PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release
March 9, 2006 www.agr.ne.gov		Contact: Christin Kamm (402) 471-6856

KEARNEY - Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Greg Ibach today announced the availability of two new marketing tools to help raise the profile of the state's agriculture products. Ibach made the announcement at the 18th Annual Governor's Ag Conference in Kearney.

The two new tools are the Nebraska Our Best to You fresh fruit and vegetable marketing model and the Proud to Buy Nebraska marketing logo.

"Both will shine a spotlight on the quality products raised by our Nebraska farmers and ranchers," Ibach said. "However, each effort has a distinct audience and overall purpose."

The Nebraska Our Best to You fresh fruit and vegetable marketing model has been in development for over a year. NDA used a federal United States Department of Agriculture grant to take an in-depth look at what fresh produce growers need in order to expand their marketplace. Among the project goals was the development of new ways to educate consumers about the availability of fresh, locally grown produce.

To achieve this goal, a Nebraska Our Best to You Marketing Kit has been developed.

"This is a do-it-yourself kit for anyone that sells fresh fruit and vegetables. The informational and marketing pieces found in the kit will be helpful to growers with roadside stands or U-pik operations," Ibach said. "The materials also might be valuable to operations that already work through a farmers market."

The kit includes a marketing plan, a Nebraska Our Best to You logo, and professionally designed newspaper or magazine advertisements that producers can customize for placement in local media outlets. It also includes logo-embossed bags and information cards.

The introduction of the full kit follows a limited introduction of the marketing plan late last summer. The Department has received some positive feedback from that initial introduction. Tom Wilcox, manager of the North Platte Farmers' Market, said he reviewed the plan and has implemented parts of it.

"I have found it very informative and useful," Wilcox said of the produce marketing plan. "I intend to try to implement additional changes to our farmers' market throughout the year based on suggestions in the plan. My goal is to increase the number of customers visiting our market and help them realize the value of our products."

The Proud to Buy Nebraska marketing logo, also introduced at the Governor's Ag Conference, is designed to bolster the profile of Nebraska's agriculture products in the international marketplace.

"We have heard time and again from customers that Nebraska agricultural goods represent consistent quality," Ibach said. "They want to call attention to the fact they are selling a Nebraska product. This logo allows them to do that while creating brand recognition for Nebraska."

The logo features the "Proud to Buy Nebraska" statement along with a patriotic star and stripes theme.

"It's versatile and doesn't highlight a specific product so that it can be used to promote all Nebraska products, from beef to pork to popcorn to dry edible beans," Ibach said.

Ibach said the logo also can be used on products sold domestically. It will be made available to businesses that market Nebraska agriculture products, as well as customers who purchase those products.

Logos for the Nebraska Our Best to You program and the Proud to Buy Nebraska program can be viewed on-line at www.agr.ne.gov. For additional information on either of these efforts, contact NDA at 800-831-0550. For the Nebraska Our Best to You Marketing Kit, ask for the Ag Promotion and Development Division. For the Proud to Buy Nebraska logo, ask for Stan Garbacz, Agricultural Trade Representative for NDA.

Members of the media interested in downloading the logos for use in printed publications, please contact NDA Public Information Officer Christin Kamm at ckamm@agr.ne.gov or (402) 440-7251.

Nebraska Our Best to You Logo     Proud to Buy Nebraska Logo