In my marketing career in the sewing and craft industry, I have had many opportunities to attend a variety of industry trade shows.  In an earlier post, I wrote about my favorite show, Quilt Market, which is so beautiful and creative. Well, woman can’t live by fabric alone, so my second favorite show is the Fancy Food Show. This show takes place twice a year and if you are not careful, you can literally eat your way through aisle after aisle of samples of everything from soup to nuts. I attended this show in San Francisco recently and learned that 71% of consumers between the ages of 24 and 35 buy specialty food products. This could be anything from organic foods to imported foods or even products from up and coming bakers, chefs, or WAHM’s who have perfected their own recipes and are selling to retail outlets.

While in San Francisco I thought it would be interesting to learn about the cloth diapering community in a city that was one of the first to ban the use of plastic bags by retail stores. I googled “cloth diapering in San Francisco” and discovered Natural Resources, a premier destination for parents desiring to learn more about birthing options, cloth diapering, and other issues for new parents.   

Bobbi, the knowledgeable consultant, told me that Natural Resources has been around for over 23 years and has classes for expectant and new parents and sells thoughtfully selected products including diapers, baby clothing, toys, and other needed products for baby and mom. Their best selling cloth diapers are one-size and also diaper covers. Bobbi was intrigued to hear about Babyville Boutique and the growing community of cloth diaper sewing mamas. 

Since many young families in San Francisco do not have washers and dryers, Natural Resources also sells compostable inserts, which are picked up by diaper services and taken to compost facilities. 

They also provide a comfortable space for moms to meet and relax, as well as a child friendly play space. 

Bobbi is also actively involved in www.MaternityXchange.com, a consignment site for mothers and babies and www.Birthandbabyfair.com, the premier event for new and expectant parents in the Bay Area. 

Meanwhile, back at the show, I visited with two manufacturers of organic baby food. Our daughter made her own baby food so I was curious to see these other options. HappyBaby began just five years ago to meet the needs for healthy, convenient baby foods.   Their eco-friendly portable packages contain food that is gluten free and contains Salba®, a nutritious super grain.

Plum™ Organics, another company created out of the desire by parents to have an organic choice for their babies, also exhibited their latest product line of foods for babies and toddlers in easy-to-use and carry along colorful packages.

Traveling to trade shows often mean hours spent inside convention centers on concrete floors, however when time permits, it is fascinating to explore and learn in other regions of the country and to share these experiences with all of you.