HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF. — EARTH University student, Rolff Vladimir Mitton (right), samples EARTH pineapples and bananas at Whole Foods Market in Huntington Beach, Calif., along with Patrick Cox, store team leader, and Karen Caplan, CEO of Frieda’s Inc. The fruit was shipped from EARTH’s farms in Costa Rica directly to Whole Foods. Mitton conducted the in-store demonstration during his last week of a 3-month-long internship at Los Alamitos, Calif.-based Frieda’s in December.
The response from the customers who tasted the fruit was overwhelming, and impressed Cox, who stated, “Rolff was a great help and is welcome back any time!”
EARTH (www.earth.ac.cr) is a private, non-profit university based in Costa Rica that offers educational opportunities in sustainable agriculture to students in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa. Their mission to remain sustainable in all aspects of their education has attracted business from Whole Foods Market, a retailer of natural and organic foods, specifically with their sustainably-grown bananas and pineapples.
Mitton is one of two EARTH University students that Frieda’s has worked with through its internship program. Upon Mitton’s departure from Frieda’s, he stated, “My internship at Frieda's helped me grow professionally and also personally. I became part of the team and I was able to contribute. I reached my goals, objectives and exceeded my expectations. I will definitely miss my Frieda's family.”
In addition to an internship program, Frieda’s also supports EARTH University with a scholarship fund. To date, two EARTH students have received the scholarship, which pays a portion of their 4-year tuition.
Source: Frieda's Inc.
