"California Grown" Debuts New Video & Recipe Series Featuring Farmers, Locally Grown Products

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- "California Grown" is delivering a new, fresh-from-the-farm video and recipe series highlighting the real people and real stories behind some of California's favorite agricultural products. The videos are part of an ongoing effort to help connect the state's consumers with the who, what, where, when and why of the Golden State's fruit, vegetable and flower production.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111103/CG99526)

"By visually and virtually connecting consumers with the people and stories behind California's specialty crops, it helps to instill pride in California grown products," said Maile Shanahan Geis, BCMA Executive Director. "We hope it will also inspire people to think about and support these hard-working families – and the overall California economy – by looking for and buying locally grown products the next time they shop."

In the videos, farmers share what inspired them to enter the agricultural field; what motivates them every day and why they feel it's important to buy California grown products. The videos are available at californiagrown.org/farmers. The site also houses recipes that feature each crop, some of which are personal recipes straight from the growers themselves. The California growers and products currently highlighted include:

• Avocado grower Alex MacLachlan of Home Orchard in Bonsall
• Cut flower grower Janet Louie of Green Valley Floral in Salinas
• Cherry farmer Dean Devine of DC Devine, Lodi Cherry & Highson Cherry in Lodi
• Kiwi farmer Jasbir Singh Kullar of Kullar Farms in Gridley
• Pear farmer Virginia Hemly Chhabra of Greene & Hemly, Inc. in Courtland

MacLachlan is as passionate about California as he is about the quality of his avocados. "I get to grow something special – the quintessential California fruit that has huge cultural significance," he said. "And, I get to live in a beautiful setting to boot, in geography that gives us a huge advantage in quality and freshness."

He acknowledged that globalization has changed the way consumers buy their produce, but he's happy to tell his story to help personalize the state's agricultural industry.

"By connecting real people and real stories with our products, California can lead the way in rebuilding and restoring what it truly means to be 'California Grown'," he said.

About the Buy California Marketing Agreement and the "California Grown" Program

The Buy California Marketing Agreement (BCMA) is a joint effort of agricultural industry groups representing the products of California's farms and ranches. Working as an advisory board to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, BCMA brings together industry and government resources to increase the awareness, consumption and value of California agricultural products, helping the state's consumers enjoy the best of the California lifestyle.

The following California agricultural organizations are partners in this effort:
California Asparagus Commission
California Avocado Commission
California Cherry Advisory Board
California Kiwi Commission
California Cut Flower Commission
California Pear Advisory Board
California Table Grape Commission

For more information, visit www.californiagrown.org.  

SOURCE "California Grown"

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