But Mars knows he is an outlier and is thinking about how to make use of a microclimate similar to the Japanese region that has produced wasabi for a long time. The reason why genuine products are imported is because they are extremely difficult to grow outside of a native environment without producing a bitter taste. In fact, most of what was given to our sushi eaters is a horseradish-based alternative, Maas said.
Jefflor, who runs South Moon Bay Wasabi, about 30 miles south of San Francisco, agreed that high-priced, niche farming would look attractive.
“They are seeing signs of dollars,” he said of future growers, but creating consumer and chef customers for rare ingredients could be as difficult as growing them. .
Matthew Rendine, director of merchandising at Baldor Specialty Foods, a leading restaurant distributor in the northeast, is optimistic about these domestic alternatives, bypassing expensive air freight costs and cheaper than imports. It may happen.
“If we can provide the chef with the same quality, flavor and consistency of the items and grow them in California, we would like to give the chefs that product compared to something 8,000 miles away,” he said. .
Rendine works with many small farms that diversified their crops by adding niche produce to their lineup. However, these items can be advantageous for dedicated growers, but many farmers and enthusiasts struggle.
Many agriculture is trial and error, he warned. “Everyone fails with something specific.”
Megan Shanley had a distribution of successes and failures. She took over her family farm in Morro Bay, California from her father and tried countless specialized crops. After Goji berries and organic figs became busts, she moved to finger ashes.
Australian fruits are called “citrus caviar” because of their small pearly vesicles inside. Outside the high-end restaurant and her son’s school playground (Shanley said the kids came to love them), finger lime is not widely eaten in the US. Whether Finger Lime will land in the victory column.
“If Finger Lime takes off and gets something that can potentially earn you, you can’t leave it at this point,” Shanley said.
Pat Martin said patience is the key. She started a truffle farm in Lixieville, Virginia in 2007 and didn’t produce her first mature truffles until 2018.
“We’re harvesting, so that’s good, but there’s no chance of harvesting yet,” she said. “We certainly haven’t made a profit.”
According to data from CEPII, the French Institute for Economic Research, more than 75% of US truffle imports come from Italy, worth around $16.4 million in 2022. Martin said he sells winter black truffles for $85 per ounce. The important reason is that she said she has a strong interest from the restaurant, but she has not produced enough production to promise a consistent supply.
“There’s a high demand for truffles and I think it’ll take a long time for the market to get flooded,” she said.
Sierra Rees launched a small farm growing lavender in Rockford, Michigan in 2023. Federal data shows that it is carved with over $16 million in US-grown lavender in 2019 for sale in the US. However, leases grow culinary grade varieties, which are less common and come mainly from France and Bulgaria.
Lease said she is currently making a profit after investing in 6,000 plants on two acres.
“It was like my competitiveness,” she said: “Let me prove you wrong.”