SALINAS VALLEY, CA- For years from sun up until after the sun has set, the farm workers have been there for us, for the growers, for the shippers, and for anyone who wants to eat nutritious vegetables year round. Without our farm workers, where would we be?
In 2015, the Yuma community started a unique program called Labor of Love. The program provides an opportunity to thank those for their service to the agriculture industry. It started as a grassroots effort by the Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association (YFVA), a Yuma group made up of growers, shippers and agriculture subsidiary professionals. President of YFVA and grower Steve Alameda shared, “Harvesting is a difficult profession and requires a commitment and unique set of skills. When we find the right workers, we want to make sure we take care of them, respect them and celebrate their invaluable contribution to the industry. This program showcases our work force and thanks them for their hard work.”
Markon Cooperative and its foodservice members – Ben E. Keith Foods, Gordon Food Service, Gordon Food Service Canada, Maines Paper & Food Service, Nicholas & Company, Reinhart Foodservice, and Shamrock Foods Company – are the most recent Salinas Valley-based agriculture company to join the Labor of Love program.
This morning, Markon, along with Labor of Love, surprised a romaine harvesting crew packing the Markon Fresh Crop label with breakfast on the farm as well as gift cards to Walmart.
“At Markon, one core value is that people matter – and we know how critical to our success the people that harvest and pack our products are,” said Tim York, Markon’s president. “Through our partnership with Labor of Love, we are able to acknowledge and thank the dedicated people who work in the fields every day to ensure we are able to offer the best produce to our foodservice customers.”
In addition to surprise breakfasts delivered to various farms and random acts of kindness to farm workers the Labor of Love program has a website and a Facebook page with posts devoted to sharing the stories of various farm workers.
Through the Labor of Love program, thousands of farm workers have been personally thanked for their hard work and their stories have been shared with millions within the Yuma and Salinas Valley communities and beyond.
The program will continue in the Salinas Valley through September, highlighting different farm workers and their companies. Stay tuned to the Labor of Love Facebook page and the website www.LaborOfLoveSalinas.com to see where the Labor of Love team will share their gratitude next.
For more information on the Labor of Love program, contact Jenna Hanson with Mavelle Media.
More About Markon
From its headquarters in Salinas, California, Markon Cooperative, Inc. provides fresh produce purchasing, logistics, information, and marketing services exclusively to its seven member distributors (Ben E. Keith Foods, Gordon Food Service, Gordon Food Service Canada, Maines Paper & Food Service, Nicholas & Company, Reinhart Food Service, and Shamrock Foods Company) and their foodservice customers. A leader in food safety, quality control, and innovation, Markon is also mindful of the produce industry's impact on people – from field workers to consumers. Read more about Markon at Markon.com.
Source: Markon Cooperative, Inc.
