Agriculture is Nebraska’s largest industry, with farming and ranching contributing more than $17 billion to the state’s economy in 2010, according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. But even in Nebraska, ties to the people who produce food for our tables have weakened. This summer, Russ’s Market is trying to change that by joining a number of Nebraska agricultural organizations in the Salute to Nebraska Farm & Ranch Families.

“Consumers want to know more about their food, but they don’t have a connection to those who produce it,” said Pat Raybould, president of B&R Stores, Inc. “Through this project we can help reconnect our customers to Nebraska’s agricultural heritage and help them understand that Nebraska’s farm and ranch families are dedicated to producing healthy, wholesome food.”

The project earned support from a wide range of organizations. “We saw the Salute to Nebraska Farm & Ranch families as a great opportunity to partner with other commodity organizations in the state to reach out to consumers who are removed from agriculture and help them better understand today’s food system,” said Victor Bohuslavsky, president of the Nebraska Soybean Board. “Soybeans, and products derived from soybeans, are a vital part of our food system. Nebraska soybean farmers are proud to be a part of this program and applaud Russ’s Market for taking the initiative to launch this program.”

Throughout the summer, Nebraska farmers and ranchers will be appearing at Russ’s Market stores to share their stories and answer questions about how they feed the world. Nebraska farm and ranch families will also be featured in weekly advertising circulars and in Russ’s Market social media outreach. And the project includes the opportunity to win a $1,000 Russ’s Market gift card in cooperation with the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (A-FAN).

Partners with Russ’s Market in the Salute to Nebraska Farm & Ranch Families include:

Nebraska Corn Board

Nebraska Beef Council

Nebraska Pork Producers

Nebraska Soybean Board

Midwest Dairy Association

Nebraska Wheat Board

Nebraska Farm Bureau

Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Poultry and Egg Division

Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (A-FAN)

B&R Stores, Inc., a Lincoln, Nebraska-based, employee-owned company, was founded in 1964 by Russ Raybould. Since then the company has grown to include four store concepts (Russ’s Market, Super Saver, Save Best Foods and Grand Central Apple Market) located in seven cities across Nebraska and Iowa. For more information, visit brstores.com.