No, it’s really not. Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine’s leadership thought long and hard about this over the years and has found a way to create a frozen food system from local processors that produces affordable, healthy food, provides dependable demand for small to mid-size farms, and strengthens rural communities through a transparent supply chain. True story!

When the company becomes profitable, which we expect to be in the next three to four years, all profits that are not needed to be reinvested in the business’s growth will be distributed to support Feeding America hunger-relief organizations in the communities near where consumers purchase our products. We’re not in this to make money; we’re in this to be a force for good.

The short answer is no. Harvesting Good broccoli is not organically grown, but our farm’s spraying methods are nuanced. In order to stay sustainable, the fields have to meet certain thresholds before we go and spray. Our farmers will walk about 25% of a harvestable field before they spray anything. They’re looking for quality and crown size, standing water, and, most importantly, how many bugs they see. For example, if they see 5-10 bugs in a 50-acre field, they will not spray the broccoli. It isn’t economical or practical to put pesticides on the crop. If they see hundreds of bugs, they’re going to spray. We’ve learned that broccoli is actually a low-chemical impact-to-society crop. If the farmers do end up spraying, we use about six ounces of Permethrin per acre around the perimeter.

As far as GMO produce, our farmers use seeds that do not have any hormones. When mid-west growers started experimenting, they primarily focused on corn and soybean crops. Thankfully, this never crossed over to broccoli!

We know this isn’t ideal, but we’re still learning as we grow, and appreciate the opportunity to hear your questions and help answer them as transparently as we can.

Right now, we’re focused on broccoli, but we plan to offer additional products as we grow.

Harvesting Good is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine.

A real change in the food system requires an approach that touches all points along the path from farm to table—from the farms where the vegetables are grown to how those vegetables are processed to where consumers can purchase them. Our current partners include Circle B Farms in Caribou, ME, W.R. Allen in Orland, ME, Jasper Wyman & Son in Cherryfield, ME, and Hannaford Supermarkets throughout New England and Upstate New York. As we grow, we hope to have additional partners join the partnership. If you’re interested, contact us!

Northeastern farmers have grappled with seasonal limitations for years, restricting their fresh produce sales. Harvesting Good emerged as a solution, establishing a regional frozen processing system to bridge the gap between small farmers and consumers.

Our mission is to ensure equitable access to nutritious food for all and strengthen regional food systems by creating food processing infrastructure for farmers in the Northeast.

Beyond broccoli, Harvesting Good catalyzes economic growth and transparent supply chain practices. For farmers, it provides fair compensation, which leads to fairly paid employees and the security of prepayment, bolstering financial stability and resilience. Processors benefit from revenue diversification and prolonged sales seasons, while retailers and institutions benefit from offering trusted, locally sourced produce year-round.

When the company becomes profitable, which we expect to be in the next three to four years, all profits that are not needed to be reinvested in the business’s growth will be distributed to support Feeding America hunger-relief organizations where Harvesting Good has been purchased. For more information on Feeding America, please visit www.FeedingAmerica.org.

Please contact us for additional information – info@harvestinggood.com.