Earthbound Farm Launches New Fruit Division
January 23, 2012 Earthbound Farm, one of the country’s leading organic food brands, and provider of certified organic fruit since 1999, is expanding its fresh fruit program and formally launching its new Earthbound Farm Fruit Division. The program will allow for increased volume and consistency of quality throughout the year, while maintaining organic integrity and food safety standards from farm to retailer, according to a company press release.
The fruit division will staff field offices in three countries initially: the U.S., Mexico, and Argentina. Organic produce industry veteran Ricardo Sardans leads the fruit division as director of business development, where he is building upon the deep relationships he has developed with fruit growers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. While the fruit division team is working out of the company’s Palo Alto, CA, offices, the team is working closely with the regional sales staff and the desk sales group in the company’s San Juan Bautista, CA, offices.
“We’re taking the model that’s been so successful for us in organic salads and vegetables and applying it in earnest to organic fruit — building a network of certified organic growers who strictly abide by regulated and inspected organic practices while also adhering to our own organic integrity program and rigorous food safety protocols,” said Charles Sweat, CEO for Earthbound Farm. “Today’s health-conscious consumer increasingly wants more organic choices that are accessible and affordably priced year-round, and they trust the integrity that Earthbound Farm brings to a program like this.”
Earthbound Farm’s fruit division offers a year-round supply of certified organic apples, apricots, avocados, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, figs, assorted table grapes, kiwi, lemons, assorted melons, nectarines, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums, pomegranate, pomelo, raspberries, strawberries, and tangelos.
New this month, Earthbound Farm will offer organic mangos as part of the program. In addition to partnering with domestic organic fruit producers, Earthbound Farm will make farmer-direct fruit available to retailers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Europe, Haiti, Mexico, and Peru. Infrastructure has been greatly expanded by Earthbound Farm, with multiple loading facilities now established across the U.S., ensuring quality, freshness, and consistency of pack styles.
Customers will be able to load fruit directly from ports in Vineland, NJ, Long Beach, CA, Laredo, TX, and Nogales, AZ, as well as at Earthbound Farm coolers in San Juan Bautista, CA, and Yuma, AZ. Already shipping are organic avocados, blueberries, and cherries, with popular Tommy Atkins and Kent mangos from Peru just now shipping. Mangos will be quickly followed by apples and pears from South America.
Founded in 1984 on a 2.5-acre backyard garden, Earthbound Farm is now one of the nation’s leading organic food companies. Earthbound Farm has a nationally lauded food safety program. The company offers more than 100 varieties of certified organic salads, fruits, and vegetables grown on nearly 40,000 acres by more than 150 farmers.
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