The Alliance for Food and Farming just hosted its third “Facts, Not Fears” Produce Safety Media Tour.  The main objective of these tours is to share science based information about the safety of organic and conventional fruits and veggies and providing our guests with a firsthand look at how we farm and the care and commitment farmers take when growing these healthy foods.

But, after three years, what is clear is that the other equally important objective is learning from these health and nutrition writers about how we can better communicate with consumers and reassure them about the safety of all produce.

As Tim York, president of Markon, tour co-host and AFF Chair says, “All of us walk away learning so much from our tour guests.”

Everyone involved in growing and distributing fruits and veggies to consumers takes great pride in what they are doing.  Who wouldn’t?  We are providing consumers with the only food group health experts and nutritionists agree we should all eat more of everyday.  But while we are busy growing and working hard so consumers receive high quality produce, we sometimes forget to share how we do this.  What goes into growing these crops, the amount of planning and logistics involved, the care taken to adhere to all the laws and regulations governing food safety, worker safety and environmental protection and that every action has a reaction that a farmer must adjust to.

One message that our tour guests kept reiterating is how much consumers love to hear directly from farmers.  They encouraged more interviews with farmers (podcasts and blogs), lots of videos featuring farmers and more tours with influencers so we can expand our consumer reach through their efforts.  Many companies and organizations are taking these steps to tell the story of farmers and farming.   But can we do better and more? We acknowledge that the AFF can always do better.  Can we do more? We have certainly been inspired to try.

Our guests will be posting new blogs about their experiences during the “Facts, Not Fears” tour so stay tuned for their perspectives coming soon, which will likely provide more insightful takeaways on consumer outreach.

The 2019 tour guests included: Carrie Dennett (Nutrition by Carrie), Melissa Joy Dobbins (Sound Bites, Inc), Keri Gans, (The Keri Report),  Alexis Joseph (Hummusapien), Heather Mangieri (Heather Mangieri Nutrition), Anne Mauney (fANNEtasticfood), Sharon Palmer (The Plant Powered Dietitian), and Liz Weiss (Liz’s Healthy Table).  In addition to their own blogs, this group provides content and articles to media outlets including, Washington Post, Today’s Dietitian, Shape Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, Seattle Times, Dr. Oz, Sirius XM’s Dr. Radio program, CNN, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Glamour, Health Magazine,  LA Times and Prevention, among others. The tour participants’ social media properties also reach thousands of followers each day.

The AFF would like to extend our sincere thanks to our tour co-host Markon Cooperative as well as our tour sponsors:  California Giant Berry Farms, the California Strawberry Commission, First Fruits Marketing, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and the Produce Marketing Association.