SAN FRANCISCO, CA – This morning Royal Rose President Dennis Donohue presented his ideas on agriculture, technology and the future of ag-tech before an audience of growers, agribusinesses and agri-technology companies from North and South America. The Future Farm Americas conference gathers industry leaders to discuss how to achieve higher yields, evaluate the latest SMART farm technologies and maximize every acre to meet the demands of an increasing population.
Donohue's address was inspired by his company's FRESHER-BIGGER-BETTER mantra, particularly well suited to the Future Farm audience "because these seemingly simple concepts are foremost on the minds of producers, receivers and consumers every day." Donohue challenged his audience to "look at these three elements from a slightly different perspective. Let’s deliver FRESHER, grow BIGGER, and make the world BETTER by leveraging our industry’s innovative capacity to solve the world’s greatest challenges."
Donohue proposed that ag-tech will also usher in a better future for his city (Donohue has served as mayor of Salians, CA for six years), his region, our country and the rest of the world. He outlined a new strategy being spearheaded by the City of Salinas to leverage public-private partnerships in ag-tech to drive economic growth and innovation.
"We will deploy innovation, advanced research, entrepreneurial drive, and venture investment to spur economic growth through precision agricultural expertise. We farmers know food, water, energy and waste management. With the same venture investment and innovative drive that built the Silicon Valley immediately north of Salinas, we will use our knowledge to move our industry forward and create an “ag-tech” revolution that will educate our kids, create and restore jobs, and bring prosperity to Salinas’ gang-plagued neighborhoods. We are calling this the Steinbeck Innovation Project," said Donohue. "With this we will deliver FRESHER, we will grow BIGGER, and, in the process, we will grow our industry and profits. But more importantly, we have the unique privilege of being on the leading edge of the movement to build a BETTER world for generations to come."
Donohue also unveiled Royal Rose's groudbreaking new focus on HOT SALADS, promising to introduce America to a new way to enjoy the fresh produce that his company grows. Royal Rose is committed to making it easy and tasty to put the healthiest of vegetables at the center of the plate – introducing dishes like crisp Treviso on the grill and hearty red radicchio in the pan. Read more about Royal Rose's HOT SALADS here.
Click here to download at PDF of the full text of Donohue's Future Farm Americas address or email erin@spokeconsulting.com for Word document.
About Royal Rose
Royal Rose Radicchio has been adding fresh color to the “Salad Bowl of the World” in Salinas, California since 1993 when Italian farmers Lucio Gomiero and Carlo Boscolo teamed up with Salinas Valley growers to bring seasonal radicchio to America year-round. Royal Rose LLC currently follows the sun through multiple growing regions to supply the emergent market with field-fresh radicchio from California, Florida, Arizona, and Mexico. Led by company president Dennis Donohue, Royal Rose’s FRESHER-BIGGER-BETTER program reflects an ongoing commitment to educating consumers about this powerful vegetable’s versatility and freshness.
Royal Rose Radicchio’s main products are Italian in origin. Red chicories like Radicchio, Treviso, Verona, and Tardivo are all from the Veneto region of Italy. Other chicories like Frisee and Puntarelle are green, but possess similar chicory flavors and nutrients to their beautiful red counterparts. The varieties of radicchio are named after the Italian regions where they originate. Chioggia is the most common variety grown and identified in the United States with its round, grapefruit-size heads. Treviso is an elongated version of radicchio resembling a large Belgian endive, or a red romaine heart. Tardivo and Castelfranco resemble ‘flowers’ and are only available in winter months. Radicchio farmers in the Veneto region are so proud of their radicchio that they have sought to have Protected Geographical Status applied to the names of these radicchio varieties to keep them tied to their original growing regions, much like Parmesan cheese and Champaign. Radicchio has long been a traditional family favorite in Italy, and is gaining popularity around the United States for its versatility and nutrition… and scrumptious crunch!
Source: Royal Rose
