As Dorothy told audiences, “There’s no place like home.” Aside from being a memorable movie quote, this notion has taken on a deeper meaning in the food and beverage industries as local-buying trends and farmers markets are being celebrated by more and more consumers.
“Millennial consumers have really been the drivers of wanting to know more about where their food comes from and how it gets to them,” says Jeannie Swedberg, director of business development for Selah, Wash.-based Tree Top Inc. “This has given rise to the local or locavore trend — a movement to eat foods that are sourced locally and responsibly — domestically sourced fruit — which crosses over right into the sustainability trend. Fewer food miles, knowing where food comes from and supporting local agriculture all blend together in the use of domestic fruit.”