In a roomful of elected officials and non-profit agencies from all corners of Santa Cruz County, Second Harvest Food Bank revealed their choice for their 2016 Food Industry Donor of the Year: Fitz Fresh Mushrooms in Watsonville. The ceremony served as the lunch event for the Food Bank’s annual Partner Agency Conference on October 17 at Twin Lakes Church in Aptos.
Pat Fitz, owner of Fitz Fresh Mushrooms, accepted the award on behalf of the farm. Fitz told the room of nearly 100 guests, “Our entire team of 70 long-term employees really deserve the credit.”
Since 2002, over the past 14 years, Fitz Fresh has donated more than 177,000 pounds of their hand- picked, fresh mushrooms, which according to Fitz are valued at over $250,000 and equal to over a million servings distributed through the Food Bank’s network of 100 partner agencies – the non-profit food pantries, recovery centers, group homes, school programs, and more that feed members of the community most in need of food.
Fitz shared how his father and brothers started mushroom farming after their service in WWII, buying a farm in Scotts Valley from a retired fighter pilot. In the 50’s, they also grew mushrooms, “In limestone caves just off Market Street near downtown Santa Cruz.” They moved to their current Watsonville location in 1970.
What really moved the audience was Fitz’s description of hunger in the 1930’s. His father recounted how he and his siblings, “Would sneak off to the soup kitchen line to avoid their father feeling shame for not being able to provide enough.”
“We’ve come a long way in providing food assistance with respect and dignity to those in need,” he concluded, and “Second Harvest and associated partner agencies and programs are an enormous part of this.”
The elected officials in attendance emphasized the importance of Second Harvest and its food industry donors like Fitz Fresh.
Assemblymember Mark Stone lauded the focus on nutrition by the Food Bank and its agencies and donors. “That focus on nutrition and health truly is health care delivery in our communities.”
Supervisor Zach Friend shared, “I’ve got a child who’s about to turn two in a week and a half and his favorite food [is now] mushrooms,” before congratulating Fitz Fresh for their donation of nearly 90 tons of the low-calorie food.
Capitola Mayor Ed Bottorff summed it up as, “A theme about generosity,” thanking Pat and all the volunteers who help distribute donated food across the county.
Watsonville Mayor Felipe Hernandez shared his conversion to mushrooms after having recently toured several local farms. He added, “I cut back [on] pastas and now I eat a mushroom-based pasta.”
The officials each presented Fitz with an official proclamation in recognition of the farm’s long-standing contributions to Second Harvest and other community organizations. Assemblymember Mark Stone presented a joint proclamation plaque including Senator Bill Monning. Second Harvest CEO Willy Elliott-McCrea also read letters of congratulations from U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Assemblymember Luis Alejo, Scotts Valley Mayor Donna Lind, Santa Cruz Mayor Cynthia Mathews and Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Bruce McPherson.
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To learn more about Second Harvest Food Bank and its partner agencies and food industry donors, please visit www.thefoodbank.org.
Second Harvest Food Bank with its network of 200 local agencies and programs feeds 55,000 people in Santa Cruz County every month. For every dollar donated, it provides four healthy meals. “Together we fight hunger all year long.” www.thefoodbank.org