Story Ideas and Inspiration Throughout the Year

Here are some timely topics that you can use to create your own communication content and/or engage with media on a range of topics throughout the year. The calendar offers ideas and inspirations for food and agriculture-related topics and story ideas. 

You may find this content helpful in a number of ways, such as media outreach and thought starters for drafting newsletter, magazine or website articles for your organization’s communication outlets. We have also provided sources for additional background information if you would like to gather more information on the topic.

The complete list of story ideas and background can be found in this Story Ideas PDF.

January-March

Story Idea:
One Planet, Nine Billion Bellies

Description: 
With one planet to grow food and a projected 9.7 billion people* to feed by 2050, sustainability has to be more than just a buzzword (*United Nations projected population). Using National Ag Day on March 15, 2016 as a timely hook, explore the progress of agricultural sustainability and how farmers are using sustainable practices to have better harvests and meet growing demand.

Background Resources: 
National Ag Day and blog by Robb Fraley, Ph.D., Corn Farming and 45 Years of Progress

April – June

Story Idea: 
Increasing Vegetable Consumption with Tasty Tomatoes and Palate-Pleasing Peppers

Description: 
What goes into great-tasting produce? Ideal flavor is a good place to start when looking for a solution to eating more vegetables, but it’s more complicated than that. If the vegetable doesn’t look, feel or smell right, consumers are probably not going to take that first bite. Using farmers’ market season or Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month in June as a timely hook, explore the path that vegetables take from seed to supermarket to sauté pan and how flavor, freshness and convenience play a role in consumption.

Background Resources:
Beyond the Rows blog by Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, M.S., R.D.N., Crop Pops – A Fun Way to Enjoy Fruits and Vegetables (includes recipes); Beyond the Rows blog by Marlin Edwards, Ph.D., Resolving to Make Vegetables Better; Beyond the Rows blog, Are Monsanto Vegetable Seeds GMO?; and the Produce for Better Health Foundation

July – September

Story Idea:
Tips to Pick and Preserve Your Produce

Description:
In the heart of the growing season, offer tips for choosing and preserving ripe and flavorful produce

Story Idea:
Evolution of the Produce Aisle

Description:
We know we should fill half of our plates with fruits and vegetables. It’s not always easy. But, we do have great variety, thanks to advancements in plant breeding. Explore the evolution of the produce aisle to share how fruits and vegetables that are available to consumers today look a lot different than those from even 20 years ago, not to mention several centuries.

Background Resources: 
Discover Monsanto

October – December

Story Idea: 
Plant. Grow. Eat. Repeat. 

Description:
The global population is expected to climb to 9.7 billion by 2050. How will farmers sustainably produce enough food to meet the demand? Highlighting the annual observance of World Food Day on October 16, share how farmers are adopting advances in modern agriculture, such as biotechnology and precision agriculture, to help produce enough food for the continual cycle of Plant. Grow. Eat. Repeat. 

Background Resources: 
World Food Day, National Ag Day, The Genetic Literacy Project, Cornell’s Alliance for Science

Story Idea: 
The Business of Population Growth

Description:
As the year comes to a close and we look to the future, the United Nations estimates by 2050, we will add at least 2 billion people to our planet. This is the equivalent of adding the entire population of India, all countries in the European Union and the United States combined — or roughly two more Chinas. During the next 40 years, key sectors such as agriculture will need to identify ways to keep up with the demands of a growing population.

Background Resources:
GMO Answers

Evergreen ideas

Story Idea: 
A Grocery Store without Biotechnology

Description: 
Imagine your local grocery story with no cheese, bread or beer. Without biotechnology, that could be the case as it is used to create each of these popular items. Explore the value and benefits of biotechnology to our food supply today.

Background Resources: 
Discover Monsanto, GMO Answers and/or Monsanto scientists

Story idea:
What's a GMO?

Description:
You may have heard the word GMO. But, really, what is a GMO, and why do farmers grow GMO crops? Here is a quick overview to help answer these questions.

Background Resources:
For more information about GMOs, please visit GMO Answers.

Also, please view this video, "What is a GMO?" for more information.