The Organic Center joined Jamba Juice for its annual “Team Up for a Healthy America” campaign. The campaign, focused on raising awareness about the U.S. obesity epidemic, asks people to make weekly pledges to live a healthier lifestyle. The Organic Center will supply the “Team Up” Web site with food and nutrition tips, and Jamba Juice will donate $1 for every pledge toward the purchase of athletic equipment for schools.

Nutiva announced on September 1, 2012 that it will move its corporate headquarters from Oxnard, CA, to Point Richmond, CA, in the San Francisco Bay Area. This new headquarters will center on a 200,000-square-foot building, 10 times larger than its current home.

White Oak Pastures, a grass-fed beef and lamb producer based in Early County, GA, will receive a 2012 American Treasures Award from MADE: In America for setting farming standards nationally. The award will be bestowed to White Oak Pastures president Will Harris in honor of his leadership and dedication to sustainability and stewardship of the land.

SweetLeaf Stevia, a brand of parent company Wisdom Natural Brands, Gilbert, AZ, won two World Stevia Organisation (WSO) 2012 Best Stevia Product/Extract of the Year awards. The WSO’s tasting committee and jury awarded World’s Best Tasting Stevia to SweetLeaf Natural Stevia Sweetener in the Extract category, and to SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia Sweet Drops Chocolate in the Consumer Product Made with Stevia category.

Reed’s Inc., Los Angeles, CA, maker of natural sodas, will introduce organic Reed’s Culture Club Kombucha into natural foods and mainstream supermarket channels. The west coast will first be targeted, with the rest of the United States to follow soon. Reed’s Culture Club Kombucha will be introduced in four, ginger based flavors.

Organic EDEN Black Beans from Eden Foods, Clinton, MI, were bestowed the “Favorite Fiber Booster” Foodie Award from Clean Eating magazine in its June issue.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, August 2012