Shortages of trained workers continue to be one of the significant challenges facing smaller processors operating in relatively remote areas.
Fortunately, many higher education institutions of all sizes are working to address those needs, in part with resources that were made available through USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture.
With a bit of extra time on my hands last week, I popped by an H-Mart store in my Denver-area suburb to take a look around.
For those unfamiliar, H-Mart is a Korean-based grocery chain that operates large-footprint stores across the United States. They focus on ethnic diets, with perishable sections and grocery aisles stocked with items you won’t find at Kroger or Walmart. Taro root and rambutan (whatever that is) are interspersed with lettuce and cucumbers in the produce section. The seafood section includes a live lobster tank and a counter where customers can scoop fresh squid and octopus.
