Many Consider ‘California Grown’

I believe your article [“Some Farmers Are Skeptical of Ads for State’s Produce,” Aug. 23] concerning the “California Grown” advertising campaign left the impression that most agricultural producers believe the program will be ineffective in the promotion of our products.

As a table grape producer with direct foreign competition, I feel a campaign directed at promoting California-grown products will be useful.

The idea that consumers do not care where their produce comes from is not supported by research done by virtually every commodity board. It also is not supported by the actions taken by almost every importing group when they vehemently opposed the country-of-origin legislation recently passed at the federal level.

Most consumers do know, as the governor pointed out in your article, that California does have the most stringent environmental health standards, and helping consumers identify California products with advertising and in-store signage will be helpful.

Blaine Carian

Vice President

Desert Fresh Inc.

Coachella

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Gray Davis states, “You know how stringent our environmental health standards are. No one else has the high standards we have.”

Could there possibly be any correlation between this and the fact that our products cost more than products grown elsewhere?

Joe Sykora

Woodland Hills