Hot Sauce Predictions 2013 by Jerry Hingle

A recent blog post by the Penn State Agricultural Entrepreneurship blog shed light on hot sauces and the growing trend we will see in 2013.

"Hot sauce production is one of the 10 fastest-growing industries in the US reports IBISWorld, an industry analysis firm."

The post continues to discuss an increase in hot sauce sales as interest in international cooking grows. Of course, for southern cooks, the interest in hot sauce is nothing new. But as the rest of the world learns to love it, it would be unwise not to take advantage of this growing market.  

To read the entire blog post, visit FarmBusiness.blogspot.com. 

Jerry Hingle
CEO and Executive Director
Southern United States Trade Association

Moms on the Farm

A group of wives and mothers in the farming industry hosted a first-ever agricultural event called Moms on the Farm: an initiative to spread awareness on the struggles of everyday Arkansas farmers. With so many small farms closing, the event was created to show Americans the amount of effort and dedication it takes to run a farm and produce our food.

"Our goal was to put the places and faces on agricultre. To make us more than the faceless factory farms that agriculture is always perceived to be..."
         -- Janeal Yancey, Ph.D, Meat Scientist U of A Division of Agriculture




We hope to see more initiatives like this unfold.

Jerry Hingle
CEO and Executive Director
Southern United States Trade Association

Fresh from Florida: Corn Recipes

The southern U.S. is known for the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies, among them is corn. And while Florida is most famous for their citrus, tall stalks of corn can be found growing in the sunshine state. This holiday season, whether you're buying from Florida or not, try serving local corn at your holiday get together. Here's a great cooking lesson from FreshfromFlorida:

Magic Seasoning Sees Success with SUSTA

A recent story by WDSU News covered Magic Seasoning, a company owned by chef Paul Prudhomme and its success nationally and internationally. The company, located in southeast Louisiana, is finding much success in exporting and expanding their reach to more and more countries. SUSTA received recognition as a major part of Magic Seasoning's export success.

"Anna Zuniga, Magic Seasoning's director of international sales and marketing, said SUSTA's assistance has been vital for its export process....""Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to afford it," said Zuniga. "It's a huge expense but they reimburse 50 percent [for travel], so that's a great help.""

We at SUSTA are thrilled to be part of a great success story like Magic Seasoning. Watch the report here at WDSU.com. To learn how you can receive help for exporting activities, visit SUSTA's Services page. 

Jerry Hingle
CEO and Executive Director
Southern United States Trade Association

West Virginia takes Landscaping to China - Jerry Hingle

Good morning,
Recently there's been very interesting activity in West Virginia, where landscaping has gone from being a hobby to becoming a billion dollar industry in China. For many West Virginia farmers, the Chinese market looks very promising, and we don't want to let that opportunity slide by. The Southern United States Trade Association, in conjunction with the state Department of Agriculture and the West Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association plans to host six Chinese agricultural company delegates to show them the value of W. Virginia green house technology.

"West Virginia has been making a name for itself with marketing and promotion of our farmers that have developed from local activities to full-blown industries," he [state Agriculture Commissioner Gus R. Douglass] said. "Some you see here [at Capitol Market] started out in the back of a pickup truck and now they have commercial greenhouses."

To read the rest of the article, visit WVGazette.com. 

Jerry Hingle
CEO and Executive Director
Southern United States Trade Association