Buy Locale! The Top Culinary Trend of 2009 Goes Online

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Shown here Bountiful Fruit orchards in eastern Washington

Whether they are shopping at the grocery store, online or at a farmer's market, consumers are paying more attention to the place their food is coming from

Wenatchee, WA (PRWEB) June 24, 2009

Across the United States, the 'buy local' movement continues to gain momentum, especially when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables. In fact, locally grown produce was deemed the hottest culinary trend for 2009 by 1,600 chefs in a recent survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association.

But, according to The Hartman Group, the consumer definition of local produce goes beyond the number of actual miles it takes for the food to travel from the farm to the store. Instead, a growing number of consumers are seeking fresh fruits and vegetables because the location, or locale, where the food was grown, is known for producing a higher quality than competing regions.

"Whether they are shopping at the grocery store, online or at a farmer's market, consumers are paying more attention to the place their food is coming from," said West Mathison, president of Stemilt Growers, a leading tree fruit company based in Wenatchee, Washington. "The idea of buying from the best locale is based on the premise that certain foods taste better when they grow in the right climate. That's why wine lovers will look to purchase wine from the Napa Valley - they know that's the place to get premium wine."

To tap into this growing segment, Stemilt recently re-launched its online gift fruit site, Bountiful Fruit, as a place to not only purchase fruit direct from the grower, but also direct from the best tree fruit growing region in the world.

"We keep it local by selling only the fruit we grow, and we highlight the locale because eastern Washington truly is the best ground in the world for tree fruit," said Mathison. "The arid climate combines with a fertile soil and plentiful water supply to create the perfect environment for growing fruit with the right shape, color, and most importantly - full of flavor."

According to Stemilt marketing director, Roger Pepperl, Bountiful Fruit also makes it easy for consumers to support family growers and stay connected to the farm. "In addition to our own Stemilt orchards, we partner with the best family farms in central Washington. When consumers order fruit from Bountiful Fruit, they are supporting an extended family of local growers that are committed to producing world class fruit," he said.

To further connect the locale with the end customer, the web and social media plays a unique role. "We are using social networking via Twitter and Facebook as a way to connect consumers back to the farm. Keeping fans and followers updated on what is happening in the orchard, how harvest is coming along, and what to expect when they open up a box of our gift fruit makes shopping at Bountiful Fruit a more personal experience," said Pepperl.

About Bountiful Fruit:
Bountiful Fruit is an online gift fruit store created by Stemilt Growers, Inc., a family-owned fruit company. With nearly a century of growing expertise, the Mathison family of Stemilt launched Bountiful Fruit in 2005 to provide consumers access to fresh fruit direct from the orchard. Bountiful Fruit specializes in gifts that are sincere, delicious and grown with the environment in mind.

Contact:
Roger Pepperl, Marketing Director
Stemilt Growers
(509) 662-9667

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