Elwood (Madison County), IN – The Red Gold Company has taken a leadership role in protecting the interests of Midwestern fruit and vegetable growers and processors over the past six years resulting in the passage in May of a new Farm Bill incorporating a provision called Farm Flex.  Mike Pence, 6th Congressional District (R) of Indiana, pictured at the right, visited Red Gold to announce the passing of the bill.
 
“This important National legislation benefits Indiana and Midwest family farmers and consumers and protects Indiana jobs”, said Steve Smith, Director of Agriculture for the Red Gold Company.

Indiana farmers and Midwestern farm families now have the opportunity to diversify their farm operations in response to market opportunities to raise value-added fruit and vegetable crops without government restrictions. The Farm Bill also gives first-time fruit and vegetable farmers the freedom to grow fruits and vegetables allowing their farms to diversify. Under the previous law for example, growers were prohibited from planting tomatoes if they had never planted them before. The new law also benefits future generations of family farmers in growing fruits and vegetables, as experienced and successful growers retire and pass their knowledge and farm to the next generation.

This new legislation assures that Midwestern farm families will be able to continue growing high value cash crops, while expanding crop rotation schedules.  This will enable farmers to properly rotate crops to sustain the viability of their land using more environmentally friendly sustainable agricultural practices and methods.  In addition, farmers of locally grown and processed fruits and vegetables will be able to compete more effectively with imports.

Food manufacturers will also benefit from the new Farm Bill in several ways.  Indiana food manufacturers, like Red Gold, will be able to expand the local acreage of fruits and vegetables to grow tomatoes within a reasonable distance from processing facilities, saving fuel costs and resources while protecting the quality of the vegetables.
The bill helps keep the Midwestern canning business in the Midwest and allows canners like Red Gold to compete in the world market. This will protect Indiana manufacturing jobs and Indiana's economy which benefits from stable, good paying food manufacturing jobs. In total over 30,000 Midwest jobs will be saved.                            

Consumers benefit from the new law which makes it possible for Indiana manufacturers, like Red Gold, to have an abundant supply of fresh processing tomatoes available to meet the growing demand of consumers for Midwestern tomatoes and other vegetables.  Consumers will have a guaranteed supply of safe, affordable and nutritious USA food grown and processed in the Midwest by friends and neighbors, not by an importer. The local production of food products, close to point of consumption, is an increasing desire of today’s discerning consumers.                                                                

Red Gold is a premier full-line tomato processing company with its corporate headquarters located in Orestes, Indiana.  The company operates state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Elwood, Orestes and Geneva, Indiana, as well as RGT Logistics in Elwood, Indiana.  Red Gold produces premium quality canned tomatoes and tomato-based products for the retail, foodservice, private label, and club channels of distribution.  The Red Gold family of consumer brands includes Red Gold, Redpack, Tuttorosso, and Sacramento.  Exceptional quality and operational excellence are the shared values that contributed to the employee-created mission statement: “To produce the freshest, best tasting tomato products in the world.”  For more information visit www.redgold.com.