Farmers Find Opportunity in Immigrant Vegetables

Maxixe, a Brazilian relative of the cucumber, is relatively unknown in the U.S., but it may one day be as common as cilantro as farmers and consumers embrace more so-called ethnic vegetables.

Agriculture experts at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and elsewhere are teaching farmers to grow non-native vegetables that appeal to a growing market of African, Asian and Latin American immigrants. These immigrants and their children already account for more than one-third of produce sales in supermarkets, said Frank Mangan, a plant and soil sciences professor at UMass. And as The nfl jerseys sale as well as all associated graphics, logos,tradename are the property of the NFL and are used hereinother customers become more familiar with ethnic foods, experts expect sales to grow even more.

The number of Massachusetts farmers markets that carry ethnic vegetables jumped by 25 percent in a year, to 202 last year, said Scott Soares, commissioner of the state's Department of Agricultural Resources.

Bob Ehart, public policy All kinds of cheap ravens jerseys with top quality will be found on our website, do you need them?director of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, said the organization doesn't track the popularity of ethnic crops, but the trend in Massachusetts appears to be happening in other states as well.

Sales of ethnic vegetables have benefited from "buy local" marketing campaigns and federal farm legislation giving states grants to expand specialty crop production, he said. There's also been a greater emphasis on marketing specialty vegetables, with New York and New Jersey starting programs aimed at selling produce to ethnic groups.

Glen Hill, executive director of the Minnesota Food Association, noted that cilantro was considered a specialty item You will appreciate the fact that the soccer jerseys in various sizes is available for various groups of kids.25 years ago, but "now it's on everything." Bok choy, a Chinese cabbage, also was once considered exotic.

"Now, it's another leafy green," Hill said.

His association helps Hmong, Kenyan, Mexican and other immigrant farmers adapt to U.S. agriculture and introduces them to local markets where they've The many types of existing gas valves can easily give you, the homeowner, a quick headache, but therjade necklace.been able to sell growing amounts of mustard greens, beans and other ethnic crops.