SunRidge Farms – Organic Treats from an Eco-Conscious Company

One of the many fun parts of my job is to review product samples that we receive here at Blue Planet Green Living. Of course, when goodies are involved, I have to share. And the products I’m writing about today are definitely in the goodies category.

Organic Sunny Worms combine fruit flavors and sugar for an interesting treat. Photo Courtesy: SunRidge Farms

SunRidge Farms sent us three packages of treats (Organic Sunny Worms, Organic Yogurt Pretzels, and Hickory-Smoked Almonds), so I enlisted the aid of my daughter, Lindsay, and my husband, Joe. They were more than willing to act as test subjects.

Before I describe our responses to the treats, I want to give you a heads-up: This article isn’t exclusively about food. It’s also about sustainable, environmentally friendly business practices that make SunRidge Farms the kind of company we believe in. But let’s talk about the goodies first.

GOODIES!

Hands-down, the favorite of the three was the package of yogurt pretzels. The combination of sweet and salty tastes won all of us over in no time. We were also pleased to see that the ingredients include a roster of organic items:

“Organic Yogurt Coating (organic evaporated cane juice, organic fractionated palm kernel oil, organic nonfat yogurt [milk], organic soy lecithin [an emulsifier], lactic acid, salt and organic vanilla). Organic pretzels (organic wheat, flour, salt, organic malt syrup, organic canola oil and/or organic soybean oil, yeast, baking soda).”

SunRidge Farms Organic Yogurt Pretzels were a favorite treat at our house. Photo Courtesy: SunRidge Farms

I have to admit to having taken far more than my share. These were good — really good!

Second favorite — for all of us — were the Organic Sunny Worms. I’m not a big fan of so much sweetness (unless it’s chocolate), but aside from that, the flavors were delicious. Though Joe said the actual Sunny Worms were good, he brushed off the sugar crystals before eating the candy. Lindsay said she didn’t want any, but somehow they kept disappearing when she had custody of the bag. The truth is, these little guys didn’t linger too much longer than the rapidly disappearing Organic Yogurt Pretzels.

SunRidge Farms Organic Sunny Worms are 100% Vegetarian, Vitamin Enhanced, Gelatin-Free, and Certified Organic. The ingredients include:

Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Organic Grape Juice, Pectin, Citric Acid, Supplement Premix, Natural Colors Added (including Turmeric, Black Carrot Juice Concentrate, Annatto), Natural Flavors.

The last item we tried was a bag of Hickory Smoked Almonds. I love almonds. I love them in chocolate (especially) and I love them plain. But I didn’t love them with the hickory smoke flavoring. I know that some people really appreciate this flavor, but I’m not one of them. Neither is Joe. I actually washed most of the hickory smoke flavoring off of the almonds before we ate them. The small remainder of hickory flavoring was plenty. For someone who loves both almonds and hickory smoke flavoring, these would be a real treat. For us, not so much.

The Hickory Smoked Almonds are not among the organic items sold by SunRidge Farms. Here are the ingredients:

Dry, Roasted Almonds; Hickory Smoke Seasoning (salt, maltodextrin, torula yeast, onion powder, smoke flavor, expeller pressed safflower oil).

While I have no idea what “expeller pressed safflower oil” is, I’m pleased to see that the ingredients actually sound like foods, not a laundry list of chemicals.

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

So now we come to the part that I found most interesting. SunRidge Farms is far more than just an organic foods manufacturer. This is a company that lives its values in several ways:

The food items are nearly all organic.

By selling bulk foods, they provide “The ultimate consumer choice to reduce grocery packaging.”

SunRidge Farms installed a 99W solar panel system onto the warehouse to convert the headquarters to solar.

All delivery trucks have been converted to renewable biodiesel fuel, significantly lowering the greenhouse gases they emit.

The company “recycled” an existing manufacturing plant in order to stay in the local area.

The air purification and ventilation systems have improved air quality in the entire facility.

The office layout takes advantage of passive solar lighting; and the fluorescent lighting system uses “up to 80% less energy than incandescent lighting arrangements.”

All water devices are low-flow, and landscaping is designed for low water use.

Recycling programs have long been in place for paper, ink-jet cartridges, shrink wrap, corrugated cardboard boxes, and plastics.

Food waste from the manufacturing process is used for animal food.

The company uses only green cleaning products at their headquarters.

Every day that an employee bikes to work, he or she earns $5!

Finally, the company gives generously in both food and money to many organizations .

I’m impressed by this California company, which is living its values by implementing sustainable and environmentally responsible practices. So, if you’re in the market for a treat, check out your grocery store’s bulk food aisle and look for foods from SunRidge Farms. You can be assured of superior quality and, in many cases, organic ingredients. Chances are, you’ll also feel good knowing you’re supporting a company that values both the environment and its workers.

Julia Wasson

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)