b'And as experts, like Sheridan, work more closely with students and children to encourage healthier Did you miss our full conversation where we dive into whyeating habits through eating the rainbow, breeders consumers are drawn to more colorful produce? are looking to tackle the task as well.Make sure to listen to the full panel at: If you think about todays market in comparison https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aloQM5d244 to the vegetable market 10 years ago, theres a lot more color varieties on the market. You can have purple and red carrots, purple and yellow toma-toes, purple leafy greens, yellow kiwis, pink pineap-First and foremost, color is the first thingple and more. Ten years ago, the only carrot you ever saw that a customer or a grower notice about aon the grocery store was an orange carrot, Patty Buskirk, managing partner and plant breeder at productit conveys a lot of feelings. Seeds by Design, says. Now you can walk in and Laura Ann Diehl is Pacific For a consumer, you might notice or thinkfind a white carrot, a purple carrot, a red carrot,Northwest research and all of a sudden, now youre eating a rainbow of manager and plant Wow, this taste must be richer than othercarrots. Each one of those carrots offers a differentbreeder for table beet at pieces of fruit that are a bit lighter in color. nutrient value as well. Sakata Seed America.Typically, orange carrots have a high carotene Laura Ann Deihl level, whereas purple carrots have a high anthocya-nin level and red carrots have high lycopene levels, Buskirk adds. The same trend has been seen in other vegetables as well.We as breeders are just reacting to what the market wantsingenuity, Buskirk says. They want something creative and something thats different. They want to eat and experience food at home out of their gardens.For plant breeders working specifically towards the home garden seed market as well, those colors have been in demand not only for eating, but to have something fun to grow as well.In comparison, the more professional market,Patty Buskirk is while the range of color might not be as large,managing partner and colors becoming an increasingly more impor- plant breeder at Seeds tant trait, says Laura Ann Diehl, Pacific Northwestby Design.research manager and plant breeder for table beet at Sakata Seed America. First and foremost, color is the first thing that a customer or a grower notice about a productit conveys a lot of feelings, Diehl says. For a con-sumer, you might notice or think Wow, this taste must be richer than other pieces of fruit that are a bit lighter in color.Though range might not be top priority for her, finding that right depth of color to meet consumer and grower expectations is important.Traits like yield and disease resistance are still top-of-mind, and without the right look, vegetablesLily Sheridan is the farm Peppers dont just come in your standard greenmight not be accepted. to school coordinator at anymoretheres a variety of colors on the market.Its a funny balance in vegetablesyou canCooking With Kids.PHOTO: SEEDS BY DESIGN/NOVA PHOTO GRAPHIK. produce a product with amazing resistance, and a grower or dealer will look at it and say the colors wrong, Diehl says. Its really equally important.SW36/ SEEDWORLD.COMSEPTEMBER 2023'