Producer, Retail, Consumer Demo Program for Fresh Pears

Project Overview

FW04-116
Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 2004: $14,907.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2006
Region: Western
State: Washington
Principal Investigator:
Sherry Amos
Email

Commodities

  • Animals: bovine

Practices

  • Farm Business Management: whole farm planning
  • Production Systems: agroecosystems
  • Sustainable Communities: social networks

    Proposal summary:

    Pears have been cultivated for more than 4,000 years, yet consumers still know little about this nutritious fruit. Only 20% of consumers purchase pears. In the United States, 84% of pears are grown in Oregon and Washington. The farmers in this SARE-funded project want to increase consumption by educating consumers about the taste, versatility and health and weight loss benefits of pears. Their educational campaign will involve repetitive tasting demonstrations three times a year through outlets of a major grocery chain store, WINCO, in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada and California. Pear farmers will hand out recipes and brochures with health and fitness information and answer consumer questions about pears and pear farming. The project will track pear sales before and after demonstrations, assess consumer satisfaction and measure the cumulative impact of the promotions.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.