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| ODA launches Oregon fruit & berry culinary promotion campaign | ||
| 11/18/2009 | ||
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The Oregon Department of Agriculture, working with the state's fruit and berry growers and processors, is launching a culinary marketing campaign thanks to federal funding through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The campaign's centerpiece will be the publishing of a privately-funded culinary cookbook highlighting Oregon fruits and berries. The combined effort will promote awareness of Oregon agriculture and associated fruit and berry products at a challenging time for the state's producers and processors. "We've seen a drop in production for several of our fruits and berries, and we'd like to turn that trend around," says Katy Coba, director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. "Oregonians know about the premium quality of our fruits and berries, but that reputation is not as well known outside the Pacific Northwest. Competition from other growing areas producing lower quality fruits and berries has reduced prices and cut profits for our industry. I'm hoping the culinary promotion campaign will revitalize our growers and processors while exposing many more consumers to the great taste of our high-value Oregon products." A marketing strategy will combine with a fruit and berry merchandising plan that features promotions and distribution with national retail partners such as Costco, Fred Meyer, Safeway, New Seasons, Whole Foods, and others. ODA will partner with Arnica Publishing and Creative Services of Portland on a coordinated effort that ties in with Arnica's established series of Oregon culinary cookbooks. Specialty crop funds in the amount of $50,000 will be used to pay for promotional material development, but the cookbook is solely a privately-funded project by Arnica that ODA will use as a selling point for the fruit and berry campaign. ODA and the industry believe the campaign can successfully increase the worldwide visibility and sales of Oregon fruits and berries as well as increase the number of consumers, chefs, and organizations that use them. For more information, contact Laura Barton at (503) 872-6600. |
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/ODA/docs/pdf/news/091118fruit_berry.pdf |
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