“They just don’t understand what we do!”

How often have you heard or felt this and expressed frustration about how misinformation and misunderstandings about how we farm, the production decisions we make and our practices become commonplace among consumers?

We see inaccurate claims all over social media.  But how do we combat it?  By joining the conversation and showing what we do up close and personal.

This is precisely the reason the Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF) conducts an annual tour for media contributors and social influencers.  Our tour guest alumni reach millions of consumers through their articles, social posts, websites, blogs, books and podcasts every week.

And they are credible with consumers because they are registered dietitians/nutritionists.  In a recent AFF survey, 70% of consumers stated that RD/nutritionists are trusted information sources when it comes to food safety and pesticide residues. The survey also shows consumers trust farmers. When asked: “How confident are you in each of the following groups when it comes to protecting food safety,” farmers ranked highest with 76% of respondents expressing confidence in them.

When credible spokespersons are joined together, that message becomes even more powerful among consumers, which is why these tours have become such a successful tactic for the AFF over the last several years.

The 2023 Safe Fruits and Veggies Farm Tour will take place from August 21 to August 23 on California’s Monterey Peninsula and will feature leafy greens and berry crops as well as highlight tech innovations on farms and in processing facilities.

This year’s tour guests are contributors to the Today Show, Good Morning America, New York Times, Washington Post, ABC News, Shape, Parents, Martha Stewart, Eating Well,  Food Network, Self, Prevention, People and CNN, among others.  In addition to their significant reach in mainstream media, they have millions of combined followers on social media.

The AFF’s list of tour guests include: Mascha Davis, Maya Feller, Amy Gorin, Rachel Hartley, Malina Malkani, Andrea Mathis, Marisa Moore, Kylie Sakaida and Lauren Twigge.

The AFF extends sincere thanks to the sponsors who are making this tour possible including California Giant Berry Farms, the California Strawberry Commission, the Grower Shipper Association of Central California, Earthbound Farms, the International Fresh Produce Association, Taylor Farms and Western Growers Association.  Sponsor representatives will participate in all aspects of the tour to provide their expertise and information to the AFF guests.

To help advance the AFF’s mission of providing credible, science-based information, Dr. Trevor Suslow, Extension Research Specialist Emeritus, UC Davis, and Dr. Carl Winter, Extension Food Toxicologist Emeritus, UC Davis, will also be joining the tour so guests have access to their food safety, regulatory and toxicology knowledge throughout the experience.

The credibility and authenticity of farmers is a significant advantage in achieving the goal of supporting and advocating for consumer choice in the produce aisle and combating misinformation.  The care, passion and commitment of farmers to provide safe and healthy produce is on full display during these tours and our guests leave with indelible impressions with lasting impacts.

They don’t understand what we do?  The AFF’s mission is to help change that and you can help by sharing social posts by the AFF and our guests as they tour farms and facilities on August 22 and 23. #safefruitsandveggies @safeproduce.

Learn more about the AFF, our work and how to join here.