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Category Archive: Featured

  1. Yoga Classes at Taylor Gym Promote Well-Being & Raise Money

    Over the past two weeks Team Taylor and their families raised money for this weekend’s American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life by attending yoga classes at the Taylor Gym! Mishalin Modena hosted a free all-levels Vinyasa Flow yoga class that accepted donations. All proceeds went to Taylor Farms’ Relay for Life team who will be running the relay this weekend in Salinas, CA. To date, Team Taylor has raised $30,000 through all their fundraising efforts.

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    “We had about 25 people who participated in the classes from every level, it fun, hard and exhilarating,” said Mishalin Modena, yoga instructor. I’m so happy we had the opportunity to bring this type of a Yoga class to the area for the first time while supporting an amazing cause.”

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    “This was my first “official” yoga class,” stated Ken Adams. “It was difficult for me, I couldn’t believe how much I sweated, but the cool part is that you progress at your own level.  Even though I wasn’t very flexible and couldn’t do every move, each move helped me feel better at the end.  The hours after the class I felt great, and was surprised not to be sore the next day. I’ve learned some great techniques to do on my own and it was a great introduction to a new workout while supporting a great cause.”

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    We like to host these types of events because as a company we enjoy giving our employees and their families the opportunity to do good in the community while also doing good things for their health and well-being.

     

     

    Teacher Bio

    Mishalin is a registered yoga teacher (500 RYT), marketer, entrepreneur, wife and mother with a love for life and a passion for yoga. She has been practicing yoga for over 15 years and decided in 2002 to share her passion with others. She has studied under Saul David Raye, Beth Shaw, Shiva Rea, Chad Hamrin, Hala Kouri and Scott Blossom. She brings an East meets West approach to her classes with an eclectic mix of music and Vinyasa style classes offering her students modifications for any level. She hopes to empower her students and allow them to be challenged, supported, nurtured and learn the tools to find their “happy place”. Teaching yoga inspires Mishalin to be a student of life on a daily basis and be present.

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  2. Turn your favorite #GoToGreens into healthy Go-To Meals!


    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

    Grilled Salmon Caesar Chopped Kit with Wild Rice

    Grilled Salmon Caesar Chopped Kit with Wild Rice Recipe

    Club Grilled Chicken Salad

    Club Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe

    Grilled Tilapia, Lime and Avocado Tacos

    Grilled Tilapia, Lime and Avocado Tacos Recipe

    Cheddar Ranch Chicken Wraps

    Cheddar Ranch Chicken Wraps Recipe

    Orange Kit with Chicken and Brown Rice

    Orange Kit with Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe

    Asian Collard Green Wraps

    Asian Collard Green Wraps Recipe

    For more meal inspiration, be sure to follow along on Instagram and use the hashtag #GoToGreens for a chance to be featured on our feed!

  3. THRIVE Young Innovators Challenge Showcases Innovative Ideas from Local Students

    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.

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    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

    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.

    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

    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.

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    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:

  4. There’s Something for Everyone in This Week’s Veggie Votes Winner, 50-50 Blend!

    50/50 BlendThe votes have been counted and the winner of this week’s Veggie Votes is Taylor Farms 50-50 Blend! Made with half baby spring mix and half baby spinach, this salad gives you the best of both worlds, and has something for everyone.

    Did you know that our baby spring mix may contain some or all of the following baby whole leaf varieties: green leaf, mizuna, green romaine, tango, green oak, green chard, arugula, frisee, tatsoi, mache, red chard, red leaf, lolla rosa, red romaine, red mustard, radicchio, red oak, and beet tops? Can’t go wrong with that blend of deliciousness…

    And don’t forget the spinach! This superfood is the perfect addition to the variety of baby tender leaves making up the spring mix blend. Check out how we harvest the essential leafy green in this short video:

    According to this week’s poll, you all voted to learn a little more about how our 50-50 Blend goes from field to table! Well…

    • Both baby spinach and the various baby leaf varieties in the spring mix grow from seed to harvest in about 30 days! They’re undoubtedly some of our fastest growing crops.
    • The start of daily harvest of these greens depends on the season and the weather forecast, but in Salinas, our farmers typically start between 10:00 pm and midnight
    • The number of people in the field during harvest depends — it’s seven if harvesting the greens into bins, and up to 14 if harvesting into totes.
    • Our growers harvest between 6,000 – 8,000 pounds per hour depending if they are harvesting into totes or bins.

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    Now that we know how its grown, what can you do with the 50-50 Blend? Here are a couple of tasty recipes to spark your creativity, but really – you can use 50-50 Blend in any delicious salad recipe. It’s the perfect base for endless flavors and combinations!

    Corn, Blueberry, and Goat Cheese Salad

    Corn, Blueberry, and Goat Cheese Salad Recipe

    Recipe.

    Spring Goddess Grain Bowl

    Spring Goddess Grain Bowl Recipe

    Recipe.

    How do you use Taylor Farms 50-50 Blend? Share pictures of your lovely dishes with us, and tag @yourtaylorfarms and #GoToGreens on Instagram and Twitter for a chance to be featured on our feed or in our Instagram stories.

  5. Team Taylor and their Families Had Fun at the 2017 Relay for Life and Raised Over $65,000!

    For more than 15 years, Taylor Farms has been able to support the American Cancer Society through its Relay for Life, and this year was no different! Through fun fundraising events like Yoga at the Taylor Gym, our Farmers Market, and the Relay for Life walks, which took place in Salinas, CA and Tracy, CA earlier this month, Team Taylor was able to raise and contribute over $65,000 to ACS.

    Team Taylor at this year’s Relay for Life

    Team Taylor at this year’s Relay for Life

    Each year Taylor Farms participates in the Relay for Life because it is an important event and is central to our commitment to making a difference in our local communities and beyond. This event also holds a special place in our hearts.

    “I formed the Taylor Farms Pacific Relay for Life team back in 2005 when my father was battling cancer,” says Robin Lopez, Admin/Special Projects at Taylor Farms Pacific. “I knew other employees had been touched by cancer in some way as well, so I thought it would be a way for us to join together and support each other. 13 years later our team has raised approximately $250,000! The money we raise helps the ongoing efforts by the American Cancer Society to provide needed services for those diagnosed with this terrible disease.”

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    “When the sun goes down at Relay, the track is lined with luminarias with photos of loved ones battling cancer or have lost their battle,” says Lopez. “There is a slideshow of loved ones lost at the end of the event… I lost my Dad in 2010 and I still get tears each year when I see his photo up on the screen.”

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    Team Taylor and their Families Had Fun at the 2017 Relay for Life and Raised Over $65,000! Image 4

     

    Thank you to all community members and Taylor Farms team members who helped make Relay for Life 2017 such a success!