SANTA MARIA, CA - When it comes to merchandising in the produce aisles, one of the most excellent benefits is the ability to utilize the natural beauty of each product to capture shopper attention. With Babé Farms’ carrot varieties, this becomes even easier, as the grower produces a rainbow of vibrant offerings that are sure to wow consumers as they hit the produce department.

“This time of year, we love to promote seasonal recipe ideas to inspire chefs and home chefs alike,” shares Matt Hiltner, Marketing Coordinator. “Glazed carrots are a sweet and savory fall/winter classic elevated by multicolored carrots. In terms of trending recipes, butter boards have been all the rage on social media and can easily incorporate carrots.”

Babé Farms grows, packs, and ships its colorful selection of carrots out of Santa Maria, California, year-round. The supplier currently produces six varieties of baby bunch carrots, including French (orange), yellow, purple, pink, white, and round (Thumbelina). Additionally, the company offers hand-peeled carrots in French and mixed-color varieties in a 5 lb ZIP bag as well as bulk mixed-color large carrots with no tops in 25 lb sacks.

This season, Babé planted anticipating a busy holiday season and is prepared for high demand within the carrot category. To help retailers stay just as prepared, Matt shared some essential tips to stay ahead of the holiday carrot rush and merchandising for success. They include:

• Ordering early – “As I mentioned before, we are expecting an active holiday season, so advanced orders are highly recommended to ensure buyers’ needs are taken care of,” he says
• Considering substitutes – “With many commodities in short supply on the market, it is important that buyers stay open to purchasing different varieties in order to fill demand,” he adds. “If the carrot color or pack size you’re looking for is unavailable, communicate with our sales team, and we can recommend a replacement”
• Pairing carrots with other root vegetables – “Mixed roasted vegetables are a staple on holiday dinner menus, and retailers can make things easy for consumers by merchandising colorful carrots alongside other beautiful vegetables such as specialty radishes, baby beets, turnips, etc.,” Matt continues. “Not only do these vegetables complement each other, but they also provide some vibrant eye candy in the produce department”

• Inspiring with imagery – “Most people are visual learners, so signage that communicates the different applications for products will go a long way,” he imparts. “Recipe cards are even better and will not only help to inspire shoppers but also give them a sense of confidence in the kitchen”
• Eating the rainbow – “Produce managers can take advantage of this healthy eating trend by arranging their produce display by color,” Matt explains. “For example, a purple section could include purple carrots, purple ninja radishes, purple cauliflower, purple cabbage, grapes, plumbs, onions, etc. Then make color breaks with other colors such as greens, oranges, reds, and yellows!"

With these insightful tips in mind, let your creativity run wild in your produce department with all of the possibilities of Babé’s colorful carrots.

Babé Farms