E-coli in the news!
Why our sprouts are safe.
... more >

We're now on facebook!

Salad to Go
A yummy blend of sprouts and beans.
... more >

Potted Sprouts!
Enjoy your live sprouts anytime.
... more >

Potted Peas!
How to care for your potted peas.
... more >

New Packaging!
Check out our new containers
... more >

 

Find out how we do it! ...more >

Product Information

Growing only the best!

Right now, the outbreak of E coli in Europe, are being blamed on bean sprouts. According to the UK Guardian "Scientists suspect the source of the contamination may have been poor hygiene either at a farm, in transit, or in a shop or food outlet." We have checks and balances in place to insure our product does not get contaminated and is safe to eat.

Sprouts are great in nutritional value and there are have been out breaks regarding sprouts.
We have been sprouting for 10 years! and have had no problems.

Let us start first in telling you what we are doing to make sure our sprouts are safe to eat and remain that way. We think one of the best way to ensure food is safe, is to do what you just did, contact the people who are growing your food. Food just doesn't end up on the shelve in the grocery store, especially produce, it is grown on a farm and the less steps it has from that farm to your plate means less chance of something bad happening to it along the way.

Our sprouts start as seeds. We source all of our sprouting seeds from Mumm's Sprouting Seeds. As we are aware the majority of the outbreaks regarding sprouts have been seed-related, and mostly affecting alfalfa sprouts. Again, we have to go back to the alfalfa farmer. Mumm's sources their seeds for sprouting, and sprouting only. Alfalfa has lots of many uses, so Mumm's cannot source the seed from an alfalfa farmer who grows alfalfa for animal feed, that farmer is not concerned about contaminating his/her seed, because it is going to be sown outside and the grown plant baled up for his/her cows or horses to eat.

That being said, Mumms also test their seeds for any contamination and do not release the seed to be grown until those tests have come back negative. We get our seeds shipped from Mumm's, the trucks are inspected to ensure they are clean, and not hauling non-certified organic products. We order by a pallet or skid, in which each of the 10 - 25 kg bags have a plastic lining to minimize contamination, and the whole skid is wrapped in plastic wrap so no further damage occurs to the bags in the shipment.

Once the seed arrives at our farm, we put the bags of seed in their own rubbermaid containers. Next we start the growing process. Since we have a good idea of where the seeds have come from, but just in case, we soak our seeds in a solution of hydrogen peroxide. We have our water tested monthly, and use that water to rinse the seeds, twice a day, until it is time to package them. They get packaged by clean/sanitized/gloved hands into the plastic packaging. Put into our clean reuseable insulated bags and are delivered by us directly to the stores, and in most cases we put them directly onto the shelves. Our plastic containers have no holes so that the product inside has no contact with the store shelves or anywhere until the plastic container is opened by the end user (you!).

That is our process in a nutshell, but I am not a Food Scientist, and we rely on a whole network of individuals and organizations to continue to update and monitor our process.

Being certified organic, we have an organic inspector from Pro-Cert come to our place twice a year.
Being certified Local Food Plus, we have their inspector come every other year.
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food comes twice a year to take samples, both during the process of growing and of the finished product.
Being part of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and the Holland Marsh Growers Association, having close ties with Benght Schumacher of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food as well as the employment of Judy Chong and her company Produce Smart we make sure our process of producing spouts is not flawed in anyway.

Know where your food comes from! Be it a home or a restaurant.