MORGAN HILL, CA - Seeing companies across the fresh produce industry lending a hand to those in need always leaves us here at AndNowUKnow with a smile. Sakata Seed America is one of the latest to leave us writers grinning as the company has announced that it has significantly increased its volume of fresh produce donations to the Yolo County Food Bank in Woodland, California, through the efforts of its Woodland Innovation Center.

“We’ve recently launched our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) throughout Sakata’s global operations. We are focusing on the United Nations SDGs where we feel Sakata can make a specific impact—with reducing hunger being one of our aligned goals,” said Sakata Seed America President and CEO, Dave Armstong. “We are focused on developing seed varieties that are resilient in multiple growing environments, and the donations from WIC are part of those research and breeding efforts. We’re making a concerted effort to align our company’s vision and values in order to be good corporate citizens. Making these type of donations puts our vision and values into action.”

Throughout 2020, Sakata Seed donated more than 37,000 pounds of fresh produce through the Yolo Food Bank program, according to a press release.

Sakata Seed America’s corporate values include not only focusing on sustainability, but harmony in its service to both the people and the Earth, which is why the company’s donations are of such great importance for those involved.

“Sakata Seed has been an amazing partner,” commented Aliyah Moreno, Yolo Grown Program Coordinator for the Yolo Food Bank. “We have received various types of crops such as melons, watermelon, squash, tomatoes, and peppers. Yolo Food Bank puts these crops to use by distributing them to the 60,000 Yolo County residents that we serve. With the pandemic, we saw a drastic increase in client need and attendance at our sites. Having such a huge increase in donations this past year was SO helpful and appreciated by so many people.”

Sakata established its Woodland Innovation Center in 2015, and has made donations to the program since the Center’s inception.

However, due to hardships faced by people in the community in 2020 created by the ongoing pandemic, Sakata significantly increased the volume of fresh produce donations this past year.

Thank you to Sakata Seed for continuing to provide for those in need in local communities around the nation.

Sakata Seed America