FARMER JOHN TEAMS UP WITH THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF HOLLYWOOD TO HOST A CHEF-LED COOKING CLASS AND MAKE A $15,000 DONATION

Led by renowned local chef Danielle Duran Zecca, co-founder of Amiga Amore, families participated in the interactive cooking class on Tuesday evening and learned how to make Albondigas Sope, a Mexican-inspired meatball recipe featuring Farmer John Premium Mild Pork Sausage. The recipe leans into Duran Zecca's "MexItalian" cooking style, which combines the influences of her Mexican heritage with those of her Italian husband, Alessandro Zecca. Danielle and Alessandro founded Amiga Amore, a casual dining restaurant that melds the flavors of their two cultures, earlier this year. Located in Highland Park, the neighborhood where Danielle grew up, the restaurant's mission is simple: to create a neighborhood eatery and a second home in the community where guests can enjoy a meal cooked with love.

To kick off the cooking class, Farmer John presented the $15,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood in support of their outstanding work in the community. This contribution will aid the organization's commitment to addressing the literacy crisis that impacts predominately students of color from underserved communities and help ensure that their kids gain the skills necessary to achieve lifelong success.

"As a California native, I am thrilled to work alongside Farmer John to help give back to the community through this fun and interactive experience for the members of the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood," said Chef Zecca. "It's an honor to contribute to the growth of these talented children while also igniting their passion for culinary arts. I loved teaching the group how to make my Albondigas Sope, especially using Farmer John Premium Mild Pork Sausage, because it has so much flavor. My hope is that they'll want to recreate it at home with their families."

"We're thankful for the opportunity to partner with Farmer John in providing our members with an educational and fun cooking class," said Mel Culpepper, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood. "Not only has the class helped bring our families together and build upon their skills in the kitchen, but the donation will go a long way in making an important impact for our members and staff. Thank you, Farmer John, for partnering with us on this year's California Commitment Tour."  

To further show its support, Farmer John is also hosting a free movie night event for the community on Saturday, August 12 at Poinsettia Recreation Center. The event will be open to the public on a first come, first served basis, and members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hollywood will be in attendance as the evening's special guests. Starting at 8:00 p.m., attendees will be able to enjoy a screening of "Moana" along with curated snacks from the food truck including:

• Deconstructed Pretzel Dog – sliced Farmer John Beef Frank served with soft pretzel bites and condiments for dipping
• Hot Dog – Farmer John Beef Frank served on a bun with a bag of chips
• Mini Nachos – tortilla chips topped with Farmer John Classic Polish Sausage and nacho cheese

"We're excited to partner with Chef Danielle and the Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood as we celebrate year four of the Farmer John California Commitment Tour," said Clara Meschini, brand representative for Farmer John at Smithfield Foods. "Farmer John recognizes the importance of traditional, face-to-face activities like cooking and sharing a meal, and we hope this cooking class, our donation, and the upcoming movie night gives this community even more opportunities to engage in fun, memorable moments of connection this summer and beyond."

Farmer John launched year four of its California Commitment Tour in June, taking its food truck across the state to feed, serve and celebrate the community in support of its mission to help strengthen families in California. Throughout the tour, Farmer John is partnering with local chapters of the Boys and Girls Clubs to champion the great work they are doing in the community and provide memorable experiences and more than $50,000 in donations.

Farmer John fans are invited to recreate Danielle Duran Zecca's Albondigas Sope recipe at home and share their masterpieces on social media using the hashtags #CommittedToCalifornia, #SoFarmerJohn, and #SoCalifornia. For more information and to see where the Farmer John California Commitment Tour goes next, follow Farmer John on Facebook (@FarmerJohn), Instagram (@FarmerJohnLA), or Twitter (@FarmerJohnLA), and visit www.farmerjohn.com. Farmer John is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Farmer John
Serving Californians since 1931, Farmer John has pioneered a revolution in the supply of local flavorful meats. The journey began with Irish-American brothers Francis and Bernard Clougherty curing and selling pork bellies and smoked hams to local grocery stores and continues today with staples like breakfast sausage and hot dogs. This longstanding Southern California brand remains committed to crafting the highest quality meats full of freshness and flavor. For more information on our products and recipe inspiration, please visit www.farmerjohn.com or follow us on Facebook (@FarmerJohn), Instagram (@FarmerJohnLA) or Twitter (@FarmerJohnLA). Farmer John is a brand of Smithfield Foods. 

About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is a U.S. food company that employs nearly 60,000 people in seven countries and partners with thousands of American farmers. As one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly.^®" to feed a growing world population. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in our U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30% across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs in all 50 U.S. states. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield^®, Eckrich^®, Gwaltney^® and Nathan's Famous^®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

About Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood
Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood is a non-profit organization that has been at the forefront of youth development working with young people from underserved communities.  The Club offers youth an array of learning opportunities including academic enrichment, leadership skills, physical fitness and athletics, computer literacy, music and fine arts programs.  BGCH has provided programs and services to youth and their families for over 85 years. We are dedicated to ensuring that our students have greater access to quality educational programs; live in communities that are free of violence, and all youth are empowered to dream big. For more information visit www.bgchollywood.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

The mission of BGCH is to inspire and empower young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring adults.

About Chef Danielle Duran Zecca
Danielle graduated from Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts with honors and worked for celebrated Los Angeles chefs such as Walter Manzke, Neal Fraser, and Sang Yoon. She spent many years afterwards honing her craft in New York City at Le Bernardin, as a sous chef at The Modern, Chef de Cuisine at Vespa, and sous chef at the highly acclaimed Le Coucou, the recipient of the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in 2017. She has made appearances on the Food Network winning "Kitchen Casino" and challenging Bobby Flay himself on "Beat Bobby Flay." In 2019 she participated at "Supermarket Stakeout." Her style of cooking is "MexItalian" which subtly combines the Mexican food influences of her heritage, with her Italian husband's heritage. They recently opened Amiga Amore – a casual dining restaurant located in the neighborhood Danielle grew up in, Highland Park.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.