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March
30, 2005 In 2004, mainstream media taught us a lot about the foods we eat — and we’re still learning in 2005. We learned that food borne illnesses like mad cow disease can easily penetrate our food supply. We learned that consuming mainly processed foods has created a nation of unhealthy, overweight and obese children and adults. We learned that, for the first time in 50 years, the U.S. stands to become a net importer of foods. What we didn’t learn from the media was the link that exists between the loss of more than 300 family farmers per week and the problems that exist within our food system. We heard very little about what consumers can do to ensure the food they buy is fresh and healthy. Farm Aid would like your support in teaching your listeners about the ways they can take more control over their food. Farmer’s markets are a great place to find out more about the food you eat and about the family farmers who grow that food. And what many of your listeners might not know is that farmer’s markets are starting their season now. You can visit www.farmaid.org to see a list of farmer’s markets in your area. Keeping family farmers on their land and making sure people have access to farmer’s markets are essential to protecting our environment and guaranteeing that we have a future of fresh, healthy, local foods. For 20 years, Farm Aid has maintained its mission to ensure a future where family farmers continue to grow good food and farmer’s markets thrive. But Farm Aid needs your help. Food buyers — your listeners — can easily support family farmers every day by thinking about the ways they spend their food dollars. By airing either of our 60-second PSAs, or by asking your announcer to read our 60-, 30- or 15-second PSA script, listeners will learn how to buy with a conscience and support local farms. Teaching your listeners to support local farmer’s markets as a way to preserve access to fresh, healthy, local foods will support Farm Aid’s mission to keep family farmer’s on their land. Accompanying this email is Farm Aid’s PSA package that includes one 60-second PSA featuring Willie Nelson, one 60-second PSA featuring Neil Young (MP3 formats) and PSA scripts for our 60-, 30- and 15-second live read PSAs. In the coming week, Farm Aid will send an electronic questionnaire to find out how your station plans to use the PSAs. If you have a problem with this package, or if you need the information in a different format, please contact Brandi Dobbins at 703.307.8891 or at bdobbins@vancomm.com. If you have any questions, please contact me at mark@farmaid.org or at 617.354.2922. Thank you in advance for your support. Together we can make Farm Aid’s 20th anniversary and all of 2005 a time to help family farmers and our local-food systems prosper. Sincerely, |