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GourmEt nEWS FEbruArY 2018 www.gourmetnews.com Naturally Healthy nAturAllY hEAlthY 1 4 Farmhand Organics Cultivates Relationships with Growers bY lorriE bAumAnn MM Local is rebranding itself as Farmhand Organics to clarify for consumers that the brand of jarred vegetable products stands for, as it always has, the highest quality cer- tified-organic products made with ingredi- ents sourced from family farmers that the consumer can identify. Each jar of Farm- hand Organics pickled vegetables, apple and pear sauces and its sauerkrauts, kim- chis and hot sauces is labeled with a trace- ability sticker that shows the consumer exactly which farm grew the produce for that specific product. "[The new name] better reflects the mis- sion, which is about building a healthier and more delicious and transparent food system and making the highest quality farm-to-jar products through the direct re- lationships that we have with the farms," said CEO Jim Mills. The Colorado-based company was started in 2009. "We got started with the basic idea that there are a lot of folks out there who really want to connect with where their food is coming from and to have the type of experience you have when you go to a farmers market," Mills said. "There was a lot of talk about that in the food industry, but, by and large, our indus- try wasn't really set up to deliver on that in a meaningful way." Recipes for the products are based on what the company's family farmers can pro- vide from their land – "crunchy cabbage picked at the right time, beets that are nat- urally sweet and really deliver on the flavor of the product," Mills said. The company's first products were pick- les and fruit products, and with more than 20 products now in the range, the most re- cent are the probiotic line of sauerkrauts and kimchis that have been Farm- hand Organics' best sellers for some time. Green Chile Sauerkraut is one of the newest releases in that line. "We ferment those chiles and it cre- ates a really smoky, deep, robust chile flavor, almost like they've been roasted," Mills said. Farmhand Organics Zucchini Bread and Butter Pickles are made from a recipe developed after farm- ers started telling the company that they shared the experience of every home gardener who plants a few zucchini seeds in the spring – come sum- mer, they always had a surplus of the fresh zucchini that needed to be preserved. "It's a unique and popular product for us," Mills commented. Single-varietal applesauces are another recent introduction. "We're making apple- sauce that is varietal-specific and have found that it really does taste like that apple!" Mills said. In addition to the recognition by con- sumers that they're real people who care about their work, what the farmers get out of this is a pre-season commitment to buy their produce, so they can plant with greater con- fidence. "What we offer the farms is a com- mitment to them to buy their produce. We make that commitment well before the pro- duce is ready, so it helps them grow," Mills said. "It can have a stabilizing effect on their farm. That commitment can mean a lot." What consumers get out of it isn't just the transparency they desire – it's also great flavor, he added. "When there's a surplus, it often means that it's something that grew really well, which means that it tastes really good, and we can preserve that bounty," he said. "We partner with farms that take a lot of pride and care in growing the most amazing organic fruits and vegetables. It's these relationships with farms that allows us to make the highest quality products for people." Farmhand Organics products are cur- rently distributed in the Rocky Mountain region, in Oregon and Washington and in the Midwest as well as Texas, and the com- pany is ready to grow beyond those re- gions. "We are excited to grow. Part of our mission – 10 years from now, we would love to be a nationally recognized brand that's helping drive quality and trans- parency in our food system," Mills said. "At the same time, we want to become a cata- lyst for growing organic farms across the country." GN Pacific Pickle Works Earns Non-GMO Project Verification Pacific Pickle Works has announced that the company's award-winning line of 11 all- natural pickled vegetables has earned Non GMO Project Verification. Hand-packed within 24 hours of deliv- ery, every batch of bold and spicy "West Coast" pickles features peak-season pro- duce, sourced locally and organic whenever possible. Sporting playful names such as Jalabeaños, Unbeetables and Brussizzle Sprouts, all of Pacific Pickle Works' Non GMO Project Verified products are also nat- urally gluten free, fat free and kosher, with zero artificial ingredients or refined sugars. For Founder and CEO, Bradley Bennett, maintaining the Non GMO Project Stan- dard aligns seamlessly with the company's enduring commitment to a superior-qual- ity, clean label consumer experience. "As a small business, we may lack the resources to run national ad campaigns," Bennett said. "But the effort that the Non GMO Project has put into building consumer trust and educating consumers on GMOs helps our brand cut through the noise to reach a wider audience." The Non GMO Project's Verification seal indicates that a product has been manufactured according to best practices for GMO avoidance, including thorough vetting of the supply chain and ongoing product evaluation. New labels bearing the organization's iconic butterfly logo began rolling out online and to stores in January 2018. GN

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