CASTROVILLE, Calif. (July 20, 2017) – As a presenting sponsor, Ocean Mist® Farms is proud to announce that this year’s Artichoke Food & Wine Festival experienced a record 27% increase in attendees from last year, confirming that the California state vegetable continues to excite people seeking to explore new flavorful applications featuring the celebrated artichoke.
This year’s Artichoke Food & Wine Festival, held at the Monterey Fair Grounds, celebrated the iconic vegetable, the community, and the growing region where nearly two-thirds of America’s fresh artichoke supply comes from. Ocean Mist Farms donated nearly 32,000 pounds of artichokes for chef demos, Agro Art competitions, and the Farmers Market.
“We’re honored to participate and support the Festival each year because of the positive impact it brings to our community,” said Diana McClean, director of marketing at Ocean Mist Farms and board member for the Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival. “This year’s attendance growth is a testament to the success of the event by bringing people together to experience great food, good fun, and a spirit of giving back.”
Twenty-four students and adults from this year’s Agro Art Competition took home cash prizes for their creative use of fresh vegetables in 3D art sculptures and included everything from sea creatures to Brussels sprout basketball players.
This year’s Scholarship program, presented by Ocean Mist Farms, recognized students who demonstrate the company’s guiding values of Integrity, Quality, Passion and Success in their daily lives and in their pursuit of higher education. Recipients included:
- Charles Baily, Soquel High School, attending Duke University for Environmental Engineering
- Maria Barajas, Everett Alvarez High School, attending UC Davis for Bio Medical Engineering
- Krista Arellano, Watsonville High School, attending Yale for Ethics, Politics & Economics
- Isabel Cushman, Pacific Grove High School, attending UC San Diego for Structural Engineering
- Sarah McClean, Salinas High School, attending Seattle University for Nursing
Next year’s Artichoke Food & Wine Festival is June 2-3, 2018. For more information about the event, please visit www.artichokefestival.org.