HACKENSACK, NJ – Country Crock® today announced a new collaboration with award-winning Country Music icon and cookbook author Martina McBride to spotlight the brand’s new sustainability initiative – The Cover Crops Project – aimed to help Kansas-area farmers improve soil health on their farms, one of the key benefits of regenerative farming. McBride will also headline the iHeartRadio Red Barn Sessions presented by Country Crock, a fully digital content series featuring some of this year’s most notable rising Country Music artists.
“I’m a Kansas native who was raised on a farm and a mom who loves to cook, so I’m passionate about healthier eating, bringing people together around good food, and creating a more sustainable future. That’s why I’m excited to team up with Country Crock to share more about The Cover Crops Project,” said McBride. “The foods we eat are made from crops that are grown by hard-working farmers who make decisions every day about what to grow, when to plant, and how to protect their farms’ soil. More people should know how practices like cover crops help improve the soil underpinning our food supply, which in turn will enable families to enjoy products like Country Crock for generations to come.”
Through a recently announced partnership with No-till on the Plains, The Cover Crops Project encourages farmers to integrate cover crops into their farming practices by providing education, technical assistance and funding to defray related costs. The project kicked-off today, September 22, with a goal of enrolling 13,000 acres of cover crops in eastern Kansas and western Missouri on soybean fields that have not been previously planted with a cover crop. The partnership between Country Crock and No-till on the Plains demonstrates the commitment of Country Crock and its parent company, Upfield, to support more sustainable business practices. To learn more about The Cover Crops Project visit www.CountryCrock.com/cover-crops.
“At Country Crock, we aim to bring a little bit of the country into everything that we do,” said Marisa Kololyan, Brand Director Country Crock. “We are now extending this beyond the literal country fresh taste of our spreads and the farm-grown ingredients that we use to make them, to new initiatives like The Cover Crops Project to partner with farmers who share our Kansas country roots, and trusted country voices like Martina McBride, who will help us spread our message to consumers everywhere.”
To celebrate The Cover Crops Project, Country Crock and Martina McBride will journey back to their roots, honoring their shared love of Country Music with the Red Barn Sessions. In collaboration with iHeartRadio, the Red Barn Sessions will connect with music fans, offering a rare peek behind the curtain at some of the most exciting new country artists and live-streamed acoustic performances. The first session will air September 29th with a never-before-seen conversation between McBride and emerging Country Music sensation Gabby Barrett. The lineup also includes platinum-selling Country artist and songwriter Jimmie Allen and CMT’s Cody Alan, among others. All content will be available to stream at www.countrycrock.com/RedBarnSessions
As part of the Red Barn Sessions, Country Crock has teamed up with McBride to offer one lucky fan the opportunity to win a virtual meet and greet, along with a signed Gibson guitar and a $10,000 cash prize. From October 12th until December 28th, fans can visit www.CountryCrock.com to enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win, terms and conditions apply.
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ABOUT UPFIELD
At Upfield, our mission is to make people healthier and happier with great tasting, plant-based nutrition products that are better for the planet. Upfield is the leading producer of plant-based spreads in the U.S., with iconic brands such as Country Crock®, Country Crock® Plant Butter, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!®, Flora™, and Imperial®; and plant-based margarines and spreads in Canada with brands such as Becel®, Becel® Plant Based Bricks, and Imperial®, and; is now introducing its vegan cheese, Violife® following its acquisition of Arivia earlier in 2020. The company is leading in delivering better-for-you products that are great tasting and have superior quality helping it to create a “Better Plant-based Future.” For more information, visit www.Upfield.com.
ABOUT MARTINA MCBRIDE
Multiple Grammy® nominee Martina McBride has sold over 18 million albums to date, which includes 20 Top 10 singles and six #1 hits. Martina McBride has earned more than 15 major music awards, including four wins for Female Vocalist of the Year from the Country Music Association and won three Academy of Country Music for Top Female Vocalist. Martina has been awarded 14 Gold Records. Nine Platinum honors, three Double Platinum Records, and two Triple Platinum Awards. Martina was awarded the Covenant House Beacon of Hope Award and Music Business Association’s prestigious 2015 Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award for her philanthropic efforts on behalf of domestic violence. Martina has released two books – the first, Around the Table, a full-color illustrated collection of her favorite recipes, hosting tips, practical menu planning advice, and themed décor inspiration. She released her second book, Martina’s Kitchen Mix: My Recipe Playlist for Real Life, in October 2018. Most recently, Martina was honored with the Cliffie Stone Icon Award at the ACM Honors event for her impactful contributions to country music. McBride’s newest single, “Girls Like Me” was released in May of this year.
ABOUT NO-TILL ON THE PLAINS
No-till on the Plains, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit educational organization providing information for producers to adopt high-quality systems-based agriculture production using continuous no-till to further develop those systems. No-till on the Plains provided education and networking for producers using production systems that closely model nature. For more information, visit www.notill.org.
ABOUT IHEARTMEDIA
iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT) is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month – and with its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. The company’s leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms, including more than 850 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets nationwide; through its iHeartRadio digital service available across more than 250 platforms and 2,000 devices; through its influencers; social; branded iconic live music events; other digital products and newsletters; and podcasts as the #1 commercial podcast publisher. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics, targeting and attribution for its marketing partners with its SmartAudio product, using data from its massive consumer base. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.
