About Us
Welcome to the world of LadyBug Lane, llc Pure Produce.
Q. OK, what's the story?
A. We at LadyBug Lane started making fine craft items in 1995. Why? Basically, we were learning that if we wanted something of exceptional quality that was made with only the highest quality materials, we needed to make it ourselves. After a while we realized that, everywhere we went, folks kept asking us where we got them. When we'd explain that they were original crafts we'd made ourselves, we'd get asked if we'd be willing to make one for them.
Well, you can only hear this sort of thing so long before it dawns on you that there is still a need for lovingly made, hand crafted items offered at a fair price. We spent 14 years making those heirlooms items that your grandkids are going to fight over somewhere down the line. Then we decided to try our hand at produce.
Q. Produce? Why produce?
A. We made heirloom items because we enjoyed making them and because we took pride in each of our crafts. We grow produce with the same attention to quality for the same reasons.
I think the tipping point was when the FDA announced that they had detected melamine (a toxic chemical used to make Formica and wallboard) in baby formula but that the levels of melamine were "safe".
Basically we grow produce because it's the only way we could find to ensure that that our food was of exceptional quality and made with only the highest quality ingredients.
Q. Why not just meet the USDA minimum acceptable standards?
A. A while back, I read an article that stated that certain government agencies were negotiating with certain agricultural suppliers over just how much e. Coli bacteria in the food you buy was a safe level. Pardon me? You can't negotiate a safe level of bacteria; that's a hard and fast number. However they sure could negotiate a permissible level. It's amazing how what is permitted to be in our food supply is determined, not by scientists, but rather by the lobbying of politicians by industry suppliers. We intend to ensure that we always meet our standards, which are well above the minimum industry standards.
Q. What's "Pure Produce"?
A. "Pure Produce" isn't defined by any government regulation or statute. We use the common sense definition that says that "Pure Produce" is a plant, a fruit, or a vegetable, raised with clean and filtered water from a reliable source, using nutrients derived from the cleanest sources available, minimal interventions, and no other foreign matter.
We don't add preservatives, we don't spray our produce with wax, and we don't need to use MSG to keep it looking fresh and healthy, because it is fresh and healthy.
Q. Are you guys considered "Organic"?
A. While we start from our lettuces from Certified Organic seeds, what we do is raise the highest quality produce in a manner that is as clean as possible, and that precludes our using some organic techniques. Our carefully monitored nutrient solutions are mixed by us from high quality nutrients so we know exactly what is in them. We don't spray industrial chemical pesticides on our produce and we work hard to live up to our "Pure Produce" label.
Q. This is the "About Us" section, but here's a question "About You": What is the acceptable level of melamine in the food you give to your children?
A. If you said: "Absolutely none!", you're in the right place.
Anyway, welcome back to a place where integrity still matters and wholesomeness is far more important than market share.
Welcome back to LadyBug Lane.
