From drive-thru giveaways in the Midwest to hand-delivered donations in Kern County, California, Grimmway Farms has committed to showing support for people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by giving away fresh carrots and Cal-Organic Farms vegetables. Since mid-March, the company has donated more than 1 million pounds of fresh produce to food banks, hospitals and non-profit charities across the country.
In partnership with Kern County hospitals and California food banks, the company has engaged in relief efforts that have provided fresh produce to families in California, as well as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.
After recognizing a need to increase public food assistance, Grimmway team members worked with local and state organizations, industry partners and customers to find creative ways to use existing distribution channels to deliver produce to communities in need. This strategy reduced the logistical footprint of each produce donation, minimizing both costs and contact along the supply chain.
This spring, Grimmway supplied more than 80,000 pounds of carrots to charity efforts in partnership with Midwest supermarket chain Hy-Vee. They focused public donation efforts around packaged whole carrots as they offer a long shelf life while maintaining their quality. The company also worked with charity networks to distribute over 70,000 pounds of whole carrots to urban communities.
In addition, Grimmway worked with longtime partner Hidden Harvest, a produce rescue program that employs farmworkers to harvest surplus crops in the field and transport the produce from packing houses throughout Coachella Valley, California.
“Our goal is to deliver fresh food to those who need it the most,” said Jeff Huckaby, president of Grimmway Farms. “We connected with organizations that share that responsibility. We’re all working toward a common goal to keep our communities safe, and we’re committed to seeing this through together.”
As the largest of Grimmway’s donation efforts during COVID-19, the company has provided over half a million pounds of carrots to the California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) since the start of the pandemic. CAFB is a network representing 42 food banks reaching 47 counties in California.
Grimmway plans to continue supporting communities locally and throughout the country as they face the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our founders promised to provide good value and service every day of the year,” Huckaby added. “This year looks different than most, but through strong partnerships and a shared mission to feed the hungry, we’re still able to deliver on that promise and ensure fresh food is available to those in need.”
