On July 13, Berks County-based Rodale Institute announced it received a $1 million donation from The GIANT Company.

The funds were raised through The GIANT Company’s Healing Our Planet campaign, which ran from March 1 to May 31, and allowed customers to round up their checkout purchases to the nearest dollar at GIANT, MARTIN’S and GIANT Heirloom Market stores.

This funding will go towards supporting the Rodale Institute Farmer Training Program, as well as farmer consulting services, education projects, and research studies.

This partnership is a unique coming together of two organizations with deep roots in Pennsylvania, both working together to not only grow healthy organic food, but also to bring it to consumers.

The GIANT Company presented Rodale Institute with a check for $1,099,208.55 on June 20th at a ceremony event at The GIANT Company headquarters, which was attended by Rodale Institute CEO Jeff Moyer, The GIANT Company President Nicholas Bertram, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Reading, and other recipients of funding from the Healing Our Planet campaign.

“Through their generosity in rounding up at the register, our customers have once again proven how dedicated they are to healing our planet and we couldn’t be more grateful for their support,” said Jessica Groves, community impact manager, The GIANT Company. “Since joining forces with Rodale Institute last year, we have seen firsthand how they are working to expand regenerative organic agricultural practices and create a more sustainable food chain, which is more important than ever before. We’re honored to team up with Rodale as we work to improve the health of people and the planet we call home.”

“Many organizations talk about the problems related to human and planetary health,” said Jeff Moyer, Chief Executive Officer of Rodale Institute. “Nick, the team at The GIANT Company, and their customers are taking action to help find solutions to those problems. By forming a strong partnership with Rodale Institute, the company has taken steps to ensure that more farms will be organic, more soil is being regenerated, and more organic food is available to consumers.”

Rodale Institute has been conducting research into regenerative organic agriculture, as well as farmer training and education opportunities, since 1947, and currently operates 8 campuses in 4 states.

The GIANT Company’s donation will directly support three key initiatives of Rodale Institute centered around farm consulting, farmer training, and research.

These initiatives include:

-- Rodale Institute Farmer Training Program (RIFT), an on-site internship that trains beginning farmers for a career in regenerative organic agriculture and supports the Institute’s farm share program, mobile pop-up markets and farmers markets.

-- Rodale Institute’s Organic Crop Consulting Services, launched in 2019 with the support of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which support farmers who are seeking to transition to organic through one-on-one mentorship with the Institute’s trained agronomists.

-- Rodale Institute’s research focuses on three primary areas: growing organic agriculture, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and solving food insecurity by growing nutrient-dense foods.

In addition to Rodale Institute, additional funds were raised for Planet Bee Foundation and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

For more information on programs, initiatives, research, assistance available to farmers, and upcoming events, visit the Rodale Institute website. Like them on Facebook. Follow them on Twitter. Check out their YouTube Channel.

(Photo: Jeff Tkach, Rodale Institute Chief Impact Officer, Jessica Groves, manager of community impact, The GIANT Company, Nicholas Bertram, president, The GIANT Company, Russell Redding, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture, Jeff Moyer, Rodale Institute CEO)

NewsClips:

-- Reading Eagle: Rodale Institute Set For PA To Become Silicon Valley Of Organic Farming

-- PASA Sustainable Agriculture: PASA Opens New Office In Philadelphia To Serve Urban Ag Network; Other News

[Posted: July 13, 2022]

7/18/2022