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Campaigning for Agriculture

Eight highly influential agricultural groups announced Monday that they have joined forces to create Home Grown, a new public information effort to educate Americans on the benefits of today's farmers and American farm policy.

Home Grown will demonstrate to American consumers that U.S. farming families provide 92% of America's food and fiber, the United States still enjoys the most affordable food and fiber products in the world, and today's farmers need existing federal policy to continue to provide these invaluable products.

"Home Grown is not just about farmers who grow wheat, cotton, rice, or any other single commodity," says Mark Gage, president of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG). "With the full spectrum of agriculture involved, we will be 2 million unified voices sharing the stories of modern-day farming families and the benefits they provide to our country."

Dee Vaughan, a Texas farmer and president of the National Corn Growers Association, says this cooperation will make the Home Grown campaign a success.

"We want to make sure people have the right picture in their minds about farming and agriculture," Vaughan says. "They need to know that food in America is the most affordable in the world thanks to a strong federal farm policy and the highly efficient way U.S. farmers work.

Americans need to know that farmers are stewards of the environment and current federal policy encourages environmentally friendly farming techniques. They need to know the small contribution of taxpayer dollars-about 4 cents per meal-support s a food and fiber industry that employs more than 20 million Americans."

Home Grown will conduct a wide variety of activities in the coming months in and outside of Washington, D.C. Members eventually plan to include other components, such as a program to educate school children in large cities, point-of-purchase educational materials, and a communications resource center for agricultural producers.

Home Grown welcomes corporate sponsorship and invites other groups to join in the effort to cultivate the recognition and respect America's farmers deserve.