Welcome to WorldCrops
The ethnic population in the Northeast has undergone substantial change in the last few decades. Asians, Latinos, and Arabs alone represent more than 10% of the general population in the Northeast (US Census 2000). In New York City, approximately 60% of the students in public schools have at least one foreign-born parent. For the first time since it's establishment, non-Latino Caucasians are a minority in Boston.
This growing population diversity, combined with the increased interest they have generated from more traditional restaurant and supermarket buyers previously unfamiliar with the new offerings, is an opportunity for the local growers to expand and re-direct production.
This web site provides information on agricultural crops that can be grown in the Northeastern United States. The emphasis is on crops that are popular among ethnic groups living in this region and can be grown in this region. These include vegetables, herbs, and some fruit.
This site is organized according to the countries in the world. One reason for this organizational structure is that many ethnic groups will be concentrated in one area or neighborhood. For example, in Holyoke Massachusetts, more than 75% of the customers at the farmers' market are Puerto Rican. In this case, a grower who sells at this market would want to check out the crops under "Puerto Rico".
To learn more about how to identify ethnic groups in your markets and the types of crops they use in their cuisine, please refer to "Producing and Marketing Vegetable Crops for Ethnic Markets" - originally published by the UMass Extension Vegetable Team in January 2002 edition of Vegetable Notes.
