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\\u201cOur mission is to make every home cooked meal a special occasion.\\u201d

Suzette Overgaag (11:18-11:20)

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Attempting to be a sustainable and healthy household is difficult when items like fresh herbs go bad in just a day or two after buying them. Wouldn\\u2019t it be nice to have living, fresh and beautiful herbs that made any meal an occasion, without being rushed to use them?

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Suzette Overgaag and her third generation greenhouse grower husband, Leo, started their family farm in Coachella Valley thirty years ago with a barely-there budget and borrowed farming equipment. Today, they have over 10 acres of greenhouse space where they hydroponically grow living herbs that are available for consumers in the produce section of the grocery store.

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It all started when the Overgaag\\u2019s were growing English cucumbers, but Suzette was frustrated that, when buying cut herbs from the store, they\\u2019d wilt or turn brown in just a few days. She dreamed of having an instant herb garden in her kitchen every day, which is exactly what North Shore Living Herbs does for you. They sell their clamshell \\u201cmini greenhouse\\u201d herbs and potted living herbs that, contrary to popular belief, aren\\u2019t meant to be planted, but offer a longer \\u201cshelf life\\u201d. That way, you can have a beautiful bouquet of herbs sitting on your counter and plan meals weeks in advance without worrying about your herbs going bad.\\xa0

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\\u201cIt\\u2019s about being able to have your product be grown in a way that is friendly to the Earth, obviously, and also to humans that have to work there and grow the plants or product.\\u201d Suzette Overgaag (8:07-8:23)

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Sustainability was one of the core driving factors of North Shore Living Herbs\\u2019 living herbs coming to life (no pun intended), which is why they are the first culinary herb grower in the United States to be certified as a sustainable grower by a recognized third party. They use solar energy and geothermal energy to heat the greenhouse and implement different practices that are good for employees. For example, instead of having employees bend over every day, most of the work is done at waist level, so it\\u2019s less wear and tear on the individuals as well as the environment.\\xa0

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North Shore Living Herbs is also the first hydroponic grower to be certified organic and they\\u2019ve found solutions to save anywhere between 75% to 90% of water with their crops compared to a cut herb program. It\\u2019s important to note they\\u2019ve been committed to this focus on sustainability well before it was popular and trendy with consumers. It\\u2019s a movement built to last.

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North Shore Living Herbs\\u2019 mission is to make every home cooked meal a special occasion, something that COVID-19 has actually helped consumers around the U.S. start to focus on.

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With the limited options now for eating out or dining in restaurants, more and more households are thinking about how they can make meals a special occasion. We\\u2019re cooking together more, eating together more, and not only is that great for North Shore Living Herbs\\u2019 business, but it helps drive their mission further across the country.\\xa0

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The wonderful thing about herbs is, even if you aren\\u2019t familiar with using them, you can\\u2019t go wrong adding them! Suzette doesn\\u2019t use recipes at all and uses whatever she has on hand in whatever amount feels right (you don\\u2019t have to measure them).\\xa0

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\\u201cMy favorite thing is actually just using them in salads and herb butter.\\u201d - Suzette Overgaag (15:15-15:20)

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Put your herbs in a butter and pour over pasta or a delicious grilled steak. Suzette also suggests putting them in cocktails or adding cucumber, mint and lemon to your regular water. You can find tons of amazing recipes created by Suzette\\u2019s daughter on their website, as well as details about all the products they offer and where you can find them locally! Visit www.northshore.farms and learn how you can start adding fresh herbs to your home cooked meals and make them a part of any occasion.

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How to get involved

• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week!\\xa0
• Reach out to us - we\\u2019d love to hear more about where you are in life and business! Find out more here.\\xa0

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