The Importance of Diversity
No matter the industry, we should always be having conversations about the importance of diversity within the workplace.
Every day, our world becomes more interconnected, causing us to shift how we do things—and farming is no exception. In a short period of time, many farms (including ours!) have expanded both their facilities and their networks to help deliver fresh food to more people in more places. But as we expand and diversify our reach, we need to do the same with our team.
Embracing diversity in the workplace has so many benefits for both a company and its team members. When people with unique backgrounds come together, it encourages everyone to start thinking differently, consider new ideas, and grow an even greater appreciation for the opinions of others. And when different perspectives are brought to the table, it often leads to better, more creative solutions!
A diverse work environment also helps create a culture of inclusion, making a workplace a safe place where people feel comfortable and know they can find support. There is a great deal of trust and respect that develops between a company and its team members when there is a strong focus on inclusion at every level within an organization.
And we can’t overlook the incredible learning opportunities that come from working within a diverse team. There is always more we can learn from the people around us, especially at work where we spend so much of our time! Working with a diverse team can teach us not only about different cultures and ways of life, but also important skills like empathy, creativity, and critical thinking.
Building a diverse team has become essential for the success of any business—especially farms! Let’s take a closer look at how Nature Fresh Farms has embraced diversity in the workplace and the impact our culture of inclusion has had on our team members.
Our Values: Diversity & Inclusion
To support the growth of our company, Nature Fresh Farms seeks out talented people with different skills and perspectives to join our ranks. There is always eagerness and excitement to add people to our team, and when they bring their different social experiences, ethnic backgrounds, and unique identities into the workplace, we’ve seen that amazing things can happen.
No matter who you are or where you come from, our leaders believe that anyone can find success at Nature Fresh Farms if they have a strong work ethic, a willingness to learn, and passion. They also believe that the traits that make us different from one another – such as race, gender, and national origin – are what give us all such unique perspectives, helping us think more creatively about how we can better do the things we do!
What Diversity Looks Like at Nature Fresh Farms
Ever since we started growing vegetables in 1999, we’ve had a diverse team of Grow-To People caring for our plants and moving our company forward. People from all walks of life have grown their careers at Nature Fresh Farms, bringing their unique perspectives and cultural experiences to their roles.
Holland, South Africa, China, El Salvador, Germany, Chile, Japan, India, Bolivia, Zimbabwe—these are just a handful of the many countries that members of our team originally hail from! And we can’t forget about the majority of our Guest Workers, who come from countries including Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and Jamaica to work at our farms. You can learn more about the importance of our Guest Workers, how our Guest Worker program is managed, and meet some of our Guest Workers on our website.
But it’s not just national origins that make the Nature Fresh Farms team so diverse: we also have a growing number of women at our company filling senior-level positions, as well as exceling in roles and work settings that would have traditionally been male-dominated. You can read more about some of our female leaders here!
Every person at Nature Fresh Farms has a unique story to tell. That‘s why, to celebrate the mix of nationalities and cultures represented throughout our company, we launched the Grow-To People campaign! Visit our Grow-To People page to read the profiles of our hardworking team members and learn more about the diversity of our company.
Our Grow-To People Talk Diversity
Our company’s commitment to inclusion in the workplace has not gone unnoticed by our team members. Here’s what a few of our Grow-To People have to say about how they view our company’s value for diversity.
Gurkanwal S., Financial Analyst (originally from India)
“I believe in diversity and inclusion, which has also proven to be one of the core values of Nature Fresh Farms. Nature Fresh Farms is like family to me. I love the work culture here and everyone is very friendly. Despite the hard times we faced in 2020, I loved how our company came together as a family and worked together to rise above all the obstacles in our way.”
Andrea B., PRIVA Administrator (originally from Venezuela)
“Human Resources has always interested me, and I knew a job in the greenhouse sector would be a good place to start because speaking Spanish is an asset. Nature Fresh Farms also seemed very modern, environmentally conscious, and most importantly, welcoming.”
Cristian B., Assistant Labor Manager (originally from Honduras)
“In a big, multicultural environment like Nature Fresh Farms, you can learn from anyone and everyone! I still have many things to learn about this industry, but by interacting with my team members, I can learn so much. There are a lot of opportunities to grow here, and since coming to Canada, I’ve grown a lot both personally and professionally.”
Juli Z., Greenhouse Supervisor (originally from China)
“My college program gave me the background knowledge and skills to be able to successfully work in the greenhouse industry. But I have always been a people-person, and this has helped me to be able to work with a diverse group of employees–working here is all about teamwork.”
Ana H., Finance (originally from Mexico)
“I love how Nature Fresh Farms shows gratitude and care for their Guest Workers. No company is perfect, and I don’t always have a perfect day at work, but I do appreciate the company’s culture and values. The values they hold are what make me proud to be part of the Nature Fresh Farms team.”
Join Our Team
Nature Fresh Farms has a true team atmosphere: no matter who you are or where you come from, everyone is encouraged to contribute their ideas and work together towards a common goal of growing, picking, packing, shipping, and selling the best fresh produce possible.
If you’re interested in joining our diverse team of hardworking, passionate Grow-To People, check out our Careers page for our available positions!
