Washington, D.C. – The Foundation for Fresh Produce is gearing up for the fifth annual National Fruits & Veggies Month (NFVM) in September. Launched alongside the Have A Plant® Movement in 2019 as an opportunity to elevate fruit and vegetable consumption as a national priority, the annual month-long celebration has inspired millions of consumers year over year since its inception.
The 2024 theme, Every Time You Eat, Have A Plant®, is poised to do the same and emphasizes ways to make it easy to enjoy fruits and vegetables at every meal and snack time by highlighting hacks, flavor and fun. While shopping, dining out, enjoying a meal with family, at school or on-the-go, there are so many ways to Have A Plant® for better health and happiness.
In addition to activating the tried-and-true traditional media campaign and its vast influencer network, new this year, The Foundation will engage with a group of lifestyle influencers who will be sharing their own unique hacks for how they get their families to eat and enjoy more fruits and vegetables.
“As part of our priority to boost appeal through culturally inclusive content, the new social media tactic targets Gen Z and millennial consumers outside of our own followers, with the goal to break through to new audiences we haven’t reached before,” said Katie Calligaro, Director of Marketing and Communications, The Foundation for Fresh Produce. The influencers include:
- Lilie Randazzo – @lifewithlilie
- Danny Scott – @charlieandcrewdad
- Carita Fambro – @seasonedtotaste
- Misty Snyder – @mistycoysnyder
- Caitlyn Neier – @caitlyneier
“We encourage everyone to leverage the events on social and traditional media to help fruits and veggies shine brighter and promote your own products and brands. There’s strength in numbers, and together, we can boost appeal and drive demand for fruits and vegetables to grow a healthier world,” Calligaro said.
For inspiration on how to get involved visit The National Fruits & Veggies Month Toolkit. From customizable social media posts and key messages to tips for activations in retail or incorporating more produce on menus in restaurants and schools, it is full of ideas that can help your marketing efforts this September.
The Foundation encourages everyone to take action to support National Fruits & Veggies Month. Here are some easy ways to get started and stay involved throughout the month:
- Post on your social channels. Find sample social media posts and downloadable graphics on the Point Of Inspiration page in the toolkit.
- Highlight NFVM in a consumer-facing newsletter with one of the images from the Point Of Inspiration section as an ad or promo graphic. Link it to www.fruitsandveggies.org/NFVM.
- Drive awareness about NFVM on LinkedIn to increase awareness and show your personal commitment to improving fruit and vegetable consumption.
- Leverage NFVM as a media hook for your consumer-facing print or broadcast media opportunities this month.
- Follow Have A Plant® social media channels to stay inspired and share creative tips, tricks and food hacks: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn.
For more information about how to customize your integrated marketing plans with The Foundation now and beyond September, contact Sharese Roper, Director, Industry & Partner Engagement, The Foundation for Fresh Produce.
About The Foundation for Fresh Produce
The Foundation for Fresh Produce’s vision is to grow a healthier world by changing the trajectory of human health. We believe the produce industry has the potential to provide solutions for many of the world’s greatest health and economic challenges – especially those surrounding nutrition and hunger. The Foundation focuses on improving the appeal of fruits and vegetables as an integral part of people’s diets, supporting the development of infrastructure and supply chain solutions that provide easier access, and establishing strategic alliances that enable children and families to form healthier eating habits. To galvanize the industry’s efforts to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, The Foundation for Fresh Produce merged with the Produce For Better Health Foundation (PBH) in January 2023. PBH programming (inclusive of the Have A Plant® Movement) continues under The Foundation, dedicated to helping consumers live happier, healthy lives by eating more fruits and vegetables every single day.
