Campaign connects farmers and consumers

An ambitious campaign that celebrates the American farmer is taking off in popularity.

After a successful December launch in Ohio, “Farmers Feed US,” a campaign showcasing the strength and scope of American agriculture, has now launched in Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Missouri.

The Center for Food Integrity, a not-or-profit organization, which works to serve as a resource for balanced information about the U.S. food system, is managing the campaign, and plans to bring it to additional states throughout 2010.

According to campaign administrators, this “innovative, interactive and proactive” campaign strives to “instill confidence” in America’s farmers. Connecting consumers to the intricacies of their shopping carts is the basis of the campaign; underscoring the values of those that produce our food is its primary message.

The campaign is “just the beginning of an exciting platform that puts a familiar face on the dedicated men and women who produce our food, and sets the stage for long-term outreach with an audience that, today, is generations removed from the farm.”

FarmersFeedUS.org allows visitors to view short online videos about how farmers produce safe, nutritious and affordable food. Each video is a separate farm tour, featuring personal stories of farmers from their respective states. Each state’s individual Web page also offers links to its state-specific agricultural groups for additional consumer-education opportunities.

“As more and more people move from an agricultural background to the suburbs and cities, it’s important for consumers to understand how food is delivered to their tables,” said Terry Fleck, executive director of the Center for Food Integrity. “And there’s nobody better to factually and passionately tell that story than the farmers of this country.”

Driving the campaign’s success is heavy social marketing, including a YouTube promotional video and separate Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for each participating state.

Visitors to the 90-day campaign will also have the opportunity to register to win "Free Groceries for a Year." The Ohio sweepstakes, with three awardees, has ended; however, consumers in the other participating states may still enter to win.

Each state is awarding $5,000 in free groceries for a year to one to three registrants depending on the state. Visitors can register every day to increase their chances for selection.

207,000 registrations were received in Ohio. Ohio’s campaign generated a staggering 1.76 million media impressions. The average Internet user visits a Web site for two minutes, but visitors to Ohio’s “Farmers Feed Us” Web site visited for nearly seven minutes, revealing a real interest in the farming community.

Ongoing promotional efforts include retailer promotions, state advertisements and news-story placement for all states.

Fun Farm Facts (http://www.farmersfeedus.org/)

• The average person consumes 584 pounds of dairy products a year.
• Agriculture employs more than 24 million American workers (17 percent of the total U.S. work force).
• Today's American farmer feeds about 155 people worldwide. In 1960, that number was 25.8.

“Farmers Feed Us” lays the foundation for ongoing consumer engagement in today’s agriculture industry and promises to spark renewed awareness and curiosity in America’s farmers.

Do you think this campaign is effective or has the potential to be effective? Do you believe the average American consumer is grateful to our country’s agriculture industry? Do you think the average American consumer has confidence in American farmers?









Farmers Donate During Holiday Season

During the holidays, we’re reminded that it’s better to give than to receive – a principle that is recognized by thousands of farmers nationwide.

Opportunities abound for farmers to donate portions of their harvest to food-donation programs throughout the year, but are especially welcome during times of economic difficulty. It’s also important in November, December and January when people celebrate major holidays with food, food and more food.

Tax incentives can sway farmers to be more generous with their harvest. The Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Extension Act of 1996 states that only farmers and ranchers using the accrual method of accounting may benefit from incentives for charitable donations of food.

In June, Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind. reintroduced the act to Congress with a proposal that would allow farmers to receive tax deductions on the full market value for produce that cannot or will not be sold.

“It has been my experience that farmers generally make the donation of food out of their desire to support their communities and the less fortunate, and any enhanced deduction was not the primary motivation of such a contribution," Lugar said. "The legislation does make it easier for farmers to take such an enhanced deduction and will result in increased donations of food should the bill pass."

Many national and state food-donation programs exist throughout the country to help distribute food to needy Americans.

The Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Program, in conjunction with Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief charity, created the “Harvest for All” campaign in 2003. This nationally recognized campaign includes activities organized by state and county Farm Bureaus in connection with local Feeding America affiliates across the country. Since its inception, it has provided more than 16 million pounds of food.

U.S. Rep. Tim Bishop, D-N.Y. is another proponent of extending and increasing the scope of the original act.

“During these difficult economic times, this tax incentive would be a win-win for our farmers and for those who are struggling to find food to eat,” said Bishop. “Rather than letting excess produce go to waste, farmers can support local charities.”

For example, the 2009 harvest is one of the largest in history for corn and soybeans. As another outlet for their crops, in addition to selling or storage, farmers can consider selling grain in the name of a church or an organization. These entities then use the proceeds to purchase food items.

Donation is a win-win for farmers and producers. Not only honorable, food donations are also economically smart for members of the agriculture industry. With so many local, regional and national opportunities to choose from, farmers would be wise to consider donations now and in the future.

What provisions should be included in the act? How can ag members create awareness about the importance of tax incentives for food donations?










Survey reveals consumer thoughts about U.S. food system

Sustainability is a hot topic in agriculture lately, as consumers are bombarded with messaging about the price, safety and availability of food.

As food and agriculture coincide, sustainable agriculture is a movement interlocking the success of three concepts: farm profits, farm communities and eco-friendly farming practices.

The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) recently released results from its 2009 Consumer Trust Survey about sustainability. CFI is a nonprofit organization that promotes dialogue, advocates best practices, addresses consumer issues and serves as a resource for accurate, balanced information about the U.S. food system.

CFI member organizations represent each segment of the food chain, including farmers, ranchers, processors, government and companies that deliver food products under local, regional and global brand names.

The purpose of the survey was to better understand consumers’ decision-making processes in regard to food purchasing, since most consumers are largely uninformed, and to help build confidence in the American food system.

Survey respondents were asked a series of questions regarding their beliefs about the following stakeholders of the food system: farmers, restaurants, grocery stores and food companies.

Survey Highlights

• Consumers hold farmers most accountable for sustainability in the food system.
• Consumers hold restaurants least accountable for sustainability in the food system.
• Men are more trusting of the information that was presented than women.
• Consumers are willing to be educated about the food system.
• Consumers trust food more if it is made in the U.S.
• Food prices are not as great a concern for consumers as they were one year ago.
• Consumers do not consider organic food as healthy as they did two years ago.
• Consumers perceive farmers as most competent among industry groups and therefore, place the most trust and responsibility in them.

A Webinar presented by CFI about the survey, including survey questions, can be accessed at:

http://www.4shared.com/file/153522650/43682205/CFI_Consumer_Trust_Research_Webinar_--_Sustainability.html

As the results indicate, consumers’ trust in and expectations of farmers are great responsibilities to bear. Farmers are charged with creating and supplying an affordable, dependable food supply that meets sustainability standards.

Interestingly, respondents also believe that having shared values and ethics among industry members is more important than the groups truly demonstrating sustainability competence.

What conclusions do you draw from the survey results? What kinds of questions should the next survey include? How can farmers and other members of the food industry demonstrate their commitment to sustainability? Do farmers deserve more recognition for their role in the industry?

Farmers and Philanthropists – Proposed tax incentives to stimulate food donations

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is working to implement a tax code that would allow farmers to receive enhanced tax breaks for charitable donations.

The Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Extension Act of 2009 was reintroduced by U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., June 22 to promote charitable food contributions by American farmers and ranchers. The current bill is set to expire in December.

"Despite the wealth of our country, affordable food prices and ongoing government food assistance programs, some people still have difficulty purchasing food for a proper diet," said AFBF President Bob Stallman in a letter to Congress.

America’s recession is further encouraging the bill’s passage, as the nation’s food banks report a 30-percent increase in need.

Only farmers and ranchers who use the accrual method of accounting may benefit from incentives for charitable donations of food. Bill supporters believe that an amended tax system with increased deductions could incite farmers to offer more of their surplus product to Americans in need. According to the California Farm Bureau Federation, the bill proposal increases the valuation to full market value of the donation and makes this provision a permanent part of the Internal Revenue Code.

"It has been my experience that farmers generally make the donation of food out of their desire to support their communities and the less fortunate, and any enhanced deduction was not the primary motivation of such a contribution," said Jim Bates, Fowler Packing Co. chief of financial operations and committee chair of Community Food Bank in Fresno, California. "The legislation does make it easier for farmers to take such an enhanced deduction and will result in increased donations of food should the bill pass."

Stallman concurs with Bates’ sentiment and notes the established benevolence of America’s farming community but believes more opportunity exists, “Many more would donate if they were able to bear the costs of harvesting, processing and transportation.”

The bill currently resides with the Committee on Finance.

Farm Share, a nonprofit organization based in Florida, recovers food that has been rejected in the retail sector because of minor imperfections and delivers excess food to social-service agencies throughout the eastern U.S. The organization asserts that its efforts “saves the farmers the added expense of disposal fees and related labor costs. In addition, field productivity is increased, sales are potentially increased as a result of product exposure, and food is donated and distributed to needy people without interfering with normal marketing channels.”

Feeding America, a nationwide network of member food banks, is America’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. The organization provides tax breaks to corporate partners and details how entities can become involved. AFBF is an industry advocate of this aid organization.

To learn more and to voice your opinion about the bill, visit http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s1313/actions_votes.

Would farmers respond to further tax breaks or is more motivation necessary? Should Congress consider similar legislation for other industry groups such as meatpacking companies and food processors and distributors? Should the federal government provide additional support to organizations such as Farm Share and Feeding America?