As a first-year farm we were accepted by Whole Foods Markets® into their Responsibly Grown program. They worked closely with growers, scientists and sustainable-agriculture experts to develop the system. The structure aims to reward farmers for going above and beyond National Organic Standards in key sustainable practices.

 

Several metrics were created with a goal to spare water, farming land, and pollinators while reducing pesticide usage and greenhouse gas emissions. Things such as soil health, waste reduction, pest management, and habitat preservation are taken into consideration while evaluating overall sustainability.

 

We used their rating scorecard to model our growing practices and proudly earned their “RATED BEST” category as a start-up; a first in the programs history.!