Oneonta pitches health
Oneonta pitches health
Given the right set of circumstances, children and adults will make the kind of fresh food choices that pave the way for a healthy lifestyle. Dan Wohlford, national marketing representative for Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers, said the company actively promotes the kind of messaging that helps consumers of all ages work toward this goal.
He was asked about the biggest factor hindering children from eating their fruits and veggies, and how Oneonta works to overcome this barrier. “I think that fresh fruits and vegetables need to be in front of kids more, something that is always an offering when its time to snack,” he said. “We are a nation of snackers now. The sit-down family meal is becoming less frequent. And I think, that given the choice, kids have heard the importance of eating right and will choose the fruit and vegetables.”
The company’s snaQ program, which promotes apples, pears, cherries and stone fruit, is an excellent example of a campaign which promotes healthful eating. “That’s why the content of ‘the perfect snack for school * home * work * play’ is on our point-of-sale material. Kids like to see the graphics. However, the parents will read the content and that will stick with them,” he noted.
This season, Oneonta has developed a bin sleeve that slides over standard tri-wall bins for use with its applesnaQ School Bus and Kids graphics. “This gives retailers flexibility to re-use the sleeve whenever they are merchandising from a larger bin,” he explained. “Much of our point-of-sale material … and even our videos found on our website www.oneonta.com are geared toward kids.”
Oneonta is a sponsor of Tour de Fresh 2015. Kurt Hubbart, a member of the company’s sales team, will again ride at this year’s event. Proceeds will be donated to help achieve a goal of getting over 100 salad bars in schools across the nation in time for the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit in Atlanta in October.
