User:MonteShaffer

organicgirl

File:Label organicgirl.png
Company type	Private
Industrie	Produce, Sustainable Business
Gegründet	1996 (Salinas, California)
Hauptsitz	Salinas, California
Website	iloveorganicgirl.com

organicgirl produce (LLC) is a California-based organic provider of produce for food retailers ranging from local grocers like Schnucks and Copps to large national merchants like Safeway, Kings Super (a subsidiary of Kroger), and Walmart. As a for-profit business, they are leveraging the growing demand for organic based on consumer perceptions of being better tasting and more nutritious—attempting to deliver the most consistent, highest quality product to the food retailers.

Produkte

Their product line includes a variety of "good clean greens", such as baby arugula blends, baby spinach, hearts of romaine, herb baby romaine, italian, romaine heart leaves, spring mix, and a veggie romaine. In addition to these leafy blends, they also offer traditional produce, "good fresh veggies": broccoli crowns, celery hearts, green beans, green onions, and romaine hearts.

Growing Regions

File:Stamp organicgirl.png

The company is located in the "Salad Bowl" the Salinas Valley, California—known as one of California's richest farming regions. In addition, organicgirl farms produce in the following locations:

• San Joaquin Valley, California
• Oxnard, California
• Yuma, Arizona
• Mexicali, Mexico
• Ojos Negros Region, Baja California, Mexico
• Ensenada Region, Baja California, Mexico

Promotional Claims

USDA certified organic

Certified Organic

Organic farming is much more difficult than traditional farming. However, if done properly, a higher quality result can be achieved from slightly lower yields.

• Natural Pesticides: Crop rotation, nonconsumptive plants, and beneficial insects are non-toxic ways of dealing with unwanted pests.
• Natural Fertilizing: Cover crops, crop rotation, and natural fertilizing agents (e.g., compost and cottonseed meal) ascertain that the produce maximizes its natural nutrients from the soil.

[[Image: Packaging_standard_organicgirl.png|left|thumb|200px| [[Packaging standard organicgirl.png|Petroleum-Based (PET) Package]] ]] [[Image: Packaging_corn_organicgirl.png|left|thumb|200px | [[Packaging corn organicgirl.png|Corn-Based (PLA) Package, a.k.a. "Clamshell"]]]]

Product quality

The company has stated that they would rather not have product on the shelf than have inferior product, anecdotally adding that if the farm doesn't meet the high standards of quality required by organicgirl and the consumer, the farmer may be forced to sell his product to some of the competitors; organicgirl is demanding the farmers fully embrace and master the challenges associated with organic farming

Triple Washed

Many consumers enjoy organic food, but do not like finding insects in their food, nor do they like the inconvenience of having to pick-out bad leaves, or clean the salad once they get the product home. In order to satisfy these needs, organicgirl claims to "triple wash" their produce, thereby increasing the quality. Before packaging the product, it is washed in a highly controlled state-of-the-art wash flumes and dried with care to prevent bruising.

Corn-based plastics

In order to reduce its carbon footprint, organicgirl has replaced the standard petroleum-based plastic packaging (PET) with an earth-friendly, biodegradable corn-based packaging, Bioplastic (PLA). This new plastic is commonly used in China and Hong Kong, but is being received with some difficulty in the United States. Recycling in the U.S. has not yet accounted for a way to sort and separate the two types of plastics, claiming it is too costly. Unsorted, recycling efforts are frustrated. In addition to being recyclable, the corn-based plastic if properly composted (outside a landfill) will decompose into a corn-starch bioproduct. By replacing petroleum-based packaging with corn-based packaging called "clamshells", organicgirl is reducing its ecological footprint.

Minimializing food miles

Although most of the produce does come from [California], organicgirl is optimizing its distribution system to minimize the required miles to provide quality fresh produce to the East Coast and eliminating "wasteful" food miles. Although other produce options may have lower food miles, organicgirl claims that quality, freshness, and organic standards cannot be assumed from local options; some people say that nearly 50% of produce bought in Farmer's Markets is not organic, but those selling there want you to believe it is. What's more, certain produce, like leeks, should not be sold unrefrigerated in Central Park in the middle of the summer.

In addition, organicgirl is investigating additional alternatives to reduce food miles.

Food safety

The way that organicgirl gives their consumers the safest food possible is to pay attention to every detail from germination to distribution. They enforce rigid regulations in-between to assure every precaution has been taken. Some of these regulations are:

• Inspecting fields prior to planting, making sure possible risks are being managed.
• Setting strict food and safety guidelines for their growers and harvesters. Inspecting through the season.
• Performing an inspection at harvest making sure no crops were harmed or compromised.
• Washing and packaging processes are audited daily.

Social Responsibility

Sustainability: Triple-Bottom Line

As a for-profit business, organicgirl feels it has a responsibility to society to minimize its ecological footprint while maximizing the quality product it delivers to its customers. Considerations for the environment, fair treatment of its upstream resources (field workers and farmers), AND creating value for the consumers and the company's shareholders is the essence of sustainability for organicgirl. Providing a quality end product for the consumer should not interfere with a sense of duty to promote standards of sustainable and ecological farming.

See also

• Organic
• Produce
• Organic food
• Certified organic
• Sustainable business
• Sustainable agriculture

External links

• organicgirl Official Website