Bancroft, Wis.—Tasteful Selections, a specialty potato brand from RPE Inc., is excited to announce its third year in partnership with Katie’s Krops, a non-profit focused on empowering young growers to plant vegetable gardens and donate the harvests to the underserved in their communities. New this year is Tasteful Selections localized “Meet Your Grower” campaign which will kick-off at select retailers with customized demonstrations, display contests and point-of-sale materials this fall.
The “Meet Your Grower” campaign will focus on highlighting local Katie’s Krops growers and educate customers about local hunger relief efforts. As part of the campaign, a portion of the profits from specially marked bags of Tasteful Selections’ Ruby Sensation and Honey Gold potatoes, available October through January, will go to the nonprofit.
“We want to make it easier for people to support those in need within their own communities, especially during the holiday season,” said Russell Wysocki, president and CEO of RPE Inc., co-owner of Tasteful Selections. “Our aim this year is to raise awareness about Katie’s Krops and invite our customers to take action in the fight against hunger.”
In addition to in-store marketing and activities, Tasteful Selections is encouraging customers to learn more about Katie’s Krops by visiting their website at TastefulSelections.com/KatiesKrops/ and social media channels for additional resources.
“I’m so grateful to partner with Tasteful Selections for a third year and am so proud of all of our young growers,” said Katie Stagliano, founder and chief executive gardener of Katie’s Krops. “This year’s campaign provides a great opportunity to engage and educate the public about Katie’s Krops mission and how proceeds from the sale of the Katie’s Krops Tasteful Selections packages can really make a difference for those in need in their local communities."
Founded by the now 16-year-old Katie Stagliano, the idea for Katie’s Krops was conceived in 2008, when Katie grew a 40-pound cabbage and donated it to a local soup kitchen. After seeing the impact of one large cabbage, Katie was determined she could do more to help those in need, and has been doing that ever since.
Katie’s Krops has donated thousands of pounds of fresh produce to organizations helping people in need both from Katie’s flagship garden in South Carolina and by awarding grants to youth-led gardens. Currently, there are over 80 Katie's Krops gardens growing across the country in 30 states.
RPE and Tasteful Selections will continue to help Katie reach her goal of creating and maintaining 500 gardens across all 50 states by donating proceeds from packages of Tasteful Selections potatoes to help fund Katie’s Krops gardens.
Katie's Krops, 501(c)3 organization empowers youth across the country to end hunger in their communities one vegetable garden at a time. It was founded in 2008 by Katie's Stagliano who at the age of 9 donated a 40 pound cabbage to a soup kitchen where it fed 275 people. Moved by the experience, she started Katie's Krops, which currently funds over 80 youth-run gardens in 30 states from which the fresh harvest is donated to the underserved.
Tasteful Selections LLC is a joint venture of RPE, CSS Farms and Plover River Farms Alliance Inc. They are a vertically integrated grower, shipper, marketer of premium specialty potatoes with unique attributes for size and flavor.
RPE, a second generation family farm, is a category leader and key grower/shipper of year-round potatoes and onions. RPE prides itself on maintaining a high level of business integrity that includes commitments to environmental sustainability, as well as category innovation and retail solutions.
Source: RPE
