Duncan Family Farms BB #:206668 takes our leadership role in the organic industry very seriously. Our motto is Taking Care of the Land, Taking Care of People, and with our DFF Youth Career Pathways program, we are taking care of the people who take care of the land.
When Duncan Family Farms’ owners Arnott and Kathleen Duncan’s children were in high school, they were active volunteers and coaches within the community. They came to realize that many of the bright, talented friends of their kids were faced with easily surmountable barriers to advancing in life.
“A number of these kids were first generation Americans, and even if their parents completed college abroad, they did not know how to navigate the American education system or how to take advantage of the programs available,” said Kathleen Duncan. “So we began informally mentoring and helping them with the college and vocational enrollment process, scholarship applications, etc.”
At Duncan Family Farms, we believe in a culture that is committed to the environment and improving the community. Our community efforts focus on food access and education to help lift people out of the cycle of poverty. The informal help the Duncan’s provided to a few high school students expanded into a company-wide effort. Duncan Family Farms hired Esmeralda Peralta-Aroz as the Youth Program Consultant in 2015 and brought the program into the company as an employee benefit available at no cost to all 450+ Duncan employees.
The program is now open to all middle and high school employee dependents and extended household family members. The program was created with three goals in mind:
- Successful completion of high school with a diploma
- Alleviate financial stress through gap scholarships
- Transition into desired vocation or education track
Recognizing that information is the most important need, the focus of the program is to provide 1:1 coaching and tailored resources for each student. This includes career assessment, online lessons or tutoring, application assistance, scholarship identification, paid internship opportunities at Duncan Family Farms, financial and civic literacy and identification of community service opportunities.
In 2020, six Duncan Youth Program Scholars graduated from high school. Since the program’s inception, 100% of participants earned their high school diploma. In a recent survey of program graduates, 42% are currently enrolled in college; 25% chose a vocational career path and 17% are on active military duty.
“There are many large scholarships and loans available for qualifying students to attend college or vocational school, but the inability to pay the application fee, get a computer for school work or to travel to an interview, can prevent some kids from even getting started,” says Esmeralda Peralta-Aroz. “Our gap funding scholarships have made the difference for many kids, and have given them the opportunity to maximize their potential.”
The program has also formed partnerships with several local businesses and non-profit organizations to make additional resources available to the participating students.
“In addition to helping fulfill our mission as a company, the Duncan Family Farms Youth Career Pathways program has proved to be an invaluable HR benefit,” revealed Tina Huff, Chief People Officer. “Most companies offer medical insurance, 401(k) plans and the like, and we do as well, but supporting employees’ families gives our company an incredible employee recruiting and retention advantage. The hugs, smiles and pride of accomplishment (pre-COVID) from employees and their students just confirms how important and valuable this program is.”
About Duncan Family Farms:
Duncan Family Farms is a family-owned, multi-regional grower of over 7,000 acres of certified organic produce, specializing in baby lettuces, greens, kale and herbs using sustainable, state-of-the-art farming practices. Founded in 1985 by Arnott and Kathleen Duncan, the company is one of the largest growers of organic produce, nationally recognized for their environmentally sensitive farming techniques and premium-quality fresh vegetables. To learn more, visit duncanfamilyfarms.com.
