Chambersburg, Pennsylvania — Lady Moon Farms, the largest grower of organic produce on the east coast with farms in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Florida, has received an Innovation Award from Whole Foods Market. The natural and organic grocery chain's first ever Supplier Awards, presented in Austin Texas, recognizes Lady Moon Farms forward-thinking attitude regarding fair and ethical practices, which the grocery chain says "changed the tomato industry in Florida."
Lady Moon Farms was the first Florida farm to ensure fair wages and rights for Florida farm workers by signing with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). Lady Moon's support of the Coalition gives an additional penny-per-pound for all harvested tomatoes; money that goes directly to the workers.
In a time when many Florida farm workers are struggling with sub-poverty annual earnings, and have no right to overtime or organize to collectively bargain with employers, organizations like CIW serve as the voice of many. Fourteen-hundred members strong, comprised mostly of Latino, Haitian and Mayan Indian immigrants, the Coalition works to improve wages and working conditions for farm workers and to shed light on humanitarian issues right here in the United States. Companies like Lady Moon Farms can and do make a positive difference simply by acting according to their stated beliefs.
"We guarantee all of our fruits and vegetables are harvested with ethical and socially just practices," says Owner Tom Beddard. "There is no other way to honor that guarantee than to ensure our workers are treated fairly."
About Lady Moon Farms
Lady Moon Farms (www.ladymoonfarms.com) started in Pennsylvania in 1988 with five tillable acres and a desire to produce only the finest organic produce, free of synthetic fertilizers or chemical pesticides. Today, Lady Moon Farms is the largest organic grower on the east coast, proud to boast not only organic, sustainable practices, but also fair practices for their workforce. With three locations on the East coast, they guarantee their workers year-round employment, offering free housing when their workers head north for the summer months.
About Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com) began with one store in Austin, Texas, in 1980. Today the natural and organic grocery chain has over 310 stores in North America and the United Kingdom. Their inaugural Supplier Awards spotlights natural and organic vendors who best embody the grocer's mission and core values of seeking out the finest natural and organic foods available, maintaining the strictest quality standards in the industry and showing an unshakeable commitment to sustainable agriculture. Of their thousands of vendors, only 17 were honored with a Supplier Award.
Source: Lady Moon Farms