For the past five years, North Shore Living has been working with its own in-house research scientist to improve the fertilizer used in the production of its organic herb program. And it has finally succeeded.

Suzette Overgaag, who founded the Thermal, CA company with her husband, Leo, more than 30 years ago, said that while they have been selling organic herbs for about 15 years, they were never happy with the commercial organic fertilizers they could buy. “They were inconsistent and so they produced inconsistent results,” she said.

Potted microgreensEnter Nick Sullivan, a nephew of the couple who had expertise in the fertilizer arena and a keen interest in organics as well as a familial connection to the business. Suzette said the hydroponic growing method that North Shore utilizes does not require a great deal of inputs, but nonetheless a top-notch organic fertilizer was the missing link in producing an organic living herb with the same or better quality as its conventional line. Sullivan basically invented an organic formulation that does the job. Currently North Shore is just using the fertilizer for its own production, but Suzette said they might consider marketing it to other organic, hydroponic growers down the road.

They call their new organic system LoGrow. Suzette said it is unique as it uses many of the same principles occurring in the soil of a traditional field-based organic crop. “We reuse all the water and nutrition that is not absorbed by the plant for later irrigations, which substantially reduced our inputs and volume of water use.”

She believes “the flavor and experience of the organic product is superior to the conventional due to the strategic nutrition delivery, which not only supports incredible healthy microbial diversity in the roots -- it’s like probiotics for the plants-- but also encourages the plant to produce more essential oils.”

North Shore Living pioneered its line of living herbs, which are marketed with the roots intact. The company also started a living microgreens line three years ago, which Suzette said is starting to catch on. “We were ahead of our time with the living herbs and we are ahead of our time with the microgreens but they are gaining popularity,” she said, adding that she does expect the product, which packs a powerful flavor punch, to become a very big item in the future. She said restaurants are big users of microgreen and it is only a matter of time before home chefs follow that trend.

Cooking with living herbs has been boosted tremendously in recent years by its popularity in restaurants, in cooking classes and on cooking shows. North Shore’s living herb production is split fairly evenly between organic and conventional with its microgreens 100 percent organic. “Of course, it would be easier if we only offered organics, and we are moving in that direction, but some consumers and retailers want the choice,” Suzette said.

Rather than argue organic vs. conventional, the Overgaags spend their time touting living vs. dried. “Our North Shore Living fresh organic and conventional herbs compared to the cut counterpart provide the customer the unique opportunity and experience to have a truly fresh herb addition to their dish that cannot be replicated in pre-cut herbs,” Suzette said. “It’s not only the nutritional stability provided by a fresh plant but the opportunity for the experience of using fresh product speaks for itself.  

Basil continues to be the number one living herb product, but North Shore offers about two dozen living herb varieties with rosemary, thyme and sage gaining on basil every year. In fact, the company markets a “roasting mix” of those three herbs that is quite popular.

Suzette said the top sellers are the same in both the organic and conventional line. While some retailers only offer an organic option – especially with the less voluminous sellers – many retailers want both. Suzette said there is a price difference as it is more expensive to produce herbs organically. “Our challenge is to produce these living herbs and microgreens in a way in which they are affordable to everybody as an organic option.”