Truffle Avenue Extols Romanian Delicacy in US eCommerce
In a strategic shift in the culinary landscape, Truffle Avenue has launched its U.S.-based website—a platform for customers to select from various top-quality truffles and have them delivered directly to their home or business. The company challenges the conventional focus on Italian truffles, introducing food enthusiasts and chefs to the diverse and untapped world of Romanian truffles.
The Truffle Avenue website aims to facilitate a direct connection between truffle hunters and consumer guaranteeing premium quality and authentic flavor profiles distinct to the Romanian terrain.
Truffle Avenue’s website delivers transparency and quality to customers. It enables users to explore and order varying types, weights, and sizes of hand-picked, fresh black and white truffles, all from unique climatic and soil conditions.
The launch of Truffle Avenue’s website is a stride towards reshaping perceptions and nurturing appreciation for the rich, varied, and undiscovered truffle-producing regions of Eastern Europe. It debunks the entrenched belief in the exclusivity of Italian truffles, highlighting the distinctive flavors of Romanian truffles.
Horatiu’s mission also serves to recognize the diligent and highly skilled Romanian truffle hunters, spotlighting the untold stories and immense efforts invested in sourcing this delicacy.
Truffle Avenue brings a fresh perspective to the food industry and offers a chance for gourmands to explore new culinary territories.
“In gastronomy, an ingredient’s journey is as crucial as its flavor,” said Horatiu Terpe, founder.
In recent years, the demand to buy fresh truffles has amplified. As this continues, exploration of diverse produce markets is paramount. Truffle Avenue is strategically positioned to meet this growing demand, pioneering a model that ensures truffles are harvested post-order, and truffle delivery occurs overnight to retain maximum flavor for customers.
Truffle Avenue promises the freshest and most premium truffles at competitive prices, linking discerning palates to authentic Romanian truffles and establishing Romania as a crucial contender in the global truffle market. The website’s launch paves the way for households and businesses across America to have easy access to quality Romanian truffles.
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New Crops of Organic Potatoes Hitting Retailers
Courtesy of Organic Produce Network
Several states are digging and shipping new crops of organic potatoes, and there is potential for promotions, especially with organic russets, according to a report from the Organic Produce Network.
“We have just started to harvest field-run organic russet potatoes, and we will continue to run out of the field until the first or second week of October,” said Lonnie Gillespie, chief organic officer for Farm Fresh Direct of America in Monte Vista, Colorado. “We’re keeping our fingers crossed that by then we will be able to start shipping organic potatoes from storage. You never know what mother nature is going to do.”
Gillespie noted that while harvest is underway, potatoes can withstand normal weather patterns, but it is out-of-the-ordinary conditions that cause issues. “Extreme anything is a problem,” she said, speaking of either heat or cold. “At this time of the year, we don’t want it to be extremely cold or wet.”
But for the time being, Gillespie said the crop looks good, and Farm Fresh Direct could support some retail promotions featuring field-run organic russets. The company has a full line of organic yellows, reds, and russets available, but the yellows and reds are currently coming from the Pacific Northwest and are in lighter supply. She also noted that Farm Fresh will be offering some organic russets from Minnesota shortly.
“In the spring and early summer, we had some shortages and higher prices on all potatoes, but there is no shortage right now, and this new crop does look like it’s going to be more of an average crop,” Gillespie said.
Courtesy of Organic Produce Network
Most of the current chatter about the new crop of conventional Idaho and Eastern Oregon potatoes currently being harvested points to a larger crop and a return to more normal FOB prices, Gilliespie said, rather than the higher prices that have been part of the landscape for the past couple of years.
Nate Jones of King’s Crown Organic Farm in King Hill, Idaho, said Idaho had excellent growing weather throughout the spring, which has led to an organic potato crop that is larger than the last two years.
“We grow four different varieties,” he said, adding that their organic acreage includes russets, yellows, reds, and purples. “The Norkotah (a russet variety) produced an awesome crop of good-sized potatoes, and the yellow crop is also very good. We are getting good yields on both of those potato varieties. The reds and purples didn’t size as well, and the yields are a little bit below average.”
While the conventional acreage of potatoes across the country is up a few percentage points, Jones does not believe that there has been an uptick in organic acreage. “Organic potatoes are not a crop that you go in and out of,” he said. “There are only a handful of us that grow organics (in Idaho), and our acreage is pretty steady.”
Because of this, he said the good market for organic potatoes that has been prevalent the last two years is not going to see much of a dip. “It might come down a little bit, but organic potatoes have maintained the market pretty well into the new season.”
Eric Beck, director of marketing for Wada Farms in Pingree, Idaho, agreed that this season should offer more normal pricing, especially on conventionally grown potatoes.
“We will also have more organics, but demand for organics remains fairly strong,” he said, adding that organic potatoes don’t tend to be promoted very often. “But there could be some opportunities for promotable pricing during the year.”
While there will be more organic supplies total, Beck said there might not be enough to carry throughout the entire storage season. That good demand, he said, will create some supply challenges toward the end of the season.
Beck said the organic potato consumer is a bit different than the shoppers who mostly buy conventional potatoes and will increase their purchase when the price is lower and the value is greater. The organic buyer is typically buying the category for philosophical reasons and is not driven as much by the value proposition that potatoes typically offer.
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Ferguson’s Minnesota Harvest Heralds Fall, Agritourism
Ferguson’s Minnesota Harvest award-winning farm opens for annual family fun, attracting locals and tourists with immersive agritourism fall festivities. (Photo: Business Wire)
Move over pumpkin spice lattes, the new unofficial start of fall begins with the opening of Ferguson’s Minnesota Harvest, an award-winning agritourism destination full of immersive autumn festivities for the whole family. Less than half an hour south of the Twin Cities, the family-owned farm opens its gates with the return of popular traditions including apple picking, a legendary Corn Maze, the thrilling Cow Train, and sensational new attractions such as the Cider Barn for adults, the Slippery Slope slides and an expanded Play Village for children.
“As a second-generation family-owned orchard we’ve been honored to be part of countless family stories, ingrained in the rich history of our orchard,” said Andy Ferguson, co-owner of Ferguson’s. “Whether it’s apple-picking, wagon rides, or simply savoring the simple joys of being together, we welcome all people to our family farm to experience the joy of the fall season one apple and one tradition at a time.”
Named the 2023 “Best Apple Orchard” in Minnesota, guests of Minnesota Harvest can enjoy family fun for only $15 per person, and children under 2 years old gain free admission. This one-time purchase includes a season pass allowing for unlimited daily entry from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the season from Aug. 19 to Nov/ 5. Tickets for active-duty military, veterans, and seniors are $13 per person. Online ticket purchases are required to expedite entry, www.minnesotaharvest.net.
Embark on a flavorful adventure at the quaint Country Store. Savor freshly made caramel apples, irresistible pies and pastries, and the iconic apple cider donuts. The Country Store is home to Harvest Bistro, an all-new culinary experience offering an array of options including the famous Ferguson Mac & Cheese topped with pulled pork and apple slices, chicken salad sandwiches, 10-inch chili dogs, and more. A visit to the country store isn’t complete without shopping the wide selection of local gifts, crafts and products – and of course, apples!
As a leader in the national agritourism industry, Ferguson’s takes great pride in being a family-owned farm that helps locals and tourists alike learn about the origins of their food and how locally produced foods make it to their kitchen tables. Through immersive on-farm activities such as apple and pumpkin picking, or getting up close and personal with real farm animals including goats, sheep, pigs and chickens, visitors experience a slice of life that is growing less common in our non-stop, digital screen-filled day. Led by authenticity and integrity, Ferguson’s connects people with the land and provides visitors with a farm experience that becomes an annual tradition for the whole family.
Snapshot of Minnesota Harvest Attractions
- Apple Cannons (weekends only)
- Apple Picking
- Barnyard Basketball
- caBARNa Rentals – farm-themed cabanas for children’s parties
- Cider Barn – hard cider and beer bar for adults (weekends only)
- Corn Maze
- Corn Pit
- Cow Train
- Caramel Apple Shoppe – watch them being made!
- Duck Races
- Farm Animals
- Gem Mining
- Harvest Bistro
- Harvest Plaza – fall decor and live music
- Pedal Tractors
- Pumpkin Jumping Pads
- Pumpkin Patch
- Slippery Slope Dual 40’ Slides
- Spinning Apple Ride
- Straw Bale Pyramid
- Sunflower Stroll
- Vine Bar on the Patio
- Wagon Rides
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