From the Chairman: Testimony and Reports

National Fruits & Veggies—More Matters® Month has arrived and autumn isn’t far behind. This year PBH has been focused on spreading the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters message to consumers far and wide (and encouraging donors to as well!) in our continuing efforts to increase consumption. We’ve come a long way since launching the new health initiative in 2007. To see just how far we’ve come, take a look at PBH’s Mid-Year Report. Copies of this report are on their way to your mailbox now.

It is no secret that we have a childhood obesity epidemic in America. But our products, healthy fruits and vegetables, have a large part to play in solving this problem. In my capacity as Vice President of Marketing for Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce and as Chairman of PBH, I was able to present testimony before USDA/FNS at the 2009 Child Nutrition Reauthorization Listening Sessions, August 6, 2008, in San Francisco, Calif.

While there I recommended the following priorities for the 2009 Nutrition Reauthorization on behalf of the Produce for Better Health Foundation:
1.  Increase the reimbursement rate for school meals, tied specifically to serving more fruits and vegetables in school lunch/breakfast programs consistent with the Dietary Guidelines. 

2.  Establish a national policy goal that every school has a salad bar in their cafeteria. 
 
3.  Additionally, provide funding for non-food assistance grants to help schools purchase equipment, such as refrigeration and salad bars, to help schools realistically be able to serve more fruits and vegetables.

4.  Require USDA to dramatically increase commodity purchases of fruits and vegetables for schools, especially more fresh and fresh cut fruits and vegetables.
   
5.  Increase funding for the DOD Fresh Program, or a comparable USDA or private sector fresh produce delivery program to schools.

6.  Increase funding to expand nutrition education in the classroom.
 
I encourage all of you to follow this link to read a transcript of the letter I presented.

Programs like the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program have proven that students like fruits and vegetables and increase their consumption when high quality, great tasting fruits and vegetables are made available to them in school. There can be no higher priority than improving the healthfulness of school meals and the nourishment of our nation’s children. Making more fruits and vegetable and salad bars available to students, providing schools with the financial resources to handle and serve fresh fruits and vegetables, and offering nutrition education to help build long-term, healthy eating habits will make a real difference!

Mark Munger, Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce

Fruits & Veggies Snack Program Expands to All States

On Aug. 6, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released $49 million to expand the school fruit and vegetable snack program to all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. This funding will allow at least one elementary school in every state to receive money to serve children free fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks. This legislation expands upon the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, which had provided produce to 25 schools and 3 Indian reservation schools in 14 states. This expansion is the result of years of lobbying work by produce industry leaders.

The Farm Bill made $40 million available for expanding this program in the upcoming school year, 2008-2009; adding in the $9 million dollars which had already been allocated for the program’s original 14 states this year, that brings the allocation total to $49 million. The Farm Bill also provides for the future, setting aside $65 million for 2009-10, $101 million for 2010-11, and $150 million for 2011-12. According to the USDA, future funds will be indexed for inflation and schools may apply for funding to operate the program on an annual basis. Funding for this program will provide fruits and vegetables for 1 million children this year and 3 million two years from now. This program focuses on the neediest students.

For more information on the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, including the total allocation per state for school year 2008-2009, view the USDA website.

Celebrate National Fruits & Veggies—More Matters Month

There’s still time to celebrate National Fruits & Veggies—More Matters® Month! PBH and Fruits & Veggies—More Matters licensees have big plans for the month-long celebration and need the involvement of every donor to ensure maximum impact on the minds of consumers to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Check out all the resource materials PBH offers to licensees online. The “Take Your Child to the Supermarket” event guide and the “Supermarket School Tour Kit” are perfect for great kid-centric events, while PBH’s new “Get Smart Tips” and “Research Statistic Fact Sheets” will help with store marketing and in-store education.

The "Take Your Child to the Supermarket" program is a fun way for participating retailers to celebrate National Fruits & Veggies—More Matters Month and drive traffic to their stores at the same time. This series of fun, educational games and activities encourages parents to get involved in teaching their children about fruits and vegetables while familiarizing them with their favorite grocery retailer. Retailers simply select activities from the kit and then customize these materials with a store logo and address, dates and times, or any other related information. Retailers are encouraged to award prizes, as appropriate, to participating children. “Take Your Child to the Supermarket” promotions can also be held at various other times throughout the year as a way to enhance the shopping experience for parents and kids.

The new "Supermarket School Tour Kit" will help retailers currently offering store tours to local elementary school classes, as well as those who would like to begin doing so. It offers a variety of kid-friendly activities and includes simple lesson plans designed to help children learn about the importance of eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables daily. These materials are also customizable.

Make sure local teachers know about the “Take Your Child to the Supermarket” and “Supermarket School Tour” events to ensure their best chance for success. Also, talk with local teachers about “Crunch the Numbers” and www.FoodChamps.org and make sure they are aware of these wonderful FREE resources available for use in their classrooms. Consider the "Adopt-A-School Program" and the goodwill it could generate in the community. Interested companies or individuals could sponsor their nearest elementary or preschool. The outreach could expand each year by outfitting one additional school during National Fruits & Veggies—More Matters Month. Think of the impressions this would generate from stories in the local paper and on local television and radio stations from such a small investment!

Don’t forget about the three new “Get Smart Tips” category materials and PBH’s "Research Statistic Fact Sheets" available online as well. Use these tips and facts on in-store signage and in handouts that consumers can take home. Fall and winter Retail Toolkit marketing resources are also available for similar use. Although developed for suppliers, ideas and resources included in the Supplier Toolkit could be useful for retailers and others as well. Sign up for PBH’s Keeping Moms Informed newsletter and consider posting a sign encouraging employees and customers to do so as well. These suggestions will help all donors incorporate Fruits & Veggies—More Matters messaging into the workplace and encourage both customers and employees to eat more fruits and vegetables.

To access any of the free online marketing materials mentioned above, retailers must supply their username and password. For a reminder of this information, contact PBH Database Associate Allison Kissel. For more information about “Take Your Child to the Supermarket Day” or “Supermarket School Tour Kit” materials, read PBH’s Press Release, or contact PBH Senior Executive of Retail Marketing, Bryant Wynes.

State Fruit & Veggie Nutrition Coordinators Offer a Wealth of Knowledge and Influence

State Fruit & Veggie Nutrition Coordinators can have a huge influence in a community and can help spread the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters message. PBH encourages them to support Fruits & Veggies—More Matters messages by adding Fruits & Veggies—More Matters posters, signage, and brochures to public waiting areas and by linking to www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org from their website.

Here are some ways State Fruit & Veggie Nutrition Coordinators can help spread the word about Fruits & Veggies—More Matters. Encourage local farmer’s markets to use the outdoor Fruits & Veggies—More Matters banner and bookmarks to direct consumers to the website for recipes. Maintain contact with local media representatives and forward all Fruits & Veggies—More Matters related press releases to them. Talk with local schools about “Crunch the Numbers” materials, www.FoodChamps.org, and PBH’s “Adopt-A-School” opportunities. Think about including the consumer website address, tips, recipes, and other information on all outgoing correspondence, on business cards, on telephone hold messages, and in all speaking engagements. Fruits & Veggies—More Matters messages can be tailored to fit any audience! Don’t forget to let everyone know that easy, inexpensive tips, recipes, and shopping advice can be found on www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. This website also includes activities and tips for getting children involved and gives consumers the opportunity to share their own easy and fun serving ideas by submitting them online.  New content and enhancements are regularly added to the site to ensure that consumers are accessing the information needed to help them increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables. The Food Champs website for kids, www.FoodChamps.org, is part of the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters health initiative and was designed with children ages two through eight in mind. The website will educate and encourage kids to eat more fruits and veggies while they play games, fill in coloring pages, and enjoy other fun, online activities. This is another great resource for State Fruit & Veggie Nutrition Coordinators and one they can share with children.

States licensed to use the brand have access to all members’ only materials on this site. Just like all other licensees, State Fruit & Veggie Nutrition Coordinators can download and use all PBH’s online marketing materials such as the Retailer and Supplier Toolkits, the new "Supermarket School Tour Kit" and "Take Your Child to the Supermarket" program materials, PBH’s "Research Statistic Fact Sheets" and “Get Smart!” tips too.

Don’t forget about PBH’s Nutrition Education Catalog. It’s updated each year with new and retooled information and materials based on feedback received from customers. A special supplement is distributed each September to celebrate National Fruits & Veggies—More Matters Month.  Special discounts are available to all State Fruit & Veggie Nutrition Coordinators at various times throughout the year, so be sure to inquire when placing an order. The 2008 edition of the PBH catalog has been received by health professionals and educators across the nation. For more information, browse the catalog online now, or, to receive a catalog and the new catalog supplement in the mail, contact PBH Communications Specialist Jill LeBrasseur. 

Celebration of Life Reservations Now Available, Auction Items Needed

Time to mark your calendar and make your plans! The 2009 Celebration of Life! Dinner-Auction and Dance will take place in Monterey April 4, 2009, coinciding with PBH’s annual board and spring committee meetings. This black-tie optional evening begins with a cocktail reception, followed by a silent auction, gourmet dinner, then the live auction and dancing.

Space is limited, so book your reservations now – they are $360 each or $3,300 for a table of 10. You can also increase your visibility and support a great cause at the same time by donating a quirky, exotic, coveted, or just plain fun item for the live and silent auctions. All proceeds support PBH’s efforts to boost fruit and vegetable consumption. For more information about donating items or to purchase tickets, contact PBH Licensing & Partnership Manager Kathleen Ruf. Online registration is now available too!
 
Make plans now to attend PBH’s annual board and spring committee meetings April 2 – 4, 2009 at the beautiful bayside Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa. For more information on the meeting and events, contact PBH Executive Assistant Sharese Alston.

Sponsorship opportunities are now available for this meeting! Sponsors will be recognized in board meeting publications and on-site signage. If you would like to be a sponsor, contact PBH's Manager of Development Theresa Kaufmann.

Research Shows Kids Influence Fruit & Veggie Purchases More than Ads

In PBH’s 2008 custom survey of 1,000 Gen X Moms, 77 percent said that their children influence their fruit and vegetable purchasing decisions. However, in a straw poll conducted among visitors to www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org, when asked what influences their fruit and vegetable purchasing decisions, 37 percent of responders said sales/coupons, 34 percent said recipes, 21 percent said store display, and only 8 percent said advertising. The 2008 custom survey results seem to suggest that influencing kids to request the purchase of fruits and vegetables would be a more effective way to sell more produce to some moms than featuring weekly price specials in ad circulars. Yet, based on the straw poll results, moms don’t want to see the weekly sales and coupons offered in retail grocery ad circulars to go away either.

It seems that retailers’ efforts to entice children to try a new fruit or veggie, or call their attention to those they already know and like, should be just as consistent as their efforts to inform moms that one of her family’s favorites is in season, in stock, and on sale that week. This would indicate that point-of-sale signage designed to attract children to produce displays could drive increased sales. Kid-friendly recipes may also influence moms’ purchases, indicating they might be happy to find such recipes offered free with the purchase of some of the ingredients. Several kid-friendly recipes can be found online at www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org, and www.FoodChamps.org. Licensed retailers should feel free to print these recipes and offer them to their shoppers.

The Fruits & Veggies—More Matters health initiative and PBH are hard at work convincing moms and kids that fruits and vegetables are fun, tasty, and easy to fit into their lifestyles. Several opportunities exist to communicate these messages directly to children during National Fruits & Veggies—More Matters Month and all year long. The new "Supermarket School Tour Kit" and "Take Your Child to the Supermarket" program materials were designed to communicate the messages of infinite variety and good taste to the under-ten crowd in a retail environment, while the award-winning “Crunch the Numbers” program and the "Adopt-A-School Program" reach them in the classroom, and www.FoodChamps.org sends the message to kids on the Internet.

When asked how often they try a new fruit or vegetable, 40 percent of website visitors said once a year and 34 percent said once month, while 16 percent of moms said they NEVER try a new fruit or vegetable. Imagine the sales volume that could be created by convincing a family to try something new that then turns into a family favorite and thus a repeat purchase. The presence of educational signage informing customers how to select, store, and prepare fruits & veggies they might not be familiar with posted in the produce department could also increase sales volume. PBH makes just this type of information available to licensed retailers online and stores can always point customers in need of information and advice to the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters consumer website, www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org.

Supporting PBH is a crucial means of reaching the biggest influencer of the family’s main grocer shopper, her children. Put these new statistics to work for your business! For more information on how you can help support PBH, contact PBH's Manager of Development Theresa Kaufmann. For more information on these straw poll statistics, contact PBH Nutrition Research Manager Kathy Hoy, Ed.D., R.D.