Brian Peixoto, sales manager of Lakeside Organic Gardens LLC, headquartered in Watsonville, CA, said that the company grows, markets and ships a wide range of items that fall into the specialty gourmet category.

Brian Peixoto“We offer bunched rainbow carrots, sweet baby broccoli, bunched fresh dill, bunched arugula, bunched mustard, fennel, radicchio, black Spanish radishes, watermelon radishes and celery root, with or without tops,” said Mr. Peixoto. “We grow everything we offer right here in the great state of California. By utilizing three growing regions — Watsonville, Oxnard and Holtville — we are able to offer these items year round with only a few minor gaps here and there.”

The Peixoto family has been farming in the Pajaro Valley on the Central Coast of California for over 100 years. Dick Peixoto, a third-generation family member, started his farming career in the eighth grade by hiring neighborhood kids to pick tomatoes on his family farm so he could market them. In 1996, he recognized the advantages of organic farming and began transitioning to organic.

From that early start, the business has grown tremendously. He started with 55 organic acres, and since then it has expanded to over 1,200 certified-organic acres in the Watsonville area, 500 acres in the Holtville area and 100 acres in Oxnard.

Brian Peixoto, a fourth-generation family member, said that being fresh-cut produce, the company believes that its specialty gourmet items belong on retail shelves along with other conventional fresh produce items.

“If a gourmet chef wants to take home our celery root instead of a potato, that’s great,” he said. “Mashed celery root has a very unique taste, and we often eat it at home.”

He continued, “One of the top questions I receive from my customers is, ‘Do you have anything new on the horizon?’ Something that sets our company apart from other shippers is our ability to adapt to what our customers want. We are constantly working with them, asking what they would like us to grow. Usually if they have a demand for it, you can bet someone else out there wants it.”

This is how the company got its start in growing rainbow carrots. One customer in Denver said it would buy 14 to 28 cartons a week if the company would grow them.

“We tried it out, and it’s been a great seller for us ever since,” said Mr. Peixoto. “If our customers want it, and we think we can do it, we will try almost anything. If there is something customers want, they just need to let us know. We thought kohlrabi was going to be the next big thing. It didn’t do great and we ultimately discontinued it, but we had to try it. Who knows what’s next, maybe watercress? Only time will tell.”

Lakeside Organic Gardens’ growing practices are good for the Earth, and the crops it produces are good for consumers. Mr. Peixoto said that he hopes to see consumers eating more organic vegetables in the future, and living longer, healthier lives as a result.

“Our goal is to be the quality leader in the organic produce industry, and customer satisfaction is our top priority,” he added.