Business & Tech

Abundant Harvests Brings Organic Produce From Its Farms to Glendora

The network of California family farmers grows certified organic produce for delivery to households across southern California.

For Brandon Villarreal, the 30 minutes he travels from Ontario, Calif. to Glendora for his weekly produce is worth the extra mileage.

Each week, the Cal Poly Pomona college student orders a box of organically grown fruits and vegetables through Abundant Harvests, a small alliance of family farmers in central California working together to deliver locally grown fresh produce to homes across the southland.

“I could go to the nearest supermarket to get my produce,” said Villarreal. “But [buying organic] is not only about eating healthy, it’s about being a conscientious shopper. It’s also about supporting your small, family farms.”

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With 53 pick-up stations in California, a new location in Glendora has recently been established.

Just two weeks since starting the Glendora delivery station, Glendora resident Sandy Howlett said Abundant Harvests currently has about 50 subscribers to the Glendora location. With just word-of-mouth publicity, Howlett said the operation is quickly catching on.

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Although the USDA has never claimed that organically produced food is healthier than traditional foods, Howlett and her weekly customers are quick to attest to the benefits of buying organic.

“It’s really the quality of the produce you’re getting,” said Howlett. “You really don’t realize the quality until you’ve had organic. The taste is so much more fresh, and it’s healthier without all the pesticides and chemicals you could be ingesting with traditional produce.”

Glendora resident and Abundant Harvests customer Gina Travis said she and her family have been eating organic foods for seven years.

“We haven’t needed to go to the doctor in six years,” Travis said. “I know that buying and eating organic is the reason.”

Some also suggest that eating organic over a period increases not only physical health, but also mental and emotional health.

But aside from the health benefits, Howlett says supporting small, family-run farms is critical in an age when family farms disappear with each generation.

“This is one way to help the local farmers,” said Howlett.  “For small family farms, it’s becoming increasingly difficult in the industry, as it’s monopolized more and more by the bigger companies.”

But with the growing popularity of organic products, some farmers have used the term loosely to sell their products, falsely claiming their products organic.

The USDA uses the term “organic” to refer to the way farmers grow and produce their fruits, vegetable, grains, meat and dairy products. While traditional farming may use chemicals, insecticides and other artificial means to produce their foods, organic methods adhere to more environmentally friendly and natural methods.

For example, organically produced foods would be grown with natural fertilizer and using beneficial insects and birds rather than chemicals to ward off crop-eating insects.

But Howlett insists that the products of Abundant Harvests are certified organic.

Despite organic foods’ surging popularity, convincing shoppers to pay the extra money for organic products during a tough economic recession can be a tough sell.

One small box of Abundant Harvests produce – which can feed around 2-4 people – can cost about $22.

While organic foods may cost considerably more than traditional foods, Howlett said produce from Abundant Harvests is affordable compared to organic foods purchased in the supermarket.

“We’re cutting out the middle man,” said Howlett. But the produce is worth the extra money, said Howlett.

“You don’t really want to skimp out on your family’s heath,” added Howlett. “I think the few extra dollars is well worth it.”

For more information, to sign up for Abundant Harvests produce, and delivery location information, visit www.ahorganics.com.


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