California Cantaloupe Advisory Board launches consumer marketing with help from grant

August 18, 2026 Dinuba, CA — California cantaloupe growers have a unified goal this summer: convince a generation raised on smoothies, snack boards and TikTok food trends that cantaloupe deserves a permanent spot in their shopping carts.

To accomplish this, the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board (CCAB) has launched one of the industry’s most ambitious consumer marketing efforts to date – a high-energy campaign featuring social media content creators, engaging Instagram Reels, trending TikTok-style videos, paid digital advertising and authentic stories from the California farm families who grow the crop.

Backed by a Specialty Crop Block Grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the campaign represents a significant investment in building long-term consumer demand by reaching younger shoppers where they increasingly discover food trends and make purchasing decisions.

“Our objective isn’t simply to advertise cantaloupe,” said Garrett Patricio, chairman of the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board and Chief Operations Officer for Classic Fruit Company. “We’re working to change perceptions. We want younger shoppers to see cantaloupe as fresh, fun, healthy and something they actively seek out during the summer.”

This Isn’t Your Grandpa’s Produce Promotion
Instead, of nutrition facts and recipe brochures, consumers are seeing quick-cut videos filmed in cantaloupe fields, harvest crews explaining how melons are grown, content creators demonstrating easy ways to cut fruit, humorous skits, viral recipes and authentic moments with California farm families.

Unlike traditional produce promotions, the campaign blends humor, quick-cut videos, farm tours, harvest footage, recipe inspiration and practical tips for selecting, cutting and enjoying fresh cantaloupe.

The campaign is already making headway with impressions, video views, link clicks and engagement all up by between 700 percent to over 2,000 percent higher than what was achieved through last season’s marketing campaign.

“We’re making cantaloupe part of the summer conversation,” said Marilyn Freeman, president of Sacramento-based Farmers Communication Exchange, which directs the campaign. “Consumers today want authentic stories, entertaining content and a connection to the people who grow their food. That’s exactly what this campaign delivers.”

Real Growers. Real Stories. Real Farms.
Authenticity is central to the campaign. Real California growers appear throughout the videos, opening their farms during harvest and introducing consumers to the people behind the fruit.

“People connect with people,” Freeman said. “When consumers meet the families growing California cantaloupes, the fruit becomes much more than something sitting in the produce department.”

“Even during one of the busiest times of the year, California cantaloupe growers enthusiastically opened their farms and invited us to capture their harvest,” Freeman said. “That authenticity is impossible to manufacture, and it’s exactly what resonates with younger consumers.”

Retailers Join the Effort
The consumer campaign extends beyond social media. Regional grocery retailers throughout the western United States are participating through online shopping promotions, digital advertising, point-of-sale materials and retailer social media channels designed to amplify the campaign’s reach.

“California experienced a slower start to the season because of limited early supplies,” Patricio said. “Now that harvest is in full swing, retailers have an excellent opportunity to promote California cantaloupes through September while consumer interest continues to build.”

A Collaborative Marketing Effort
Farmers Communication Exchange, which has served as the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board’s marketing agency for more than a decade, developed the overall marketing strategy, secured grant funding, manages the campaign across multiple platforms and assembled a team of creative partners specializing in social media, video production and digital marketing.

Video production is led by Fresno-based Backstory Creative, while a team of Gen Z content creators develops original social media content specifically designed to engage younger consumers.

“Our role has been to bring together the right partners, secure the resources and build a campaign that reflects the energy and passion of California’s cantaloupe industry,” Freeman said. “Ultimately, the success belongs to the growers who embraced a fresh approach and opened their farms to help tell their stories.”

Freeman credits the creative team at Backstory Creative including founders Tyler Wiehe and Mike Bowman, production supervisor Sareen Creede, and their production staff—with creating some of the produce industry’s most engaging video content.

“The quality and creativity of the content has exceeded our expectations,” Freeman said. “They’re helping tell California cantaloupe’s story in a way that’s authentic, entertaining and highly shareable.”

Patricio believes the campaign is laying the groundwork for future growth.

“California cantaloupe production has declined over the past several years, making it more important than ever that we build consumer demand,” he said. “If we can introduce a new generation of shoppers to California cantaloupe today, we’re investing in the long-term future of our growers and the category.”

You can follow California Cantaloupe social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.

Note: Funding for this campaign was made possible by a grant/cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program California Department of Food and Agriculture Page 13 of 24 Service. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.

Contact: Marilyn Freeman
marilyn@farmerscommunication.exchange