High-Risk Niche Crop Industry Booms

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San Joaquin County Small Farm Adviser Benny Fouche is testing edamame, (fresh soybeans in the shell) on plots in Farmington and Thornton. Results so far are unimpressive, so he'll try other soybean varieties better suited to valley conditions, since fresh-market edamame fits the niche. By nature, he says, niche markets are high risk and high profit, being high value, perishable and something that requires special knowledge, skills and marketing techniques.

Many Central Valley growers are going organic; others are experimenting with unique varieties of traditional commodities, such as corn cultivated for corn-nut products, yellow tomatoes for a line of gourmet pizza sauces and uncommon herbs commissioned by a small pasta company. If it's a success, theyre going to keep their mouths shut to keep others from jumping on the bandwagon, Fouche notes.

Local growers are moving to the blueberries niche, partly because of recent medical research confirming the fruits health benefits, including the claims ranging from fending off Alzheimers to reducing cancer risks. Once unknown to growers in the Central Valley, the antioxidant-rich berry is an up and comer.

Big Berries, Great Flavor

When farmers first started bringing blueberries to market here a few years ago, they had no size or flavor, recalls Renae Best, coordinator for Sacramento Countys 10 Certified Farmers Markets. Now, growers are coming in with big berries that have great flavor, says Best, proof that fragile fruit can be adapted to California climates.

Best says many Asian farmers who immigrated to the Sacramento region also are introducing exotic produce to the markets, offering fruits and vegetables native to their homelands. I have to ask what it is and what you do with it, laughs Best. Were one of the most diverse cities in the world, so we have very diverse farmers. They add a lot to the variety of produce available and fulfill a need locally.

More small-scale growers are filling niches with produce such as fragrant French melons, heirloom tomatoes and oyster mushrooms. Smaller growers can deal with varieties that have to be handled with kid gloves, says Best. Some even put their produce on foam rubber to get it to market without damage. That's something big growers cant do.

Farmer Chris Hoover, of Hooverville Orchards in Placerville, knows consumers willingly pay more for rare or exceptionally high-quality fruits and vegetables. For us, they're all niche crops because here in the mountains, when others crops are done, ours are just starting, he says. And the climate here produces higher sugar content, richer color and superior flavor. Being mountain grown means a lot to people.

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