March 2020 - 33

FARM MARKET & AGRITOURISM
Tribal food patterns impact farm market strategies
BRIAN MOYER
Penn State Extension
bfm3@psu.edu
I like to have salads for lunch. I
usually make my own and take it
with me to my office but on this day,
I was traveling so I decided to visit
a chain restaurant that specializes in
salads and bowls. I had never been to
this restaurant before and was a bit
confused on what and how to order.
Usually at chain restaurants there
is a menu board and you pick what
meal or item you want. At this
establishment there is a menu board,
but it is made up of individual items.
You select what you want, tell them,
and they assemble it for you right
there. This model seems to reflect
what is happening in our evolving
food culture.
An increasing number of
consumers are identifying as
members of a " food tribe. " A desire
to express ourselves through our
food choices or identifying who we
are through our diet and creating
personalized solutions for customers.
The Washington Post had an article
in 2018 entitled " Paleo, keto, fasting,
Whole 30: Why food tribes are on
the rise. " Consumers are increasingly
identifying themselves as members of
various tribes such as paleo, glutenfree
or keto. We can control what we
eat so this allows us to express our
identity through our food choices.
Futurist Mike Lee of Alpha Food
Labs was speaking at 2020 Potato
Expo and he suggests that we are at
the end of the " One size fits all " era.
We are seeing an increase of various
food tribes looking for solutions to
their dietary requirements.
Recent research by Potatoes USA
suggests that 44% of those surveyed
say they are following some specific
dietary guidelines. Social media just
makes it that much easier for likeminded
eaters to find one another
and influence food manufacturers.
Dedication and mass appear
to brands is continuing to shrink
particularly with younger consumers.
It's no longer just Coca-Cola or
Pepsi as a choice. Look at the rise of
plant-based products and beverages
such as oat beverage, plantain chips
and meatless burgers. It's almost
impossible to keep up! I don't
suggest you even try. But you should
probably pay attention.
If you know what is going on in
the marketplace, you can identify
products you already have that might
match the various trends taking place
and promote them in your market.
I've worked with some markets whose
focus on organic and health allow them
to cater to customers who follow one
of these dietary regiments since these
types of customers would most likely
seek organic options. You don't have to
be organic to appeal to this consumer,
but you can focus on some key things
that might be appealing regardless of
what tribe they belong to.
How transparent are your products?
Is it clear how they are produced or
grown? Once again, it comes down
to telling your story about your farm,
your market, your values.
Whatever your food tribe is, we can
probably all enjoy a nice apple. VGN
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March 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2020
