Mushrooms continue to enjoy nice growth across the board, and demand is predicted to be strong as the busy holiday season now encroaches.

Joe D’Amico, vice president of To-Jo Mushroom Inc. in Avondale, PA, said as a vertically integrated grower and shipper the company does its best to adapt to market fluctuations and prepare for the expected increases in volume without impacting quality or service.

“Our farms have been getting ready for the holiday season by adjusting our production schedules to accommodate for the increased demand,” said D’Amico. “I am surrounded by an excellent team at the farm level, which ensures that we will always deliver the best quality to our customers regardless of the season”

To-Jo has also been working closely with many of its retail partners on ways to cross-promote this fall. It is looking at opportunities within deli and prepared food departments to increase opportunities for customers to purchase its products by offering value-added items that can help grow the category.

Joe D’Amico, vice president of To-Jo Mushroom Inc. Pete Wilder, marketing director for To-Jo, said over the past few years the company has seen portabellas, organics and specialty mushrooms begin to erode the market dominance of the traditional white button.

“As retailers and foodservice operators increase their offerings to cater to the discerning millennial consumer, market pressure from the burgeoning home delivery and meal kit businesses has also forced traditional operators to increase their offerings by adding more flavorful options to their product mix,” explained Wilder. “The Forged Fresh program we utilized fits nicely into this space.”

He added that there is also a rising demand for mixed blends and variety packs at both retail and foodservice levels as consumers look for new ways to incorporate mushrooms into their diets.

“A number of our retail partners are taking advantage of this trend by diversifying their product mix and incorporating more specialty mushrooms like shiitakes and oysters into traditional sliced packs,” Wilder pointed out. “Our four-ounce Sliced Exotic Blend pack is a great example of a product that we started offering a few years ago and is now a weekly item in many regions.”

Wilder agreed that the Mushroom Council’s Blend initiative is still hot. To-Jo is working with a variety of protein manufacturers on ways to take advantage of all the summer buzz and media attention generated by the Better Burger project.

“We don’t see this going away any time soon,” noted Tony D’Amico, president of To-Jo. “When 100 top chefs participate in a seasonal promotional program, that tells you something. The Blend offers a healthier, more flavor opportunity in a space that is looking for differentiation. Mushrooms can be that answer, adding value by bringing umami and added flavor to many traditional products like burgers and tacos.”

To-Jo will exhibit at Booth NO. 3079 at the PMA Fresh Summit in Orlando, FL, on Oct. 14-16.

Team members attending include Tony and Joe D’Amico and Todd Kostka, Samantha Snyder and John Cunningham from the account management team.