OCED Designs Brand for Moringa Grown in the Central Valley

 

The University of California Cooperative Extension, Fresno and Tulare Counties (UCCE) recently partnered with OCED's San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center in developing a brand for regional moringa farmers. SJVRDC's task: to create a seal, or logo, that could be integrated into local moringa farmers' existing packaging. The new seal would state: "Moringa Grown and Packaged in California's Central Valley," with the objective of allowing local farmers to distinguish their products from moringa grown outside of the region.

Moringa is a plant that has been gaining popularity in health food circles in recent years for its high nutritional content, and reputed health benefits – it's said to help lower blood sugar and cholesterol, and to have anti-inflammatory properties. It is also gaining popularity among local growers, who say moringa is a resilient crop that grows easily in this region. Moringa grows quickly, is drought-resistant and does not require special soil needs. Both the leaves and seed pods provide nutritional benefits – they're high in protein, vitamins A and C, iron, calcium and zinc. While it's been used for centuries in countries throughout Asia and Africa, it has only recently become common in the Western health food industry, and is quickly becoming labeled a "superfood."

After an initial design consultation, SJVRDC's Communications Student Assistant, Elisa Villanueva, developed several concepts for potential moringa seals. Villanueva, who received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design in May, has been awarded multiple ADDY awards for her work and has worked with many clients on logo design needs. She presented five concepts to UCCE and a group of local moringa farmers in January for feedback, and states that their careful criticism lead her to develop the finalized seal to be used for moringa packaging.

As moringa continues to grow in popularity, and as local farmers continue to grow, harvest and sell the plant, expect to see the "Moringa Grown and Packaged in California's Central Valley" seal in a health food aisle near you.