By Levi J. Long

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.16.2006
 

RIO RICO — When it comes to industrial warehouses, you probably won't find vibrant murals gracing concrete walls, bamboo wood flooring throughout its offices or grass reeds covering any ceilings.

But things work a bit differently for the folks at New Harvest Organics LCC.

From desktops made of ground sunflower seeds to milk-based paints and organic hand sanitizers, New Harvest Organics is taking its "do-good-for-the-Earth" policy and applying it to its interior settings.

"It's part of our organic approach and applying it to our world of enterprise," said Philip Ostrom, owner of New Harvest Organics, a Rio Rico-based company that markets, packs and distributes produce from Arizona, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Peru and South Africa.

In general, organic produce and vegetables are defined as those grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and genetically modified organisms.

What began as a small Arizona company 18 years ago, selling organic produce at farmers markets and independent grocery stores, has evolved into an enterprise with distribution deals at 25 retail stores in Arizona.

The company also ships produce to distributors throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

"When we first started we did everything," said Sherry Luna, who started the company in 1988 with Ostrom, her husband.

The couple started by growing sprouts for restaurants, eventually delivering and shipping organic produce to grocery stores and markets across Arizona.

At the time, there was not a big distribution network for organic producers, Luna said.

Organic produce was being sent mostly to big cities, leaving stores in small towns without organic options, she said.

That's when the couple started the distribution arm of the company, carrying the products for a fee and getting a variety of products — fruits and vegetables, free-range eggs, beef and goat cheese and milk — onto store shelves.

Now the company packages and ships about 50,000 mangoes, the company's largest produce item, through its 20,000-square-foot warehouse every day.

The company also gets oranges, pineapples, limes, cucumbers and squash from Mexico throughout the year, as well as pineapples from Peru. Apples, peaches, grapefruit and lemons, grown in Arizona and California, are also distributed under the New Harvest Organics label.

Recently, New Harvest secured a new marketing deal with Sun Valley Bio Fruit, a company based in South Africa, which grows navel oranges and apples.

The produce is sent to Tucson's Food Conspiracy Co-op and Wild Oats Markets to Whole Foods Markets in Phoenix and New Frontiers Natural Marketplace stores in Flagstaff, Prescott and Sedona.

When the couple moved operations into the Rio Rico warehouse, they decided using sustainable materials for renovations was the way to go. Those included adding employee lounges and offices using Earth-friendly materials.

Meredith Aronson, an adjunct professor with the University of Arizona's materials science and engineering department, applauds New Harvest's efforts.

Aronson is president of Patagonia-based Green Planet Paints, a maker of environmentally friendly paints.

"For Phil, he's doing it because it's the right way to be in the world. It's not just about produce but about sustainability and improving quality of life," Aronson said.

The couple sees only growth with the company, pointing to consumer demand for organic foods in the industry.

This year consumers are expected to spend nearly $50 billion in the natural-products industry, which is expected to have annual growth of nearly 20 percent, according to figures from the Organic Trade Association.

Mainstream grocery chains also started offering new organic products in stores, with Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets, Safeway and Albertsons getting into the act.

Sunny Valley Organics Inc., a Nogales-based distribution company, also sees growth in the industry.

The company markets and distributes mostly organic vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers, to stores in Arizona.

"Now that big chains are coming in with the organic movement, there's greater access to organics for people wanting a fair price," said Miguel Crisantes Sr., general manager and owner of Sunny Valley Organics.

Employees process limes at Rio Rico-based New Harvest Organics, which imports, packs and distributes an array of produce from Mexico and elsewhere. The firm has seen steady growth in the growing organic sector.

photos by dean knuth / arizona daily star

 

 ● Contact reporter Levi J. Long at 573-4179 or llong@azstarnet.com.