In the days after it attained SCS Global Services Sustainably Grown certification, Yerington, NV-based Peri and Sons Farms was seeing favorable response from its customer base.
It is the first domestic onion farming operation with such certification from SCS Global, and the certification includes not only its onion operations in Nevada and California but also Peri and Sons organic vegetable farming operation as well.
“Although it’s only been a week since we received official notification of the award, our sales team tells me that many of our customers responded to the announcement and said they recognize the value this certification adds to our crops,” Teri Gibson, director of marketing and customer service told OnionBusiness.com.
She added, “This is welcome feedback for us. We are the first in the U.S. to achieve the SCS Global Services’ Sustainably Grown certification, and we will be talking to our customers and helping them understand the value such certification brings to us all.”
In a prepared release, Pamela Peri, executive vice president of the multi-generation company that has been shipping onions for more than three decades, said, “Undergoing this level of commitment to sustainability forced us to scrutinize and evaluate every aspect of both operations, from office to fields to packing sheds. We firmly believe that the overall benefits to our employees, our community and our customers will be well worth the investment in the long run.”
Dr. Stanley Rhodes, founder and CEO of SCS, was quoted as saying, “Achieving the Sustainably Grown certification is by no means an easy task. This standard is based on comprehensive, science-based criteria aimed at minimizing environmental impacts and providing a safe and healthy work environment.”
Sara Brinkley, Peri and Sons director of food safety and organic certification, said the staff is “thrilled that the years of hard work and dedication have brought us to this point. Achieving SCS Global Services’ Sustainably Grown certification… is just the beginning. We will continue to demonstrate our commitment to upholding the highest levels of social and environmental responsibility, worker protection, and product integrity in the years ahead.”