GLENNVILLE, GA - Ever since joining this industry, I love that holidays position fresh produce as the go-to solution for hungry shoppers. It’s no different for G&R Farms, whose Vice President Walt Dasher took a beat with me to share his insights on upcoming St. Patrick’s Day promotions.
“The key to St. Patrick’s Day merchandising is creating go-to product displays that feature all of the ingredients that shoppers need for their corned beef and cabbage,” Walt tells me. “We know that includes produce items like cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and, of course, onions.”
G&R Farms has strong volumes of its onions to support retail partners, as the grower is seeing an excellent supply of Peruvian onions that will transition nicely into the Vidalia® season.
“Although we do not have any specific St. Patrick’s Day merchandising displays or bins, we make sure we work with our retailers to plan ahead and stock for all important cooking holidays. A recipe isn’t a recipe without onions. It’s the starting point for rich flavor,” Walt shares.
Indeed they are. As a trade news writer, I am an advocate for this industry, but I was a consumer first—and I know how important onions are to bringing out the depth of flavor in my favorite dishes.
Speaking of favorite dishes, Walt also shared with me one of his, and you know I’ve got to pass it along!
“Mashed potatoes are always a favorite, so of course there’s colcannon, a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale. But for my money, St. Patrick’s Day food should be corned beef and cabbage,” he says. “We keep it simple at our house and it seems to work. Just add a brisket to the crockpot with a seasoning packet, about 1 lb of red potatoes cut into bite-size cubes, 4 carrots peeled and chunked, 1 sweet onion peeled and cut into bite-size pieces, 2 cups of water, 2 cans of beer, and of course ½ head of cabbage roughly chopped—and cook on low for the day.”
May the luck of the Irish be on both the buy- and supply-sides this holiday!
