Social Media Campaign to Help California Food Banks

CA GROWN has launched a social media campaign aimed at helping feed the state’s hungry. For every photo of a California grown or produced food or beverage posted with the hashtag #CAGrown, CA GROWN will donate a pound of food to a California food bank. California provides the nation with 90 percent of their produce, and yet over 3.7 million adult Californians experienced food insecurity in 2009 according to the California Health Interview Survey. The hashtag promotion was launched at Ag Day at the State Capitol in Sacramento in March. “We created this program to help raise the awareness about the importance of buying food grown locally, while at the same time providing that locally grown food to those in our community in need,” said Nick Matteis, executive director of the Buy California Marketing Agreement, which manages CA GROWN. CA GROWN is partnering with the California Farm Bureau Federation’s (CFBF) Young Farmers and Ranchers to help coordinate the donations. “We are very excited about our partnership with CA GROWN and expanding our annual contributions to food banks through the Feeding America Harvest for All program,” said Kevin Robertson, chairman of the CFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee. Californians can participate by posting photos of meals at restaurants, or of anything grown or produced in California. CA GROWN also encourages people to take a picture with any products labeled CA GROWN, such as grapes, strawberries, eggs, flowers, etc. The campaign, which will run through October 31 will culminate in food donations at local food banks. Hashtags will only be counted on accounts that do not have a privacy block. “It’s heartwarming to see the photos that people are posting on social media, it’s especially great to see young people getting involved,” said Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross. To view some of the photos, use #CAGrown to search Twitter and Instagram. CA GROWN has also launched a blog, www.cagrownblog.com where you can find out more about the hashtag program. You can find CA GROWN on Facebook (search California Grown) or on Twitter and Instagram @cagrownofficial. The Buy California Marketing Agreement (BCMA) was formed in 1993 through a partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and commodity groups representing the state’s agriculture industry. The purpose of BCMA is to emphasize our strong ties to the land and to our neighbors; to take pride in our homegrown products and our work; and to support our economy and our Californian way of life.