Your 2 Cents Press Release



CONTACT:          Megan Kintzer

Director of Communications and Development

610-683-1443

megan.kintzer@rodaleinstitute.org

 

YOUR 2 CENTS PROGRAM PARTNERS HELP GROW MORE FARMERS

 

(Kutztown, PA, November 3, 2011) - Rodale Institute announces the inclusion of six new partners in its Your 2 Cents fundraising program. New Chapter, Natural By Nature, Maple Hill Creamery, Brad’s Raw Foods, EcoTulips, and shopOrganic.com are joining inaugural partner Uncle Matt’s Organics in their support of Rodale Institute’s Your 2 Cents program.

 

This innovative program unites consumers and companies in support of the next generation of American farmers. The Your 2 Cents program raises funds to support scholarships for students of sustainable agriculture, military veterans establishing careers in organic farming, new organic farmers, and grants for on-farm research.

 

Companies participate by donating two pennies per case good sold to the Your 2 Cents fund, which is governed by an advisory board consisting of representatives from Rodale Institute and the corporate partners. The advisory board will review applications quarterly and allot funds for the education, training and establishment of new organic farmers who will feed America sustainably in coming generations.

 

 “We are thrilled to have wonderful cooperation and representation from our organic community,” says Mark “Coach” Smallwood, Rodale Institute’s Executive Director. “The amount of support we have received for this program is astounding. We hope to continue to expand this effort and have an even greater impact on the way our worldwide community grows and eats food.”

 

New Chapter was the first company in the world to produce a full line of whole food vitamins and supplements certified to be made with organic ingredients. They believe the natural purity of organic ingredients is better for people and better for the environment.

 

Natural By Nature, an organic dairy company, promotes and supports organic farming and the sustainable use of natural resources from their home base in West Grove, Pennsylvania. They have a goal to produce foods that benefit consumers and farmers alike and use the principles of grass-based dairy production as a means to improve the quality of their products, maximize the health of their cows and protect our watersheds.

 

Maple Hill Creamery is a family-owned dairy in Little Falls, NY.  They have been making yogurt and yogurt drinks from organic and 100% grass-fed milk since 2009.

 

Brad Gruno, founder and creator of Brad’s Raw Foods, has a mission to inform people, young and old, of the health benefits of eating raw foods. Dehydrated below 115°F to preserve nutrients and enzymes, Brad’s Raw Chips and Leafy Kale are not only delicious, but rich in protein.

 

EcoTulips is bringing positive change to the flower bulb industry by offering an alternative to chemically-grown bulbs. Co-owner Jeroen Koeman comes from a long line of tulip growers in the Netherlands. He and his wife Keriann began importing their first organic bulbs in 2009 and host an Organic Tulip Festival each year at their farm in Brightwood, Virginia.

 

shopOrganic.com is an online retailer of high quality organic products. They believe organic food and natural products are better for our bodies, better for our communities and better for the planet. Their mission is to enable people to discover, explore and embrace an organic lifestyle in whatever way resonates with them.

 

Rodale Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to pioneering organic farming through research and outreach. For over sixty-years, the Institute has been committed to researching the best practices for organic farming and sharing findings with farmers and scientists around the world, advocating for policies that support farmers, and educating consumers about how going organic is the healthiest option for people and the planet.

 

More details are online at www.rodaleinstitute.org/your2cents