Goodness Greeness, a Chicago-based distributor of organic produce, recently established the area's first all-organic foodservice division. Items currently include a wide variety of organic fruits and vegetables, and organic and grass-fed dairy.

In the past, the company's produce had been available to restaurants through brokers. This new division is dedicated solely to the direct sales, service and distribution of organic produce to the foodservice industry.

The company is initially focusing on white tablecloth restaurants with plans to expand service to the greater foodservice industry in the near future.

"This is a particularly opportune time for restaurants to move into organic produce," Dan Bobel, director of foodservice for Goodness Greeness, said in a statement. "The overall organic food segment continues to hold a 25 percent growth rate vs. 1 percent for conventional products. Organic food offers longer shelf life, improved taste and is less controversial than conventional produce for people with health concerns."

Local chefs have received the organic products with enthusiasm. "Every chef that has toured our facility is blown away by the quality, flavor and selection of organic products,"Bob Stone, director of procurement for Goodness Greeness, said in the statement.

Richard Camarota of Chicago's upscale Custom House restaurant said, "For us, it's about flavor and variety. Goodness Greeness ensures its produce is grown the proper length of time to guarantee optimal flavor. It is also an important part of our philosophy to use products that are grown the 'right way.' We know that by supporting alternative and smaller farms, we are investing back into the infrastructure of the economy. So, there is an aspect of conscious choice. However, in the simplest of terms, organic is just really, really, good produce."

Mr. Stone said that while organic items usually cost a bit more, they provide real value. "Like conventional distributors, Goodness Greeness procures products from around the world to ensure a diverse and steady supply of goods. However, unlike conventional distributors, all our products are third-party-certified organic."

For proper certification, organic produce is grown in healthy fertile soil as opposed to sand with pumped-in nutrients. When you harvest organic produce, it is coming off a healthy, living plant with a strong root system.

"Food cost can actually be lower because yield will be higher; there is not as much waste. You can use every bit, and food stays fresher longer," said Mr. Stone. "One of our chefs called us to tell us that the first batch of organic strawberries he received from us stayed fresh and gorgeous for 10 days, while his conventional berries molded after just two days."

The enthusiastic acceptance of the new foodservice division by local chefs has encouraged the company to expand distribution quickly to all of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana. "We understand the demand for organic produce and are getting the word out to foodservice professionals that there is an organic solution for every food need," said Mr. Bobel.