Reality Price Check
Posted: July 22, 2008
A coalition of commodity groups in Texas has put together a clever and informative website to clean up the misinformation about higher food prices.
TexasPriceCheck.com provides a number of facts, reports, research and statements from a wide variety of reputable sources indicating that rising energy costs have affected the cost of everything from farm production to food processing to getting food to the grocery store. Yeah, okay - anybody can do that. But they do it in a pretty unique and interactive way.
The site features an animated grocery conveyor belt, which allows visitors to click on food items to learn the farmer’s share of the retail price for bread, corn flakes, peanut butter and other food staples. Another animation depicts an innocent grocery cart that meets a tragic end in the “reality aisle.” A number of Texas icons such as Cadillac Ranch and a Texas license plate are featured, as well in a context related to food prices.
Even better, the Web site is being promoted in a variety of ways across Texas. Billboards feature a grocery cart being threatened by an oil pump jack and provide the Web address for consumers to learn more. Newspaper ads in major markets are planned, as well as a radio campaign later this fall.
The consumer education initiative is being funded by the Texas Peanut Producers Board, Texas Corn Producers Board, and the Texas Wheat Producers Board. Check it out!