Mike’s Organic
It is incredible what a conversation with a stranger can do. Mike’s Organic went from a sweet and simple market to a place that radiates passion, hope, and purpose. We listened to Mike as he told us all about how his love for food began and blissfully developed into a market with delivery services for high quality produce and products.
Mike grew up as a country kid, fishing, catching bullfrogs, and tending to his mother’s vegetable garden. Through those experiences, he developed a significant love for nature and for food; how it’s grown and how to incorporate it in the kitchen. Later in life, his educational background led him to a career in the music industry and advertising, but it turned out that he felt disconnected from that profession... so at 28 years old, he quit. Seeking that connection to nature that he experienced as a child, he made way to Botswana, Africa which ultimately shaped who he turned out to be and what is today known as Mike’s Organic. While in Africa, he stumbled across a produce market that was fresher and exceeded anywhere he had shopped in the United States. Leaving Africa, Mike was in the best shape of his life and just that was enough to give him a completely different outlook on what he wanted to do with the rest of his life and the types of things that he wanted to support.
Back in the United States, Mike began to immerse himself in experiences that encompassed his new found relationship with food and nature. After a dining experience at Bluehill Restaurant in New York, he was blown away by the representation of that connection. Shortly after, he began volunteering at Stone Barns Farm with farmer Jack Algiere and it was there that his desire to create a business that directly bridged the gap between small local farmers and consumers came to fruition. Ever since that day, he went from living an elite lifestyle to driving his Nissan Pathfinder to deliver fruits and vegetables. Mike hustled for the first 3 years on his own and developed strong personal relationships with the farmers that are the backbone of his company today.
As a student of the craft, Mike began to understand the dramatic changes taking place in our food system and realized that our health is dependent upon our lifestyles, genetics, and the food we put into our bodies. Recently we have seen a significant increase in the production of organic products. While there are many that can’t afford it, Mike mentioned that even his most affluent customers are simply not food educated. “Assigning financial value to food is something that most people don’t do.” So when a customer is grocery shopping and has the option of buying organic strawberries at $6.50 per quart versus $3.59 per quart, they will likely go with the latter. While buying organic does give us reassurance that you are not getting certain chemicals in your food, what it really boils down to is the way in which farmers treat their animals and their crops. Unfortunately, large industrial companies have gotten around to cheating the system in order to classify anything and everything they can as organic. A hype word that is now being slapped on processed foods! It is important that we don’t lose sight of the intention behind organic food. So for Mike, although organic is in the name of his company, it is not the end all be all. In fact, he carries many items that are not Certified Organic. Mike explained that it costs about $15, 000 to $20,000 to get that certification and some farmers can’t afford to, however the way in which those farmers raise their animals and tend to their land is well beyond organic.
Mike was one of the first few people that started a farm to home delivery service in the United States. Since the day he began in 2009, there are now an abundance of these services available. Throughout our conversation we agreed that as a society we are very disconnected from our food system. “Most people go to the grocery store and it's not a cow, it’s a hamburger.” It does not make it any easier for the consumer when our food is part of an industrial system that is funded enormously by the government. This is a systemic problem that must be deliberately weeded out. However, as access to nutritious food and information continues to improve we move closer to making decisions that benefit our health and that of our environment. Mike made a great point in stating that we all prioritize things differently. While to some of us it is important to understand where our food comes from, what is in it, and when it was harvested; for most people it is not until they get sick that they start to pay attention to their eating habits. A realization that is extremely significant during these times. So the next time you go to the grocery store, consider it an investment towards your long term health and in case this is not one of the things that you prioritize in life, we’ll be here to guide you!
On a funny note, Mike shared a situation that he frequently encounters in his store. As a supplier of Harry’s Berries, a company growing specialty varieties of strawberries from a certified organic farm located in Oxnard, California, these strawberries are priced at $16 a quart! Yes our jaws dropped too. Mike provided a different perspective when he asked, “How many $16 cocktails have you purchased in your life that are over in 20 minutes and are bad for you? Now, you have the opportunity to taste what could be the best strawberry you have ever had in your life but most people don’t because of the price.” Touché.