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GourmET nEWS oCTobEr 2016 www.gourmetnews.com nEWS & noTES 8 Leadership Award Continued from PAGE 1 Over the years, the farm has grown into Grain Place Foods, employing three gener- ations of Vetters, and helping steward other farms into making the transition to organic. It has been certified organic since 1978. In 1987, the family operation took the next step of processing its own grains into value- added products onsite. Today, it employs al- most 25 people, several of whom have worked there for more than 15 years. The farm produces organic heirloom barley, soybeans, popcorn, corn and grass-finished beef in a nine-year rotation. Today, Grain Place Foods also sources or- ganic grain to supplement what is grown on the Vetter farm because the family business has expanded so much. The company pur- chases organic grains from 128 organic farm families, including 46 neighboring farms. Vetter also shares the family's strong land stewardship ethic through working to develop sound and sustainable farm policy. Grain Place Foods emphasizes fair trade practices in addition to requiring organic when sourcing ingredients that it cannot grow on its farm. "One of Dave's greatest strengths is de- veloping and maintaining long-term rela- tionships. He is known for his honesty, information sharing, and the way he hon- ors his commitments. He is a man of deep ethics and faith," says Kelly Shea of White- Wave Foods and a member of the Organic Trade Association's board of directors. "I believe it was the influence of a few men such as Dave Vetter and his father that led to what is now USDA certified organic." Vetter was honored at OTA's 2016 Organic Leadership Awards dinner, along with the farmers of the Texas Organic Cotton Mar- keting Cooperative who received the Or- ganic Leadership Farmer of the Year Award, and organic hemp entrepreneur Mike Fata of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods who re- ceived the Organic Rising Star Award. GN Holidays are merrier and brighter with spe- cial gifts from Jelly Belly. The classic collec- tion of 10-Flavor, 20-Flavor, 40-Flavor and 50-Flavor Gift Boxes of Jelly Belly ® jelly beans have been beautifully redesigned with a high-end look that conveys a sense of glamour and luxury, elevating the line of premium gifts. The sophisticated new look matches the quality of the gour- met Jelly Belly beans. All Gift Boxes are specially curated with single fla- vors arranged in an elegant presentation. With each Gift Box including popular flavors such as Very Cherry, Buttered Popcorn, Juicy Pear and Licorice, these special packages are a welcomed spot of sweetness under the tree, or as part of general holiday cheer and cele- brations. Moving from timeless to unconventional presents, keep gift giving fresh with the latest trend: BeanBoozled ® Spinner Gift Box. Ten weird and wild flavors are paired to look iden- tical to 10 classic and delicious flavors. Will it be Coconut or Spoiled Milk? Dead Fish or Strawberry Banana Smoothie? The Spinner Gift Box brings laughter and merriment to any occasion. The spin wheel in this gift box adds more to the fes- tivities, as the arrow on the wheel decides the player's flavor fate. Looking to double the holiday fun? The oversized BeanBoozled Jumbo Spinner Gift Box is made for all kinds of gatherings. With 45 mini Pyramid Bags of 4th Edition BeanBoozled mix, and an even larger spin wheel, the Jumbo Spinner Gift Box adds to the fun of the gameplay, giving new oppor- tunities to prank friends and family — and make memories that last a lifetime. GN Holiday Gifts from Jelly Belly A recent consumer survey of American gro- cery shoppers, conducted by the Food Mar- keting Institute (FMI) and Rodale Inc., underscores the infrequency of family meals in the U.S. and the critical need for more. The findings revealed that only 57 percent of parents eat dinner with their children every night. "We already know the many benefits of family meals," said Sue Borra, RD, Executive Director of the FMI Foundation. "Just as notebooks and art sup- plies prepare our children for school, so does the family meal. Academic research shows that kids and teens who eat meals with their family four or more times a week earn better test scores and perform better in school." However, 71 percent of parents in the sur- vey say in their "ideal" world they would want to eat with their children every night. Borra added, "With such busy lives, it's easy to understand how American households struggle to make family meals a reality." The good news is that the survey also identified solu- tions. For parents who did not eat dinner with their children nightly, the top-two recom- mendations were not surprising: 1) Serve more meals their kids enjoy (47 percent); 2) Ensure that everyone is home at dinner time (42 percent). Parents also are looking to their grocery stores to provide solutions. The top three re- quests were: 1) Provide more kid-friendly recipes in store; 2) Display foods together than can be combined for an easy meal; 3) Provide more ready-to-eat foods that kids like. GN Families Forgetting the Dinner Table

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