Taylor Farms is honored to be featured in the first episode of PRO*ACT’s Greener Fields Together: In The Field video series Gonzales, CA which gives a closer look at the people, projects, and companies that are leading the way to develop a more sustainable supply chain.
Watch the video below to see PRO*ACT’s Sustainability Manager Anne Nichols talk with Nicole Flewell, Director of Sustainability for Taylor Farms, at our Gonzales, CA plant about the many sustainability initiatives this facility has implemented, including our three-tiered renewable and alternative energy system, more efficient waste processing, and water conservation measures.
Taylor Farms participated in the Walmart Sustainability Milestone Summit last week where suppliers who are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from their operations and supply chains came together to discuss sustainability opportunities, initiatives, case studies, and best practices.
This new supplier opportunity, dubbed Project Gigaton, reaches a broad network of suppliers seeking to reduce emissions by 1 gigaton of greenhouse gas emissions (1 billion metric tons) by 2030 and we’re happy to be a part of it! A reduction of 1 gigaton of emissions is equivalent to taking more than 211 million passenger vehicles off roads for a year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas equivalency calculator.
Nicole Flewell, director of sustainability for Taylor Farms, was asked to participate in the Summit. Flewell focused her presentation on food waste, and more specifically whole crop utilization through product development. We feel that no product should end up in the landfill when it can be avoided. Instead it can be utilized to make tasty products for our customers, distributed through food banks across the country, or diverted through animal feed, compost, or waste-to-energy.
Previously, unused aspects of crops were being left in the field and disked back in for nitrogen development, or recycled in the processing plant. Today, we have the ability to use nearly the entirety of the crop, moving it up in the waste hierarchy, and all remaining by-product is recycled through animal feed or compost.
Taylor Farms also diverts potential food waste by donating 12,800,000 servings of food each year to employees, our local community, and food banks.
In addition, Taylor Farms chopped salad kits and stir fry kits give consumers precise portions of a variety of ingredients that allow them to create complex salads and dishes easily with little-to-no food waste. We deliver fresh, healthy foods to our consumers and we’re always trying to do it in a sustainable way, recognizing our responsibility to future generations, which is why we’re so glad to be able to take part in events and programs like Project Gigaton that prioritize and encourage environmentally-friendly production practices.
The “Veggie Votes” poll results are in… and you asked to see recipes and nutritional benefits of our Cauliflower Pearls! There’s a reason all things Cauliflower have been majorly trending, this nutrient-rich and versatile veggie is seriously impressive!
Results showed that Taylor Farms Cauliflower Pearls come pre-washed and chopped, so they’re easy to incorporate into your meals. You can enjoy them mashed, sautéed, baked, or as a low-calorie rice alternative. Hello endless guilt-free deliciousness!
Packed with all kinds of goodies, Cauliflower Pearls are gluten-free, an excellent source of Vitamins C and K, high in antioxidants and fiber, PLUS they’re paleo-friendly. Win win win! This superfood also helps increase blood flow and improves digestion! Best thing of all? You get all these nutritional benefits for just 25 calories a cup, zero fat, and four grams of carbohydrates…we know — it seems too good to be true!
Are we making you hungry? Here are a few delicious and easy-to-follow recipes! Share how you enjoy that Cauliflower Power with us by tagging #GoToGreens on Instagram for a chance to be featured!
Having a list of healthy staple meals that you can whip up with ease is a good way to keep yourself from making bad eating decisions during the week. With the help of your favorite #GoToGreens you can make a healthy lunch or dinner with just a couple steps. Checkout some recipes below to add to your meal rotation
Last Friday, tech-focused middle and high school students convened at CSUMB @ Salinas City Center to take part in the inaugural THRIVE Young Innovators Challenge. Hosted by the THRIVE Innovation Foundation, in partnership with Taylor Farms and the City of Salinas, this exciting, hands-on event drew over 125 local students, and allowed them to explore the future possibilities of technology and science.
To fuel inspiration before the start of the challenge, our CEO Bruce Taylor and Rolando Perez, Doctoral Student, Stanford University, spoke to students about the endless opportunities available to them, and the need for technology-based innovation in the world today. They both spoke on their personal experiences with innovation — Bruce touched on the evolution of packaged salads over the years and the part that technology played in these advancements.
After the speeches, students assembled into 12 teams and worked to tackle the question: “How Can We Feed 9 Billion People by the Year of 2030?” Mentors from local colleges supported each group in their brainstorming, project development, and presentation.
At the end of the day, the groups presented their idea to a panel of judges that included:
Joe Gunter, Mayor, City of Salinas
Dennis Donohue, Director, Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology
Ray Corpuz, Manager, City of Salinas
Mareese Keane, THRIVE Program Manager, SVG Partners
Jacob Martinez, Founder, Digital Nest
After much deliberation, the panel of judges chose three winning teams who were awarded cash prizes and a sponsored day trip to Silicon Valley to tour tech giants Google and Intel.
First Place – Oakwood School
The Oakwood team’s solution involved a “multi-environment greenhouse” that consisted of multiple levels with different environments where the temperature, humidity, and light levels are monitored and controlled by smart sensors. They constructed a greenhouse prototype using recycled materials, and demonstrated the fan that will cool the greenhouse using a Raspberry Pi microcontroller and Python programming language.
Oakwood School Winning Team: – Emily Moya, Alejandra Johnson, Robert Walker, Jashan Pabla, and Meghan Lee
Alejandra Johnson from Oakwood School presents their greenhouse prototype to panel of judges.
Second Place – First Tee of Monterey County
The team from First Tee of Monterey County created a plan that utilized video game technology and delivery drones to increase efficiency in delivering leftover food to those in need and to help avoid sending excess waste to landfills.
A student mentor from Hartnell College, Alex Viches, Amy Aldama, Roxanna Javier, Francisco Alvarez, Ricardo Ivich, and Pierce Nelson
Third Place – Harden Middle School
Harden Middle School’s STEAMpunk Academy developed an idea that would help those in need access food that would otherwise go to waste. Their idea was to create an app that brings leftover food from restaurants, grocery stores, and other food producers to people who need it – in places like shelters, transit centers, and food kitchens – for free.
Taylor Farms believes that it’s extremely important to encourage local youth through events and programs like the THRIVE Young Innovators Challenge. We can’t wait to see what this next generation of innovators comes up with in the years ahead, and we look forward to being involved in many more events like this, where they are encouraged to develop skills that will help them and their communities “thrive” in the future.
Watch the entire highlight video of the THRIVE Young Innovators Challenge here:
