Grower brands build on demand for local

Local sourcing is the new big thing in food retail, and it's fascinating to see the impact it's having on local growers.

That's one of the lessons I took back home with me after a long weekend in Norway. Growers there are developing good business with a range of high-quality lines that retailers want to stock. And at the same time they're able to push a brand story which is connecting with shoppers. It's a sign of things to come.

?smund Bjertnaes (above) is a third-generation grower of potatoes and lettuces an hour or two south of Oslo. They've been producing food around T?nsberg since the time of the vikings, attracted by the combination of rich, loamy soils that yield some great tasting produce during a short growing season of balmy summer days with lots and lots and lots of Nordic sunlight.

Bjertnaes, 37, has developed an innovative identity for his family business, Bjertnaes & Hoel, using social media, some hipster marketing, and a very conscientious approach to growing to push his family brand to food retailers and their shoppers.

Bj?rge Madsen (above) of Skjaergaarden is on the same track. Fresh herbs, salad onions, micro-greens and more, have found eager takers among Norway's new chefs, as well as eager buyers at food retail where the brand has become prominent in store.

Efforts like these are happening at a time when Norway is developing a local food scene much the same as you see in many other parts of the world. Characteristically, the Norwegians are doing pretty well at it too, winning major international prizes for their botanical gins and blue cheeses.

It's good to see that what works in other categories can work in the fresh produce category too. It's high time that it did. Fresh produce needs it, and it seems shoppers want it too.