Foster Pinnacle via Veritable Vegetable

Phil and Katherine Foster farm 250 acres of C.C.O.F. and I.F.O.A.M. certified organic vegetables, melons and fruit on two ranches near San Juan Bautista and Hollister, California.  On our 50 acres in San Juan Bautista, we grow cool season crops such as lettuce and cabbage, and on our 200 acres near Hollister, we grow hot season crops such as sweet corn, bell peppers, garlic and onions. We have a diverse range of crops, marketing up to 60 produce items at the peak of the season. 

We strive to maintain the Pinnacle label's high quality by:

• Paying our employees a fair wage and benefits, and treating them with respect.  20 workers are year-round while another 20 seasonal employees return each year.
• Building the soil with cover crops and compost.  We make all of the compost we need for our farm on 4 acres, which are dedicated for that purpose.  Wood chips from San Francisco bay area cities are recycled through the composting process.
• Practicing environmentally sensitive pest control by attracting beneficial insects, constructing owl boxes, planting hedgerows, spraying compost tea, and more.  Our goal is to minimize spraying (even though the sprays are organic).  We try to anticipate insect and disease problems, and use a multi-faceted approach to preventing them, using organic techniques.  Biological control is always our primary goal.
• Decreasing water consumption and protecting water quality by using drip irrigation whenever possible, and other water saving techniques. 
• Finding alternatives to fossil fuels. We have 53 kilowatts of solar panels, and intend to add more.  We fuel most of our tractors and trucks with Biodiesel.  We run all of our diesel delivery trucks, and our newer tractors, on 100% biodiesel.
• Seeking to improve farming methods through observation, talking with other farmers, soil and tissue testing, and keeping up with the latest research.

Veritable Vegetable: A Unique Organic Distributor
As an organic produce distributor with over 40 years of experience, Veritable Vegetable has benefited from the creativity and hard work of our employees, and the deep relationships we’ve formed with our growers. We’re proud of our reputation for quality and integrity. As a mission–driven company, we make every business decision based on a set of core values. Because we believe in supporting our growers, we maintain visibility for each of the 200+ farm labels we carry and communicate the distance each grower is from our warehouse in San Francisco.

Our environmental initiatives are vast: not only do we transport our organic produce via an award winning, environmentally sustainable green fleet of trucks and trailers; we also divert 99% of our waste stream through a vigorous waste management program and the use of reusable pallets, crates and fabric wraps. Additionally, our solar array generates 70% of our electricity needs.

We actively support our community by creating unique partnerships with local and national organizations, donating time, produce, and resources to sustainability efforts, and by weighing in on policy initiatives that impact sustainable food systems. Veritable Vegetable is a woman-owned, certified B Corporation, using the power of business to solve social and environmental challenges.