Situation

Food is incredibly personal. With each bite, consumers impact their personal health, their children’s health and the long-term health of the planet. That explains why consumers today, especially young parents, are hungry for information about how their food is grown. They want to make informed choices but sifting through the barrage of “truths” can be frustrating. Recognizing farmers – those who actually grow the food – are missing as a source of information, Illinois’ commodity and farm organizations band together to bring this valuable perspective to consumers’ food and farming questions. With real farmer voices and grassroots involvement leading the way, we launch the Illinois Farm Families (IFF) program.

Objective

Increase Chicago-area parents’ farm-to-table IQ and build trust in Illinois farmers and their farming practices.

Approach

We conduct consumer research to help prescribe two high-impact strategies featuring young farm families who engage directly with millennial parents about their top food concerns: transparency about how food is grown and the environmental impact.
• Your Farm-to-Food Connection offers firsthand farm experiences and WatchUsGrow.org, a credible resource to help parents and those that influence them navigate their food journey by providing valuable and timely information directly from farmers
• Innovation Grows Here™ (IGH) demonstrates how Illinois farmers are part of the solution to some of society’s environmental challenges

Results

In the 10+ years since IFF began, farmers now are redefining the conversation about food and farming. Known as a flagship model, IFF shares farmers’ values and perspectives in ways that resonate with consumers and build trust in farmers. According to recent benchmark audience research:

7X more knowledgeable 90% trust farmers 1,000+ influencer connections