Myra Goodman
Earthbound Farm
“Starting our family brought the value of eating organic food into even sharper focus. Children are more vulnerable to developmental damage from pesticide residues on food; their bodies are still growing, their metabolisms are faster, and because of their smaller size, they eat more fruits and vegetables per pound of body weight than adults do.
“When we first started farming, Drew and I knew instinctively that we didn’t want conventional agricultural chemicals in our backyard or on our food. We wanted to grow food we’d feel good about, and so we taught ourselves to farm organically.
“It’s my personal passion to bring the benefits of organic food to as many people as possible and serve as a catalyst for positive change. We’re trying to change how America farms and how Americans eat, because we believe organic food is the healthiest choice for people and the planet.
“I do a little tasty persuasion when our son and daughter bring friends home — I don’t even need to say anything about eating organically once they taste my delicious all-organic food. I’ve heard more than one parent say, ‘My daughter spent the night at the Goodmans’, and now I’m buying organic strawberries!’”
Myra Goodman is the co-founder, with her husband Drew, of Earthbound Farm, the largest grower and shipper of organic produce in the world. In 1984, just out of college, the Goodmans began farming organically on their 2.5-acre backyard garden in Carmel Valley, California. Over the next decade, Earthbound Farm became the first company to successfully market packaged salads for retail sale, and it popularized “spring mix,” which helped to change the American salad plate forever.
Today, more than 100 varieties of fresh Earthbound Farm organic salads, fruits, and vegetables are available in supermarkets across North America and beyond. The company has shown that organic farming can, indeed, feed millions while reaping environmental benefits on a large scale. In 2008, Earthbound Farm’s organic farming on over 40,000 acres will keep over 12.7 million pounds of potentially harmful agricultural chemicals out of our air, water, soil, and food supply.
The Goodmans still live on the site of that original backyard farm with their two children, their dogs, and their organic raspberries.