Progressive Grocer - August/September 2009 - (Page 32)

Grocery List Consumer Insight The Lempert Report Why ‘Growing Your Own’ May Not be the Answer The latest fad won’t save money or the planet. By Phil Lempert Forty-three million U.S. households plan to start gardens this year, up 19 percent from the 36 million U.S. households that intended to get digging last year, notes the National Gardening Association. n the rush by Americans to develop safe and Earth-friendly resources for food, the term “local” certainly has cachet. But it’s unrealistic to think that every person in the United States could live within 100 miles of the acreage where their produce grows. This is why people all over the country have decided that it’s time for them to plant their own vegetable gardens. Figure in the costs of seeds, plants, gloves, fertil- food garden is $500, net of costs. izer, pest repellents, mulch, rakes, screens and other The Obama garden at the White House was tools and materials. Add in a modest hourly rate for announced after this survey was taken. However, the time spent raising a home garden, plus the saving money was a primary motivator for responannoyance and lost productive hours of achy backs dents (cited by 54 percent of respondents). It trailed and knees. Then there’s the iced tea or margarita, only better-tasting food (58 percent), and came in sun hats and sunscreen … Logic would dictate ahead of better-quality food (51 percent) and growtrips to the local store’s produce section instead. ing food they know is safe (48 percent). But the recession has changed everything, including the historic love of nature that largely drove growth Livestock in the Backyard Not to bust up the garden party, but we believe of the gardening habit. Today, people are gardening with an economic purpose. Some 43 million house- people will find it unrealistic to think they could meet holds in the United States now plan to grow their their families’ complete fruit and vegetable needs from own fruits, vegetables, herbs and berries in 2009 — their home gardens — or have the activity make ecoup a stunning 19 percent from 36 million house- nomic sense when weighing in the value of the time holds in 2008, according to the Impact of Home it takes to grow the food successfully. And then there are those backyard chickens and Community Gardening Survey of the National Gardening Association, co-sponsored by the Garden Feathers may fly in municipalities where laws restrict backyard chickens or other animals (rabbits, hogs, Writers Association and Scotts Miracle-Gro. This anticipated rise is nearly double the 10 percent geese, turkeys, ducks or other fowl) that people growth in vegetable gardening activity from 2007 to might want to raise. These aren’t Old MacDonald wannabes looking 2008 as more food gardeners emerge this year. In 2008, according to the National Gardening to raise backyard animals for a lark. Their ranks include inner-city residents who Association, gardeners spent a total More ONLINE work on urban farms and other of $2.5 billion on plants and kinmodern-day homesteaders who dred gardening supplies to grow For additional consumer insights, go to want to save money on groceries, their own food. The productive Progressivegrocer.com control a sustainable food supply annual yield of a well-maintained A H E A D O F W H AT ’ S N E X T I and be greener, too. Whether most proponents believe that backyard poultry is the next logical or desirable step after a backyard garden is established, is open to question, but the backyard gardening and animalraising movements speak volumes about a growing lack of confidence in the consistent quality or safety of the foods in mainstream distribution. For the majority of American consumers who rely instead on the mainstream produce supply chains that culminate in supermarkets, the concept of local produce is more enduring, more sustainable and possibly more inspiring of a healthful diet than “growing your own.” Phil Lempert is one of the nation’s leading trend analysts and consumerologists. He is the food editor of NBC’s “Today” show, SupermarketGuru.com, FactsFiguresFuture.com, and XtremeRetail.com; the host of the syndicated radio show “Shopping Smart”; and an author. He can be reached at PLempert@SupermarketGuru.com. www.progressivegrocer.com 32 • Progressive Grocer • August/September 2009 http://www.SupermarketGuru.com http://www.FactsFiguresFuture.com http://www.XtremeRetail.com http://www.Progressivegrocer.com http://www.progressivegrocer.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Progressive Grocer - August/September 2009

Progressive Grocer - August/September 2009
Contents
Nielsen’s Shelf Stoppers/Spotlight: Alcoholic Beverages/Light Beer
CES: Inside the Market Basket: Economical Choices Bring Grocery Gains
Lempert Report: Earth-Friendly Isn’t Everything
Store of the Month: Kosher Country
Executive Insights: A View From Tops
Independents Report: Become a Leader Your Associates Will Follow
Perspectives:Wegmans Food Markets: How Two Halves Make More Than a Whole
Independent Thinking: N.G.A. Annual Independent Grocers Survey: Cream of the Crop
Fall Promotions: Tailgating Takes Over
Proteins: Meaty Alternatives
Fresh Developments: PG Looks at the Latest News From the Perimeter
Beverage Alcohol: Keeping the Aisle Afloat
Culinary Oils: Oil Can
Frozen Desserts: Frozen Desserts Heat up
Family Planning: Up Front With Family Planning
Vitamins and Supplements: Healthy Sales With a Capital ‘D’
Pharmacy: Dealing With Diabetes
What’s Next: Editors’ Picks for Innovative Products
Equipment: Lasting Impressions: The Shopper’s Perspective

Progressive Grocer - August/September 2009