BAKERSFIELD, CA—Grimmway Farms, the world’s largest producer of carrots and nation’s largest producer of organic vegetables, hosted its annual company picnic at the Kern County Fairgrounds this past Sunday. Initiated over 30 years ago by company founders Rod and Bob Grimm, the picnic honors Grimmway’s dedicated employees and their families each spring.
Hosted as part of the company’s year-long “Family-Owned for 50 Years and Growing” campaign, this year’s picnic was attended by more than 10,000 employees and guests, including Supervisor David Couch, Mayor Karen Goh and the offices of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, Senator Shannon Grove, Senator Melissa Hurtado and Assemblyman Vince Fong. Festivities included music, carnival rides, a health and wellness fair and a raffle for more than 60 prizes, including a car and a $10,000 vacation.
Grimmway also presented scholarships to graduating high school seniors as part of its annual Rod and Bob Grimm Memorial Scholarship Program. The program recognizes the superior academic performance of students who have a parent or guardian employed by Grimmway. The company has awarded more than 630 scholarships totaling over $1.65 million since the program was created in 1997.
“Today we gave out 56 scholarships,” said Brandon Grimm, son of Bob Grimm and General Manager of the Organic Division at Grimmway Farms. “To be able to invest in the community and show our appreciation for our employees by providing educational opportunities for their children is really special.”
To qualify, applicants must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.8 and those who exceed 3.5 receive a MacBook Pro laptop in addition to renewable scholarship funds. This year’s recipients will attend a variety of top-ranked schools, including UCLA, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Westmont College and the United States Naval Academy.
“The picnic is a highlight of our year and gives us the opportunity to reward the employees who work so hard for us,” said Jeff Huckaby who joined Grimmway Farms in 1998 and has served as President since 2016. “Our employees are everything to us and that’s the way Rod and Bob started it. We take this time to thank them for the past year of dedication and hard work.”
The event concluded with remarks from Barbara Grimm Marshall, Kari Grimm Anderson and company leadership followed by a fireworks display enjoyed by all.
About Grimmway Farms
Family-owned and headquartered in Bakersfield, California, Grimmway Farms traces its roots to a produce stand opened by the Grimm brothers in the early 1960s. Grimmway is a global produce leader and the world’s largest producer of carrots. Grimmway supplies more than 65 organic, USA-grown crops and brands include Cal-Organic Farms and Bunny-Luv. Grimmway is committed to caring for customers and employees, honoring sustainable practices and preserving natural resources for future generations. For more information, visit www.grimmway.com.
