An elementary school, 288 solar panels, and 95,000 kWh of clean, renewable energy annually. No, we are not heading out on the Magic School Bus for a science lesson. Instead we’re heading to Maine to learn about a company called GrandyOats who are taking sustainability to the next level. Since 2015, the team has been utilizing solar power to heat their ovens, power computers, lights and cooling systems. Could you imagine running your entire home on solar power? Their solar panels are capable of offsetting over 145,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually. That’s basically roundtrip from Maine to San Francisco 25 times by car. That’s a lot! Let’s check out how GrandyOats, the “Real Granolas,” are nourishing people, the planet and the communities around them.
Their Story
Yellow Volkswagon buses bring people together! Okay, so we may not have the stats to back that up, but it’s still true for Nat Pierce and Aaron Ankler, whom both drove the rare vehicle and met while attending the University of New Hampshire.
After college, Nat set out to see the States. He landed in California for a short time before returning to his home state where he started a family and opened a vegetarian bakery. Aaron on the other hand was living in Aspen, Colo. running a natural juice business and managing a vegan restaurant. After a fateful encounter at a concert in Portland, Maine, Nat and Aaron decided to join forces and produce granola. Birkenstocks over dress shoes for the rest of their lives sounded too good to pass up!
GrandyOats is located in the beautiful lake region of Western Maine – full of oats, honey and nuts. Today, Nat and Aaron oversee 28 employees. Nat, the Head Honcho, and Aaron, the Chief Granola Officer. Together, they are GrandyOats.
To this day, they believe that a business is more about having a positive impact than it is about making money. They continue to want to “live life organically, love the path they traveled and keep it real.”
After years of selling small batch granola to Maine co-ops and local natural food stores, GrandyOats ramped up production, adding in lines of organic roasted nuts, and trail mixes. They’ve kept artificial ingredients out of their recipes because “they believe you can’t fake good taste.” From a bakery above a bookstore, to a 1910 dairy barn, to now, a solar powered schoolhouse, their journey follows the earth’s intrinsic model of bringing new life from the old. Now distributed nationwide, GrandyOats is proud to stay true to their roots, while balancing a growing business. Their organic products are still made in small batches in Maine, because after 40 years, they’ve learned that the purest pleasures are found off the beaten path.
The Verification
Their commitment to the environment begins with sourcing ingredients grown on organic farms. GrandyOats granolas, roasted nuts, and trail mixes are all USDA Certified Organic and Non-GMO Project verified by International Certification Services (ICS), a division of Where Food Comes From, Inc. The land used to cultivate the ingredients have not been treated with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or genetically modified seeds. At GrandyOats their mission is to make delicious, healthy, organic foods that provide a variety of nutritional choices for everyone, including granolas that are: certified gluten-free, vegan, oil-free, paleo, grain-free and free of refined sugars.
What’s Next?
GrandyOats is excited to partner with Where Food Comes From. In addition to working together toward transparency through the verification process, you can also find their products in the recently launched Where Food Comes From Market at the Colorado State University Campus Store. GrandyOats products are also offered nationwide in larger chains like Sprouts Farmers Markets, Whole Foods Market, independent natural food stores and Co-ops. Of course you can always find their products sold online at grandyoats.com and amazon.com. Their grain-free granolas are a new, delicious evolution of granola. These coconut-based organic granolas feature a nutritious blend of nuts and superfood seeds. The verified granolas are the perfect backpack snack, smoothie bowl topper or breakfast cereal. The possibilities are endless with GrandyOats.
To learn more about the verification process check out ICS, Where Food Comes From or GrandyOats.
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