The Industry Celebrates the Second National Kale DayThe Industry Celebrates the Second National Kale Day

National Kale Day is upon us. Launched in 2013 by Dr. Drew Ramsey and Chef Jennifer Iserloh, National Kale Day is held on the first Wednesday in October. It promotes kale’s incredible health benefits, celebrates kale’s culinary versatility and promotes eating, growing and sharing kale throughout America while supporting the efforts of kale farmers, say officials at WP Rawl. [caption id="attachment_32631" align="alignright" width="201"] Robinson Fresh 'Hail to Kale' POS poster[/caption] WP Rawl and Robinson Fresh are two of the companies teaming up with National Kale Day with the goal of raising more awareness for the leafy green. WP Rawl will share new recipes through a National Kale Day-Kale Up! eCookbook available on WP Rawl’s Facebook page,  as well as how-to videos and even a “What Kind of Kale Are You?” quiz. Robinson Fresh, exclusive marketer of Glory Foods bagged kale greens, is encouraging retailers to ‘Hail to Kale’ in their stores One of the fastest growing produce categories, annual retail sales of kale have grown more than 450% since 2010, say industry observers. Now dubbed a “superfood,”  Kale is packed with vitamins and antioxidants that have been shown to prevent certain disease or illness, say officials at Robinson Fresh. Robinson Fresh will provide participating retailers with interactive Glory Foods branded point-of-sale posters and social media templates in order to drive retail sales and brand awareness. WP Rawl will be featured at three National Kale Day events on Wednesday, including their flagship event in New York where attendees will revel in a Raw Kale Tasting Bar at American Flatbread in the city. In Atlanta, Queen of Kale will celebrate with a tasting party and live event from 4 to 8 pm at Om Point Yoga/City of Life Café where attendees will get to try their own kale fare, including the popular Nature’s Greens Tangy Citrus Kale Yeah! Salad. Additionally, more than 300 school children in Hickory, N.C. will celebrate with free kale samples courtesy of WP Rawl and Nature’s Greens. “As we head into our busy season this month, we are very happy to kick it off as a sponsor of National Kale Day,” says Ashley Rawl, vice president of marketing, sales and product development at WP Rawl. “We are committed to growing the kale category in various ways and we believe this partnership is a great way to increase the visibility, and ultimately consumption of kale.” Consumers can follow the National Kale Day buzz by following #KaleDay2014 and #NaturesGreens on social media.