SALINAS, CA – Tanimura & Antle announced the addition of fruit and root vegetables to their evolving Tanimura & Antle HarvestSelect program in order to remain fully compliant with the new USDA Food to Families program standards. The USDA announced the Food Box Distribution Program under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act earlier in the year at the onset of COVID-19. In response, Tanimura & Antle started their Tanimura & Antle HarvestSelect program to provide a convenient blend of premium fresh produce, packed fresh from the farm, as a convenient and fresh solution to those awarded participation in the USDA program during the pandemic.
The original assortment for the Tanimura & Antle HarvestSelect included eight different fresh vegetable products along with a recipe card for home cooking inspiration. The new assortment will now include 10 items with over 2 lbs. of root crops, over 3 pounds of fresh fruit, and an assortment of Tanimura & Antle premium fresh produce. Each box is self-contained with a retail UPC, includes a content and Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) sticker and will weigh a minimum of 12 pounds. Additionally, each Tanimura & Antle HarvestSelect box will continue to contain a weekly recipe card to inspire home menus across the United States.
Freshness and food safety are a high priority of this variety pack solution and the PTI sticker, for full traceability, includes the identifying pack dates and growing regions. “We wanted to ensure that the box was adaptable for the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program and for the box to be retail ready”, said Scott Grabau, President & CEO of Tanimura & Antle. “As we focus on the health and safety of our employees during this time, we are excited to do our part externally with other industry partners that are supporting the health and safety throughout the nation.”
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About Tanimura & Antle: Founded in 1982, Tanimura & Antle is an employee-owned family farming business with a four generation legacy and a passionate commitment to growing premium quality produce. Built on a partnership between two families, with a shared commitment to always value employees as its greatest asset, the founding families now share ownership with all employees — from farming and harvest crews to management — through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). As one of the largest independent vegetable growers in the United States, Tanimura & Antle farms more than 36,000 acres of rich, fertile farmland and ships a full line of premium fresh conventional and organic produce products throughout North America.
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