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A series of three photos from Smithfield Ferme sponsored folk festivals and athletic tournaments.

Smithfield Ferme Supports Local Community
Smithfield Ferme has invested more than $600 million in its Romanian operations since entering the market in 2004. Today, the company owns 20-35 active farms in Timis and Arad counties (Western Romania) with livestock of 32,000 sows that produce 650,000 pigs annually.

Back to School
Smithfield Ferme is a well-recognized corporate citizen in the area. This fall, the company supported more than 2,040 Timis pupils through a new edition of its “Back to School” educational program. The program’s goal is to support communities where Smithfield Ferme operates by providing supplies including backpacks, pencil cases and educational materials to pre-school and primary-school pupils. The children also received a timetable with recommendations for a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet.

“Smithfield Ferme’s ‘Back to School’ program was a nice surprise for all the pupils in our school, especially for those whose parents cannot afford to buy new backpacks and pencil-boxes,” said  Denis Alexandru Dehelean, Director of the Iecea Mare School.

“The pupils were very impressed with the gifts and were very receptive to the advice for a healthy life style and balanced nutrition. We would like to thank you for your support in helping us start the new school year.”

Local mayors Viorel Popovici from Sanpetru/Igris and Ovidiu Codrescu from Iecea Mare helped deliver the educational material to the students.

 “We received positive feedback from all the schools,” said Mihai Sepetean, Smithfield Ferme’s public relations manager. “We were very happy to see that most of the children remembered us from last year.”

“Education is one of the key elements leading to the growth of the young generation, said Bogdan Mihail, General Manager of Smithfield Ferme. “It is our duty to be there for parents and children through our programs, contributing towards building a brighter future.”

The first edition of the “Back to School” program organized by Smithfield Ferme took place in 2007. Then, more than 700 pupils from four villages in Timis received books and educational materials.

Sponsoring Village Festivals
Smithfield Ferme wants to contribute toward keeping the beautiful Romanian folk traditions alive in its communities. Throughout this summer, the company sponsored many village folk festivals and athletic tournaments.  To see more pictures from these fairs and festivals, click here ».

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In October, Farmland's employees pledged $30,000 to the Warren County United Way, continuing its strong relationship with the aid organization. Farmland employees signed up to win prizes including cash gifts and Farmland Foods products.

"I am amazed at the generosity that these employees show the Warren County United Way every year," said Executive Director Vicki McNamara. "Since every penny collected goes to the Warren County agencies, if the campaign closes at or near goal, that means the agencies will be fully funded," said McNamara. “This is extremely vital, as many of the agencies have suffered setbacks in funds and an increase in needs.”

The Farmland pledges pushed the United Way's campaign to 65 percent, leaving only $57,000 to be raised.

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Photos from the Smithfield Foods sponsored Environmental/ Natural Resources Career Development event at the National FFA convention.

To learn more about the event, click here ».

Smithfield Foods sponsored the Environmental/ Natural Resources Career Development event at the National FFA convention, which allows students to apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations.

The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 507,763 student members who are preparing for careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture. The FFA mission, via its local chapters across the U.S., is to develop students’ potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

The Environmental/ Natural Resources Career Development event is a competitive activity that tests students' problem-solving and decision-making skills in the environmental and natural resources profession. These include soil profiles, water and air quality, waste management, environmental analysis, and use of global positioning units. Each team competed at local and state levels to represent their home state at the national FFA convention. The Tennessee team won the coveted first prize. Katie Grandle of Las Cruces, NM, received the individual first prize.

Smithfield Foods wishes all the “blue jackets” of FFA the best of luck.

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