Dole Food Co. has launched a new video series recognizing some of the hundreds of family farmers it works with in the U.S. and around the globe, according to a news release.
The first two videos — spotlighting domestic vegetable farmers Jesus Tovar of T&P Farms in Somerton, Ariz., and Zach Barnes of Dole Fresh Vegetables in Soledad, Calif., — will be posted on Dole’s LinkedIn page on National Farmer’s Day on Oct. 12 as part of Dole’s celebration of the annual holiday honoring U.S. farmers and growers, according to the release. Additional videos celebrating Dole’s U.S. and global farmer partners are planned.
Bil Goldfield, Dole’s director of corporate communications for Dole, said in the release that Dole has been working with family farmers in the U.S. for more than 50 years as part of a larger farming legacy that dates back to the early 1900s when James Drummond Dole cultivated the first Dole pineapples in Hawaii.
“Family farmers are at the heart of Dole,” Goldfield said in the release. “Despite the perception of Dole as a corporate farming organization, in addition to our owned agriculture production, we are made up of a network of many independent growers. Working with Dole enables these small farmers to gain access and opportunity to a competitive market that they may not have on their own. Working together allows us to feed a hungry world and support a healthy lifestyle around the world.”
In the U.S. alone, Goldfield said Dole grows and sources fresh vegetables on 42,815 acres of U.S. farmland. That makes Dole one of the largest single-brand growers in the country, he said in the release. “Of this amount, 27,717 acres, almost two-thirds, are owned by family farmers,” he said.
Dole currently works with family farmers in nine states across the U.S. (Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio and Texas) to grow more than 15 vegetable varieties, including cabbage, romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, spinach, carrots, kale, radishes, green onions, broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, celery, Brussels sprouts and several spring mix varieties.
To learn more about Dole’s commitment to sustainable farming around the world, visit the sustainability section of Dole.com.
For original Dole salad recipes, nutritional insights and other information, visit www.dole.com or follow Dole’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest pages.
