Donation will fund 25 new youth-run gardens to help fight hunger

Sub-Zero, the industry leader in premium refrigeration and wine storage — and a longtime advocate of preserving food's freshness — has fulfilled its pledge to donate $25,000 to Katie's Krops as part of its Fresh Food Matters initiative. Fresh Food Matters emphasizes the importance and impact of fresh food through FreshFoodMatters.com, a hub for information and inspiration. For every use of the hashtag #FreshFoodMatters on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram from April to July 2016, Sub-Zero pledged to donate $5, up to $25,000 to Katie's Krops.

"I hope to have a garden in every state and the support from Sub-Zero to fund 25 new gardens will help me get closer to reaching my goal," said Katie Stagliano, founder and Chief Executive Gardener of Katie's Krops. "For many people, the decision between buying fresh food and processed food comes down to access. The Katie's Krops gardens are meant to provide more access to fresh food, while teaching the next generation about the importance of the food we put in our bodies."

Stagliano started Katie's Krops after she learned of the direct impact fresh food can have on those who don't have access to it. At nine years old, she grew a 40-lb cabbage for a school project and donated it to a local soup kitchen where it helped feed 275 guests. The experience led her to start the nonprofit organization which is now a network of 100 youth-run gardens in 35 states, uniting kids ages 9-16 to feed the hungry.

"Katie's mission is inspiring and Sub-Zero is proud to provide support that will have a lasting impact on her organization and the communities her gardens support," said Brian Jones, director of marketing for Sub-Zero Group, Inc. "This summer, more than 7,000 #FreshFoodMatters posts were shared, proving that freshness is a timely, powerful topic, and that more and more people are recognizing its importance."

The Fresh Food Matters website features video perspectives on healthy living from Daphne Oz, author, chef and host of ABC's "The Chew"; Chef Ann Cooper, internationally recognized author, chef, educator and founder of the Chef Ann Foundation; Lisa Leake, blogger and author of New York Times best-selling book "100 Days of Real Food " and more. Visitors will find helpful fresh food storage tips, seasonal produce guides and details about Sub-Zero's dedication to freshness through the garden at its headquarters in Madison, Wis. Sub-Zero corporate chefs use the produce grown at their Harvest Haven garden to feed more than 2,500 visitors of the training center per year.