Mushroom Council First Handler Reports (millions of pounds; totals may not match due to rounding).

Industry Tools

• The second of six sponsored MyPlate recipes with the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), Mushroom Steak Fajitas, is now available for industry use. PBH will showcase this recipe as the “plate of the week” on Facebook, February 22-29. The Council is working with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the co-sponsor of this plate, on joint promotional opportunities during this time.
• The winter News About Mushrooms nutrition e-newsletter was distributed on 12/14 to approximately 3,200 healthcare professionals and received an open and click thru rate of 25.1 percent and 17.2 percent respectively. Share the newsletter with your customers so they can learn more about mushrooms’ place in the nutrition landscape.
• Share promotion ideas generated by the college competition with your FS customers. Click here to download a document summarizing the promotions at each school.
• Find the new 2012 Taste of Home advertisement here, which provides a snapshot of health benefits and 80:20 usage tips.

Mushroom Council Marketing Summary – December 2011

December consumer media highlights feature mushrooms in articles about weight management, vitamin D, immunity and nutrient-dense foods. Click on the links below to view the full stories.

• Eating White, Runner’s World, January 2012
• Mushrooms: A diet must-have, Baltimore Sun, 12/28
• Recipes For Comfort Meals of 400 Calories or Less, AARP, 12/27
• Superfoods That Fight Stress, Shape, 12/21
• Common Cold: 11 Natural Ways to Boost Immunity, Huffington Post, 12/21
• Soft Tacos With Mushrooms, Cabbage and Chipotle Ranchera Sauce, New York Times, 12/20
• The Gift of Giving, Huffington Post, 12/20
• 10 Foods You Should Always Have in Your Fridge, Shape, 12/20
• Some holiday foods are nutritious and low in calories, USA Today, 12/15
• Drop Weight Faster With Mushrooms, liverightlivewell.com, 12/14
• Vitamin D Naturally, Supermarket Guru e-newsletter, 12/13
• Mushrooms: A Culinary Treasure, Whole Foods Market blog, 12/11
• Need Umami? Try Using Mushrooms Instead of Meat, Snack Girl Blog, 12/6
• 9 Power Foods That Boost Immunity, Prevention, 12/1
•  America’s Healthiest Mushroom, Prevention, 12/1

• The Council was represented at the Pennsylvania Farm show (1/7), live tweeting photos from events and cooking demonstrations and distributing Council literature to attendees. Find photos from the event here.
• Seven newly developed Mushroom Council recipes and hi-res photos are now available on MushroomInfo.com in foodservice and family-sized portions. The recipes include: Grilled Mushroom and Chickpea Wrap with Basil, Mushroom and Chicken Quinoa with Chiles, Mushroom Orzo with Parsley, Lemon Zest and Olive Oil, Crab and Mushroom Cakes with Chipotle Aioli, Mexican Mushroom Chili with Beans and Barley, Thai Curry Mushrooms and Tofu, and Jamaican Jerk Mushroom Lettuce Wraps with Papaya Salsa.
• Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, will serve as a 2012 Mushroom Council spokesperson. Author of MyPlate for Moms, How to Feed Yourself & Your Family Better she also contributes to several publications including Men’s Fitness magazine, WebMD and USAToday.com.Four new mushroom recipes developed by Liz demonstrating the 80:20 concept (Almost Lasagna, Mushroom Flatbread, Mushroom Burger Wrap and Chocolate Chili) can be found in the recipe section of MushroomInfo.com.
• The Council is sponsoring Taste of Home’s Spring Cooking School series in 2012. The on-stage cooking demonstration will feature the Council’s Mushroom Taco with Salsa Verde recipe to educate attendees about the 80:20 mushroom/meat blend strategy. Click here for a tentative list of dates/locations for the schools, which start in March. All industry members are invited to attend a Cooking School to see the Council’s sponsorship in action. Sponsorship opportunities are available, and may include the option to set up a booth on site, and generate local media exposure. If you are interested in participating as a local sponsor, please reach out to michelle.green@edelman.com for more information. 
•  As a result of the Council’s SEM campaign, traffic to MushroomInfo.com has increased by 95 percent, unique visitors have increased by 94 percent and daily page views have increased by 88 percent. Top performing key words include “mushroom recipes,” “cooking mushrooms” and “mushroom nutrition.
•  Check out the Mushroom Channel blog to see the latest recipes by our blogger partners including Swedish Pancakes with Mushrooms, Mushroom Bruschetta, Spaghetti Squash with Mushroom Alfredo Sauce and a Mushroom Smothered Steak. Click here to read.