By Mandy Gross, FAPC Communications Services Manager

 (Stillwater, Okla. – July 22, 2014) Made in Oklahoma food companies shined in The Big Apple as they participated in the largest marketplace devoted exclusively to specialty foods and beverages in North America.

The Fancy Food Show, held June 29-July 1, 2014, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, attracted record participation with 2,730 specialty food makers, importers and entrepreneurs representing the latest new products and trends from across the U.S. and around the globe.

“The Fancy Food Show is an amazing opportunity for up-and-coming food companies to participate in,” said Andrea Graves, business and marketing specialist for Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center. “The contacts that these companies make during the show is incredible and the goal is that these contacts turn into future sales.”

Nine Oklahoma food companies participated in the Fancy Food Show and showcased their products to about 28,000 buyers in specialty retailing, restaurants and foodservice. The Made in Oklahoma companies included Stonegate Gourmet, Toasted Wine Fruit Spreads and Kratos Beef Bars of Tulsa; Gourmet Specialty Foods and Pepper Creek Farms of Lawton; Diane’s Signature Products and Southern Okie Gourmet Spreads of Edmond; Griffin Foods of Muskogee; and Leonard Mountain of Leonard.

FAPC and the state’s Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry’s Made in Oklahoma Program collaborated to help sponsor and support Stonegate Gourmet and Gourmet Specialty Foods attend the show.

Pam Russ, owner of Stonegate Gourmet, offers seven flavors of seasoned pretzels in two packaging options: Red Dirt Pretzel Co. and Rewards brand. Russ said she was pleased with the show and is currently completing some orders and following up with some great contacts as a result of the show.

“This is the second year we've had the opportunity to participate and because of the business generated, we plan to continue exhibiting in NYC as well as at the San Francisco Fancy Food Show,” Russ said. “The buyers that attend are a great representation of many different types of businesses that utilize gourmet products and has opened the door to some exciting new arenas for us.”

The Made in Oklahoma Program works with Oklahoma agribusinesses at local, regional and national levels to promote retail, institutional and gourmet sales.

Providing marketing opportunities for companies at trade shows, such as the Fancy Food Show, is one way the Made in Oklahoma Program helps to increase consumer awareness about the availability and quality of Oklahoma agriculture products, said Julie Sears, market development coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

“We want Oklahoma to have a presence during the Fancy Food Show in New York and to showcase some great companies and products produced in the state,” Sears said. “Plans are already being made to support more Oklahoma food companies during next year’s show and to increase the number of Oklahoma companies represented during the show.”

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Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant university that prepares students for success. OSU is America’s Brightest Orange. Through leadership and service, OSU is preparing students for a bright future and building a brighter world for all.  As Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research, and outreach. As America’s Healthiest Campus, OSU is committed to the health and well being of its students, employees and the community. OSU has more than 36,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 25,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and around 120 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated around 255,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.