SANTA MARIA, CA – When a company celebrates a milestone in fresh produce, we celebrate a milestone. Especially a 40-year milestone. With the International Fresh Produce Association's Global Produce & Floral Show on the horizon, Babé Farms is bringing anniversary excitement to Orlando, Florida, along with product highlights and strategies to drive differentiation in foodservice and retail.
"This year is especially meaningful for Babé Farms as we celebrate our 40th anniversary. Babé Farms has always been different by design," Matt Hiltner, Marketing Manager, shares with me. "What really sets us apart is the sheer diversity of specialty vegetables, varieties, and pack styles we grow and offer. Rather than focusing on just a handful of commodities, we've built our program around unique colors, sizes, shapes, and varieties that give our end-users more ways to differentiate their menus and programs."
To mark the occasion, Babé Farms is bringing back one of its signature specialty items, Baby Romanesco. Its petite size and spiral shape make it a natural fit for chefs looking to build something memorable on the plate. Attendees can check it out in the Fresh Ideas Showcase in Orlando. The booth itself will feature anniversary artwork and a walk down memory lane with a few surprise blasts from the past.
Consumer buying behavior is shifting, and Babé Farms has seen renewed interest in its specialty head lettuce program.
"More chefs are willing to return to a more hands-on, 'slow food' approach: receiving whole heads, breaking them down, and washing them in their own kitchens. It requires a little more prep, but the payoff is freshness, quality, and greater control over how the product is handled before it reaches the plate," Matt reflects.
That shift is reaching retail too. A recent launch at Sprouts Farmers Market put several of the company's specialty head lettuces in California stores, from Baby Red and Green Romaine to Baby Green Butter Cakes™ and Pink Rhône™ Little Gem.
Baby Purple and Baby Round Carrots are also part of the Babé Farms program and are a great example of how products traditionally associated with chefs and foodservice are finding a place with retail consumers looking to create restaurant-quality dishes at home.
To learn more about the opportunities and the Babé Farms story, visit booth #2462 and meet the team, including Jeff Lundberg, President and Owner; Ande Manos, Director of Sales and Marketing; Rocio Munoz, Sales and Procurement; Matt Hiltner, Marketing Manager; and Karli Lundberg, Marketing Coordinator.
See you all there!
Companies in this Story
Babé Farms
“Marketing Bright” since 1986, Babé Farms grows, packs, and ships a delightful and diverse assortment of baby and…
