Pure Farmland™ Celebrates Bonton Farms With $20,000 Donation Through Its Pure Growth Project

SMITHFIELD, Va., Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier today, Pure Farmland^™ recognized Bonton Farms in Dallas, Texas, for its positive local impact with a check donation of $20,000. The contribution is part of the Pure Growth Project, an initiative launched by Pure Farmland in 2020 to ensure community gardens and farms continue to thrive and help increase access to fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables nationwide. Bonton Farms was selected as a 2021 grant recipient to support the non-profit's commitment to providing residents with nutritious food, job training through farming, employment opportunities, affordable housing and more.

After receiving 103 applications from community gardens and farms across 29 states, 55 organizations were carefully selected to receive grants ranging from $1,000 to $20,000, providing a total of $125,000 in financial support to nurture these unique neighborhood spaces. In the spirit of continued growth, Pure Farmland increased its financial commitment by 25% this year in hopes of positively supporting as many green spaces as possible.

Pure Farmland joined Bonton Farms to celebrate the local green space's achievements and highlight the continued impact their hard work has on the neighborhood. At the event, the urban farm announced the grant will help fund the purchase of a new farm truck. By creating a mobile vessel to transport fresh food, the organization will be able to increase the efficiency of farm operations and the ease of making produce accessible at community markets both in Bonton and outside of downtown.

"Pure Farmland is proud to bring this opportunity to Bonton Farms so they can continue to empower the community and serve as an accessible source of critical support," said Michael Merritt, senior director of marketing at Smithfield Foods. "We're inspired by the Bonton Farms organization and volunteers who make it their life's work to not only ensure that neighbors have access to fresh-grown food, but to offer a much-needed haven that acts as a source of connection, sustenance and opportunity."

Bonton Farms leverages urban agriculture to nourish the physical, mental, and financial health within a neighborhood of 4,600 individuals each year. Not only does the green haven offer fresh food to those living in a food desert but Bonton Farms also connects residents to critical resources to help them thrive, including healthcare, paid employment, housing, and education. The organization also offers intensive, wraparound services like mentoring, counseling resources, transportation, support to help remediate past tickets, fines and reinstate driving privileges. The public garden is applauded for its commitment to working with the community to address barriers that go much deeper than access to nutritional foods during the current public health and economic crisis by walking with individuals to restore lives, create jobs and provide hope.

"Our mission is really to ignite hope by disrupting systems of inequity, and we are doing that on all fronts by working in tandem with the community," said Daron Babcock, founder and CEO for Bonton Farms. "We work hard to create impactful, lasting change versus quick-fix solutions."

For more information, please visit puregrowthproject.com. Pure Farmland is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Pure Farmland^™
Pure Farmland^™ is a maker of high-quality, plant-based protein products, such as breakfast links and patties, burger patties, meatballs, pre-seasoned protein starters, and dinner links and serves retail customers. Pure Farmland products are proudly crafted in the USA with soy protein, coconut oil, natural flavors, are gluten and dairy free, and serve as a good source of protein. To learn more about Pure Farmland, please visit www.Pure-Farmland.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Pure Farmland is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Va. since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Our 63,000 team members are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly.^®" and have made Smithfield one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent 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 our communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield^®, Eckrich^® 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 Bonton Farms
What appears at first glance to be "just a farm" is so much more - Bonton Farms is a transformational and supportive community resource for residents of Bonton, in South Dallas, Texas. The overall purpose is to create a sustainable future and disrupt the cycles of oppression that have prevented Bonton from growing into a healthy community. The farm is working alongside neighbors to transform the area and redefine "normal" to provide everyone with a fighting chance to create and define their own life. What started in 2013 as a simple garden plot intended to create jobs and provide fresh food in the middle of a food desert, has now evolved into a 1.25-acre farm. In 2016, a 40-acre extension farm was added. In 2017, the Market/Café opened, and in 2020, the Bonton Farms Coffeehouse and Farmers Market opened. At the height of the pandemic, the Farmers Market pivoted to offer online grocery orders and delivery, bringing in critical income needed to keep the mission moving forward. Over the years, as work progressed, the true depth of need in the community became apparent. To address the core issues presented in the community, Bonton Farms leverages the following Human Essentials: economic stability, health and wellness, transportation solutions, innovative housing, community building, education, and access to fair credit. Looking forward, the organization has robust plans for adding more safe, affordable, sober-living housing; a comprehensive health and wellness center; and tiny homes and innovative homes within the neighborhood to allow individuals and families to stair-step from homelessness and addiction into first-time homeownership.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.

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