Taylor Farms and Driscoll’s, produce companies headquartered in California’s Salinas Valley and Pajaro communities, are rallying support for these areas that were recently devastated by flooding and severe weather.
Many of the companies’ employees, independent growers and farmworkers have lived in these major growing regions for decades, according to a news release. Both Taylor Farms and Driscoll’s said that they have provided relief funds to local nonprofits that are working to meet thousands of affected residents’ needs, and the companies are asking others to give generously.
Taylor Farms has donated more than $1 million in relief funds to organizations such as Monterey County Food Bank, Community Foundation for Monterey, the Santa Cruz County Community Foundation and to Driscoll’s Charitable Fund, which is matching all public donations dollar for dollar up to $250,000, according to the release.
Donations can be made online via Driscoll’s charitable giving platform.
Driscoll’s has also raised more than $1 million in relief funds, which includes direct donations to Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County, Community Bridges, the Santa Cruz County Community Foundation and the Casa De La Cultura Center, according to the release. In addition to the matching of public donations, Driscoll’s said its matching funds extend to employees and to Reiter Affiliated Cos., which contributed to the final investment.
Executives for Taylor Farms and Driscoll’s thanked the first responders, community partners and local and federal governments for their ongoing service to the affected population.
“Our communities have a tremendous amount of rehabilitation work ahead and we will continue to provide additional help,” Taylor Farms CEO and Chairman Bruce Taylor said in the release. “We remain committed to working alongside our industry, community partners, and first responders to ensure the safety and security of our community. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted and we thank everyone who has stepped in to help.”
“Our farming communities in the Pajaro and Salinas valleys provide a vast amount of the produce our nation consumes every day,” Driscoll’s CEO Miles Reiter said in the release. “It will be weeks until we fully understand the scope of damage as the flooding displaced thousands of people from their homes and disrupted many local farming operations. I am saddened by the destruction while remaining proud to be part of this community where so many people moved swiftly to help those most in need.”
