Destiny Organics Making a Difference

Staff

13 January 2011

Destiny OrganicsDestiny Organics began as Destiny Produce, a conventional produce distributor for large retailers around the Southeast. Yet in the less than a decade, the company has pioneered the expansion of organic products in the South, morphing into Georgia's only certified organic distributor, with a territory that covers six states. Destiny Organics mission is to provide local, organics and sustainable food for all.

With their produce composition increasingly organic and local, many smaller businesses such as independent natural foods stores, food coops, and buying clubs started working with Destiny. To better serve these stores (and add value to existing accounts), Destiny Produce began offering other organic and all natural artisanal, and local foods such as milk, cheese, eggs, Fair Trade coffee, and more.  Serving these niche markets and numerous smaller producers required a different approach than working with larger outlets, one that is centered on building relationships and open communication, as well as more sophisticated marketing. President, DeeDee Digby and her staff embraced these changes and are now recognized as innovators in this type of distribution effort. Early in 2009, Destiny Produce finally changes its name and entire image to Destiny Organics, reflecting their commitment to organic, sustainable, and humanely produced foods with a strong emphasis on local and regional products.

Destiny Organics carries a wide range of fruits and vegetables, from locally produced to internationally grown. In addition to produce, the company now provides meat, dairy, eggs, juice, flour, coffee, sauces, seafood, granola, nuts, baby food, tofu, and frozen foods. This diversification goes far beyond just organic produce and products.

Another unique venture of Destiny Organics is their organic box program. Unlike a farm-based CSA, Destiny Organics' box program uses fruits and vegetables from many different local and regional farms to mass assemble boxes. Destiny Organics has a full-scale re-packing facility within their warehouse, which is certified organic. The re-pack facility uses a crew of six to eight people who sort; grade, and box produce as needed.

Destiny Organics also contributes to its community by donating food every year to charity events, non-profits, and to food banks. By bidding on a USDA-funded snack program, they are working to increase fruits and vegetables consumption by school-age children. In addition, Destiny Organics is an active participant in the Farm-to-School program in Georgia to bring more nutritious food for our children. Destiny has provided food for several training workshops for designed to re-train school cafeteria workers in a fresher approach to school food. Destiny Organics is currently working with some Atlanta school systems and private schools to achieve their goals.

While typical produce distributors generate a mountain of wax-covered cardboard, shrink-wrap, beat-up pallets, and spoiled food each day; Destiny Organics' environmental efforts include an extensive recycling program that diverts approximately 98% of their packaging material away from the landfill. Even their well-worn wooden pallets get turned into wood mulch, which creates a chemical -free alternative for weed control. Destiny also composts any spoiled produce and trimmings-a significant effort for a produce distributor. Since transportation makes up so much of what Destiny Organics does, it is also an area in which they have a large positive environmental impact. Destiny Organics now runs all their diesel trucks on a biodiesel blend that contains 20% tallow from Georgia chicken farms.

Destiny Organics is trying to generate a cultural shift around the importance of health, local diversified farms, and a more vibrant regional economy. While the South may be known for its unique and delicious foods, Destiny Organics is helping to make the South known for locally produced, healthy, sustainable ingredients, high quality, and good taste.

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