Convention is July 14-15

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Farm News Director

The California Agriculture in the Classroom will hold their 2017 Conference at the Visalia Convention Center this week, and the keynote speaker will be Lori Taylor, CEO and Founder of The Produce Mom. The event is July 14 -15 and will focus on ways to educate children about food and agriculture.

Taylor is speaking during lunch on Friday (12:30 to 1:30). She is also hosting the Taste of California BBQ Dinner (held at FoodLink in Exeter) that night.

And Example of The Produce Moms Produce Challenge Calendar

The event is inspired by Visalia 6th grade teacher, Julie Cates, who was recognized in 2015 as Outstanding Educator of the Year by California Ag in the Classroom for utilization of The Produce Mom’s produce challenge. Lori Taylor, The Produce Mom, is based in Indianapolis.

“We utilized my brand’s produce challenge calendar and turned it into a classroom tool to help promote fruits and vegetables, agriculture as a whole, and then also we created a platform that can tie in the academic standards from the common core method,” Taylor said.

“It’s been a lot of fun working with Julie Cates. It’s just been a true joy working with her and realizing how applicable the work that we do at The Produce Mom is for the households and the audience that we’re engaging with online on a daily basis,” Taylor said.

“Hundreds of thousands of women all across the United States are part of our audience. It’s great to see that some of the assets that we use on social media to engage in those dialogues with consumers also have a great place and application in the classroom setting and can be used as an educational tool,” she noted.

Taylor said it is going to be a lot of fun to address all of the attendees at California Ag in the Classroom’s annual convention. “It’s a real honor to be asked to speak. My business has been well-supported by many California growers.

Taylor said she looks forward to this opportunity to share more insight about her passion for California agriculture, as well as the multitude of tools available for educators, not only through The Produce Mom but also several of our fresh produce brands and growers, many of which are from right there in California. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” she said.

For more information go to: learnaboutag.org