PRESS RELEASE: WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Building upon the accomplishment of more than 25 film festival screenings, Driscoll’s BB #:116044 award-winning documentary, The Last Harvest, continues to elevate discussions around labor shortage and immigration reform through a grassroots strategy of partaking in high-profile community-led forums. This month, the documentary is set to screen at the PMA Fresh Summit as part of the Expo’s first Experience Extension with Films. Attendees can join an in-depth discussion around labor on Thursday, October 17th at 9 AM in Room 213B, Level 3, ACC. The panel will include Driscoll’s Soren Bjorn, President of the Americas.
The Last Harvest was produced by Driscoll’s in partnership with the award-winning storytelling studio Farm League. The documentary offers a rare opportunity to hear the hopes, hardships and a sense of life-purpose in harvesting good berries from three independent family growers. The powerful documentary explores the issues contributing to agriculture’s labor shortage and proposes possible solutions to overcoming these challenges.
Within the film, Driscoll’s CEO and Chairman J. Miles Reiter takes a bold step to shed light on one of agriculture’s largest problems, which is largely unknown to the average consumer. A dedicated website, www.thelastharvestfilm.com, is continually updated with upcoming film festival screenings and deeper facts and figures around the topic of labor.
“The Last Harvest is just one small part of our journey to demonstrate our commitment to enrich the lives of everyone we touch across our farming communities,” said Soren Bjorn, President of the Americas at Driscoll’s. “As one of the few brands in a typically commodity-driven agriculture industry, we have the unique opportunity to advance topics, themes and challenges that are otherwise invisible to most consumers. In many cases, strategic collaborations across public and private sectors are needed to improve these larger industry challenges. We support solving systemic issues at a legislative and policy level and continues to be active in timely discussions.”
Earlier this month, Driscoll’s announced joining the Corporate Roundtable for the New American Workforce. Through the National Immigration Forum, the program aims to provide resources designed for immigrant workers.
“As a company whose network represents over 50% of foreign-born workers, it is our responsibility to stand in solidarity with immigrants that contribute so much to our company’s success,” said Soren Bjorn, president of Driscoll’s of the Americas. “We join other companies and industries in the Corporate Roundtable to collaborate on ways to best welcome and support a diverse workforce into our country.”
Family-owned for generations, Driscoll’s is comprised of thousands of individuals — each with a unique story of hard work, dedication, love, setbacks and success. Collectively, they make up one interwoven family that is greater than the sum of its parts and comes together to produce opportunities for livelihood. Driscoll’s vision is to enrich lives by growing in harmony with the communities and the environment this family depends upon. These collective stories are part of Driscoll’s One Family. Please visitwww.driscolls.com/onefamily for more information.
About Driscoll’s
Driscoll’s is the global market leader of fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. With more than 100 years of farming heritage and hundreds of independent growers around the world, Driscoll’s is passionate about growing great tasting berries. Driscoll’s exclusive patented berry varieties are developed through years of research using only traditional breeding methods. Driscoll’s is the trusted brand for Only the Finest Berries™.
