SALINAS, CA -- The Nunes Co. Inc., marketer of "Foxy" brand vegetables, is launching a campaign featuring consumer television advertising to promote the care and quality of its "Foxy" vegetable items.

The consumer advertising campaign features a 30-second spot that will run through November in selected U.S. markets. The commercial, "Our Family Farm," highlights the beauty of California's Salinas Valley while promoting the care and quality the Nunes family puts behind "Foxy" brand vegetables.

The commercial also speaks of the four generations of Nunes family members who have grown "Foxy" vegetables. The Nunes Co. President Tom Nunes Jr. appears as spokesperson for the company's vegetable line, telling viewers, "Our family farm is your farm ... and has been for 60 years." The tag line, "Foxy Vegetables: Taste the Freshness," closes the spot, including information about the company's web site (www.foxy.com).

The consumer advertising campaign will have two separate flight dates: November 2006 and February 2007. The first flight will be seen by viewers in New York City; Boston; Harrisburg, PA; Greenville, SC; Albany, NY; and Buffalo, NY.

Markets for the second flight are still being determined. The spots will air on ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates in each market, with an emphasis on reaching women aged 25-54. Among the programs during which the commercial will appear are "Good Morning America," "Today Show," "Oprah" and "The View," as well as local news and several prime-time programs.

As well as promoting its "Foxy" line, the ad spot promotes the fresh produce industry in the Salinas Valley and beyond.

The ad campaign follows on the heels of an E. coli scare -- which turned out to be a false alarm -- involving The Nunes Co. The company issued a voluntary recall Oct. 8 for certain heads of green leaf lettuce after it discovered that water used to irrigate the lettuce might have been contaminated with E. coli. Tests later proved negative for E. coli 0157:H7, the strain that brought the fresh spinach industry to a nationwide halt stemming from events dating back to mid-September. The water tested positive for harmless "generic" E. coli.

Following the E. coli scare, Mr. Nunes had said that The Nunes Co. would work hard to help the Salinas Valley agricultural community restore its recently tarnished image. This commercial is evidence of that effort.

"We added insult to injury and we need to make up for it," Mr. Nunes said in explaining the ad campaign. Matt Seeley, the company's vice president of marketing and brand management, said that in addition to the 30-second TV ads, 60-second radio spots are being planned.

The Nunes Co. has produced numerous commercials as part of its ongoing consumer-marketing program that began in 1989. Most of the production work for the commercials is done in-house, Mr. Nunes said. The Nunes Co. said in a press release that it has spent more than $20 million promoting "Foxy" brand vegetables to consumers throughout the country via consumer advertising.

Mr. Nunes said that the company has very supportive and loyal partners in retail, wholesale and foodservice, as well as a strong following for "Foxy" products by consumers, especially in the northeastern United States.

"More than ever, consumers need to know the care and attention to quality that our industry puts into producing healthy, safe and nutritious fresh produce," Mr. Nunes said.

"The fresh produce industry has the greatest products in the world to market to consumers and we need to actively promote them." He added that the "biggest challenge we face to the health of the American public is that consumers are not eating enough fresh produce."

The commercial has been available for viewing since Thursday, Nov. 9, at www.foxy.com.