Taylor Farms Supports Career Pathways Program To Attract Next Generation of Talent to Agriculture Industry

In an increasingly complex, technology driven business environment, Taylor Farms and others in our industry work hard to seek out, retain, inspire and advance the people we need to help us stay competitive as we move into the future.

That’s why we strongly support programs like the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Center for Growing Talent and its Career Pathways Program, now in its tenth year. PMA collaborated with industry leading companies to build the program as a talent and age gap was recognized.The produce industry needed to find a way to bring the best and the brightest talent into the industry.

Taylor Farms has contributed over $150,000 to help fund the program. Today, 13 students from Hartnell College, Chico State and San Jose State are here in Salinas to tour our facilities, learn more about us, and consider the opportunities open to them in the industry. This is the second year this tour has been conducted.

Career Pathways is a proven success, growing from 24 participants the first year to 806 today, including this year’s students. So far, more than 350 new young professionals have been attracted into our industry’s workforce, including two Taylor Farms Retail employees, Christina Barnard, Director of Marketing and Rachel Molatore, Business Development Manager.

Each year, eight Career Pathways programs operate in conjunction with major industry conventions and trade shows. Each Career Pathways student pairs up with industry mentors to help  immerse themselves in the industry and to facilitate networking opportunities that aid in their placements for internships or careers in agriculture.  

“Mentoring Career Pathways Program participants has allowed me to give back to an industry that has supported me while finding amazing fresh talent for Taylor Farms,” said Michelle Story, a past mentor.

The PMA Center is celebrating its 10th year of growing talent in the industry with a “10 for Talent” campaign, asking 10,000 industry professionals to donate $10 to raise $100,000 in support of the ongoing programs to attract, develop and retain talent.

Taylor Farms is proud to help Career Pathways encourage talented young people to become part of our vital and growing industry.