Anita's Organics Staff

At Anita’s they believe when we bake, we transform. That no matter what the uncertainties, flour, water, and salt will always become bread, that dough between our knuckles will always ground us, and that a pie for the neighbours will always mean, “Welcome home.”

They believe baking has the power to dis-connect us from the hustle, and re-connect us with one another. Sharing a moment to pause over pie is a sweet and simple experience we call love. It all begins with the seed, the soil, and our farmers. What sprouts from their land is organic, allowing grains to naturally grow and come to harvest without the use of synthetic chemicals.

At the heart of 25 years of commitment to the organic food movement is the health and wellness of their community, and their home. With every step they carefully consider the impact they have, and the reasons they operate. This is the way they have chosen to walk, to grow, and to live. With every year that passes, their dedication will be just as their grains are: pure, simple, and always organic.

Like baking, their process is traditional. Their grains come from Canadian farmers, and are milled in Chilliwack, BC. On any given day, they are working with up to 23 different whole grains; each variety carefully selected to be milled, sprouted, or blended for the purpose of nourishment and enjoyment for the home-baker, or the pro-baker alike. By keeping temperatures low and taking their time, they keep the whole grain nutrition intact. Whole grain goes in, whole grain nutrition comes out.

The extra attention they give their grains, flours, and cereals makes for nutritious, flavourful, high quality baking in your kitchen. There is endless opportunity to discover, play, grow, and inspire with their broad range of sifted and whole grains, oats, seeds, mixes, and gluten free products; all produced in a facility that meets the highest safety and quality food standards.

They believe being healthy means focusing on the things that matter, from organic, whole grain nutrition, to those quiet moments watching the buns rise in the oven.

Thanks for choosing Anita’s.

Visit their website, and follow along on @anitasorganic on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube where they share fresh baking recipes, information, and more!

Wheat

The Baugher family has been farming for many generations. Chris and his wife Marcie knew that moving to organic farming was their calling. In 1984, Chris and Marcie held on to a 40 acre almond orchard with everything they had and started Baugher Ranch Organics the next year. Almost 30 years later, their farm and processing facility in Northern California has become the leading producer of organic almonds.

With four generations working together side by side on the farm, ‘organic’ has become a way of life for the Baughers. Today, their daughters Nisha and Rania and son Bradley all live and work on the farm. For them, organic farming and processing is beyond certifications and is really about embodying organic principles. Through cover cropping, water conservation, promoting biodiversity and other practices, they hope to give back to the land and provide something better for future generations. And although the lifestyle has been physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging, at the end of the day, they find it brings tremendous joy and is deeply rewarding.

To learn more about Baugher Ranch Organics, visit their website.

Cullen’s Foods sells five different types of pulses, organically grown across three Canadian provinces by over a dozen farmers on more than 500 acres. Every Cullen’s product – dried and canned – is traceable by lot code right back to the farmer who grew it at www.cullensfoods.com. Ben Cullen takes joy in connecting the pieces of this puzzle back to the farmers, producers, and friends who put value into Canadian organic production

Farming is in the Lesters’ roots. Born and raised in the Valley of the Heart’s Delight (now known as Silicon Valley), like many generations before him, Russ Lester grew up working in his family prune orchards. It wasn’t until his college chemistry and botany courses that he realized the potential harmful effects of chemical herbicides, fertilizers, and pesticides.

In 1979, Russ decided to follow in his father’s footsteps—he and his wife bought a 69 acre dilapidated almond orchard in Winters, California and started converting the orchard to walnuts. Unfortunately, it was a tragic wake-up call that convinced the Lesters to stop using agrochemicals. Russ’s father was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and around this same time they learned of a study linking this type of lymphoma to herbicides used in conventional farming. The Lesters decided for their young family’s health to transition to organic farming.

They switched to using no-till cover crops, integrated pest management, composted manure, a more efficient sprinkler system, recycled packaging, and put solar panels on their buildings. And to reduce their energy use, the Lesters found a way to turn their leftover walnut shells into electricity and gas which goes back into the process of drying and processing their walnuts. Through these efforts, they have cut costs while reducing their environmental footprint. Each year they learn and improve the whole-systems approach they started over 30 years ago, always working towards becoming more sustainable.

To learn more about their walnuts, visit the Dixon Ridge Farms website.

Family on house deck
Gathering Place Trading is a BC family business founded on Cortes Island in 2003. Owners and founders Lovena and Ryan Harvey have made it their mission to source the freshest organic spices and herbs, teas and sea salts from around the world. They carefully select the farmers and suppliers to partner with, favouring family farms and co-operatives who share their values: stewardship of the Earth, sustainable farming practices, fair trade and equal pay, and a commitment to high quality. Gathering Place values the relationships they have built with their partners and gives back 1% of total sales to grassroots projects in the communities where their products come from.

The Gathering Place story began in South Africa in 2003 when Canadian-born Lovena and South African-born Ryan were out for an afternoon drive through the countryside in their vintage VW camper van. They got lost, and although they didn’t know it yet, fate had placed them at the doorstep of the region’s most respected Rooibos tea farmers.

The farmers, Frans and Gerda, shared directions and offered them the best cup of tea either of them had ever tasted! Lovena and Ryan shared their dream of bringing Rooibos to Canada and really marrying their two cultures. Shortly thereafter the foursome came up an unorthodox deal: trading one ton of rooibos tea for the VW van that Frans had fallen in love with. In that moment, Gathering Place Trading was founded and rooibos tea became the first product the new company imported to Canada.

Since then, Lovena and Ryan have expanded their product offerings and have travelled the world with their three children to source a variety of products and establish direct farmer relationships. The company now sells over 55 spices, as well as teas, sea salts, and vanilla products. They have farming and supply partners in nine countries: South Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Honduras, Brazil, Madagascar, Spain, US, and Canada.

Lovena and Ryan grow two of their own products on their Cortes Island homestead and feel strongly about supporting Canadian farmers. If a product grows in Canada, they source it here, no matter how much more it costs them. They employ a small team that works out of a warehousing facility in beautiful Campbell River on Vancouver Island. They treat their employees like family, offering a four-day work week, a living wage, and CO2 credits for biking or walking to work. All of the company’s tea, salts, and spice blends are created onsite in small batches, and products are shipped to individuals, health food retailers, grocery stores, zero waste stores, and manufacturers.

Lovena and Ryan are proud of the values their company is built on and love offering the highest quality, freshest, most ethically-produced food in the world.

Ginger People Group Photo

Our Passion

For over 30 years, Bruce and Abbie Leeson have focused their family business around their passion for ginger. Named “Best Product Line” by the National Association of the Specialty Food Trade, The Ginger People offers a product range that honors the authentic, innovative and values-driven fundamentals of their brand.
Inspired by the healing powers of ginger spanning over 5000 years, The Ginger People creates products with simple, short ingredient lists, made in fun and functional formats for modern lifestyles and daily consumption.
The Ginger People work with small-scale farmers who share a reverence for the land through sustainable farming practices. Many of the farms we work with are near our manufacturing facilities, thus reducing our carbon footprint. From farm to market, The Ginger People support over 500 farmers, factories workers and staff in the premier growing regions of the world – China, Fiji, Indonesia and Peru.
With no GMOs, nothing artificial and a growing list of organic products, The Ginger People range has a little something for every body.

Small Ginger People Logo

Mission Statement

At The Ginger People, our mission is to be the most trusted ginger brand in the world through quality, innovation, social responsibility, education and commitment. We are a family of people who seek to create and promote great-tasting, healthful ginger products.
By partnering with farmers and producers in the premier growing regions of the world, we support communities and create loyal relationships with those around us. We exist to share experiences where our passion for ginger and its purpose come together.

Mr. Knobs, brand mascot

Canadian owed and operated, Gobio! is the dedicated, always-organic cooking and baking brand that is devoted to providing convenient organic products and ingredients that support peoples’ efforts to prepare wholesome, great-tasting, better-for-you foods at home.

Visit the GoBio! website for more information.

The Green Valley Pecan Company’s story began in 1946 when Keith Walden realized his childhood dream of purchasing a farm. In 2000 the farm’s manager felt that organic would be an important direction to head in, so they started trying out organic farming methods: practices include water conservation and recycling nut shells to create compost. They are also trying to incorporate legume flooring crops to minimize the effects of pests like green and black aphids.

They believe in giving back, providing employee benefits, and donating land to build a high school, housing, and a future hospital. These actions have resulted in lasting ties, with 4th generation employees still dedicated to working on the farm and in the processing plant. At the end of the day, as a farm and processor, the Walden family is proud of seeing a quality product through from earth to package.

Visit Green Valley’s website for more information.

Hippie Snacks is all about keeping real foods in your diet which means they use as few steps in their manufacturing process to keep the ingredients close to how nature intended. Minimally processed, their snacks are actually made from real food ingredients you can pronounce. Based in Burnaby, BC, the company puts a Hippie-Twist on traditional snacks and cereals. As a Certified B Corporation, Hippie Snacks is committed to serving the planet, the community, and its customers.

Visit the Hippie Snacks website to learn more.

hOMe Grown Living Foods founders

hOMe Grown Living Foods was founded in 2008 with a passion to provide nutrient dense, organic, sprouted, raw, plant-based, gluten & grain free, ketogenic snacks to fuel an active lifestyle.

Based in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, they make all their products by hand in small batches on their Land. Staying immersed in nature allows their inspirations to flow into the finished product. They hope you can taste Love & Gratitude in every bite.

In her early 30s, Shani was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Being a health advocate her entire life, this condition encouraged a deeper understanding of the alchemy of food and how it affects our bodies.

As an avid surfer, yogi and outdoor enthusiast, she was on the search for healthy on-the-go snacks and couldn’t find anything that met her dietary needs. This lead to the birth of hOMe Grown Living Foods.

Stable blood sugar is her top priority and hOMe Grown was created with this in mind.

Shani’s inherent entrepreneurial spirit was nurtured through her international surf & yoga company providing hands-on experience nourishing herself and others. This is the foundation from which hOMe Grown Living Foods was born in the old Tool Shed on their farm in 2008.

Together with her partner Willy McBride, Shani has slowly grown the product line, while Willy has built and configured every corner of the production facility. They have an inspired team that works hard to bring you this exciting delicious snack food line.

SLOW & LOW is one of the core values at hOMe Grown. This permeates their processes ~ Dehydrated at Low Temperatures for many hours, as well as their business model ~ low overhead and slowly adding 1 shipping container at a time to their hOMe based Facility.

As Shani says, “When the world hands you lemons, make the best homemade, sugar-free probiotic lemonade and share it with the world!”

WORDS WE LIVE BY
We believe Health is our greatest Wealth
We believe in Living in the Moment
We believe in a Resilient Local Food System
We believe in a Healthy Life /Work Balance
We believe Time in the Forest & Ocean is Deep Medicine
We believe that we Reap what we Sow
We believe LOVE will Prevail
We believe in the Healing power of Mother Nature
We believe Time is our most Precious Commodity
We believe Food is Medicine
We believe in Living with the Cycles of the Moon
We believe in Dancing like no one is watching
We believe Clarity is a Powerful Tool
We believe Wisdom comes with Time & Experience
We believe in YOU

Left Coast Naturals is an organic food manufacturer and distributor based in Burnaby, BC, distributing nearly 30 brands, 200 bulk foods, and two brands of their own – Hippie Snacks and Left Coast Organics. Left Coast Naturals believes food grown and made right can make a difference, taking care to source ingredients from farmers and partners who support organic agriculture, a healthy planet, and healthy communities. They are the first distributor in North America with an official Non-GMO Policy for all of their products. As a certified B Corporation, Left Coast Naturals strives to use business as a force for good in society.

Visit the Left Coast Naturals website to learn more.

Since 1995 Lotus Foods has pioneered the introduction of exotic rice handcrafted on small family farms in remote areas of the world—such as Bhutan, Cambodia, China, and Madagascar—to North America.

The company began with a mission to support sustainable global agriculture by promoting production of traditional heirloom rice varieties, which may otherwise have become extinct, while enabling the small family rice farmer to earn an honourable living. Their broader definition of sustainability, more in tune with the Earth Charter, not only includes the environment but believes that sustainable living and development is premised on an ethical framework that includes “respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, universal human rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, and a culture of peace.”

Lotus Foods also emphasizes the nutrition and quality of its products, selecting nutrient dense whole grain rice and heirloom varietals, and growing these in mineral-rich soils. Today Lotus Foods continues to be a pioneer in sustainability with its More Crop Per Drop™ (System of Rice Intensification) rice cultivation method that enables small-scale farmers to double and triple their yields while using 80-90% less seed, 50% less water, and less or no chemical inputs.

Lotus Foods’ rice and innovative rice ramen noodles suit a variety of dietary needs and support sustainable agriculture with organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten free, kosher and fair trade certifications and verifications.

To learn more about Lotus Foods, please visit their website.

Patience Fruit & Co is a leading supplier of organic berries, but remembers its small town roots in organic farming. Founders, Martin Le Moine and Marcel Pilotte started Canada’s first organic cranberry farm in 1993. They also helped pioneer organics in Canada by working with ECOCERT and others to build organic certifications.

With no market for organic cranberries at the time, they switched their focus to processing. By making a variety of berry products, from dried fruits to juices, they could make organic options more available for the public. Today they work with over 25 growers and specialize in organic cranberries and blueberries.

As the company grows, they aim to never lose sight of their sustainable principles. They’re always reminded of this during weeding season. Although it’s not pleasant to remove weeds manually when it’s cold, wet, dark, and muddy, it’s worth skipping the quick-fix chemicals.

Patience Fruit & Co supports their community by participating in more than 100 sporting and cultural events. They’ve even had their cranberries launched into space with astronaut Chris Hadfield! With their growth, they hope to continually make organic foods more accessible.

Visit Patience Fruit & Co for more information.

For over 30 years, the old-fashioned traditions of hard work, integrity and service have been the ingredients of success for the Sowden Bros., an organic farming operation that grows certified organic prunes in the heart of the Sacramento Valley.

The Sowden brothers, Buzz and Budd are first generation farmers and work side by side together on the farm. In 1976, they bought a 25 acre prune ranch in Southern Butte County. This was their start. Today they farm is nearly 350 acres of organic prunes near Live Oak, California. Live Oak is a small town just east of the Sutter Buttes, 60 miles north of Sacramento. All of the prunes they grow, buy, and process are certified organic by QAI.

To learn more about Sowden Bros., please visit their website.

Tradin Organic has partnered with organic producers that know organic farming is healthier for themselves and for consumers. They are committed to organic because it is environmentally friendly, fosters biodiversity, and provides work opportunities and better incomes for the villagers of the area.

For the farmers, it feels good to know that they are providing people with food that is organic. As well, working with the soil, plants, and nature helps them to feel that they are a part of it. By adhering to organic farming methods, that avoid pollution and work to achieve a natural balance, they have been able to preserve the region’s biodiversity, respecting the lifecycles of its organisms, insects, butterflies, and birds. They choose organic agriculture because, unlike conventional methods, it considers the future as it works towards sustainability.

Visit the Tradin website for more information.

Triple Jims is a local juice making company that has been located in the Fraser Valley for over 35 years. Started by the Jim “Triple Jim” Henderson in 1979 the company specializes in Organic Apple cider made with local BC grown Organic Apples and boasts a product list of 17 locally grown fruit flavours.

Family Owned

And Operated

Triple Jims has always been a family owned and operated business and remains so to this day. In June of 2017 Triple Jim’s changed hands and Dawson and Jill Procee took over the business. We still continue to make everything in our small processing facility in Chilliwack B.C, we still make all our Apple Chips by hand with every apple slice being hand placed in our small batch dryers, with 100% B.C Organic Apples, dried to crispy perfection.

Triple Jims family photo