(Monterey, CA) Healthy Grown® potatoes will be featured at the inaugural “Cooking for Solutions” event to be held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium between May 17 and 19, 2002. This high-profile event features celebrity chefs from across the country who have come together to demonstrate their commitment to sustainably grown and harvested foods.

The potatoes, which are certified for meeting strict pesticide risk reduction standards, will be served up by John Mitchell, corporate chef for the Northern Pacific Region of Whole Foods Market®. The potatoes were donated to Cooking for Solutions by farmer Larry Alsum of Wisconsin. “It is an honor to be working with food professionals that are putting sustainable agriculture at the top of their agenda,” says Alsum.

Protected Harvest is the independent certifying agent for Healthy Grown potatoes. This new “eco-label” certifies the reduction in the use of toxic pesticides during the growing process through a complex farm management system known as Biologically Integrated Pest Management (BioIPM). The standards are measurable and verifiable, with chain of custody maintained from field to retailer.

Carolyn Brickey, Executive Director for Protected Harvest, will address an audience of chefs and consumers about eco-labeling as an incentive-based means of reducing agricultural pollution. She will discuss the rising commitment of farmers across the country to reduce their use of toxic pesticides, improve soil and water quality, and protect wildlife habitat. “Consumers are increasingly making food-purchasing decisions based on environmental friendliness,” says Brickey. “Our job will be to make it easier for consumers to identify and support farmers that are truly making a difference – and at an affordable price. We have to connect with both the supply side and the demand side in order to create sustainable systems.”

Protected Harvest is expanding its program to certify other fruits and vegetables, as well as wine grapes and other products. More information on the Protected Harvest program can be found at the website: www.protectedharvest.org. To learn more about Healthy Grown potatoes, visit www.healthygrown.com.

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