New Products from Braga Fresh and Jacobs Farm del Cabo

Braga Fresh Introduces New Josie’s Organics Premium Salad Kits 

Braga Fresh, the Soledad, CA-based vegetable grower-shipper, recently launched three new Josie’s Organics Premium Salad Kits.

Braga’s new Josie’s Organics Premium Salad Kits, which were released this summer, include Lemon Herb, Rustic Tomato Parmesan, and Spring Blush. The kits “offer unique components such as shaved fennel and newer baby green varieties that have more crunch and loft,” said Kori Tuggle, VP of marketing and product development at Braga Fresh.

Kori Tuggle, VP of Marketing and Product Development, Braga Fresh

The Josie’s Organics Rustic Tomato Parmesan Premium Salad Kit “contains five components in addition to salad greens, including parmesan cheese, crispy onions, garlic croutons, roasted garbanzo beans, and a sun-driedtomato dressing,” said Tuggle. “With five kit components, the Organic Rustic Tomato salad kit eats like a full meal and is filling.”

The kits “offer unique components such as shaved fennel and newer baby green varieties that have more crunch and loft.” – Kori Tuggle

Josie’s Organics Spring Blush Premium Salad Kit includes spring mix, candied walnuts, feta cheese, dried cranberries, and a red wine vinaigrette. “Our Organic Spring Blush has a sweeter, lighter flavor profile with universal appeal,” said Tuggle.

The Josie’s Organics Lemon Herb Premium Salad Kit contains baby lettuce, arugula, shaved fennel, parmesan cheese, brioche crouton crumbles, and a lemon-herb vinaigrette dressing. “The shaved fennel is a unique component for the salad kit category that gives flavor and a layered texture to the salad,” Tuggle said.

“During COVID, my family lived on Josie’s Organics salad mixes—fast, easy, and flavorful!” said Robert Lichtenberg, director of purchasing for Earl’s Organic Produce.

“The Josie’s Organics salad kits have been one of our best-performing classes this year,” said Earl’s buyer Carson Evers. “Everyone really likes the convenience of an all-in-one kit and avoiding having to buy each individual ingredient. On top of the convenience, these kits are 100-percent organic and super tasty. They have really found a solid market fit amongst our customer base, and I haven’t seen any sign of demand slowing down.” 

“During COVID, my family lived on Josie’s Organics salad mixes—fast, easy, and flavorful!” – Robert Lichtenberg

For three generations, the Braga family has been farming in the western United States, from the Salinas Valley, CA, to Yuma, AZ. With more than 20 years of a certified organic farming program in place, Braga Fresh is one of the fastest-growing organic produce companies in America. A vertically integrated company, Braga combines innovation with tradition to grow, ship, and process fresh vegetables and salads year-round under the Braga Farms and Josie’s Organics brands.

Jacobs Farm del Cabo Launches New Paperboard Pack

From its inception, Jacobs Farm del Cabo has been dedicated to social and environmental responsibility, and the company recently introduced its new sustainable paper-based clamshell packaging for its line of del Cabo brand products, including organic cherry tomato varieties and peppers.

“What we are most excited about is our new del Cabo paperboard pack—our new paper-based clamshell that was introduced to the world in May of this year,” said Dani Loustalot, marketing manager for the Santa Cruz, CA-based company.

Dani Loustalot, Marketing Manager, Jacobs Farm del Cabo

She describes the new del Cabo paperboard pack as being “as clean and green as it gets.” 

“What we are most excited about is our new del Cabo paperboard pack—our new paper-based clamshell that was introduced to the world in May of this year.” – Dani Loustalot

“The pack is made with 100-percent recycled paperboard and provides a clear view of the product inside with a plant-based, cellulose window that is certified compostable both commercially and at home,” Loustalot said. 

But what’s especially unique about the paperboard is the role it plays in the company’s broader climate change initiative, the ClimateLab. 

“Our ClimateLab initiatives are aimed at both mitigating our impact and helping our farming communities develop the tools needed to face the implications of climate change,” Loustalot said. “The introduction of our paperboard is part of a steady shift toward more sustainable materials, and, in this year alone, it’s projected to reduce our company’s plastic waste by half a million pounds.”

The company has received positive, energizing feedback in response to the new paperboard pack style and is excited for the industry to find out more about it. 

“The introduction of our paperboard is part of a steady shift toward more sustainable materials, and, in this year alone, it’s projected to reduce our company’s plastic waste by half a million pounds.” – Dani Loustalot

The story of Jacobs Farm begins in 1980, when co-founders Larry Jacobs and Sandra Belin, husband and wife, began growing on just eight coastal acres in Pescadero, CA. Thanks to a strong passion for organically grown food during the back-to-the-land movement, this plot of coastal land flourished.

In the decades that followed, the company has expanded to include seven sites along California’s Central Coast and has become an industry leader in organic herbs.

Today, Jacobs Farm produces more than 30 varieties of organic herbs and vegetables for consumers across the US, and Canada.

Five years after starting Jacobs Farm, the couple started the del Cabo collective, after finding like-minded, small-scale farmers in San Jose del Cabo. They discovered that these farmers cared deeply about people and the environment but did not have what was needed to make a good living doing what they loved. 

Therefore, the founding goal of the del Cabo collective was to connect these communities with good products and teach them how to grow food in a way that’s healthy for them, for the consumer, and for the planet.

In 2021, the del Cabo collective now provides organic farming training and a sustainable quality of life to more than 1,250 farming families within 14 communities, spanning the full length of the Baja California Peninsula and into mainland Mexico.