Celebrating its fourth year of involvement with Ag Against Hunger’s annual New York Express fundraiser, C.H. Robinson recently utilized its deep industry knowledge and expertise and teamed up with a variety of grower-shippers to give back to the local community.
(from left to right): Lynn Figone, executive director Ag Against Hunger, Cesar De La Torre, warehouse manager at Ag Against Hunger, Ivan Brutskiy at DDT Transport, Jessica Rains, account manager at C.H. Robinson, Lauren Soares, key account manager at C.H. Robinson, Alicia Anne Cask, board member at Ag Against Hunger; Chiquita/Fresh Express, Lullu Valle, account manager at C.H. Robinson.
(from left to right): Lynn Figone, executive director Ag Against Hunger, Cesar De La Torre, warehouse manager at Ag Against Hunger, Ivan Brutskiy at DDT Transport, Jessica Rains, account manager at C.H. Robinson, Lauren Soares, key account manager at C.H. Robinson, Alicia Anne Cask, board member at Ag Against Hunger; Chiquita/Fresh Express, Lullu Valle, account manager at C.H. Robinson.
Each year, produce companies in the Salinas Valley of California gather locally grown produce that is sold at Hunts Point Produce Market in New York. All proceeds of the sale go towards Ag Against Hunger, a local non-profit whose mission is to end hunger by channeling fresh, healthy surplus fruits and vegetables from local farms to food banks and schools.  “We are so proud to work with other industry members and offer our expertise to help out in the local community,” said Luke Gowdy, general manager at C.H. Robinson. “The proceeds will go to updating Ag Against Hunger’s warehouse cooler which will not only improve the integrity of fresh product, but will allow for more product to be stored, ultimately feeding more people in need and increasing fresh produce consumption across the U.S.” As transportation experts working in the fresh produce industry for over 100 years, C.H. Robinson coordinated the transportation and covered the cost of the freight services for the donation over the past four years. C.H. Robinson has built close relationships with various industry members partly because of the Western Grower’s Transportation Program, pioneered in 2007, as a joint effort to provide best in class transportation services to Western Grower’s grower-shipper members. “We have great relationships with various grower-shippers as well as the board members of Ag Against Hunger,” added Gowdy. “We will continue to utilize our resources and capabilities to move the industry forward and collaborate for a greater cause.”