Breeder to Seeder to Eater Synergies

Currently many seed companies do not engage with or consider the needs and preferences of organic farmers and their fresh market customers (i.e. chefs, farmers’ market consumers, CSA members, retailers and wholesalers) during the plant breeding process.  Organic farmers need varieties adapted to local conditions and organic production methods. Additionally, their fresh market customers demand vegetables of superior flavor, texture, cooking quality and nutritional value and have an appreciation for uniqueness, quality and novelty.  Incorporating chefs, farmers and other end users into the plant breeding process gives breeders deeper insight into preferred traits while also increasing awareness and understanding of organic plant breeding to a broader audience. Engaging with chefs through sensory evaluations to evaluate varieties and breeding populations sets this work apart from standard sensory panels. In addition to a high degree of discrimination in taste and flavors, chefs may imagine novel applications of the material and may identify varieties and uses that are outside of the culinary norm.  Other impacts resulting from soliciting end-user input into breeding projects include creating connection and increasing communication between plant breeders with the fresh market community of organic farmers, CSA members, chefs, farmers’ market consumers, retailers and wholesalers and identifying consumer preferences that can guide breeding objectives and variety development.