We Value: Farming sustainably Caring for our local community - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

We Value:

• Farming sustainably
• Caring for our local community
• Sharing the highest quality products with our customers
• Transparency in our processes
• Practicing the Triple Bottom Line accounting framework
• Evaluating our work in view of social, environmental and financial costs

We Act Locally

• We lessen environmental

transportation costs across states

• We encourage the local economy

by purchasing needed materials and supplies made in our city as much as possible

• Our produce is offered to local

markets/grocers within hours of harvest to ensure freshness and

• ptimal quality
• Our products are available year-

round as weather does not affect

• ur growing season

We Are Focused On The Environment

• Use up to 98% less water than

conventional farms

• Save electrical energy by using LED

lights

• Renovated two breweries, thereby

causing less construction strain on the local environment and resources

• Have no pesticides, causing no

leaching into the groundwater

• Grow vertically to maximize growing

area

We Are Organic

• We are USDA Organic Certified

through MCIA (MN Crop Improvement Association)

• In place of pesticides we use

Integrated Pest Management

• We focus on leaving the

environment better than we found it

We use less water:

Aquaponics uses up to 98% less of the water that conventional agriculture requires by targeting plants directly at the roots rather than dispersing through soil.

Education through strategic labeling is important for creating and sustaining farmer/consumer relationships.

How do we share our values with our customers?

We Eli liminated Chemicals

• With no herbicides, pesticides,
• r chemical fertilizers needed,
• ur local wildlife and watershed

is not affected by chemical runoff from soils

• Our IPM mimics natural

ecosystems

We Help Restore Oceans

• Our method of production
• ffers customers an alternative

to commercial fishing and traditional aquaculture practices.

• We qualify as a Seafood

Watch Best Choice option because we demonstrate care for the oceanic environment.

We Provide Super Fresh Products

We Protect Our Local Air ir Quality

Local food means fewer trucks on the road and cleaner air.

We Help Dim iminish Food Deserts in in Our Local Community

• By using an indoor system, fresh

food is produced year-round in

• ur urban area where there is

limited local sources for fresh fish and veggies.

• Statistics show that there are 12

food deserts within the city of St. Paul.

What About the Fish?

• We partner with The Fish Guys as our

main distributor.

• As RAS farmers we strive to educate our

customers in our sustainable and humane fish farming practices.

• THE most important thing for our packaging

is messaging that informs consumers, enabling them to make clear, educated, and confident decisions when choosing their food purchases.

• We are clear about where the food comes

from and how it is produced.

• We provide easy recognition of our

products; customers trust our USDA Organic logo amidst the confusion of labeling within the marketplace.

How Does Our Labeling Help Share Our Vision?

Our Marketing Partner

H e a l t h y s u s t a i n a b l e

• r g a n i c

s t . p a u l g r o w n g r e e n s

H e a l t h y • s u s t a i n a b l e • o r g a n i c s t . p a u l g r o w n g r e e n s

We began by reaching out to lo local vendors that supported a sim imilar mis ission for their customers. (2 (2013)

We continue to expand our reach

Health Partners reached out to us to provide high quality food for their patients during recovery . . . …now they sell our clamshells in their cafeteria as well.

Our continuing mis ission:

• Fix a broken food system one delicious meal at a time.
• Fresh = nutritious
• Nutritious = healthy
• Fish and plants help each other grow
• Create a better food system for the people, by the

people.

Marketing