Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Purdue visits Mastronardi greenhouse

United States Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue toured Mastronardi Produce’s greenhouse at Coldwater, Mich., something Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay has never done for the Ontario-based company.

Perdue visited the 52-acre operation run by Mastronardi affiliate grower Maroa Farms on April 3, the first of a four-day tour of agriculture interests in Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky.

“We are honored to have Secretary Perdue at our Michigan facility, Paul Mastronardi said in a news release.

“Being able to see our growing methods and technologies, our strict food safety policies, and more importantly, the socio-economic impact our company has in the agriculture sector is incredibly important to us.”

Perdue’s entourage during the visit included his wife, government officials (including USDA Rural Development Michigan Director Jason Allen and USDA Farm Service Agency Executive Director Joel Johnson), U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., and Michigan Farm Bureau representatives, according to ther release.