Ventura County Sustainability Exchange Hosts Exclusive One-Stop- Shop Sustainability Event

VENTURA, Calif. - Oct. 13, 2014 - PRLog -- In conjunction with this year's PMA Fresh Summit, the growers and distributors of Ventura County are inviting fresh produce industry members into their backyards for the Ventura County Sustainability Exchange. This unique collaborative event brings together top growers from throughout the region to put Ventura County on the map and show the industry why it is the one-stop-shop for sustainably grown produce.

“Buyers from all over the country will be impressed to see the substantial investments that Ventura County producers have made to incorporate sustainability into producing their products,” said John Chamberlain, Director of Marketing for Limoneira. “The Ventura County Sustainability Exchange will firmly establish the county as the one-stop-shop for sustainable produce.”

VCSE invitees will be able to experience the operations of these growers first hand, as leading companies like Limoneira, Calavo, San Miguel Produce, Agromin, Deardorff Family Farms, and Houweling's Tomatoes invite them along for tours of their fields and facilities. For example, guests will visit the Limoneira and Calavo Headquarters in Santa Paula, to tour their 2MG solar facilities and learn about their waste management practices and high density planting.

Star power will be there to greet VCSE attendees throughout their stay. Star power will be there to greet VCSE attendees throughout their stay. Refreshments will be provided by Nobu mixologist Brian Leon in Limoneira's orchards. Dinner will be catered by the culinary expertise of Chef Jason Collis, who will be turning the local produce of Ventura County's growers into gourmet culinary creations.

Before savoring Collins' cooking however, renowned comedian Patrick Martin will take center-stage. With the same blend of humor and captivating visual illusions which has taken him before such prestigious audiences as the White House, the

Olympic Arts Festival, and top Fortune 500 corporations, VCSE attendees will be in for a night to remember.

Guest speakers during the event will include the Agricultural Commissioner, Henry Gonzales, Food Share Inc. President, Bonnie Weigel, and Kathleen Phillips, the Supply Chain Sustainability Manager for Pro*Act.

More consumers than ever are looking for healthy, sustainable food choices. The search for products which retailers can sell to this growing body has consumers has lead buyers and produce experts of all stripes to Ventura County.

At the end of their two day trip through the fields and operations of these growers, VCSE attendees will understand first-hand what makes the county a leader in sustainability for the fresh produce community.

VCSE would like to thank its sponsors, Cool Planet, Agromin, Driscoll's, Houweling’s, San Miguel, Deardorff, Limoneira, and Calavo, for making this event possible.

About FOOD Share:

More than 35 years ago, eight citizens performed a good deed by distributing food to those who were in need underneath a Ventura bridge. The early philanthropic movement quickly formed into what is now Ventura County’s regional food bank, FOOD Share, which has grown from serving a few hundred hungry people per month to 74,500 people. Today, staff and volunteers distribute more than 10 million pounds of food annually from its distribution site; more than 180 partner agencies, which include neighborhood and church food distributions and soup kitchens; as well as hunger assistance programs. FOOD Share’s programs provide healthy nutrition and education to children, families and seniors, which include: KIDS Share, SENIOR Share, Nutrition Education, Community Market, SoCal Gas CARE Program, ART Share and more. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, FOOD Share is a member of the Feeding America network, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. For more information about FOOD Share, visit www.foodshare.com. Find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FoodShareofVenturaCounty) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/FoodshareVC).