Published Articles
Articles from the Team
Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center
By Mark Vaughan, Fresh Avenue Partners – The ongoing pandemic has brought fresh produce into even more prevalence in our world. The country has been “re-introduced” to cooking at home, and I believe this trend will continue to build momentum for produce consumption. The familiar becomes habit; people are getting to know produce again.
Restaurant Innovation That Goes Beyond Menu Items | Modern Restaurant Management | The Business of Eating & Restaurant Management News
We hear frequently how innovation is a mainstay for business survival and growth. Innovation helps restaurants stay competitive and those involved in operations and sourcing need to always be looking for the next thing that grabs attention, differentiates, and brings value to their patrons. So where is the first place we look for innovation?
Two Areas that Simplify Fresh Food Businesses Through Transportation | Modern Restaurant Management | The Business of Eating & Restaurant Management News
There are two sure fire ways to improve your business… process and people. When it comes to transporting fresh food items these two things are critical to ensure products with a limited shelf life and require refrigeration arrive fresh, safe, and of great quality for the consumer.
Let’s Talk Fresh: Food Safety and Produce | Let’s Talk Fresh: Food Safety and Produce | Modern Restaurant Management | The Business of Eating & Restaurant Management News
There are many things on any restaurant operator’s plate; they are running a multi-faceted business with concerns from overhead, operations, customer satisfaction, sourcing, food safety, and cost of goods. Many owners and operators can stabilize all these variables by going with a fresh cut program.
Building Your Restaurant’s Brand with Kindness | Modern Restaurant Management | The Business of Eating & Restaurant Management News
You’ve got it all going-an exciting concept with a menu that has your special touches on a well-loved classic. Or maybe your restaurant is pushing some new and different flavors to market. Everything about your brand is working together to create a welcoming atmosphere for your patrons from the ambience to each ingredient.
The Year of the Conscientious Eater | Modern Restaurant Management | The Business of Eating & Restaurant Management News
Like many cultural shifts, it begins with the obscure, then becomes more known until it is mainstream and even viral. Such a shift has been underway with Gen Z and Millennials leading the way. The momentum has been increasing with each subsequent year to the point I believe 2019 should be coined: The Year of the Conscientious Eater.
Picture Perfect: Tips for Taking Photos and Instagramming Food | Modern Restaurant Management | The Business of Eating & Restaurant Management News
I am in the business of words. Writing copy, press releases, emails, sales materials, etc. If it needs to read, then it usually falls on my desk. Words are important – the pen is mightier than the sword and all that jazz. On the other hand, there is another saying – a picture is worth 1,000 words.
5 things to think about with ag photography | AGDAILY
I can’t think of any other place that makes me as happy than standing in the middle of a field ready to be harvested. In my corner of ag, I’m in the produce fields where the weather is perfect and your nose is greeted with the crisp, refreshing smell of lettuce being harvested.
The invisible dance of agriculture in the Salinas Valley | AGDAILY
It is the first nine feet above the ground that hosts a flurry of energy. Sun, wind, moisture, and the photosynthesis of vegetation are emitting and receiving energy transfers constantly. It is in those nine feet where humans and animals reside, but it is also in that magical space where our food is grown.
Shadwell, a chapter in my family’s farming history in the land of Jefferson | AGDAILY
I may not have grown up on a farm, but agriculture is part of my family tree. My dad was a farm boy in Blackwell, Oklahoma, who wore the blue corduroy jacket of the FFA and paid for part of his freshman year of college by selling three Charolais cows.
6 things every produce truck driver needs | AGDAILY
One of the unsung heroes of commerce is the truck driver. They spend the day behind the wheel of a vehicle, a beast in its own rite. Without their long miles on the highways, 71 percent of the freight tonnage hauled in the U.S. would come to a screeching halt.
The families that follow the lettuce | AGDAILY
When I was a kid, I had a bulletin board above my desk with all the mementos that were important to an 11-year-old. I distinctly remember two postcards from my dad that he sent to me when he was away for months before our family moved to another state.
Gloppy Dressing: The Mother of Innovation | Modern Restaurant Management | The Business of Eating & Restaurant Management News
Gloppy dressing full of preservatives. Sounds appetizing, right? It certainly wasn’t for the end consumer of coleslaw. That is exactly what was available for delis and restaurants 20 years ago. You could make it fresh everyday like you’d do at home or in chef-led kitchens, but for quick serve chains, that was a cumbersome task to be added to all the other things needed to keep operations running.
Produce safety, right down to the follicle | AGDAILY
When you climb into a truck heading out to a produce field, be sure to have a jacket with you for the signature morning fog that covers the fields in Salinas, California, with the moisture leafy greens love. If it is Yuma, Arizona, you will still need that jacket to stay warm before the sun reaches its apex and warms the desert.