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Chestnut Hill Farms and Procomer, a public Costa Rican institution who promotes the exportation of Costa Rican goods and services throughout the world, participated last week at Fruit Logistica 2016 in Berlin, Germany.

Fruit Logistica is the leading trade fair for the international fresh produce trade. Fruit Logistica unites the fresh produce industry once a year and give’s industry makers the opportunity to approach potential business partners.

We are proud to share with our customers and friends a recent article published in this week’s Miami Herald featuring Chestnut Hill Farms.

As a part of the publication’s recent “Gateway” series, highlighting companies making waves in the trade industry, the Business Monday section chose to profile Chestnut Hill Farms as one of the leading export/import companies headquartered in the region.

Described as “a major pineapple grower and marketer in the international market,” reporter Joseph Mann includes our company’s beginnings, specialties and future projections.

We invite you to take a read and find out how we are working each and every day to better serve you, our customers!

To read the full article, please click here.

By Raul Romero, President and COO

The FRUKTUS Foundation, a private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, supporting and developing sustainable communities in Costa Rica’s Caribbean region, recently awarded 29 students diplomas for their completion of the Foundation’s “Harvesting Leaders, Growing Opportunities” program this summer.

The adult educational program, designed to empower inhabitants from five of the communities within Chestnut Hill Farms pineapple and banana-producing areas, focuses on teaching workers healthy, cognitive and sustainable standards and providing them with the tools to become positive community leaders. A variety of topics such as gender issues, conflict resolution and team work are discussed, among other important work/life strategies.

Students receive their diplomas and warm congratulations from the FRUKTUS Foundation staff and partners during a graduation ceremony for the “Harvesting Leaders, Growing Opportunities” program this summer.

The 2014 graduating class of the Foundation’s “Harvesting Leaders, Growing Opportunities” program

In addition to the recent program graduation, the FRUKTUS Foundation also helped build and inaugurate a new pre-kindergarten classroom at the Rio Cascadas School in La Lydia, benefitting more than 25 local students and children of many farm workers.  Elementary and high school students in the area, and families of workers, welcomed nearly 1,000 school packages donated by FRUKTUS in its mission to improve and maintain a better quality of life for community members.

The FRUKTUS Foundation also completed the following initiatives during the first half of 2014:

• Began preliminary development of a baseball stadium for the community of El Limbo
• Planted 250 trees, along with Rainforest Adventures Costa Rica, in an effort to reforest areas located within pineapple farms
• Sponsored a summer camp excursion for more than 70 teenagers from three communities to the leading amusement park in San José.
• Hosted inspirational speaker Gaetano Pandolfo for a special lecture and book signing
• Launched a National Pineapple Magazine publication for communities in the region to maintain literacy and industry knowledge

Research was also a priority this year for the Foundation, as Earth University was invited to partner on local, scholarly discussions concerning water issues, collection and garbage disposal in five of the areas communities – and nearly 20 students from San José’s UN Peace University Master’s Program of Responsible Management & Sustainable Economic Development were invited to create a case study on how pineapple activity can be sustainable and positive for economic growth of local communities. Needless to say, the Master’s students were very impressed with region’s social vision and the Foundation’s projects.

FRUKTUS Foundation is a private nonprofit organization, whose members are second generation family members of shareholders of companies dedicated to the pineapple and banana production in Costa Rica. The farms Piñera Parismina (pineapple), Agroindustrial Bananera del Caribe (pineapple), Bananatica de Costa Rica (banana) and Chestnut Hill Farms are the main sponsors of FRUKTUS Foundation.

To join Chestnut Hill Farms and become a supporter of the FRUKTUS Foundation, please contact Andrés Corrales at andres@fruktus.org.