What better way to celebrate the roots of our food than by honoring the farmers and growers who bring fruits and vegetables to Americans’ tables every single day, in any and all conditions! During the month of June, the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) will visit fruit and veggie farms across the nation and take a closer look at the passion and commitment farmers and growers have for fruits and veggies, highlighting why they are at the root of the food we enjoy every day. Along with its members, and through a dedicated “Celebrate The Roots Of Our Food: Farmers & Growers Salute” Series on fruitsandveggies.org, PBH is also partnering with its recently expanded Have A Plant® Ambassador network to spread the love, through inspirational video salutes and other creative content, that will be amplified across PBH’s digital ecosystem to further enhance the campaign reach.
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“The extraordinary efforts of fruit and vegetable farms to nourish millions of Americans is no small feat,” said Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, President and CEO, PBH. “At PBH, we are committed to ensuring our incredible farmers and growers get the recognition they rightfully deserve, and our dynamic Celebrate The Roots Of Our Food campaign is a way to shine a spotlight on the fruits of their labor.”
PBH’s unique consumer and influencer following is well-positioned to illustrate how fruits and veggies go from farm to table, with love from farmers and growers. Throughout the month-long campaign, the PBH digital ecosystem will cover topics spanning seasonality, suggestions for enjoying fruits and veggies in all forms throughout the year, culinary tips, meal planning ideas, recipes and kitchen hacks, along with PBH member-specific highlights. This will be complemented by content from PBH’s Have A Plant® Ambassadors, such as agriculture-focused expert advice articles as well as farmer and grower video salutes that will offer a global perspective on fruit and veggie farms – from New Zealand to South Korea.
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“Farmers and growers put their heart and soul into growing the freshest and most delicious fruits and vegetables possible, and I am honored to be able to recognize this labor of love,” said Elisabeth Watkins, Farm Girl Chef and PBH Have A Plant® Ambassador, who filmed a video salute from her father’s cling peach orchard in Linden, California. “I was thrilled when PBH approached me about this campaign, to help more people understand the pride that goes into ensuring we can enjoy delicious fruits and veggies each and every day.”
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The celebration kicks off with a PBH monthly Have A Plant® Cook Along, sponsored by Duda Farm Fresh Foods. Join PBH on Facebook LIVE, Wednesday, June 9th at 5:30pm ET featuring special guest Chef Todd Fisher who will be cooking up the season’s sweet corn – 3 ways!
The June campaign culminates with a PBH Health & Wellness Webinar sponsored by California Cantaloupe Advisory Board and California Pear Advisory Board, “Taste Vs. Waste: Fruit & Vegetable Innovations to Maximize Taste & Mitigate Waste.” Join the webinar on Tuesday, June 29th at 2:00 p.m. ET for a robust panel discussion with farming, plant breeding and postharvest technology experts focused on innovative agricultural practices to both reduce food waste and improve flavor for an all-around positive eating experience. PBH will then take it one step further to share tips for consumers on the best ways to select and store fruits and vegetables for optimal flavor and to reduce waste at home. REGISTER HERE for this interactive discussion featuring ag innovations that maximize taste and mitigate waste.
This PBH agriculture-focused June campaign is a precursor to a larger initiative commencing in October, which will be focused on celebrating the roots of our food more broadly. PBH will be featuring unique content from its members, along with a dedicated digital web series and social content extensions with video, photos and narratives from farmers and growers, demonstrating their authentic pride in bringing fruits and vegetables to the table – in all forms. There will also be a grower component to September’s festivities during National Fruits & Veggies Month, where we will be celebrating the International Year Of Fruits And Vegetables.
For more information on how to engage with PBH and its social media content campaigns, as well as PBH’s expansive Have A Plant® Ambassador network, download the newly-released 2021 Member Engagement Prospectus here or contact Sharese Roper, PBH Member Engagement Director.
About the Produce for Better Health Foundation
Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is the only national organization dedicated to helping consumers live happier, healthy lives by eating more fruits and vegetables, including fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice, every single day.
Since 1991, PBH has invested decades into developing trended insights on attitudes toward all forms of fruit and vegetable consumption, in addition to campaigns and partnerships with government, food industry stakeholders, health professionals and other thought leaders to collaborate, facilitate and advocate for increased intake. Campaigns included first, the 5-A-Day program, and then, the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters public health initiative. While five fruits and vegetables each day is great advice, and more will always matter, PBH’s new behavior-based call-to-action is Have A Plant®. Rooted in behavioral science, PBH’s transformative Have A Plant® Movement is an invitation that will inspire people with compelling reasons to believe in the powerful role fruits and vegetables can play to create happy, healthy and active lives.
Be sure to join the Have A Plant® Movement and get new recipes, snack hacks, meal ideas and other tips from chefs, registered dietitians, as well as food and wellness experts by visiting www.fruitsandveggies.org. Follow us on Facebook @fruitsandveggies; on Twitter @fruits_veggies; on Instagram @fruitsandveggies; on Pinterest @fruits_veggies; and on LinkedIn at Produce for Better Health Foundation. And remember to #haveaplant.
PBH is also responsible for the Lead The Change Movement — a multi-sector, multi-year initiative designed to maximize the power of PBH’s unique thought leadership position, widespread influencer network, credible scientific and market research, and, most importantly, its innovative members and partners, to lead a call-to-action for addressing the global fruit and vegetable consumption crisis. The initiative includes research, thought leadership and communication platforms to ensure the Movement speaks with One Purpose, One Voice and One Call-to-Action. For more information about the Lead The Change Movement visit: www.fruitsandveggies.org/leadthechange.
