The story describes the anouncement of a new line of fresh fruits and vegetable products from Eco Terra Earth Friendly Foods, L.A. California. The new company's plan is to reward growers who are environmental stewards and offer consumers safer, higher quality foods. They will establish exclusive relationships with suppliers, certify adherence to standards, and hope to return a premium to growers.

The second new venture, American Growers Foods, is described in the below announcement.

These and other new companies are working to create new options in the marketplace, in an attempt to reach what Harvey Hartman calls the "new green mainstream."

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American Growers Foods Rolls Out Chemical-Free Products

EMBARRASS, Minn., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- American Growers Foods, an Embarrass, Minn., based company, announced today that it has begun producing and marketing a line of Certified Chemical-Free food products. Company spokesman, Bill Lashmett, announcing the product introduction, stated, "Consumers are becoming more concerned than ever about the purity and quality of the food they eat and that which they feed their families. The expanding use of genetically-engineered crops in products otherwise thought to be pure has raised consumer concerns to new levels. That, coupled with the furor over the National Organic Standards Proposal, has set the stage for products such as American Growers Foods, that use crops certified under a rigid, non- negotiable standard of cleanliness and purity. We are very proud to offer these products to consumers throughout the country and here in northern Minnesota."

The crops used to produce American Growers Foods' products have all been Certified Chemical-Free by Farmers Research & Development, a non-profit agricultural research firm, located in Dakota dunes, S.D. Farmers Research & Development president Mike Weckwerth, stated that the soil and crops must be tested and found to be free to the limits of detection as of May 1, 1998, from more than 300 chemicals targeted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The testing is conducted on the soil -- before the crop is planted, at harvest and at delivery to the grain processor. All testing is performed by independent laboratories using EPA and FDA specified methods.

The first five (5) products introduced by American Growers Foods are based on corn: Corn Flakes, Corn Muffin Mix, Hot Corn Cereal, Cornmeal and Corn Flour. The company is scheduled to introduce an additional thirty-six (36) products in the next sixty (60) days, those products will be based on wheat, oats and rye which will be harvested within that time frame. "American Growers Foods is determined to offer consumers the most comprehensive family of Certified Chemical-Free products available anywhere in the country," Lashmett stated.

"Our company will offer a complete line of cold breakfast cereals, hot cereals, baking and cooking mixes, crackers and pastas to meet the demand our research has shown clearly exists throughout the country," Lashmett continued.

Response from leading groceries and supermarkets has been outstanding, Lashmett said. "We have worked hard to ensure that products we market are the best. Our product development, packaging and marketing efforts have been met with an enthusiastic reception by major supermarket chains, local grocery stores, specialty shops and the whole foods market. Our focus, at this point, is to ensure that our production is integrally coordinated with the tremendous demand we have seen develop. We, at American Growers Foods, are dedicated to the proposition that every store receives the best we have to offer in products, service and timely delivery," Lashmett stated.

"Consumer confidence in the foods they eat is as low as it has ever been. That confidence must be restored," Lashmett concluded. "The American Growers Foods label will be their assurance that they are serving the highest quality foods available. That is our mission and our commitment." SOURCE American Growers Foods