locally grown fruit is
nearly impossible in win- Year-round farmers’
ter for most U.S. residents markets can be a life-
saver for locavores de-
but year-round farmers’
markets do offer many op- termined to eat locally
tions, including winter in the winter. Root veg-
greens and root vegetables. etables and meat from
Potatoes, beets, cabbage, local farms abound at
carrots, turnips, parsnips, many farmers' markets
rutabagas, onions, garlic, in winter, including the
celery root, leeks and Rhode Island Winter-
kale are all popular local time Farmers’ Market
wintertime fare in many (below).
regions of the country.
Diane Wright Hirsch,
an Extension Service food
safety specialist with the
University of Connecticut,
thinks it’s time to forget
the notion that eating
seasonally in the winter
is boring. She encourages
consumers to eat as much
local food as they can.
“Think outside the rec-
ipe box,” she said. “Make
pancakes or hash browns
from shredded sweet or
 GUEST COLUMN
Gate to Plate…At Our Farm We Take It Literally
By Amy Sipes, John’s Custom Meats, LLC and Split Creek Farms
Gate to plate. We hear
that frequently these days.
At our farm we take it lit-
erally. We are generation-
al family farmers. At Split
Creek Farms in Kentucky,
we raise cattle on our
small farm on the outskirts
of Bowling Green. Our
cattle are raised on pasture
without therapeutic anti-
biotics, growth hormones
or steroids. We finish
them on grass, forages and
legumes harvested from
our farm, and a mix of
grains as a protein source.
We take that a few steps
further. In fact, we take it
straight to the consumer.
We’re also generational
butchers, fourth, fifth and
counting to be exact. John
Rediess Jr., my husband
and the namesake of our
business, was figuratively
born with a butcher knife
in his hand. He grew up
in South Haven, Mich.,
working side-by-side with
his father, John Rediess
Sr., in their family run
butcher shop. He continues
to carry on the family tra-
dition here in Kentucky.
We’ve been custom proc-
essing livestock for more
than 20 years. We recently
upgraded and added a
modern 90+ daily capacity
USDA slaughter/process-
ing facility on our farm.
John’s Custom Meats, a
full-service butcher shop
from harvest to the con-
sumers’ table, was born.
We are family owned and
operated, processing cattle,
pigs, goat, sheep and even
rabbit. Some call it vertical
integration. We call it just
plain smart.
We also process for hun-
dreds of farmers across the
region, allowing them to
offer their farm-fresh meats
direct to the consumer.
With the USDA seal of ap-
proval on their meats, the
sky is the limit. This has
opened up a whole new
niche marketing opportun-
ity for our region. We also
purchase livestock from
local area farmers, opening
up yet another market for
them. This enables us to
offer beef born and raised
on our own farm, but also
a wide variety of locally
born, raised and processed
meat.
Our own cattle travel only
yards to reach our proc-
essing facility, nearly elim-
inating stress. We are con-
sidered small on the meat
processor scale and this
gives us an advantage that
we can pass along to our
customers. All meats are
slaughtered and processed
by skilled generational
craftsman. Meat safety and
quality is the forefront of
what we do.
We sell our full line of
meat products direct from
our farm in our retail meat
market and via farmers’
markets in the area. We
also have a small delivery
area, which continues to
expand and grow.
In addition to the retail
market, we also offer
wholesale through small
specialty distributors
and restaurants in the
local region. Our locally
grown meats are marketed
through Kentucky’s state
branding program, “Ken-
tucky Proud.” This cam-
paign, created by the Ken-
tucky Department of Agri-
culture, continues to grow
exponentially.
The customer experience
is our specialty. We make
our own sausages, bacons,
bolognas and more. Our
philosophy is that we’re
here to serve our custo-
mers, providing what they
want, how they want it.
Steak cut 1-1/2” thick?
Sure, no problem! A special
blend of sausage that can’t
be found anywhere else?
You’ll find it here, too.
Demand for local meat
marketing niches remains
strong nationwide. We
hope to see that trend con-
tinue upward for many
years to come.
Amy Sipes and her hus-
band, John Rediess Jr.,
Farm Bureau members
in Warren County, Ky.,
own and operate John’s
Custom Meats and Split
Creek Farms, www.
johnscustommeats.com.
Food Trends to Watch in 2010
Foodie News is pleased to bring you
a sampling of food trend predictions
for 2010. These “hot food picks” were
gleaned from a range of sources, in-
cluding professional chef members of
the American Culinary Federation.
» Restaurant Menus Overall
1. Locally grown produce
2. Locally sourced meats/seafood
3. Sustainability
4. Bite-size/mini-desserts
5. Locally produced wine and beer
6. Nutritionally balanced kid’s dishes
7. Half-portions/balanced portion
for a smaller price
8. Farm/estate-branded ingredients
9. Gluten-free/food allergy conscious
10. Sustainable seafood
» Main Dishes
1. Locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Half-portions/smaller portion
for a smaller price
3. Sustainable seafood
4. Non-traditional fish (e.g. branzio,
Arctic char, barramundi)
5. “New” meat cuts (e.g. Denver
steak, pork flat iron, Petite Tender)
6. Tapas/mezze/dim sum
7. Grass-fed beef
8. Free-range poultry/pork
9. Inexpensive/underused meat cuts
(e.g. beef cheek, brisket, pork
shoulder, skirt steak)
10. Specialty/gourmet sandwiches
» Side Dishes/Starches
1. Quinoa
2. Braised vegetables
3. Brown/wild rice
4. Steamed/grilled/roasted veggies
5. Foods made with buckwheat
6. Barley
7. Mashed or pureed vegetables
8. Lentils
9. Couscous
10. Polenta
» Produce
1. Anything locally grown
2. Superfruits (e.g. acai, goji berry,
mangosteen, purslane)
3. Organic produce
4. Exotic fruit (e.g. durian, passion
fruit, dragon fruit, paw paw, guava)
5. Micro-vegetables/micro-greens
6. Heirloom tomatoes
7. Specialty potatoes (e.g. purple,
fingerling, Baby Dutch Yellow)
8. Fresh herbs 1. Sustainable materials. Eco-friend-
9. Pomegranates ly materials like bamboo for count-
10. Figs ertops, work surface and flooring
will reign. Built-in centers and com-
» Other Foods/Ingredients posters make recycling simple.
1. Artisanal cheeses
2. Multi-functional convenience.
2. Black garlic
Sinks with accessories like built-
3. Ancient grains (e.g. kamut, spelt,
in prep boards, colanders and/or
amaranth)
drain trays; cupboard inserts;
4. Flatbreads (e.g. naan, papadum,
custom storage areas with adjust-
lavash, pita, tortilla)
able dividers and pull-out baskets;
5. Flower syrup/essence
and movable islands on wheels
6. Salt (e.g. flavored, smoked,
add value and convenience.
regional)
3. High-tech is the new “normal.”
7. Vegetable ceviche
Technology is becoming more com-
8. Ethnic condiments (e.g. raita/
mon, with everything from flat-
raitha, chimichurri, Sriracha, chut-
screen TVs to mobile device charg-
ney, soy sauce)
ing stations appearing.
9. Agave
4. Restaurant grade ap pliances and
10. Whole grain bread
features. As consumers continue
» Top Grocery Trends to grow in culinary appreciation,
Phil Lempert, a/k/a the Supermarket they’ll seek out the best appliances
Guru” recently published his list of and gadgets to do their own
top supermarket trends for the com- healthy, fresh food preparation.
ing year:
5. Color and shape make a comeback.
1. Private label food brands continue Unexpected colors for paint, tile,
to evolve. And major food com- flooring and appliances, combined
panies will come back with new with bold-shaped accessories will
strategies such as co-branded take center stage, adding interest
prod ucts and retail partnerships and character to previously bland,
to win over consumers. uninspiring spaces.
2. The 1960s return. Updated
versions of iconic food brands
from the 1960s will return to
supermarket shelves.
3. The re-emergence of the local
butcher (within supermarkets
and at free-standing shops). Shop-
pers will select meat cuts and have
them custom ground on demand.
4. Social networking will hold sway.
“Word of mouth” recommenda-
tions spread using the hottest
technologies and social media
applications will determine what
flies off the shelf or flops.
5. “Hottie chef” endorsements are
out; food will return as the star of
cooking shows and stand on its
own in attracting customers.
» Top Kitchen Trends
The continued strength of the “eating at
home” trend has fostered growing in-
terest in how meals are prepared and
served. Maria Polidoro, owner of Ace
Tool Online, offers up five home kitchen
remodeling trends for 2010:
 Food By People Are Talking
The Numbers About Slow Cookin’
Slow cookers have been to. With a little prepara-
on the kitchen scene tion using fresh ingredi-
since the early 1970s, ents, you can easily cre-
when home economists ate healthy, delicious
raved about how they meals using the slow
revolutionized the way cooker,” Stewart told
Americans cooked for Foodie News.
their families. Electric The slow cooker’s repu-
stoneware cookers, first tation for making culi-
marketed by Rival under nary stars out of tougher
the trademarked name (and cheaper) cuts of
Medical experts agree that changing one’s food and diet Crock-Pot, maintain meat is well-deserved,
can help manage or reduce the risk of heart disease, heart relatively low tempera- according to Stewart.
attack and stroke, while lowering blood pressure and cho- tures for several hours “The slow, gentle heat
lesterol levels. That is why the American Heart Association without human attention. doesn’t ‘beat up’ what
recently partnered with 2,000 supermarkets to roll out This convenience, along you’re cooking, making
a program to evaluate awareness of AHA’s heart-check with the ability to provide slow cookers ideal for
mark, in addition to gauging its influence on sales of prod- nutritious, economical meat cuts like beef or lamb
ucts made with whole grains. meals made slow cooking shanks, beef pot roast and
Although final study results are still being compiled, pre- a popular preparation pork roasts,” Stewart said.
liminary online surveys completed by consumers indicate a method for generations of Recipes featuring beans,
high level of awareness regarding heart-healthy foods. home cooks who churned lentils and other legumes
out stews, soups, roasts also turn out tender and
and meatballs galore. tasty when prepared using
80 million 83 After nearly 40 years, a slow cooker.
Number of Americans diag- Percent of shoppers who the enduring popularity Any type or size slow
nosed with cardiovascular recognize the heart-check of slow cookers is surging cooker can get the job
disease. mark. In addition, 83 per- in a trend that shows no done, although newer
cent of shoppers are aware signs of stopping, thanks models with automatic
900 that eating whole grain to renewed interest in temperature shut-off con-
Number of food products foods can reduce the risk of economical home meal trols and “warm” settings
certified as heart-healthy heart disease (up about 10 preparation and healthy win out for convenience
by AHA. A single serving of percent compared to two eating. over basic manual types.
a food must contain: less years ago). Consumers’ growing Even the largest model
than 3 grams of total fat; 20 interest in using slow uses just a few cents worth
grams or less of cholesterol; 70 cookers was the catalyst of electricity over 10 hours,
480 milligrams or less of Percent of shoppers who for author Richard Stew- with an added bonus of
sodium; 10 percent or more are aware that consuming art to develop the “Joe not heating up the kitchen.
of the daily value of at least folic acid found in enriched Simmer’s Slow Cookin’” Stewart suggests using
vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, breads, cereals and other cookbooks. The series an oval slow cooker when
calcium, protein or dietary grain products reduces the aims to reinvent classic preparing most meat cuts.
fiber and less than 0.5 gram risk of heart disease (up recipes that often fea- Although you can use
trans fat. Examples include 15 percent from two years tured condensed soups large round slow cookers
toasted oat cereal, oatmeal, ago). and packaged season- for just about any dish,
pasta and bread made from ings. “All American Slow roasts and even whole
whole grains, as well as 63 Cookin’” is the latest chickens fit easily in oval
some soups, popcorn and Percent of shoppers who cookbook in the series, ones, he explained.
tomato sauces. expressed confidence in which includes “Healthy At the age of nearly 40,
AHA’s heart-check mark. Slow Cookin’” and it appears that the slow
85 “Creole Slow Cookin.’” cooker may be on the
Percent of Americans who 1 “The recipes are a step verge of revolutionizing
are aware that certain Rank of heart disease as beyond the older, typical the way America cooks,
foods and beverages can a killer of both men and ones consumers are used yet again.
help improve heart health. women in the U.S.
 The Food Scene
•  Restaurant Customers •  Table Manners are Back in Style
  Continue to Decline
Forget the mantras “let it all hang out” and “anything
The most recent report by market goes,” according to the Star Tribune. Dinner etiquette is
research firm NYP Group shows a back in style. “Social graces are again vital and bad form
third-quarter decline in consumer is so five minutes ago,” noted the Minneapolis newspaper.
traffic to restaurants. According From the simple rule of not starting to eat until everyone
to the Los Angeles Times, “NPD’s has food to double dipping and not drinking too much al-
industry tracking study found cohol, proper table manners are a must in this new foodie
that third-quarter traffic declined era. Check out the helpful hints and common mistakes in
across all restaurant segments. the article below.
Total industry traffic declined
4 percent from the same period http://www.dispatchkitchen.com/live/content/food/
a year ago. Visits to quick service/fast-food restaurants, stories/2009/12/09/leadfood.html?sid=101
which represent the largest share of the industry, fell 4
percent. The casual-dining segment was down 5 percent,
and visits to mid-scale eateries dipped 4 percent. Overall,
consumer spending at restaurants slipped 2 percent.”
Possible factors playing into the decline of restaurant
customers include unemployment, lower grocery store
prices and lagging consumer confidence.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2009/12/
restaurant-industry-remains-in-the-doldrums-.html

•  Author of ‘Julie & Julia’ Turns Focus to ‘Cleaving’

Readers of the acclaimed book-turned-movie “Julie & Julia” may not find Julie Powell’s newest book
as endearing. Replace learning to cook Julia Child-style with butchering and the ups and downs of
living and working in New York City with “emotional whiplash,” as the author calls it, and you have
Powell’s new book release. “[Powell’s] new book is the latest to tap into the growing interest in old
school butchery, an offshoot of the farm-to-table movement and a reaction to large meat
processors,” reported the Associated Press. Says Powell of her own curiosity in butchering,
“People want to get their hands dirty. People want to participate in the process. People want
to know where their food is coming from. People don't want the mystery anymore.”

http://hosted2.ap.org/txdam/c5d3117209bf44ea99cbec860c83d85d/Article_2009-12-01-
US-FEA-Food-Bookshelf-Powell/id-p42d76c3d72d84adcacb12ae479dc51c5

•  Sous Vide Now Available for Home Use

The sous vide method of cooking, in which food is vacuum-sealed and then slow-cooked (first reported in the May 2008
edition of Foodie News) is now available for home chefs. The SousVide Supreme, the first self-contained sous vide machine
for home cooks, has just hit the market with a price tag of $449. But, for foodies who
used to only be able to get sous vide-prepared foods at restaurants, the home-use
contraption is a bargain. “My wife thought I was crazy to get this thing, but already
she doesn’t want to eat anything else,” said a recent purchaser of the SousVide
Supreme. “I even made a hamburger in it this morning.” The first 500 SousVide
Supreme machines sold out in November on the Internet before even reaching stores.
But don’t worry, according to the manufacturer, more are on the way.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/dining/09sous.html?_r=1&ref=dining
Most Memorable Food Stories of the Year
Stories about food safety
were rated as “most mem-
orable in 2009,” according to
a survey of American adults
conducted by Hunter Public
Relations. When asked
about the most memorable
food-related stories during
the past decade, food safety
surfaced again, capturing the
No. 2 (bovine spongiform
encephalopathy), No. 3
(rising food safety concerns)
and No. 4 (China’s tainted
milk scandal) spots.
Top 10 Food
Stories of 2009
1. Food safety concerns
2. Newly poor swell lines
at food banks
3. Consumers cut food
spending sharply
4. Pork industry fights
concerns over H1N1
5. 2 million people enjoy
free breakfast at Denny’s
6. Proposed soda tax
7. Michelle Obama’s agen-
da, including healthful
eating
8. Julie Child movie:
“Julie and Julia”
9. President Barack
Obama orders a
hamburger
10. Gourmet Magazine
goes out of print
Top 10 Food Stories of
the Decade
1. Childhood obesity
2. Bovine spongiform
encephalopathy
3. The rise of food safety
concerns
4. China’s tainted milk
scandal
5. The trans-fat revolution
6. Biotech foods
7. Organic food becomes
mainstream
8. Expansion of the Food
Guide Pyramid
9. Atkins Diet and the
low-carb craze
10. Nutraceuticals and
popularity of herbs,
vitamins and func-
tional foods
Learn more online at
http://bit.ly/58Zg14.

‘Winter Locavores’ Eat Locally All Year

Continued From First Page
meats, wine and cider,
cheese, baked goods, coffee
and crafts. The market
started in 2006 and ex-
panded this year to 10 dates.
In Eureka Springs, Ark., a
number of farmers are striv-
ing to make a year-round
farmers’ market a success.
“We local farmers are
closing the loop, providing
access to fresh food 12
months out of the year
for local residents,” said
Patrice Gros, owner of
Foundation Farm. “With
the addition of hoop-house
greenhouses, we have
become capable of growing
throughout the year.”
Most consumers view
farmers’ markets as a sum-
mertime tradition, but ser-
ious locavores are looking
for ways to eat locally year
round, which should help
the number of wintertime
markets grow across the
country. Demand and
traffic won’t be robust as
in the summer but clearly,
many locavores retain their
“buy local” enthusiasm
throughout the winter.
“We do hear of more
farmers’ markets trying
to find ways to extend the
season,” said Erin Barnett
with Local Harvest, a Web
site that provides a com-
prehensive database of U.S.
farmers’ markets. “Some
offer a once- or twice-a-
month schedule through
the winter, or at least until
the end of the calendar
year.”

January 2010 Vol. 3 No. 1

Published monthly by the American Farm Bureau Federation,
600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 1000W, Washington, DC 20024
Phone: 202-406-3600 — E-mail: foodienews@fb.org
Editors: Cyndie Sirekis, cyndies@fb.org
John Hart, johnh@fb.org
We hope you enjoyed reading this issue of Foodie News. You may distribute or re-
Contributing Editor: publish the articles in this edition of Foodie News, except where noted otherwise.
Tracy Grondine, tracyg@fb.org
Research Assistant:
Anna Burkholder, anna@fb.org