Gourmet News

Giant Fundraiser: Grocer, Customers Raise $766K to Feed Children

Published October 12, 2022

Giant Food presents check to Baltimore County Schools to help address food insecurity among children.

Thanks to a Giant fundraiser, food insecure children in the Washington, D.C., area will be fed.

Giant Food, the leading D.C. regional grocery chain, has donated $765,977 to help address food insecurity among children within its local communities. From June 16 through August 7 of 2022, Giant held its brand-new customer giving campaign, Nourishing Our Youth. During the campaign, Giant customers were given the option to round up their grocery purchase to the nearest dollar to donate to their local public schools’ food programs.

All of the proceeds from the Giant fundraiser were donated to local school districts so they may use the funds to best serve their community and support meal programs such as such covering outstanding student meal debt, expanding food distribution programs and building on-campus food pantries.

“We all know that children need nutritious meals to grow, learn and thrive. But too many children across our region struggle to receive a decent meal at lunch when attending school,” said Felis Andrade, director of external communications & community relations. “Through Giant’s Nourishing Our Youth program, we can give much-needed funds to school districts within our region to support their meal programs. We are incredibly grateful to our outstanding customers for their philanthropic support and thrilled to be able to donate these funds to our local school districts.”

According to Feeding America, over 9 million children, or 1 in 8, faced hunger in 2021. Research has also consistently demonstrated that good nutrition and the ability to learn are intrinsically connected. School food programs are critical to ensuring many children receive regular meals and Giant is committed to continuing to support food insecurity efforts for children throughout its region.

“Christina School District is beyond excited and thankful to have partnered with Giant Food for the 2022 Nourishing Our Youth Round Up Program,” said Andrea Solge, registered dietitian and child nutrition supervisor for the Christina School District. “Their generosity will assist in the fight against hunger within the Christina School District. There are many benefits to this program, but most importantly, providing increased access to meals by serving free breakfast and lunch daily to our students. Christina School District is grateful for this opportunity and for Giant Food’s support to fight against hunger in our community.”

Funds are being distributed to schools throughout October. For more information about the program, email NourishingOurYouth@cranecommunications.com.

Giant Food annually donates over 4.5 million pounds of food and $1 million in cash contributions to its five Feeding America food bank partners in an effort to eliminate hunger within its region. Giant offers an extensive account of its efforts throughout 2021 across areas of charitable giving, education, partnerships, innovation and development to be a Better Neighbor, which means being a Better Place to Shop and Better Place to Work within the greater DMV region, in its Better Neighbor Report. To view Giant’s Better Neighbor Report, visit https://giantfood.com/pages/better-neighbor-report.

For more information about Giant Food and all of its community giving programs, visit giantfood.com.

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Tillamook Auction on eBay Raises Money to Help Farmers

Published October 12, 2022

Tillamook is one of the best-loved brands in cheese. Imagine putting a fridge full of Tillamook cheese in your kitchen, knowing you’re helping farmers in a Tillamook auction.

Tillamook County Creamery Association – a 113-year-old farmer-led and owned dairy co-operative – has launched its 2022 All For Farmers initiative. All For Farmers is devoted to preserving farmland, assisting farmers in financial need, and supporting the overall future of farming. Now in its third year, funds generated by the TCCA All For Farmers initiative have been used to help permanently protect more than 10,000 acres of farmland nationwide.

The 2022 edition of All For Farmers will feature a one-of-a-kind virtual auction including a range of never-before-offered items and exclusive experiences. All proceeds from the auction will be donated directly to American Farmland Trust – a national non-profit dedicated to preserving farmland and helping farmers thrive. The All For Farmers Auction bidding is open until Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. PDT on eBay.

Auction items:

Night at the Tillamook Creamery – Pack up the sleeping bags and pick 24 besties for an exclusive, first-time-ever overnight at the Creamery in the heart of Tillamook County near the beautiful Oregon Coast. TCCA will provide dinner, dessert, snacks, breakfast, and specially curated activities and swag for the whole crew. Opening bid: $1,500.
1962 Volkswagen Type 2 Double Cab Tillamook-Branded Bus – Turn heads when rolling through town in this one-of-a-kind restored, vintage VW pick-up – a retired member of the iconic TCCA “Yum Bus” fleet. Ideal for the auto enthusiast or those looking for a cute classic to cruise to the farmers market, this truck is sure to bring a smile to the streets. Opening bid: $20,000.
Summer Weekend Stay at Maine’s Turner Farm– A two-night stay for four at the Turner Farm Guest House in picturesque North Haven, Maine. This relaxing weekend away includes farm-to-table culinary experiences, exploring the nature preserve and scenic views, and private beach and dock access. Opening bid: $450.
SMEG Fridge Stocked With Tillamook Cheddar – A true super fan needs a special fridge just for cheese. This Orange mini SMEG fridge is fully stocked and packed with 15 pounds of assorted Tillamook cheeses, just in time for the holidays ahead. Opening bid: $250.
2012 Maker’s Reserve Mother Loaf – Aged for a decade, this 40-pound block is TCCA’s longest-aged cheddar, and the sharpest, boldest, biggest block ever released. This one-of-a-kind Mother Loaf is the perfect secret weapon for everything from holiday hosting to decadent snacking. Opening bid: $150.
A Year’s Worth of Groceries from Giant Food – For food lovers in the mid-Atlantic: the chance to win a year’s worth of groceries from Giant Food – you read that right. Auction item contains 52 gift cards with $100 value each that can be redeemed at any Giant Food store within Delaware, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Opening bid: $500.

The TCCA All For Farmers initiative benefits AFT and its Brighter Future Fund grant program. Since the Brighter Future Fund’s creation in 2020, TCCA and AFT’s partnership has generated $3.2 million for AFT efforts to support farmers from coast-to-coast through fund-raising efforts and direct corporate giving. In turn, the AFT Brighter Future Fund has helped 330 farmers in more than 44 states and Puerto Rico, including many that are under-served in agriculture, such as farmers of color, female, and LGBTQ+ farmers.

“As a farmer-owned co-op and a Certified B Corporation® (B Corp™), TCCA is dedicated to being a force for good in the world,” said Jocelyn Bridson, Director of Environment & Community Impact at TCCA. “Doing right by the cows and farms, people and products, and for the community and the environment is not just about staying true to our core values, it’s about supporting farms and underrepresented farmers across the country to do the same, for generations to come.”

Visitors at the Tillamook Creamery can also support the initiative, with the option to round up and donate to AFT on every purchase made. Direct donations to the AFT Brighter Future Fund can also be made at AllForFarmers.com

“American Farmland Trust is grateful for the generous support from Tillamook and our brand partners,” said Ryan Lauer, Director of Corporate Partnerships at AFT. “The proceeds from these fantastic auction items will enable marginalized farmers across the US to build resiliency, access land, and improve farm viability.”

Auction items are available for viewing now at ebay.com/AllForFarmersAuction. To learn more about the issues that farmers face and to read stories about farmers who have been supported by the All For Farmers campaign and the Brighter Future Fund, visit AllForFarmers.com.

For updates of interest to the dairy industry, subscribe to Gourmet News. See our Fall Cheese Guide here.

Quinn Snacks Earns Climate Friendly Label for Snacks Line

Published October 11, 2022

Sustainable snack brand Quinn has achieved the Climate Friendly product attribute from its partner, HowGood, an independent research company with the world’s largest ingredient sustainability database. Quinn will begin to roll out the first ever on-pack Climate Friendly label on its snack products in 2023.

Products that receive the Climate Friendly attribute have greenhouse gas emissions that are lower than 70 percent of all products assessed by HowGood. The new on-pack label allows consumers to easily identify products that are more sustainable.

As part of Quinn’s ongoing commitment to being a trailblazer in making real change to the food system, the Company always seeks out ingredients that support soil health and reduce carbon emissions, and share all that information with its Ingredient Transparency Policy. Through its partnership with HowGood, Quinn is now able to further measure the impact of its ingredients and products, including its carbon footprint.

HowGood’s assessment for the Climate Friendly attribute takes into account greenhouse gas emissions at the agricultural production and ingredient processing stages of the carbon life cycle and identifies those with significantly lower emissions.

“Transparency is a huge priority for us at Quinn Snacks. When you know where your food comes from and how it’s grown, you make food differently, you make it better. Regenerative agriculture can drastically reduce emissions and make farms more resilient to the effects of climate change. We’re excited to have HowGood’s Climate Friendly label to communicate our commitment to the environment and responsible sourcing” said Kristy Lewis, Quinn founder.

Quinn snack products featuring the Climate Friendly attribute will be reassessed yearly to ensure the Company and its products continue to meet the current industry benchmarks. The new label will begin to appear on packaging in retail stores nationwide in early 2023, and it will be made available immediately on product pages across Quinn’s website.

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