March 31, 2005

New dietary guidelines good for you, good for farmers

RICHMOND—Turns out your mother was right. Eating your vegetables is good for you. And the federal government’s new dietary guidelines for healthy eating and nutrition could end up giving a boost to small produce farms.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Health and Human Services Administration released the latest version of the government’s eating guidelines in January. In part, they call for a minimum of seven servings of fruits and vegetables, less fat, more whole-grain products and more milk products in an adult’s diet each day.

Reading consumer trends, marketing experts have been urging Virginia farmers to consider raising more fresh vegetables and produce for years. In 2003, the Virginia Agricultural Statistics Service reported farmers sold $78.2 million worth of fresh produce, up from $71 million in 2001.

One Chesapeake grower is already reporting increased public interest in fresh produce. John Clarke and his family are the fourth generation to farm their 30 acres of land, now right in the midst of expensive subdivisions. They raise tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, sweet corn, butter beans, snap beans, peas, onions, spinach and collards. Everything is picked fresh and sold at their farm market. Clarke says that’s a major selling point for his customers.

“People like to see it come in from the field on a truck or a tractor. They like coming to a market, knowing they’re buying fresh quality produce,” he said. “No grocery store can match us for freshness and quality.” And he’s noticed a lot more young families coming to the market, sometimes daily, to purchase produce.

While fruit and vegetable selections at grocery store chains have expanded dramatically in the past decade, Clarke said the small grower doesn’t fit into that production chain. He urged consumers to seek out local farmers’ markets.

“Smaller growers can’t exist on prices at wholesale markets,” he said. “You have to be able to sell at your stand and get as much as you can for what you raise in order to survive.”

The new dietary guidelines are not that difficult to incorporate into a healthy lifestyle, according to Herb Mesa, a Richmond chef, nutritionist and personal trainer. He tells his clients to eat their fruits and vegetables all day long as part of routine snacking, as well as incorporating them into each meal.

“The benefit is that they end up losing weight, and they’re in better cardiovascular shape,” Mesa said. But he cautioned that the federal recommendations are not just a new diet. They’re part of a commitment to an entire lifestyle change people have to make in order to become healthier, including regular exercise.

Contact Clarke at 757-484-7329, Mesa at 804-651-0073 or Norm Hyde, VFBF video producer, at 804-290-1146.