Happy Birthday Green Earth Organics!

As we approach our Sweet Sixteen this Sunday June 1st, I thought it would be fun to sit down and interrogate, I mean interview, my boss. Company founder, Dan Henry, contrived the idea of an organic grocery delivery service back in 1998 after hearing of similar companies in England. He had already been looking to incorporate his experience working with an environmental group into a viable business and providing people with fresh organic produce while reducing the planet's carbon footprint was the winning combination.

"I wanted to start a business that I could make a living from and feel that I'm contributing to a better planet."

We have changed a lot since those first door-to-door promotions and telephone hot-line bin changes. Technology has made lives easier by providing a website for ordering and email newsletters, reducing paper waste. 100% of our office paper is reused and recycled, but we still look to reduce the need for it at all.

Our biggest change has been our siblings slowly spreading across Canada. "When I started Green Earth I was quite content having a small local company helping our members make healthier food choices for themselves and their families.  In the last couple years I felt I needed a new challenge..." In 2012 we welcomed three British Columbia cities to our banner; Victoria, Sea to Sky, and Fraser Valley. They were followed in late 2013 by our newest and fastest growing sibling in Calgary, Alberta.

"My goal was, and is, to partner with like-minded individuals, show them what I have learned over the past 16 years and support them along the way. So far this has been a great experience and I have met some great people that I now work with."

What can we expect to see from Green Earth Organics in the future? "I plan on improving our website and making it even more user friendly. I also want to expand our product lines. Hopefully, we will also see more Green Earth Organics locations in other cities in Western Canada this year."

Stay tuned next week to meet the rest of your Green Earth Organics team!

National Organic Week

It's a good time to be eating organics in Canada. This coming week, from September 21st to September 28th is National Organic Week, a time to celebrate the organic food community and to learn more about organic and sustainable growing principles. There are loads of events happening to mark the occasion, so check out the website to get involved in your community.
Now is also a great time to remember why we eat organic food. What does organic mean? Here a few quick easy reasons why organic is better. Organic means that your food is:

• Grown without toxic and persistent synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers
• Grown without synthetic growth hormones or antibiotics
• Grown under humane animal standards, including outdoor access
• Grown without fossil fuel fertilizers (nitrogen) or sewage sludge
• Grown without GMOs (genetically modified organisms) or nanotechnology
• Made without irradiated products or ingredients
• Made without artificial preservatives, colours, flavours or chemical additives
• Made without monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame, sodium nitrates or nitrites, etc.
• Made without genetically modified organisms

We also believe in sustainable farming and while organic certification isn't a guarantee that the farm you're buying from is using sustainable practices, it's a pretty good indicator. The best way to know? Familiarize yourself with the farms that your food comes from. Call them if you have questions.

And on the topic of sustainable farming and organics, here are just a few things to celebrate in this coming week.

• In 2009, the federal government regulated the word organic on feed, food and livestock; this is applicable to all imports and domestic products
• Consumers can look for the "Canada Organic Biologique" logo on products to know they meet Canadian requirements
• Canada has one of the strongest organic markets in the world - from 2006 to 2010, the Canadian organic consumer market increased 160% from $1 billion to $2.6 billion
• Canada is home to 3732 organic farms, 870 organic processors, and 245 organic handlers
• Organic farmers in Canada earn more than conventional farmers
• 70% of the certified organic farms in BC produce fruits, vegetables or greenhouse products, and BC is home to the largest concentration of organic farmers in a metropolitan area (31% of the farms around Victoria are organic)
• $6.6 million was committed to organic research between 2010 and 2013 through Agriculture and AgriFood Canada's Growing Forward program to develop the Organic Science Cluster with the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture)

All above information from the Canada Organic Trade Association.

At Green Earth Organics, we've been believing in organics for fifteen years now and hope to do so for many more years to come. Celebrate with us!