California produce companies offer flooding support

Leading agriculture brands Taylor Farms and Driscoll’s have called for the support of local communities following recent floods and severe weather in California’s Salinas Valley and Pajaro.

Extreme weather across these major growing regions has devastated the area, where many of Taylor Farms and Driscoll’s employees, independent growers, farmworkers and neighbours have lived for decades.

Both Taylor Farms and Driscoll’s have called to further ignite the spirit of giving from individuals and broader corporations, and have joined together to deploy disaster relief funds to local non-profit organisations in the area, which are mobilising to meet thousands of affected residents’ needs.

Taylor Farms has donated more than US$1m in relief funds across Monterey County Food Bank, Community Foundation for Monterey, the Santa Cruz County Community Foundation and to Driscoll’s Charitable Fund, which is matching all public donations, dollar-for-dollar, up to US$250,000.

In total, Driscoll’s has also raised more than US$1m in relief funds which includes direct donations to Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County, Community Bridges, the Santa Cruz County Community Foundation and the Casa De La Cultura Center.

The CEOs of both Taylor Farms and Driscoll’s have expressed appreciation and gratitude for the first responders, community partners, and the local and Federal government, who are still working to keep people safe and provide them with the services they need most.

“Our communities have a tremendous amount of rehabilitation work ahead and we will continue to provide additional help,” said Bruce Taylor, CEO and chairman, Taylor Farms.

“We remain committed to working alongside our industry, community partners, and first responders to ensure the safety and security of our community,” he continued. ”Our thoughts are with everyone impacted and we thank everyone who has stepped in to help.”

“Our farming communities in the Pajaro and Salinas valleys provide a vast amount of the produce our nation consumes every day,” said Miles Reiter, CEO of Driscoll’s.

“It will be weeks until we fully understand the scope of damage as the flooding displaced thousands of people from their homes and disrupted many local farming operations,” he added. ”I am saddened by the destruction while remaining proud to be part of this community where so many people moved swiftly to help those most in need.”