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Current Food Justice Certified Entities:

Farms:

Businesses:

 

Farmer Direct Co-operative Ltd. Regina, SK, Canada
www.farmerdirect.coop

Farmer Direct Co-operative Ltd. (FDC) is a farmer-owned co-operative of 63 certified organic, fair trade family farms. The co-op members grow cereals, pulses, and oilseeds, and certified organic ranchers who raise beef and bison. FDC’s organic, fairDeal crops are marketed directly to food manufacturers, flour millers and feed mills in Canada, United States, Europe, and Asia. They deliver bulk and bagged organic grains direct to customers in ocean container, truckload, and railcar quantities. “People usually associate fair trade with coffee, sugar, bananas and other crops from the global south, but fair wages to farm workers and fair prices to family farmers are just as much a concern in industrialized nations like Canada and the United States,” explains Murray Horkoff a Farmer Direct Co-op farmer-owner from Kamsack, SK. "Now organic consumers can purchase Farmer-Owned, fairly traded, milled flaxseed, pancake mix, hempseed oil, bulk split peas, lentils and other crops and food products grown and processed in the Northern Hemisphere from a farmer-owned business that is certified fair trade," adds Horkoff. Another innovation of the Farmer Direct Co-op brand is adherence to Co-op Principle 6, Co-operation among Co-operatives. To that end Farmer Direct Co-op food products are being sold exclusively to Co-op and independently owned organic retailers through co-op, independent or family owned distributors.

Gathering Together Farm Philomath, OR
www.gatheringtogetherfarm.com

Gathering Together Farm owners Sally Brewer and John Eveland have a tradition of sitting down to a home/farm cooked lunch with their employees three times a week. At these lunches they feed as many as 100 people. This time provides a way for different work crews to connect with them and with each other. The organic (and now Food Justice) certified farm has 320 community-supported agriculture (CSA) members and sells produce at farmers markets and to local and regional co-ops and restaurants in Corvallis and Portland areas—all from a total of 50 acres. In 2003 the farm expanded by building a Farm Stand that also houses a restaurant. Brewer and Eveland have long prided themselves on respectful communication with all their employees.

Spring Hill Organic Farm, Inc. Albany, OR
541.990.6596

Spring Hill Farm is a 45-acre, certified organic and Food Justice Certified, family operation located in Albany, Oregon. Owners Jamie Kitzrow and Lisa Schwartz work with 45 employees to grow over 60 crops, specializing in leafy greens. Being able to provide a good place to work is important for owners Jamie and Lisa. They wanted to create a place “where people want to continue working for us year after year.”

Bluff Country Co-op Winona, MN
www.bluff.coop

Bluff Country Co-op (BCC) formalized its commitment to domestic fair trade in 2007 when it first worked with the Agricultural Justice Project (AJP) to become the first Food Justice Certified retailer. In response to the positive feedback offered by members, BCC has maintained that certification up to the present, and has written the issue into its Ends Policies. It’s been a challenging, but worthwhile undertaking that has helped BCC to establish needed policies as well as to help grow the local economy. The co-op, located in the heart of farm country, in Winona MN currently carries foods and goods from over 75 local producers; and nearly 20% of their total purchased product comes from local sources, meaning those within 151 miles of the store. As their local offerings expand and awareness of domestic fair trade grows, BCC continues to seek out ways in which to lead their community and customers in creating a sustainable and just local food system and economy.