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CCOF Press Releases
Press Release
August 5, 2009
For Immediate Release |
Contact:
Jane Baker
CCOF Marketing Director
(831) 423-2263, ext. 27
jane@ccof.org |
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Organic Sector Wins a Plethora of Awards
(August 18, 2009) Santa Cruz, CA. A vast range of awards have been won by CCOF certified organic members, giving the organization and the organic sector reason to celebrate this summer. Unique products, innovative packaging, best urban farm, grower of the year, outstanding educator and commitment to sustainability and agricultural stewardship are just some of the categories and awards that the certified operations have excelled in.
Ineeka Inc. received the Best New / Most Unique Product award for the first-ever certified organic green tea beer, Himalayan Green Tea Bier (5.5% ABV), at the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, California in March of 2009. The company, based in Chicago, produces certified organic and biodynamic teas. The product, a big hit at the annual event, was complemented for its complexity and smooth flavor. Ineeka Green Tea Bier will be available to consumers at food retail chains, restaurants, and hotels in the summer of 2009.
CCOF members, Bonterra Vineyards and Traditional Medicinals, made Ode Magazine’s 2009 List of Top 20 Organic Picks. Bonterra Vineyards, located in Medocino County, has been cultivating their grapes since 1987. They are known for the creative flavors of their Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel and Rose wines. Traditional Medicinals, the magazine’s other Top 20 Organic Pick, creates teas that do it all from relieving cramps to improving memory. Ode Magazine expresses that Traditional Medicinals is like “having a medicine cabinet in your mug.”
Natural Home magazine named Santa Cruz's Homeless Garden Project one of the Top 10 Urban Farms in the country in their March/April 2009 edition. Editors applauded the Santa Cruz project for employing homeless people, providing organically grown food for local markets and educating local youth about ecologically sustainable agriculture.
Also, in Santa Cruz, the 2009 Pedro Ilic Award for Outstanding Educator was awarded to Jim Leap, farm manager of certified member UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS). Leap has been dedicated to community education for over 19 years. He has worn a multitude of hats throughout the years with roles including an instructor for the CASFS six-month apprenticeship program, overseeing the farm's research trials, cooperating with outside researchers, contributing to training publications and sharing information with visitors, students and farmers.
In Napa, Andrew Hoxsey, President of certified Yount Mill Vineyards, was honored with the 2009 Grower of the Year award from the Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG). Hoxsey is a fourth generation Napa Valley grape grower and a large producer of organic grapes within the county. He is also a managing partner of the Napa Wine Company, and the chair of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. Bruce Phillips, President of NVG, states, “The Napa Valley Grapegrowers is proud to present this award to Andrew Hoxsey. He personifies the Napa grower, who mindfully tends his wine grapes using the most current information available on sustainable techniques – and always incorporates the natural environment, his workforce, and future generations into his decision making.”
Lastly two long-time CCOF certified members were honored with prestigious awards this year: Judith Redmond, owner of certified Full Belly Farm, and Lundberg Family Farms. Redmond was a finalist for the food production category of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s first-ever “Growing Green” awards. Recipients of the “Growing Green” awards have been found to be impacting the sustainable movement by “advancing farming practices, climate and weather stewardship, farmland preservation and social responsibility from farm to fork.”
Lundberg Family Farms, producers are the winners of the 2009 American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and Western Agricultural Services’ “Agricultural Stewardship Award.” The award is given to those that demonstrate "excellence in conserving, maintaining and improving our natural resources and environment by using innovative and progressive business practices." Jessica Lundberg, Chair of the Board of for Lundberg Family Farms, states, “This award is especially meaningful to us because it's presented to farmers by farmers. We work hard to care for our land responsibly, and it's gratifying when our farming colleagues take notice." In addition to this award, Lundberg also received the Organic Trade Association’s Organic Leadership Award for Achievement in Growing the Organic Industry at the 2009 All Things Organic Conference.
“It is great to see so many CCOF members recognized for the excellent work they do in bringing great new food products to market and for their broad commitment to the environmental preservation, ecosystem management and technological innovation,” comments Jane Baker, CCOF Director of Sales & Marketing. “They are a tribute to the organic sector and we’re very proud that they are part of our membership.”
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About CCOF:
CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers), a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1973. CCOF’s mission is to certify, educate, advocate and promote organic through:
• A premier organic certification program for growers, processors, handlers, and retailers,
• Programs to increase awareness of and demand for certified organic product and to expand public support for organic agriculture, and
• Advocacy for governmental policies that protect and encourage organic agriculture.
CCOF certifies more than 2,000 organic operations in 35 states and three foreign countries and serves over 350 supporting members - consumers, suppliers, businesses and individuals - interested in supporting its work.
More information: About CCOF, CCOF History, CCOF Fact Sheets and Statistics .
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