<p><strong>Buffalo, NY and Monterey, CA-</strong><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">12.5.12<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Delaware North Companies has signed an agreement to become the first major hospitality and foodservice company to join Greener Fields Together. Greener Fields Together is the sustainability initiative recently launched by PRO*ACT and is the food industry’s first comprehensive, national farm-to-fork sustainability program. The program is devoted to continuous sustainability improvements at each touch point in the produce supply chain, according to a press release.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/50323870?badge=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"></p><p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Greener Fields Together helps to ensure that hospitality operators have greater access to sustainably grown and safe produce with a verified food safety record. Since 2009, PRO*ACT has served as Delaware North Companies’primary produce supplier, providing over 425,000 cases of fresh produce each year to most of Delaware North's national operating locations.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Michael Reinert, Vice President of Delaware North’s Supply Management Services, states, “Delaware North and our clients are increasingly sourcing local produce to provide our guests with fresh, high-quality foods and seasonal cuisine.” Mr. Reinert, continues, "PRO*ACT’s Greener Fields Together program makes our operations more sustainable and ensures we are receiving produce from farms and produce houses that are being held to the highest sustainability and safety standards.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/homePage_hero.jpg" alt="12/04/2012" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The initiaive encourages farmers to examine “green” activities and develop their operations with a specific eye on energy use, water and waste management, pesticide/herbicide use, packaging and transportation. Farmers are expected to make continuous, documented improvements in the area of sustainability. In addition, PRO*ACT distributors have committed to making Greener Fields Together a strategic priority by also building long-term partnerships with local farms, including financially supporting local farmers’ food safety education and certification efforts. As a commitment to customers that they are being served fresh, safe, sustainably sourced produce, Delaware North will start displaying the Greener Fields Together emblem in its U.S. operations.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“We’re proud to have Delaware North as the first major Greener Fields Together hospitality partner,” says Max Yeater, PRO*ACT president. “We understand that they and others in the foodservice community are working hard to increase their use of fresh produce in general and of local produce in particular. We also know that moving toward a more sustainable produce supply chain – from farming through distribution through foodservice operations like those operated by Delaware North – is a shared strategic priority. Greener Fields Together is designed to help us get there, together.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.greenerfieldstogether.org" target="_new">PRO*ACT</a><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.delawarenorth.com" target="_new">Delaware North Companies</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
