Chipotle Mexican Grill gives back to California farmers by donating $1 to the Farmer-Veteran Coalition (up to $50,000) for every side of guacamole purchased at California restaurants during Farmers’ Market Week, August 5-12, 2012. The promotion celebrates the California farmers who make it possible for Chipotle to serve delicious, handmade guacamole every day, in each of their restaurants.
Chipotle clocks in as one of the largest buyers of avocados — using 4% of California’s annual avocado harvest, and going through some 97,000 pounds of the nutrient-rich fruit per day. Each restaurant makes its own guacamole from scratch, often several times a day, using 48-84 avocados per batch, depending on the size of the avocado.
On a local level, Chipotle is committed to sourcing as many ingredients as possible from farms within 350 miles of its restaurants, and plans to use more than 10 million pounds of local produce in 2012. California Chipotle restaurants benefit from a rich growing season, and an exceptional and abundant supply of California avocados grown by the Golden State’s farmers, and are supported by organizations including the California Avocado Commission and the Farmer-Veteran Coalition.
“Customers have always liked our guacamole, and at the volume we serve, we wouldn’t be able to keep up with demand without the farmers in California,” said Chris Arnold, Chipotle’s director of communication. “Chipotle’s locally sourced program, and its continued growth, is contingent on improving the health of our farming industry and support for small local farms.”
The Farmer-Veteran Coalition supports American farming and mobilizes veterans to feed America. “Veterans coming home are eager to continue serving their country by growing good food for all Americans,” says Michael O’Gorman, executive director of the Farmer-Veteran Coalition. “Our young veteran farmers are thrilled to partner with Chipotle Mexican Grill and the California Avocado Commission and serve up one of our nation’s most uniquely healthy and delicious foods.”
About Chipotle
Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food from using ingredients that are not only fresh, but that—where possible—are sustainably grown and naturally raised with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. A similarly focused people culture, with an emphasis on identifying and empowering top performing employees, enables us to develop future leaders from within. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in 1993 and currently operates more than 1,300 restaurants. For more information, visit Chipotle.com <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http://Chipotle.com&esheet=6683922&lan=en-US&anchor=Chipotle.com&index=1&md5=ab18fd36a6ad4ae8abd478aa6b061791> .
Farmer-Veteran Coalition
The mission of the Farmer-Veteran Coalition (FVC) is to mobilize our food and farming community to create healthy and viable futures for America’s veterans by enlisting their help in building our green economy, rebuilding our rural communities, and securing a safe and healthy food supply for all. The coalition seeks to simultaneously assist the farming community by developing a new generation of farmers and to help our returning veterans find viable careers and means to heal on America’s farms. For more information, visit www.farmvetco.org <http://www.farmvetco.org> .
California Avocado Commission
Created in 1978, the California Avocado Commission strives to increase demand for California avocados through advertising, promotion and public relations, and engages in related industry activities that benefit the state’s nearly 5,000 avocado growers. The California Avocado Commission serves as the official information source for California Avocados and the California avocado industry. For information about California avocados, visitCaliforniaAvocado.com <http://www.avocado.org> , become a fan At Facebook.com/CaliforniaAvocados <http://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaAvocados> and follow the California Avocado Commission on Twitter atTwitter.com/CA_Avocados <http://www.twitter.com/CA_Avocados> .
