If you’ve ever toted home a bag of fresh produce only to find it spoiled in your refridgerator the next few days, you’ll appreciate Bill and Karla Chambers, owners of Stahlbush Island Farms in Oregon. “Produce comes in and out of ripeness in a very short period of time,” Karla Chambers explained in an interview with Organic Connections. “If you use frozen [produce], you pull out what you need for your smoothie. Think about how much fresh fruit or vegetables get wasted because ‘it just didn’t get used this week.’”
Founded in 1985, the farm holds the distinction of being named the very first certified sustainable farm by the Food Alliance in 1997. Recently, the farm launched its biogas plant that converts byproduct farming materials like corn husks, butternut squash and pumpkin trimmings, and corn silage into usable energy. “We make enough electricity for about 1,100 homes a day—twice what we need for all of our processing,” Karla continues.
Read more in Organic Connections.
