Jacobs Farm del Cabo to Highlight Healthy Soils, Sustainable Packaging, and Family Farms at OPS

Jacobs Farm del Cabo will soon be expanding its sustainable packaging line and is looking forward to talking about its commitment to healthy soil development at OPS in July. Marketing Manager Dani Loustalot recently joined OPN for a chat about the organic grower-shipper’s produce offerings, its dedication to family farms, its future plans, and more.

Dani Loustalot, Marketing Manager, Jacobs Farm del Cabo

Can you give an overview of Jacobs Farm del Cabo’s organic produce offerings, including their availability and where they’re grown?

Jacobs Farm del Cabo offers a wide portfolio of organic, soil-grown tomatoes, vegetables, herbs, and specialty items under the del Cabo and Jacobs Farm brands. 

Our organic tomatoes, hot and mini sweet peppers, and cucumbers hail from Baja California year-round, and our zucchini, mangos, and peas make the trip up north from Mexico in spring and summer.

In Northern California, our locally grown organic basil and Early Girl tomatoes are the stars of the summer, while squash, sage, rosemary, and holiday season herbs steal the stage in autumn and winter. Spring is the time for dill, thyme, mint, cilantro, and all the other fresh culinary herbs consumers know and love.

Jacobs Farm offers a wide variety of seasonal, staple, and specialty herbs

What are your most popular organic produce items?

Our del Cabo calling card item has always been our tomatoes—cherry, grape, and heirloom varieties that have been uniquely cultivated for flavor and quality for more than 35 years. They offer all the delicious umami of a tomato in a perfect bite-size—what else could a tomato lover ask for?

Jacobs Farm organic basil is our top-selling fresh herb. Its wonderfully sweet and savory flavor and numerous health benefits come from the beautifully healthy soil in which it’s grown. We know this #1 herb will remain a refreshing and favorite kitchen staple for years to come.

Jacobs Farm del Cabo organic grape, cherry, and heirloom mix tomatoes in recyclable and compostable paperboard packaging

Can you describe your customer base and geographical distribution area?

We are grounded in West Coast markets but distribute across the US and into Canada. Our customer base is made up of environmentally and socially conscious consumers who see grocery shopping as a chance to exhibit responsible consumership.

"Our del Cabo calling card item has always been our tomatoes—cherry, grape, and heirloom varieties that have been uniquely cultivated for flavor and quality for more than 35 years. They offer all the delicious umami of a tomato in a perfect bite-size—what else could a tomato lover ask for?" -Dani Loustalot

Last year, you debuted a home-compostable, paper-based clamshell. What has the retailer and consumer response been like to that new packaging?

The outpour of positive consumer response for our del Cabo paperboard has been one of the best parts of this year! We’ve received dozens of emails thanking us for this package. For many earth-loving customers, the del Cabo paperboard combines the ease and accessibility of grocery store shopping with the smaller eco-footprint of a farmers market environment—the best of both worlds!

Our del Cabo paperboard is a great way for retailers to communicate to their customers that they’re genuine about their commitment to the environment, giving them an added edge in today's crowded eco-friendly market. Many of our retailers picked up our paperboard when it first came to market and have never looked back.

Jacobs Farm del Cabo organic sugar plum grape tomatoes in recyclable and compostable paperboard packaging

Has Jacobs Farm del Cabo introduced any new products this year?

Later this summer, we will extend our del Cabo plastic-free packaging line to include shishito peppers and honey bunch grape tomatoes. Since the paperboard’s launch in 2021, we have saved 750,000 pounds of plastic, and we really look forward to seeing that number multiply with the addition of two new plastic-free SKUs.

"The outpour of positive consumer response for our del Cabo paperboard has been one of the best parts of this year! We’ve received dozens of emails thanking us for this package." -Dani Loustalot

How many growers does Jacobs Farm del Cabo represent? And why is it important to your company to work with small and mid-sized family farms?

In addition to our seven Northern California farms, we grow with our del Cabo collective of almost 1,000 families on small farms in Baja California, Mexico.

Working with family farms is not just important to us, it is who we are. These families are in the driver's seat, making the decisions along with the company. We are just as much a livelihood source for smallholder farms as we are an organic produce company.

Jacobs Farm del Cabo organic heirloom medley tomatoes in recyclable and compostable paperboard packaging

What do you plan on highlighting at your OPS booth next month?

We’re looking forward to sharing more about our longstanding commitment to healthy soil development, about the 750,000-plus pounds of plastic saved with our paperboard packaging, and about our founding mission to provide for small family farms in Baja California.

Gathering in Monterey also gives us the opportunity to remind our Bay Area friends of our local, organic herb offerings that can add depth to their local promotions this summer. Based in Santa Cruz, we are proud longtime neighbors of the Bay Area, and we are excited for another season of providing high-quality herbs to our local community.

In addition to our booth activity, our Director of Sales and Marketing, Aaron Brookes, will be joining fellow experts on the exciting OPS panel “CEA Part 1, Hydroponics: To Soil or Not to Soil?” to talk about our 40-year commitment to soil-grown organics.

Jacobs Farm organic basil is Santa Cruz County grown

What are Jacobs Farm del Cabo’s plans for the future?

In terms of environmental goals, we will continue developing ClimateLab, our internal climate action initiative, so that our farmers can attain the resources they need to minimize inputs and develop climate change mitigation plans that will sustain them in the near future.

Our goal as a company is to further innovate our products, packaging, and logistics so that we can continue to provide the best possible options for our customers.

Jacobs Farm basil grows in beautiful abundance and is born from rich, organic soil

"Gathering in Monterey also gives us the opportunity to remind our Bay Area friends of our local, organic herb offerings that can add depth to their local promotions this summer. Based in Santa Cruz, we are proud longtime neighbors of the Bay Area, and we are excited for another season of providing high-quality herbs to our local community." -Dani Loustalot

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

We are incredibly excited to be back at OPS. Last year’s show was a bright light in a rather uncertain year, and to have this experience for the second year in a row is a true gift! Thank you to those at OPS who made this possible, and we can’t wait to see everyone at booth #801!