NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Cascadian Farm Becomes First-Ever, Branded Crop in FarmVille

Beginning July 19 through July 26, Cascadian Farm will provide FarmVille players with a variety of benefits including coupon offers, organic farming and green living tips, as well as the opportunity to quickly enhance their farm. During the week-long partnership, developed with the support of Sterling-Rice Group of Boulder, Colorado, branded Cascadian Farm organic blueberry crops will be the most profitable FarmVille crop offered in the game, to beginner and expert FarmVille players.

"Given our heritage of engaging consumers to increase awareness and support for organic farming and the organic lifestyle, partnering with FarmVille was a natural fit for Cascadian Farm," said Tim Goldsmid, marketing manager, Cascadian Farm. "We're excited to have the opportunity to partner with a leader in the online gaming world and offer unique ways for new and existing consumers to become involved with the brand."

With more than 20 million active users engaged with FarmVille every day, the integration provides Cascadian Farm with extensive brand presence directly in the game. The Cascadian Farm partnership has a natural synergy with FarmVille, bringing the brand to users without interrupting their experience of playing the game.

"When deciding on our first branded crop integration, we wanted to offer our users a unique opportunity that would benefit their gaming experience and add value to their lives both on and offline," said Vish Makhijani, senior vice president of business operations, Zynga. "Cascadian Farm perfectly aligned with our vision and what the FarmVille game represents."

Translating the spirit of their organic farming practices online, the brand has also recreated the real Cascadian Farm, located in the Upper Skagit Valley of Washington's North Cascade Mountains, and made it virtual for the online community. The virtual Cascadian Farm will carry out the mission of the brand to grow good and honest food that is free from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. All of their online fruits and vegetables will be planted with the same ideals and values found in organic culture, while also sharing the rewards from playing the game with Cascadian Farm's online fan base.

To further connect with other FarmVille users, Cascadian Farm has created an avatar farmer called "Farmer Joe Cascadian," who was inspired by the brand's real-life farmers. "Farmer Joe" will serve as the "virtual" tender to the brand's own FarmVille farm and users can request to be his neighbor by "friend-ing" him online at www.facebook.com/farmerjoecascadian and by using the FarmVille application to become his neighbor in-game.

For additional information, please visit www.cascadianfarm.com.

About Cascadian Farm

Cascadian Farm is one of the country's leading brands of organic foods, offering more than 80 products from ready-to-eat cereals and granola bars to frozen fruits and vegetables, juice concentrates and fruit spreads. People have enjoyed our great-tasting and convenient organic foods for more than 35 years. Visit www.cascadianfarm.com to find more information on our products, download coupons and learn how every delicious bite is good for you, your family, and the world we share.

About Zynga

Zynga has over 215 million monthly active users playing its games. These games include FarmVille, FrontierVille, Treasure Isle, Zynga Poker, Mafia Wars, YoVille, Cafe World, FishVille, and PetVille, which are available on Facebook, MySpace, Yahoo! and the iPhone. Through Zynga.org, Zynga players have raised over $3 million for world social causes. Zynga is headquartered in Potrero Hill in San Francisco.

Cascadian Farm
Kristen Goldberg, 763-293-1562
kristen.goldberg@genmills.com
or
Coyne Public Relations
Amanda Sirianni, 212-938-0166
asirianni@coynepr.com