Latino Public Radio: Langevin Visits Edesia

By: Reynaldo Almonte

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI – Edesia was honored to welcome Rhode Island Congressman, Rep. Jim Langevin, to its new state-of-the-art 83-000 square foot facility today. The Congressman, who represents North Kingstown,
was given a tour of the factory and Edesia Founder and CEO Navyn Salem shared with
him an update on her company’s lifesaving work to combat malnutrition on a global
scale. “We were thrilled to have the Congressman come visit Edesia again but this
time in our new factory situated in the town he represents,” said Salem. “The
Congressman had the opportunity to see just how much we have increased production of
Plumpy’Nut and our other ready-to-use foods to keep up with the rising global
demands.” “After a month of fascinating business visits, constituent meetings and
conversations with community leaders, Edesia was the perfect way to end my
#LangevinRhodeTrip,” said Congressman Jim Langevin. “The important work Edesia is
doing represents both the entrepreneurial spirit and the kindness and generosity of
Rhode Islanders, and I am so grateful to Navyn and her team for hosting me for a
fantastic visit.” Contact: Dee Dee Edmondson, RDW Group c) 617-835-3272 e)
[email protected] FOR A PDF OF THIS RELEASE CLICK HERE About Edesia: Edesia
is a nonprofit organization on a mission to help treat and prevent malnutrition in
the world’s most vulnerable populations. Edesia specializes in the manufacturing of
peanut-based, ready-to-use foods that change lives. To read more about their story
and the people they serve, click here. Each year millions of “miracle packets”
leave Edesia’s Rhode Island factory and are delivered into the hands of malnourished
children all over the world by humanitarians working in the hardest-to-reach and
most inhospitable places on the planet. Since it was founded in 2009, Edesia has
helped reach more than four million malnourished children in over 48 countries
across the world. Edesia proudly partners with USAID, UNICEF, the World Food
Programme, and many more humanitarian organizations working to end malnutrition.
Connect with Edesia – www.edesianutrition.org

Westerly Sun: Langevin ‘Rhode Trip’ stops in Hopkinton

Westerly Sun: Langevin ‘Rhode Trip’ stops in Hopkinton

By Cynthia Drummond – Sun staff writer

HOPKINTON — Festival Farm owner Jay Gray was putting up a scarecrow as he awaited the arrival of U.S. Rep. James Langevin Thursday. Gray and his wife, Judy, own the 2-acre farm, which includes a petting zoo of 50 assorted animals, fresh fruits, vegetables and eggs, and a small gift shop.

“I’m going to tell him how tough it is for the little guy,” Gray said. “I don’t know what help he can give me, but I’ll show him around.”

Langevin, who represents the state’s Second Congressional District, chose the farm on Route 3 in Hope Valley as one of the stops on what he calls his summer “Rhode Trip.”

“This is one of my 21-city-and-town tour,” he said. “I’m going to different communities in my district, and it’s an opportunity while I’m home during the district work period over the summer to stay in touch with my constituents and to get to parts of the community that I don’t often get to.”

Gray, a longtime employee of Electric Boat in Groton, bought his farm seven years ago and began transforming it into a family attraction. As Langevin toured the property, visiting goats, donkeys, assorted sheep and a jersey calf, Gray explained what had made him decide to turn the farm into an old-fashioned roadside attraction.

“All the small, family places in Rhode Island, where families would go to, they’ve all disappeared,” he said. “People think doing something with your kids now is going to Walmart. That sounds terrible, but that’s the way I feel.”

Gray told Langevin that he started by growing and selling pumpkins, but it wasn’t long before he started acquiring animals.

“I said ‘we’re going to try and grow some pumpkins to offset the taxes,’ and we started growing pumpkins, and I had no animals at that time, and I saw a couple of alpacas and said ‘it really wouldn’t hurt to buy an alpaca or two. We’ve got the room. I’ll build a pen.’ I started thinking, if those kids are going to come get a pumpkin, we’ve got to have something special for them to see.”

The tour ended in the gift shop. As a farm cat named Snickers watched from a perch high above the counter, Langevin and his staff enjoyed cold drinks and picked up jars of homemade jam.

“We wanted to come here, to a local farm, and they’re doing important work here,” Langevin said. “It’s important to support local growers. We have small farms popping up all over the state, and we should encourage them.”

The Grays said they had enjoyed the opportunity to meet Langevin and talk to him about their biggest concern: high taxes.

“He seemed truly interested, and that’s awfully nice,” Judy said.

“He’s down to earth,” Jay said. “Just a regular guy.”

Cranston Herald: Langevin ‘Rhode Trip’ stops at Taco in Cranston

Cranston Herald: Langevin ‘Rhode Trip’ stops at Taco in Cranston

By Kelcy Dolan

As part of a tour through the Second Congressional District, U.S. James Langevin recently made a stop in Cranston to visit Taco’s facility.

The “Rhode Trip” has Langevin making a stop in every community in the district to take part in meetings with constituents, attend public events, and tour businesses.

Langevin stopped in at Taco on Aug. 17 to discuss the company’s work. Joining him were owner and CEO John Hazen White Jr., executive vice president Robert Lee, and field application engineer Joseph Mattiello.

During their meeting, the group discussed Taco’s interest in both cybersecurity and improvements to career and technical education (CTE) throughout the country. Both are issues in which the congressman is deeply involved.

Lee said as Taco expands and its jobs become more sophisticated, training and education are going to be crucial. That can get expensive, however.

“Our challenge is finding people and programs that match where we want to be in three to five years as we keep raising the bar,” he said. “That’s why CTE is something important to us. Most people come here for a job and get a career.”

Hazen White said there is often a “stigma” surrounding the trades, but Taco tries to change the perception of manufacturing – that it is not done in the “dusty, old, and dangerous” factories of old, but rather on the cutting edge.

Taco is considering a program that brings in high school students and their families to see the drastic change manufacturing has made over the last decade to hopefully inspire students to see a future in the trades.

“College is not always the right option for everyone. The trades are a great path,” Hazen White said.

He explained that a company like Taco offers opportunities for higher education right through the company. This allows Taco to keep on more staff with less turnover.

“We offer education programs not only because it betters productivity, but it also betters lives,” he said. “My passion is people, and when you do the right thing you get the right results.”

Langevin has proposed legislation to encourage and strengthen CTE programs nationwide and support apprenticeships. He has also worked with German business leaders to study their models.

“As I mapped out my ‘Langevin Rhode Trip’ of visits to all 21 cities and towns that I represent, I had to make a stop in Cranston for an update on Taco’s exciting work,” he said. “Taco is a business success story all its own, but what continues to impress and inspire me is John Hazen White Jr.’s commitment to his employees. Taco offers exceptional education and training opportunities, and that investment is returned in the form of highly skilled, satisfied workers who take pride in their work. As co-chair of the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, I believe Taco sets the example for workforce development and employee training, and I really appreciate John and his team taking the time to show me around and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing them in the industry and in Rhode Island’s business landscape.”