Green Giant® Logistics Manager Laurie Highland shares her close personal connection to Le Sueur, Minnesota, and the heart of Green Giant® country.

The Green Giant® character was created in 1925 for the Minnesota Valley Canning Company and named after a variety of particularly large peas. Inspired by folklore and fairy tales, the Giant first appeared in advertising in 1928. Through the years, he grew into a friendlier—and greener—character, known for presiding over the vegetables grown in his valley with a deep “Ho, Ho, Ho!” So popular was the Green Giant® that the company was renamed after him. Today, the Jolly Green Giant® is the third most recognized advertising icon of the 20th century, behind Ronald McDonald and the Marlboro Man. A 55-foot statue of the Giant stands in Blue Earth, Minnesota, paying homage to his birthplace.

Third generation Green Giant® vegetable grower Brian Broderius describes his love for the land and the processes that bring fresh vegetables from his farm to your home.

The Sprout character was introduced in Green Giant® advertising in 1973. He is an apprentice to the Green Giant® who helps the Giant tend the vegetables in his valley. Curious and enthusiastic, Sprout represents the voice of the consumer and learns from the Giant’s wisdom.

Years of experience and some careful science allow us to predict when a vegetable will reach that fleeting moment of perfect flavor. In 1934, a Green Giant® researcher perfected the theory that would enable us to measure when a vegetable is ready to be picked based on the average daily temperature while it’s growing. This theory, dubbed the “heat unit theory”, enables us to schedule our planting and harvesting operations to pick the vegetable at the optimal stage of ripeness. Harvesting crews work around the clock to harvest our vegetables, even when that fleeting moment is in the middle of the night. These tried and true methods have made Green Giant® a source of consistent and reliable quality throughout the decades.

Green Giant® Operations Manager Les Genson started his relationship with Green Giant® in 1975, driving a combine for the first time amid the fresh smell of sweet peas.

Green Giant® pioneered vacuum pack technology with Niblets® Corn in 1929. Vacuum pack canning technology locks in freshness for a high quality, crisp texture. 11-oz. vacuum packed cans deliver the same amount of vegetables as a 15-oz. standard can but use less water and packaging. Green Giant® remains committed to innovation that minimizes waste without compromising taste...

The valley, as depicted in Green Giant® advertising and packaging, is a real place – the Minnesota River Valley – where the Green Giant® brand was born and Green Giant® vegetables are still grown today. But our valley represents more than the place where we grow and harvest our vegetables. It includes the entire Green Giant® community, from the agricultural experts who develop our seeds to the farmers who tend our crops and, ultimately, the families who consume our vegetables. We take great pride in our vegetables and the place where they were grown.