“It’s the kind of leadership Mastronardi Produce has shown in terms of the environment that I wanted to come here and see first-hand,” said Prentice. “I am blown away by what I have seen here today. You are the largest, most innovative, most successful producers of vegetables in North America under glass. It’s an extraordinary Canadian success story that Paul, your father, and family should be very proud of.”

Mastronardi Produce/SUNSET® launched The Green Grass Project™ (www.thegreengrassproject.com) on Earth Day 2009 to highlight the key elements in the company’s business process that are environmentally friendly. Split into three phases of Growing, Packaging, and Distribution, Mastronardi has identified 11 aspects of their day-to-day operations that use recycled materials or are processes that contribute to an eco-friendly environment.

“I know in this day when everyone is concerned about carbon emissions and concerned about the environment, it’s something all Canadians share to have the kind of leadership that we have seen from the Mastronardi family both in respect to this greenhouse and your other facilities,” said Prentice. “We all take pride in what we do and who we work with, but I say to all of you folks who are here today, you deserve to be very very proud of what all you are doing and accomplishing and its certainly something I am going to speak about everywhere I go in our country, so congratulations.”

Paul Mastronardi thanked the Minister for his interest in the company’s initiatives and encouraged him to develop government-funded programs to help others invest in creating a more sustainable environment in their own businesses.

A video on the visit has been posted on YouTube.

To learn more about The Green Grass Project™ and Mastronardi’s extensive offering of gourmet greenhouse vegetables, visit the company’s new website at www.sunsetproduce.com.