Foodies are hungry for information. But watching the Food Network and reading cooking magazines just aren’t enough to satisfy them anymore. They want to be online, posting recipes, learning new culinary tips, sharing their own exquisite creations and absorbing feedback from other like-minded foodies. This diverse group of individuals — who continue to influence the food grown by America’s farmers and ranchers — and their thirst for knowledge have created the perfect recipe for social media outreach.

Fortunately, online cravings for fast and easy information are satisfied by just a few clicks in the social media world. Foodies are grazing and gorging on all types of social media: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs, podcasts, social bookmarking sites and RSS feeds, just to name a few.

According to a Consumer Internet Barometer survey, the most popular site is Facebook, used by 78 percent of online households, followed by MySpace (42 percent), LinkedIn (17 percent) and Twitter (10 percent).

The growing popularity of Web-based tools like Facebook and Twitter is not only changing the way people communicate with one another, but also shapes the way they form opinions and decide which trends to follow.

Gilmer Dairy Farm in Lamar County, Ala., is reaching out to consumers through Facebook. The farm family uses a Facebook page to entertain and inform consumers about their business and industry trends while encouraging healthy habits. The farm’s Facebook “status update” section serves as a reminder to consumers: “Be sure to get your recommended three servings of dairy products today!”

In addition to updating fans about how the dairy operates, the Gilmers encourage interaction.

“Ask a farmer” is a discussion board on the fan page where people can ask questions about the farm, the dairy industry or even agriculture in general. A recent voting contest for “Best 2009 Milk Mustache” proved to be extremely popular and allowed fans of the site to interact with the Gilmers. Fans quickly clicked through a series of milk mustache photos and voted for their favorite in celebration of “June is Dairy Month.”

“Social media offers farmers a global platform to interact with consumers directly instead of depending on a reporter to do it for them,” Chuck Zimmerman, co-owner of ZimmComm New Media told Foodie News.

Gilmer and other producers also use the micro-blogging site Twitter, with its 140-character-limited messages (tweets) to share their viewpoints with consumers who “follow” them.

It’s fast and easy to open a free Twitter account at www.twitter.com. Once you have joined, search for “FarmBureau,” "GilmerDairy" and people you know by name...follow them too, to receive and share the latest information.

As families adapt to today’s economy, they’re cooking at home again and basic skills are relevant for everyone. However, consumers are realizing that their kitchen skills have room for improvement. In fact, a recent Rutgers University study published in the Forum for Family and Consumer Issues and commissioned by the Canned Food Alliance (CFA), found that moms want and need a better grasp of kitchen basics. The study builds on previous research that identified a disconnect between foods that families keep on hand and the meals they’re preparing.

In response, Roberta L. Duyff, a registered dietician and home economics expert certified in family and consumer sciences, authored “Home Economics to Family and Consumer Sciences: Reinvented for Today’s Consumer” on behalf of the CFA. The position paper is a resource and perspective on the increasing need for a resurgence in the basic tenants of what historically has been called “home economics.”

Duyff reveals that consumers are trying to get back into the kitchen to save money, but many home cooks lack basic skills. They’re pressed for time and pressured to spend money wisely, yet still serve their families nutritious meals.

In 2009, 69 percent of Americans report eating out less compared to 2008 and about 55 percent are preparing more meals at home to control food costs and eat healthier, according to a survey from the Food Marketing Institute. While many have limited kitchen skills, moms and dads still recognize they are important. The good news is that when Rutgers researchers gave moms ways to implement healthful meal planning and preparation practices, they reported improving the nutritional content of meals. They also reported saving time by using short-cut ingredients, including canned fruits and vegetables.

Savvy consumers are taking advantage of cost savings by stocking up on versatile and nutritious canned foods. Home cooks have gotten creative. Some are browning canned chicken in a non-stick pan before adding it to a recipe for extra flavor, while others keep cans of fruit in the freezer to purée for an easy sorbet. The tremendous variety of canned foods available allows the at-home foodie to prepare a delicious meal that offers the most nutritional bang for the buck.

Frugality is “in” again. While taste remains the top factor in food shopping decisions, price is number two, according to the International Food Information Council’s 2009 Food & Health Survey. The grocery bill is one place where families can manage their expenditures. That means consumers are increasingly gravitating towards the center aisles of the store to trim their food bill. To make the most out of mealtime, consumers are appreciating that canned foods deliver the value, nutrition and convenience they demand.

To help home cooks make nutritious, delicious and affordable family meals, the Canned Food Alliance developed the Essential Kitchen Toolkit. Learn more at www.Mealtime.org.

This article was written by Rich Tavoletti, executive director of the Canned Food Alliance. It appeared in the July issue of Foodie News.

Elementary school students in Valley Springs, Ark., receive an early education about agriculture and how to grow their own food thanks to Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Outdoor Classroom Garden Grant Program. After receiving the grant, Valley Springs Elementary transformed its courtyard into an outdoor agricultural classroom.

According to Deloris Smith, third and fourth grade gifted and talented teacher and coordinator of the school’s outdoor classroom garden, the project offers a hands-on way to teach students about the importance of agriculture, as well as how to grow their own food and protect the environment.

“The best way to teach a child about something is to give them a hands-on experience so the kids love being out here,” Smith said. “It’s either inside or out and we prefer to be out.”

The program enables teachers like Smith to teach lessons about life you just can’t learn in a textbook. Plus, she said children are 95 percent more likely to try a vegetable or fruit if they grow it themselves.

“What I’m doing with the classroom teacher’s help, we’re bringing the kids outside, we’re letting them plant vegetables they can pull and harvest themselves. They’re more likely to sample those, so their own nutrition will be better,” Smith said.

Along with the Farm Bureau grant, Smith obtained around $12,000 from the school, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and through other private gifts. Combined with in-kind donations of labor and materials, she estimates that the outdoor garden classroom is approximately a $24,000 project.

The project also has the support of local school officials, such as Valley Spring Superintendent Charles Trammell.

“You can take (students to) the classroom and do all the book learning you want to do, but until kids have actually put their hands in the dirt, or they’ve had a chance to experiment to see what works and doesn’t work, (the experience is) invaluable for them. It really is,” Trammell said.

The Arkansas Farm Bureau Outdoor Classroom Garden Grant Program was established in 2005. Since its inception, 70 grants worth a total of $37,000 have been awarded to schools across the state to support and encourage the development of outdoor agricultural education experiences.

I’m an 8th-generation farmer living in Dutchess County, in the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York state. I grew up working on my grandfather’s dairy farm, milking a herd of registered Holsteins. My grandmother put up vegetables. Chickens were slaughtered and frozen and a steer was trucked to the local butcher for processing.

After I took over operation of the farm from my parents, Warren and Betty, I converted to vegetables. My wife, Robin, and son, William, help me grow 40 acres of produce and hay. My parents still pitch in.

In my years on the farm, I have seen a lot of changes. When it comes to a farmer’s livelihood, not all have been good changes. But some trends—even bad ones—are cyclical.

I work full time as the produce buyer and farm liaison at the Culinary Institute of America, the world’s premier culinary college. Here I have a unique perspective for observing trends in the evolving industry.

The newest trend is an old one. It’s buying local. This is not merely a marketing ploy; it is a growing movement. In this region, buying local is a part of life. I talk up buying local at seminars and practice what I preach—spending more than $500,000 annually for the CIA, buying produce, cheese, milk and eggs from farmers within 50 miles of the college. Most Hudson Valley restaurants are very committed to buying local.

Likewise, local farmers are becoming more savvy in self-promotion, emphasizing their artisanal cheeses and heirloom vegetables. This probably is a reaction to the numerous and well-publicized food safety scares of the last couple of years that have eroded customer confidence. When people buy local, they can be assured of freshness and they know the provider.

Local farmer Chuck Abraham and I have created a plan so farmers can service big-order institutional customers. The idea is simple—provide a single large delivery to major customers that consolidates local produce from many farms. This results in greater convenience for all, ensuring fresh deliveries, a wide variety of produce and fuel conservation. Best of all, the farmer gets to spend time on the tractor and not in the truck.

We may never go back to a time when America was an agrarian society. But this current economic downturn may prove an unexpected benefit to farmers as people get back to eating basics. Here’s an unexpected trend I heard about recently—canning is back. Maire Ullrich of Cornell Cooperative Extension notes a huge increase in attendance at food preservation programs. Likewise, our local Agway cooperative has been selling more canning jars and equipment. In the farming world, everything old may be new again. Stay tuned.

--Paul Wigsten, Buyer/farm liaison, Culinary Institute of America
Editor’s Note: Paul Wigsten is a New York Farm Bureau member.

Pricey gourmet hamburgers, costing $15 to $20 each and more, have been all the rage among meat-loving foodies for the last four to five years. At least part of that trend can be attributed to the growing popularity of specialty or custom-chopped hamburger blends.

Hamburger blends created by Manhattan-based LaFrieda Wholesale Meats routinely garner rave reviews from foodies and are considered the gold standard among upscale chefs not just in the Big Apple, but across the country.

“Demand for our ‘boutique’ burger blends has been insane for about the last two years,” Mark Pastore, vice president of LaFrieda told Foodie News. “Everyone wants their own custom mix,” he said.

The company creates about 40 custom chopped hamburger blends for restaurants and hotels in New York City, Chicago, Las Vegas and Miami. In New York, the Shake Shake, Spotted Pig, Blue Smoke and Meer’s City Hall Restaurant are among LaFrieda’s clientele.

Pat LaFrieda III, president of the company, works directly with chefs, often in the wee hours of the morning, to develop the hamburger blends they will serve patrons in a few hours’ time. A low-pressure chopping machine is used to grind small batches of each blend, which keeps the meat coarse and avoids “overworking” it.

Only hand-cut whole domestic muscle cuts of beef such as prime chuck, shoulder clod or brisket from primarily Black Angus cattle raised in Kansas and Kentucky are used, to ensure top quality. Short ribs, American Kobe and dry-aged beef are featured in some blends.

Although the specification for each LaFrieda custom hamburger blend is a closely guarded secret, Pastore was willing to reveal three factors that come into play. They are: the fat to meat ratio; the ratio of different types of meats; and the temperature of the product during grinding. There are no seasonings added to any of the blends.

In addition to hamburger blends, LaFrieda markets an extensive line of fresh and aged beef products including custom-cut steaks.

The company also sells branded pork products as well as custom cuts from pasture-raised heritage breeds such as Hampshire. Frenched Hampshire rack chops, Hampshire pork porterhouse chops, fresh St. Louis ribs and Hampshire pork osso buco are the most popular pork products sold by the company, which buys hogs from Iowa producers.

“The people we work with who buy our products are well-educated and understood that there was no reason for concern as far as eating pork,” Pastore said, referring to the recent H1N1 flu scare.

Veal raised on a strict milk diet by Amish and Mennonite farmers in Pennsylvania, fresh corn-fed lambs from Colorado and fresh Long Island duck also are LaFrieda specialties. Rounding out the lineup is a full line of fresh poultry products from suppliers, including Raised Right, Murray’s Perdue, Allen, Case Farms, Mt. Air and Wampler, which arrives every evening and is shipped out each morning to chef clients, many of whom request specific brands.

The company, which currently processes and delivers about 150 tons of meat each week, was founded in 1922 by Pat III’s grandfather, Pat LaFrieda, who was succeeded in the family business by his son, Pat II. Pat II remains involved in the business but turned day-to-day management over to his son (Pat III) and nephew (Pastore) in 1994.