The View From Outside The Market: Vegetables Are The Hottest Thing Going [Opinion]
February 26, 2014 
For those of you stopping by GrowingProduce.com expecting to read David Eddy’s monthly take on the vegetable market, have no fear. You’ll continue to see his byline here as he lends his perspective on topics impacting California and the West.
But congratulations are in order as I’m happy to announce that David has been promoted to Editor of American Vegetable Grower’s sister publication, American Fruit Grower.
Dave has been pulling double duty for us for the last decade and a half, providing excellent coverage of both the fruit and vegetable markets, particularly out West. With the intimate knowledge of the industry he’s developed over the years, he’s a natural to lead our market-leading fruit publication on a national level.
We’re excited to have Dave take the reins of our 135-year-old American Fruit Grower brand, but we’re equally pleased that he will continue to be a valuable resource for AVG. I trust you will be as well.
And on that note, let me re-introduce myself. As of this month, I am joining the American Vegetable Grower team as Group Editor, working closely with Editor Rosemary Gordon and Content Editor Lauren Alexander.
Some of you may remember me, but for those of you who don’t, I started my journalism career as a freelance writer for American Vegetable Grower back in 1997. I joined the publication full time the following year and worked as a writer and editor with the brand for eight years.
Since 2007 I’ve been learning the ins and outs of greenhouse production and garden retail with Meister Media Worldwide’s publications for the ornamental market, Greenhouse Grower and Today’s Garden Center, but I’m really excited to be back working for vegetable growers on a daily basis.
One thing I can tell you coming back to the vegetable market after a few years in the outside world: your product is hot.
Greenhouse Grower magazine does a State of the Industry survey each January and for the last few years, the fastest growing crop category in the greenhouse has been vegetables and herbs. In the 2014 State of the Industry Report, almost half of the greenhouse growers surveyed — 43% — said they plan to increase vegetable production this year. That’s up five percentage points from 2013. We’ve even been seeing growers add fresh produce as a revenue-generator to fill the gap between greenhouse crops.
In a similar survey by Today’s Garden Center last July, 66% of independent garden center owners surveyed saw increases in edibles — vegetable, herb, and fruit plants — last spring. And it’s not just a one-year fad.
Those increases reflect an exploding consumer demand for produce, particularly wholesome and delicious locally grown fresh vegetables.
Your product.
I can’t wait to get started.
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