MADE in MD: Cardin to Tour Tessemae’s All Natural, Preview Company’s Plans for “Crop Circles” Event to Bring Free Fresh Food to Baltimore Residents in Food Deserts   
 
Senator to learn more about innovative local small business, Saturday pop-up farmers market that will distribute 25,000 pounds of produce to about 5,000 people  
 
Thursday, November 12 at 11:00 AM, in advance of a pop-up farmers market to bring fresh produce to Baltimoreans, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) will bring his “Made in Maryland” jobs tour to Tessamae’s All Natural, a craft condiment company headquartered in East Baltimore. Senator Cardin will tour Tessemae’s production facility and meet with the company’s leaders to discuss their ambitious plans for the first “Crop Circles” event in Baltimore, which will kick off at 10:00 AM this Saturday at the New Hope Academy and feature workshops on urban gardening and a celebrity cook-off featuring Woodberry Kitchen chef Spike Gjerde, while distributing 25,000 pounds of free, fresh produce to an estimated 5,000 local residents. Cardin’s “Made in Maryland” jobs tour highlights the diversity of Maryland-made products and the Marylanders who create them.
“Maryland is a prime place to grow a business, the best of which strive to build communities while building their companies. Tessemae’s is a great example of a family-owned Maryland company that is both principled and profitable, and I strongly applaud its efforts to find solutions to the challenges in Baltimore’s food deserts,” said Senator Cardin. “This weekend’s ‘Crop Circles’ event will bring fresh food and fresh ideas to many of the 1 in 4 Baltimoreans who lack ready access to healthy and sustainable options for feeding their families.”
WHAT:          Pop-Up Preview/MADE in MD Tour of Tessemae’s All Natural
WHO:            U.S. Senator Ben Cardin
                        The Vetter Family, Tessemae’s Corporate Leadership
                                               
WHEN:          Thursday, November 12 at 11:00 AM
 
WHERE:        8805 Kelso Drive, Essex, MD 21221
 
HOW:            MEDIA please RSVP to Tim Zink, tim_zink@cardin.senate.gov
 

Tessemae’s All Natural is a craft condiment company that makes salad dressing and condiments with real, whole, source food ingredients. The Vetter brothers, Greg, Brian and Matt, launched the brand in 2009 at their local Whole Foods in Annapolis using a simple recipe created and used by their mom throughout their childhood. Tessemae’s commitment to healthy eating and living is the core of their mission to provide simple-yet-delicious food to consumers made with real ingredients. Available in Whole Foods, Kroger, Safeway, The Fresh Market and Costco retailers across the country, Tessemae’s products are breaking grocery distribution models, creating a new category in salad dressings and raising consumer awareness on the importance of consuming real, clean ingredients. In an effort to bring more attention to the rising epidemic of food deserts, Tessemae’s and its partners are executing pop-up farmers markets in the heart of underserved areas nationwide. The initiative, called “Crop Circles,” is working to bring local residents free fresh produce during these daylong events. For more information visit www.tessemaes.com.