Washington Grown television program set to launch on PBS

The success of Washington Grown continues to expand. Following a successful program launch in October on Northwest Cable News (NWCN), Washington Grown will also be available on Eastern Washington PBS stations starting in January. Beginning Jan. 6, the 30-minute program launches on KSPS (Spokane) and other PBS affiliates. Washington Grown will air on PBS Mondays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. It will also continue to air statewide on NWCN through June on Sundays at 12 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Plans for a second season are already underway to air in October 2014.

The show blends education of farms with a foodie flare, which should appeal to the state’s food conscious consumers. The program features area restaurants, bakeries and other food-related places and programs. The goal is to connect the food we eat with the farmers who grow it, and educate consumers about how food is grown in the state. Each episode shares stories about Washington’s food scene and highlights our state’s farmers who raise it. The show has featured prominent figures such as famed restaurateur Tom Douglas and Governor Jay Inslee, as well as behind the scenes peeks at places such as Dick’s Hamburgers in Spokane and Centerplate Catering at a Seattle Mariners game.

Washington Grown is a project of the Washington Farmers & Ranchers coalition, which is made up of farm groups throughout the state including Washington State Potato Commission, Washington Friends of Farms & Forests, Washington State Seed Potato Commission, Washington Wheat Foundation and Washington Association of Wheat Growers. The Washington Grain Commission also provides funding.

Over the years, the American public has grown increasingly separated from the farm. Because of this, many terms, such as “family farms,” “corporate farming” and “sustainable practices” have been re-defined by a small segment of agriculture and consumer organizations.

In the spring of 2012, the Washington State Potato Commission and the Washington Association of Wheat Growers agreed to stand together and fund a united public education program. The goal is simple: to rebuild trust between farmers and consumers. The groups are doing this under the broad and flexible coalition called Washington Farmers & Ranchers (WFR). The number of agricultural partners in the coalition is growing and the creative partners include Magner Sanborn, Zipline Interactive and North by Northwest Productions.

Through this united effort, the hope is to enhance consumer’s understanding about the food grown in the state. It is the belief that while teaching consumers about food, they are learning about farms. While the average consumer does not have farming on the forefront of their minds, food choices are dominating their time.