Bogs Footwear has donated $10,000 to support a regional marketing campaign that aims to increase consumer awareness and patronage of farmers markets throughout the Willamette Valley.
The Portland Farmers Market, with help from a grant from the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and other sponsors including Bogs, spearheaded the campaign starring actual local farmers wearing Bogs signature waterproof, durable footwear. The In Local We Love ad campaign will begin running on radio, billboards and online this week and run through September.
Bogs has a long-standing relationship with Oregons farmers as we began making our boots to withstand the demanding conditions on the farm over a decade ago, said Bill Combs, president and founder of Bogs Footwear. We are constantly inspired by the passion and dedication local farmers bring to their jobs 24/7, 365 days a year and are proud to support this campaign to benefit Oregons farmers.
We are so thankful to the family of farmers markets and corporate partners that contributed to this effort. We believe this campaign can have a lasting impact on the region, said Trudy Toliver, Executive Director of Portland Farmers Market, who recently was awarded the Alumni Award for Sustainability by Portland State University’s Institute for Sustainable Solutions.
While farmers markets are a primary direct sales outlet for many farmers of edible specialty crops, only a small part of the population buys their vegetables, fruit, nuts and herbs at farmers markets. The campaign encourages new shoppers to visit the markets, enhances loyalty in regular shoppers and promotes the health, environmental and economic benefits of consuming locally grown farm fresh food.
Oregon Agriculture Department Director Katy Coba added, “A vast majority of Oregon agriculture is based on specialty crops, and the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program helps our farmers succeed by increasing the demand for the crops they grow. We hope these funds help celebrate our farmers, boost the sale of specialty crops in the Willamette Valley, and potentially increase the servings of Oregon fruits and vegetables consumed by market shoppers. As demand increases, our farmers can reliably diversify and expand their specialty crop production, attend more and larger markets, and ultimately prosper.”
Bogs participation in the campaign was the perfect opportunity to sustain momentum the brand has garnered with the independent farming community, said David Cook, marketing director for Bogs Footwear. Our boots are put to the test every day by the independent farmers who bring us locally grown, fresh-from-the-farm food that is vital to our communities. So were grateful for the opportunity to give back to these hard-working folks.
In 2012, Bogs embarked on a national farmers market tour, in which the outdoor brand sponsored more than 100 independent farmers at local farmers markets throughout Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and New York.
