Tonya Antle, vice president of organic sales at Earthbound Farm
in San Juan Bautista, has been presented with the Women In Produce
Award of Excellence by the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable
Association.
Tonya Antle, vice president of organic sales at Earthbound Farm in San Juan Bautista, has been presented with the Women In Produce Award of Excellence by the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association.
The award, recognizing Antle’s pioneering spirit in the organic category and overall dedication to the produce industry, was presented Feb. 22 at the UFFVA Annual Conference in Long Beach.
Antle has been an active leader in the organic movement for more than 22 years, helping to propel the industry from a niche segment to the fastest-growing category in supermarkets. She is also recognized as a top spokesperson and advocate for the organic industry, conducting numerous educational and training programs throughout North America and serving on the boards of the Produce Marketing Association and the USDA’s National Agriculture Research, Extension Education and Economics Advisory committees.
“Receiving the Women in Produce Award of Excellence is a true honor. It’s very gratifying to be able to walk into any major supermarket in North America and see a beautiful display of organic produce, and know that I played a key role in making that happen,” Antle said. “My career has always been about the organic industry, the farmers, the products and the services that we provide. I don’t sell produce – I sell a healthy lifestyle.”
Started in 1984 in Carmel Valley as a 2.5-acre backyard garden, Earthbound Farm has become the largest grower and shipper of organic produce in North America. It popularized specialty salads nationally and in 1986 was the first to successfully launch pre-washed packaged salads for retail sale.
Earthbound Farm products are farmed on more than 13,000 certified organic acres. For more information, call (800) EAT-ORGANIC or go to www.ebfarm.com.
