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{{Infobox_Company | |
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company_name = ''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>'' | |
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company_logo = [[Image:Label_organicgirl.png|200px]]| |
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company_type = [[Private company|Private]]| |
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company_slogan = good clean greens| |
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foundation = [[1996]] ([[Salinas, California]]) | |
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location = [[Salinas, California]]| |
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industry = [[Produce]], [[Sustainable_business|Sustainable Business]]| |
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homepage = [http://www.iloveorganicgirl.com/ iloveorganicgirl.com] |
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}} |
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'''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>'' produce''' ([[Limited liability company|LLC]]) is a [[California]]-based [[organic]]<ref>{{cite web| title=Organic basics video | publisher=YOUTUBE.COM | url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvcNgcfMtj0| accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref> provider of [[produce]] for food retailers ranging from local grocers like [[Schnucks]] and [[Copps]] to large national merchants like [[Safeway Inc.|Safeway]], [[Kings Super Markets|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<ref>{{cite journal | author=Green, Emily | title=[http://www.organicconsumers.org/Organic/orgapples.cfm Washington Apple Study Finds Organic Growing Is Best] | journal=Nature | year=2001 }}</ref> and more nutritious<ref>{{cite web| title=Official: organic really is better | publisher=TIMESONLINE.CO.UK | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2753446.ece| accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref>—attempting to deliver the most consistent, highest quality product to the food retailers. |
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==Products== |
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The product line for '''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>''''' 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. |
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==Growing Regions== |
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[[Image: Stamp_organicgirl.png|right|200px]] |
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The company is located in the "Salad Bowl of the World" ([[Salinas Valley]], California)—known as one of California's richest farming regions. In addition, '''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>''''' farms produce in the following locations: |
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* San Joaquin Valley, California |
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* Oxnard, California |
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* Yuma, Arizona |
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* Mexicali, Mexico |
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* Ojos Negros Region, Baja California, Mexico |
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* Ensenada Region, Baja California, Mexico |
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==Promotional Claims== |
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[[Image: USDA organic seal.svg|right|thumb|130px| [[USDA organic seal.svg|USDA certified organic]] ]] |
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===[[Organic certification|Certified Organic]]=== |
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[[Organic farming]] is much more difficult than traditional farming. However, if done properly, a higher quality result can be achieved from slightly lower yields. |
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* Natural Pesticides: Crop rotation, nonconsumptive plants, and beneficial insects are non-toxic ways of dealing with unwanted pests. |
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* 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. |
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[[Image: Packaging_standard_organicgirl.png|left|thumb|200px| [[Packaging standard organicgirl.png|Petroleum-Based (PET) Package]] ]] |
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[[Image: Packaging_corn_organicgirl.png|left|thumb|200px | [[Packaging corn organicgirl.png|Corn-Based (PLA) "Clamshell"]]]] |
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===Product quality=== |
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The company has stated that they would rather not have product on the shelf than have inferior product{{Fact|date=November 2007}}, anecdotally adding that if the farm doesn't meet the high standards of quality required by '''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>''''' and the consumer, the farmer may be forced to sell his product to some of the competitors{{Fact|date=November 2007}}; '''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>''''' is demanding the farmers fully embrace and master the challenges associated with [[organic farming]]<ref>{{cite journal | author=Thompson, Craig | title=Countervailing Market Responses to Corporate Co-optation and the Ideological Recruitment of Consumption Communities | journal=Journal of Consumer Research | volume=34 | year=2007 | pages = 145 }}</ref> |
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===Triple Washed=== |
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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<ref>{{cite web| title=Why Organic Food video | publisher=YOUTUBE.COM | url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sim1P5S2cJI| accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref>. In order to satisfy these needs, '''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>''''' 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. |
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===Corn-based plastics=== |
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In order to reduce its carbon footprint, '''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>''''' has replaced the standard petroleum-based plastic packaging ([[Polyethylene terephthalate|PET]]) with an earth-friendly, biodegradable corn-based packaging, [[Bioplastic]] ([[Polylactide|PLA]]). This new plastic is commonly used in China and Hong Kong<ref>{{cite web| title=Biomass video | publisher=YOUTUBE.COM | url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vstAmaktMGo| accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref>, but is being received with some difficulty in the United States<ref>{{cite web| title=Corn-Based Plastic Bottles Threaten Recycling Efforts | publisher= Sierra Club | url=http://maryland.sierraclub.org/newsletter/archives/2007/03/a_008.asp| accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref>. 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<ref>{{cite web| title=Plastics from plants threaten recycling | publisher= Plastic Redesign Project | url=http://www.plasticredesignproject.org/PLAHome.htm| accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref>. By replacing petroleum-based packaging with corn-based packaging called "clamshells", '''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>''''' is reducing its ecological footprint. |
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===Minimializing food miles=== |
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Although most of the produce does come from [California], '''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>''''' 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, '''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>''''' 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{{Fact|date=November 2007}}. What's more, certain produce, like leeks, should not be sold unrefrigerated in Central Park in the middle of the summer. |
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In addition, '''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>''''' is investigating additional alternatives to reduce food miles. |
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==Food safety== |
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The way that '''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>''''' 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: |
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* Inspecting fields prior to planting, making sure possible risks are being managed. |
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* Setting strict food and safety guidelines for their growers and harvesters. Inspecting through the season. |
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* Performing an inspection at harvest making sure no crops were harmed or compromised. |
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* Washing and packaging processes are audited daily. |
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==Social Responsibility== |
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[[Image: Sustainable_development.svg|right|thumb|300px| [[Sustainable_development.svg|Sustainability: Triple-Bottom Line]] ]] |
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As a for-profit business, '''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>''''' 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 '''''organic<span style="color: #ff0000;">girl</span>'''''. Providing a quality end product for the consumer should not interfere with a sense of duty to promote standards of sustainable and ecological farming. |
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==Environmental outreach== |
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===Community education=== |
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===University relationships=== |
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==References== |
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<div class="references-small"> |
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<references/> |
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</div class="references-small"> |
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==See also== |
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* [[Organic]] |
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* [[Produce]] |
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* [[Organic food]] |
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* [[Certified organic]] |
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* [[Sustainable business]] |
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* [[Sustainable agriculture]] |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.iloveorganicgirl.com/ organicgirl Official Website] |
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[[Category:Organic food]] |
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[[Category:Organic farming]] |
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[[Category:Nutrition]] |
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[[Category:Companies established in 2007]] |
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[[Category:Companies based in California]] |
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