The Equitable Food Initiative, a workforce development and certification organization that partners with growers, farmers, marketers and consumer groups, is encouraging the agricultural community to recognize and celebrate National Farmer Awareness Week with free and impactful tools offered in its communications tools.

Observed annually during the last week of March culminating in Cesar Chavez’s birthday, Farmers’ Awareness Week honors the essential contributions of the men and women who move our food supply chain. From planting and harvesting to packing and shipping, farm workers bring deep knowledge, technical skills and pride to their work every day.

“Farmworker Awareness Week is an important reminder to pause and recognize the highly skilled and physically demanding work that farmworkers do every day to bring healthy, nutritious food to our tables,” said LeAnne Ruzzamenti, EFI’s director of marketing and communications. “Our toolbox is designed to help businesses and communities celebrate their employees and community members and share employee stories that educate consumers about the experience and dedication behind the food.”

EFI’s toolset makes it easy for businesses, retailers, industry organizations, educators and community leaders to show appreciation and raise awareness. The toolkit, available at equitablefood.org/toolkit, includes:

· Social media graphics, sample posts and videos to share

· Posters, technical sheets and printable infographics for offices, shops and workplaces

· A model proclamation to share with local and state officials

· Color a page for children

· Ideas for organizing weekly events or internal celebrations

· And more…

All materials are customizable and free to download, making participation easy and accessible for organizations of all sizes.

Farm workers are not only essential for production, but also essential for farm innovation and continuous improvement. Many bring years, even decades, of experience providing insights that improve quality, efficiency and food safety. Their pride in their craft and their commitment to doing the job well are the foundations for a strong and resilient farming system.

Alexandra Martinez, head of digital marketing and sales at the Equitable Food Initiative, emphasized the importance of industry-wide participation. “We hope that this special week is just the beginning for our industry to shine a light on the experience, resilience and professionalism that our employees provide throughout the year,” said Martinez. “To encourage this, EFI provides resources and reminders to highlight our essential workers with ongoing initiatives like #FarmworkerFriday and other digital tools.”

EFI encourages manufacturers, retailers, brands, allied organizations and consumers to download the toolkit and incorporate its resources into newsletters, in-store promotions, team meetings, classroom activities and community events. By raising awareness and appreciation during Farmworker Awareness Week, the industry can collectively highlight the hard work that sustains our food system year-round.

A free Farmworker Awareness Week Communication Toolkit is available here www.equitablefood.org/toolkit

Snoop Dogg’s signature phrase “Smoke Weed Everyday” cannot be trademarked by the artist because marijuana remains illegal and the slogan has become too popular in mainstream culture, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) says.

Dr. ETC Holdco, LLC—the entity affiliated with Snoop that owns his intellectual property portfolio—filed a trademark application for the phrase in 2024. Then, almost two years later, he received a denial letter from the USPTO on Tuesday.

The federal agency under the US Department of Commerce gave two main reasons for the rejection: 1) Goods and services marketed under a trademark must comply with federal law, and “the application includes elements or activities that inherently violate federal law,” and 2) the phrase comes from a “lyric of a song commonly associated with the use of cannabis.”

“To be federally registered, the use of a mark in commerce must be lawful under federal law because the commerce cited in the application complies with applicable federal laws governing the identified goods and/or services,” the USPTO said. “If the goods or services for which a trademark is intended to be used are prohibited by law, the applicant cannot use his trademark in lawful commerce, nor does he have the necessary intent to use the trademark in lawful commerce.”

The letter also explains how certain hemp-related terms and phrases may be eligible for trademark registration, unlike marijuana-related ones, because hemp and its derivatives were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. However, because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has refused to enact regulations allowing cannabinoids such as CBD to be legally marketed as food or dietary supplements, the USTPO said it would deny trademark applications for these products.

The agency’s denial letter also said it denied registration because “the mark applied for is a slogan or term that does not function as a trademark or service mark to indicate the source of the applicant’s goods and/or services and to identify and distinguish them from others.”

“In this case, the requested mark is a social, political, religious or similar informational message that conveys nothing more than adherence to, admiration for, or affiliation with the ideals conveyed by the message,” he said. “Terms and phrases that contain only an informational message cannot be registered.”

To support its case, the USTPO provided examples of the phrase “Smoke Weed Everyday” on various products sold by retailers such as Amazon, Weed Dreams and Red Bubble.

“Because consumers are accustomed to seeing this term or phrase used in ordinary language in various sources, they would not perceive it as a mark that identifies the source of the applicant’s goods and/or services, but only as conveying an informational message.” he said.

Josh Gerben, attorney and co-founder of Gerben IP, he said Snoop’s company denied in a USTPO blog post that it may appeal the decision, but the “most difficult” challenge the case presents is “the federal legality surrounding the sale of cannabis.”

“The application identifies retail services that contain cannabis products,” he said. “Under current Federal law, marijuana remains illegal, and the USPTO routinely declines applications related to illegal goods or services.”

“Taken together, the naysayers create an uphill battle,” Gerben said. “Fortunately for Snoop Dogg, this waiver only affects the registration of the mark … not the activity celebrated by the famous phrase.”

Meanwhile, Snoop has been gradually expanding his cannabis business in recent years. For example, last year, he It brought another direct-to-consumer hemp lifestyle platform to market under his Death Row Records label.

In 2024, the artist also expanded his Smoke Weed Every Day (SWED) brand with a separate retail platform for consumers. sells hemp-derived cannabinoid products, smoking supplies and other merchandise.

This platform also functions as a directory SWED’s physical retail marijuana locations, including the Los Angeles dispensary and a Cafe in Amsterdamboth were announced in 2024.

Snoop, who has referenced marijuana in songs and other performances for decades, has remained a cultural fixture in the cannabis community as the drug has become more widespread. Today, he regularly talks about his relationship with marijuana in interviews and television appearances.

During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in 2024, Snoop confirmed In his entourage there is a staff member who is responsible for keeping people who smoke from getting too highwhen they have reached the limit saying “it is enough”.

It is unclear who Snoop is paying over $50,000 a year to draw blunts for him. Snoop estimated in 2019 that he consumed 81 blunts a day.

in 2024, while the artist took on a new role as a guest meteorologist on the TODAY Showviewers through a custom marijuana-themed weather map featuring the cities of Weed, California and Tokeland, Washington, High Point, North Carolina, and Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

Late night host Jimmy Kimmel acknowledged Snoop’s cannabis legacy in 2023 the artist’s birthday, October 20, was called “a new high holiday”. DoggFather’s Day.

While he may be known as a lavish consumer, Snoop has championed reform, meaning Calling for a policy change in the NBA to allow players to freely use cannabis off the court

He said he supported reform “on the medical side, on health benefits and on opioids and the pills and injections that are given.”

Snoop has long been supporting athletic organizations to adopt soft marijuana policiesoften emphasizing the point that cannabis can serve as a less addictive and risky alternative to prescription opioids.

The artist previously launched another brand of marijuana, called Leafs By Snoop, in Colorado in 2015.

Image courtesy of TechCrunch.