Last month the THRIVE Innovation Foundation, in partnership with Taylor Farms and the City of Salinas, hosted the inaugural THRIVE Young Innovators Challenge for tech-focused middle and high school students. The three winning teams were awarded cash prizes and a sponsored day trip to Silicon Valley to tour tech giants Google and Intel — which happened on Monday!
The teams from Oakwood School, First Tee of Monterey County, and Harden Middle School got to tour the campuses of Google and Intel and see where their interest in STEM could take them one day.
“Students learned about how to be “Googly” (good to others and the environment), attended lunch at one of Google’s 20 healthy cafes, and played in the ball pit. At Intel they learned about the company’s innovation and technology – the co-founders created the first semiconductor microchip for the cellular phone and computer industry,” shared Margaret D’Arrigo, VP Community Development, Taylor Farms and THRIVE Foundation Board Member. “The student teams created unique products out of Legos and then had to write instructions so another team could build the same product in 5 minutes. It was a day filled with collaboration, science, technology, inspiration, and innovation!”
Congratulations to all the Thrive Young Innovators on your well deserved trip!
Earlier this week Taylor Farms sponsored and attended the sold-out second annual Organic Produce Summit in Monterey, CA. OPS featured a collection of highly anticipated panel discussions, educational programs, tours and an expo with 120 producers of organic fresh fruits and vegetables.
Team Taylor at OPS Booth : (from left to right) Courteney Nelson, Jerrett Stoffel, Mark Campion, Craig Enos, Vicky St.Geme, Kacie Vieth-Ragsdale
The energy and excitement of the intimate two-day event brought together top industry leaders from across fresh produce industry. Team Taylor exhibited and showcased our wide range of organic products, including Organic Chopped Salad Kits, Organic On-the-Go Single Serve Salads, Organic Salad Blends, and Organic Veggies, at our booth.
“The 2017 OPS show proved to be another success,” shared CJ Given, Director of Sales, Taylor Farms. “We believed in the event when it was first pitched to us 3 years ago and as a founding sponsor it’s great to see the show grow again this year. The show was filled with quality and informative sessions and an impressive line-up of keynote speakers who covered top of the mind topics in the organic produce segment. It’s not often we get this many top national and region retailers in our backyard and is always great to provide tours that showcase our innovation and sustainability projects.”
Retailer Roundtable: (from left to right) Chad Miller, VP of Produce and Bulk Procurement,Sprouts Farmers Market; Heather Shavey, Assistant Vice President – General Merchandise Manager Produce, Costco Wholesale; and Dave Corsi, VP Produce and Floral Operations, Wegmans
In addition, while retailers were in town for the Summit, we were part of the OPS Field Tour on Wednesday — we hosted a tour of our Salinas salad plant and lunch at Taylor Farms Retail plant for nearly 30 retailers and media. Attendees learned how we’re able to wash, chop and ship about 5 million pounds of packaged lettuce per week utilizing advanced technologies in both automation and sustainability.
“In all my travels in visiting processing centers around the globe, I’ve yet to see the elevated level of automation than what I just saw at Taylor’s facility in Salinas,” shared Dave Corsi, VP Produce and Floral Operations, Wegmans.
Retailers viewing Taylor Farms product assortment
This year’s Organic Produce Summit was a great success and we look forward to the event again next year!
A huge congratulations goes out to the winner of this season’s KSBW Golden Whistle Award, Tessa Mauro! She teaches English at Seaside High School and has coached their swim team for the past three years.
Coach Mauro was nominated for this award because of her “unique dedication” to the school. She used to be a student at Seaside High, swam competitively for the swim team, and she is now “paying it forward” as the coach!
Coach Mauro “holds practices early in the morning and runs meets late into the night,” and she is “also an academic mentor who puts in many hours working with her co-teacher in her English classes.”
“I do not know of many teachers that can say they now teach and coach at their alma mater,” says nominator Anthony Morales, her co-worker at Seaside High School. “Coach Mauro has non-swim events with her team to celebrate the team and their camaraderie. Each and every one of her swimmers feel like they are part of a larger family here at Seaside High and that is priceless.”
You are invited to join us on July 23 at CYCLEBAR in Carmel, CA for the 1:00 PM ride to raise money for Tour de Fresh, a fundraiser that helps put salad bars in schools! Drew McDonald, Taylor Farms VP, Quality & Food Safety, will be riding in the three-day Tour next week and everyone who attends this CYCLEBAR class will help contribute towards the total our community is able to donate to this cause.
“Obesity in America is at epidemic proportions. I have read that ¾ of the population will be obese by the year 2020. Experts agree that obese children become obese adults. It has been stated that the primary causes of obesity are poor diet and lack of exercise. I can’t think of better way to help address than combining cycling and raising money to provide our nation’s children with healthy, fresh produce. Bringing salad bars to schools is one more opportunity to help improve our nation’s health outlook.” Drew McDonald, VP Quality & Food Safety, Taylor Farms and Tour de Fresh cyclist.
Event Details:
Where: CYCLEBAR, 26135 Carmel Rancho Blvd, Carmel, CA 93923
When: July 23 at 1:00 PM
Register here.
See you on July 23!
Tour de Fresh is a three-day, 275 mile ride up the Central Coast of California from Pismo Beach to Monterey, July 25-27 — prior to PMA Foodservice Conference & Expo. The goal of the 2017 Tour de Fresh and its participants is to privately finance 50+ new salad bars in school districts across the country. Can’t make it to CYCLEBAR but still want to donate towards putting salad bars in schools? Click here!
Since 2008, Taylor Farms has been awarding college scholarships to deserving students looking to further their education. On Friday, we held this year’s Scholarship Luncheon and awarded 12 students, all children of active, full-time Taylor Farms employees, with a $20,000 academic scholarship and renewed 22 scholarships; totaling $170,000 in scholarships for 2017.
7 of the 12 scholarship recipients. From left, Ismael Lopez, Crystal Hernandez Marquez, Crystal Osuna Cecilio, Paulina Suguey Hernandez, Leticia Isabel Cardenas, Diana Cervantes Morales, and Maria Fernanda Garcia.
Each recipient receives an upfront check for $5,000 with a guaranteed renewal of $5,000 for every year they remain in an undergraduate or graduate program at a university.
“Taylor Farms values higher education and decided to invest in mine. Taylor Farms is committed to seeing me through to the end and because a significant amount of financial burden has been lifted, I can focus on maximizing my education,” said Adela Contreras, 2016 Taylor Farms Scholarship Recipient and UC Davis Undergraduate student.
Leticia Isabel Cardenas will be pursuing her undergraduate degree at San Diego State University in the Fall. Leticia is pictured with her family, including both of her parents, Elias and Leticia Cardenas. Leticia is a Taylor Farms employee and has been with us since 1998 — 19 years! Also pictured are Mark Campion and Bruce Taylor of Taylor Farms.
Adela received her initial scholarship in 2016 and is now on the renewal track as she enters her second year at the University of California, Davis, pursuing a major in Environmental Science and Management. This summer, Adela has returned to her hometown of Salinas, CA to intern at Taylor Farms. She will have the opportunity to gain knowledge and apply her passion for sustainability by working closely with Taylor Farms Director of Sustainability, Nicole Flewell.
Maria Fernanda Garcia is pursuing a degree in medicine from the University of Arizona. Maria’s father, Raul Garcia is a Taylor Farms employee and has been with us for 10 years!
The Taylor Farms Scholarship Program was formally developed in 2012, although the company has been awarding scholarships to students since 2008. The scholarship member selection committee consists of 12 Taylor Farms employees, and has awarded $710,000 in scholarships over the past eleven years.
Paulina Suguey Hernandez is attending UC Davis in the Fall. She’s pictured here with her father and mother, Aristeo Hernandez and Luz Bertha Tapia, who both work for Taylor Farms. Aristeo has been with us for 6 years and Luz has been with us for 11 years!
This program means so much to us and our employees that Taylor Farms New Jersey also implemented the program this year (read the recap from earlier this month) and Taylor Farms Pacific in Tracy, California has been managing their own scholarship program for the past three years; this year they are awarding four remarkable students with $5,000 scholarships to pursue a higher education.
Over 75 family members, friends, and Taylor Farms employees gathered to celebrate the young students achievements.
“An excellent education is the foundation of a free and fair society in America”, said Bruce Taylor, Chairman and CEO, Taylor Farms. “At Taylor Farms we are proud to support children of our valued team members with $20,000 scholarships to pursue their college dreams.”
Betzibeth Valencia – Arizona State University
Brandy Martinez – University of Arizona
Crystal Hernandez Marquez – California State University, Monterey Bay
Crystal Osuna Cecilio – California State University, Monterey Bay
Daisy Solorzano – University of California, Davis
Diana Cervantes Morales – California State University, Monterey Bay
Ismael Lopez – San Jose State University
Leticia Isabel Cardenas – San Diego State University
Maria Fernanda Garcia – University of Arizona
Paulina Suguey Hernandez – University of California, Davis
Viridiana Macias Contreras – Humboldt State University
Zeltzin Donaji Gonzalez Lopez – San Francisco State University
