FRESH PRODUCE TRENDS:<br />Ocean Mist Seeds Future Talent Pool With $50K; Murphy Tourney Draws Near
Armed with a goal of supporting programs designed to broaden awareness about the rewards and opportunities of a career in the produce industry, Ocean Mist Farms has pledged $50,000 to the Produce Marketing Association Foundation for Industry Talent (PMA FIT.)
“With an impending labor crisis facing all industries, the competition for new and existing talent will continue to be fierce at all levels of staffing, operational and managerial,” said Joe Pezzini, COO of Castroville, Calif.-based Ocean Mist, the country’s largest year-round fresh artichoke grower. “As an industry, we have to join forces to compete for talent both on college campuses and within the current workforce. As a company, we feel we must support the foundation’s efforts to reach out to these audiences with a unified message about the rewards and opportunities a career in produce affords.”
PMA FIT uses individual and corporate contributions to fund a number of programs, including student outreach initiatives, internship best practices, visiting industry professors, an industry job bank, an online career resource center, event scholarships, the PMA Leadership Symposium, Fresh Perspectives and the Tip Murphy Scholarship for Leadership Excellence.
Speaking of the Tip Murphy scholarship, it’s not too late to sign up and/or serve as a sponsor in the namesake memorial golf outing that will take place on Monday, Sept. 28, at the Oasis Golf Club & Conference Center in Loveland, Ohio. Lunch will be served at 11 a.m., followed by a 1 p.m. shotgun start.
“This tournament gives us the opportunity to remember Tip in one of his favorite settings -- the golf course,” notes Reggie Griffin of Cincinnati-based Kroger, who adds that tournament proceeds will help build Murphy’s legacy fund that was created by Ready Pac, Chiquita, Paramount Citrus and Naturipe Farms to honor Murphy’s life and his 15-year career in the produce industry.
To register for the event, serve as a sponsor, or make a donation, please visit: http://www.pmafit.com/support/docs/TMGolf_Reg_Form.pdf.
“With an impending labor crisis facing all industries, the competition for new and existing talent will continue to be fierce at all levels of staffing, operational and managerial,” said Joe Pezzini, COO of Castroville, Calif.-based Ocean Mist, the country’s largest year-round fresh artichoke grower. “As an industry, we have to join forces to compete for talent both on college campuses and within the current workforce. As a company, we feel we must support the foundation’s efforts to reach out to these audiences with a unified message about the rewards and opportunities a career in produce affords.”
PMA FIT uses individual and corporate contributions to fund a number of programs, including student outreach initiatives, internship best practices, visiting industry professors, an industry job bank, an online career resource center, event scholarships, the PMA Leadership Symposium, Fresh Perspectives and the Tip Murphy Scholarship for Leadership Excellence.
Speaking of the Tip Murphy scholarship, it’s not too late to sign up and/or serve as a sponsor in the namesake memorial golf outing that will take place on Monday, Sept. 28, at the Oasis Golf Club & Conference Center in Loveland, Ohio. Lunch will be served at 11 a.m., followed by a 1 p.m. shotgun start.
“This tournament gives us the opportunity to remember Tip in one of his favorite settings -- the golf course,” notes Reggie Griffin of Cincinnati-based Kroger, who adds that tournament proceeds will help build Murphy’s legacy fund that was created by Ready Pac, Chiquita, Paramount Citrus and Naturipe Farms to honor Murphy’s life and his 15-year career in the produce industry.
To register for the event, serve as a sponsor, or make a donation, please visit: http://www.pmafit.com/support/docs/TMGolf_Reg_Form.pdf.