Stemilt earns PBH role model honor

Sliding across the inbox this afternoon:

Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) has named Stemilt Growers, Inc., of Wenatchee, Wash., the first company to attain PBH's Non-Retail Role Model honors for its support of their Fruits & Veggies-More Matters® health initiative. The formal announcement of Stemilt's role model status will be made at PBH's Board of Trustees meeting on April 3 in Monterey, Calif.

Stemilt Growers, Inc. is a family-owned tree fruit grower-packer-shipper. The company is the nation's leading Washington-grown sweet-cherry shipper and also ships Washington-grown apples and Northwest pears. In 1914, the Mathison family began planting cherry, apple and pear orchards in the fertile soils of Stemilt Hill, overlooking the Columbia River and the town of Wenatchee, Wash. Today, Stemilt is still solely owned by the Mathison family.

"Stemilt Growers has been a long term supporter of PBH and has exhibited a true commitment to the Fruits and Veggies-More Matters public health initiative," said Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., R.D., president and CEO of PBH. "We appreciate the efforts made by all of our non-retail donors to spread the word that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is important. Stemilt has exhibited role model attributes by going above and beyond in their support of Fruits and Veggies-More Matters and PBH. The company has played a significant role in distributing Fruits and Veggies-More Matters brand messaging by integrating Fruits & Veggies-More Matters into community outreach activities like their cherry promotion with Sesame Street's Elmo and the Crunch before Lunch promotion, and their efforts are thoroughly appreciated."

Some of the activities that led to Stemilt achieving role model status include:

• using the Fruits & Veggies-More Matters logo on their AppleSweets products
• providing point-of-sale materials that feature the Fruits & Veggies-More Matters logo
• adding a link to PBH's consumer website, www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org, from their own company website
• including Fruits & Veggies-More Matters messaging in their Stemilt Insider newsletter and Nutrition Roundup newsletter
• including Fruits & Veggies-More Matters logo in their trade publication advertising
• integrate Fruits & Veggies-More Matters messaging into community outreach activities
• participating in PBH sponsorships

"Stemilt is proud to be the very first non-retailer to receive PBH's role model designation," said Roger Pepperl, Marketing Director for Stemilt Growers. "Stemilt is a proud supporter of PBH and Fruits & Veggies-More Matters. Like PBH, our company believes that including more fruits and vegetables at every meal is key to living a longer, healthier life. Here at Stemilt, eating more fruits and vegetables is not just a message we use, it's part of our corporate culture. We are committed to spreading the Fruits and Veggies-More Matters message. I hope other growers, shippers and processors step up their Fruits & Veggies-More Matters promotion efforts and become role models as well."

Growers, shippers, and processors can earn PBH Non-Retail Role Model honors for helping to realize the power the Fruits & Veggies-More Matters health initiative has to influence consumption, and boost bottom lines in the process. For more information, view our criteria for being a grower/shipper/processor role model or contact PBH Licensing & Partnership Manager Kathleen Ruf via e-mail at kruf@pbhfoundation.org