Food & Beverage
Burgerville grows kids meal seed packet program
February 12, 2021
Burgerville has long had a program of putting vegetable and flower seed packets in kids' meal bags, rather than the small toys that many quick-service brands use. The Vancouver, Washington-based brand, however, is doubling down on that strategy by launching its Seedlings program in partnership with the Culinary Breeding Network. The program, which provides Burgerville customers with Northwest-grown seeds, teaches kids and adults about growing plants, a news release said.
It includes newly designed envelopes for the seeds, new bags for the kids' meals and the introduction of the Seed Wizard Northwest farmers' stories to get youngsters motivated about growing plants.
"We love sharing with children and their families the joys of gardening and showing how to care for the land," Michelle Battista, Burgerville senior vice president of brand and marketing. said in the release. "The Seedlings program is going to take us to the next step because it's supporting Northwest seed growers and breeders, who are really the unsung heroes of local agriculture.
Seedlings seed varieties will rotate seasonally. The current lineup includes:
- Outredgeous Lettuce, bred by Philomath, Oregon's Frank Morton, this lettuce was actually grown in outer space and was planted in theWhite House Garden by former First Lady Michelle Obama.
- Cascadia' Snap Pea, bred by Oregon State University's Jim Baggett.
- Purple Karma Barley, bred by OSU researcher Brigid Meints.
"The Pacific Northwest is one of the best areas in the world to grow seed," Lane Selman, Culinary Breeding Network director, said in the release. "There is an unknown community of individuals here growing seeds and breeding new varieties of the food we eat. It is the mission of the Culinary Breeding Network to raise awareness of the importance of seed and the impact it has on our food system. Burgerville will be an excellent partner in educating kids and adults on the power of the tiny seed and sharing stories of our regional seed heroes."
Burgerville has also unveiled a new app, available from the App Store and Google Play, as well as a loyalty program called LocalVille, which rewards customers for purchases. First-time users will receive a free cheeseburger.
The 60-year-old brand has 40 locations in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
