ARROYO GRANDE, CA – Greenheart Farms® announced that it has met the stringent requirements to earn VeriFlora certification for sustainability in the growing process. Recognized as the gold-standard in the floriculture and horticulture industries, VeriFlora® certification requires growers to meet strict sustainable agriculture standards including water conservation, energy efficiency, ecosystem protection, and integrated waste management.
In addition, growers must comply with fair labor practices that ensure a safe, equitable and healthy work environment, and industry-leading product quality requirements. Greenheart is also the first horticultural operation dedicated to vegetable transplants production to become VeriFlora Certified.
VeriFlora certification is conducted by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a global third-party certifier of environmental, sustainability and agricultural product quality claims. This independent certification process involves detailed on-site inspections, documentation audits, in-depth interviews, annual monitoring, and demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement.
“We are excited to welcome Greenheart Farms to the Veriflora program,” said Dr. Michael Keyes, SCS’ Sustainable Agriculture Certification Manager. “Their production and management processes are among the best in the industry and exemplify the type of growing practices Veriflora stands for.”
“As we started the program, we could see that we were already in line with a lot of the practices that VeriFlora requires," said Bill DeVor, General Manager and C.O.O. for Greenheart Farms. "By going through this process, we were able to identify additional areas where improvement would be beneficial. The certification process has not only helped us in our quest for sustainability, it has made us an all-around better company.”
For additional information about products available from Greenheart Farms, visit www.greenheartfarms.com or call 800 549-5531.
Greenheart Farms®, located on the Central Coast of California, is a diverse producer of vegetable, ornamental and reclamation plants. For over 30 years, Greenheart has been recognized as one of California’s leading plug producers. The company produces upwards of 1 billion high quality ornamental and vegetable young plants for farms, mass markets and retail nurseries throughout the United States and Canada.
VeriFlora® is an agricultural sustainability certification and eco-labeling program of Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a global leader in third-party auditing, certification and standards development. To learn more, visit www.veriflora.com or www.scscertified.com.
Source: Greenheart Farms