Fresh Origins @microgreens #BEST in Show at #Baldorbite Says Whom You Know! DAYLIGHT: April 6, 2016 One of Our Favorite Trade Shows, #Baldorbite ! #whomyouknow #microgreens
Our friends, Julie and David Sasuga of Fresh Origins Microgreens and their star: Wasabi Leaf!!!
Look at THAT headline-there's a phrase you don't see very often-one of Peachy's FAVORITE TRADE SHOWS...going to trade shows is not our most favorite activity, mostly because not all brands have ownership that is intelligent about social media, however, T.J. Murphy's #Baldorbite is one of our favorite trade shows! (We still have fingers crossed for a T.J. interview someday...) Every two years, starting two years ago, Baldor, the leader on the American East Coast in fine food distribution, hosts an AMAZING trade show and it was last Wednesday in New York. We also like that we cover Washington, D.C. and Boston and we think Baldor does also. Many outside of New York were at this show...
The highly professional affair was an honor to attend, and brands that impressed us the most have been contacted for review opportunities.
Many years ago, we first met Fresh Origins at a trade show, and their unequaled commitment to quality in microgreens and edible flowers evidences why they are even better than whatever you can find locally. They are available through Baldor (and many other distributors also) and can get to you just as fast as anything local could and they have a better selection than anyone in America. In Manhattan, we have recently been reminded of how much better their weather is in California with our super chilly spring temperatures which also contribute to why they are better than anywhere around here which could get snow!
They are the best 365 days a year in America, and constantly aim to be better which puts them in an elite category at Whom You Know: brands that share our philosophy of excellence and being the absolute best in their field.
Fresh Origins is quite literally on top of the world's finest cuisine, and they personally attend the trade shows all over the country and sometimes beyond.
They care about meeting the best chefs!
They are always among the most popular: here are the pictures to prove it.
We are so proud to cover this great brand!
Look at the brilliant colors, evidencing quality and freshness:
Fresh Origins is America’s leading producer of Microgreens and Edible Flowers. Combining the benefits of an ideal climate with a deep passion for quality and innovation, Fresh Origins products are sought after by the finest restaurants and top chefs. The farm is located in the picturesque rolling hills of San Diego County, where the near perfect weather allows for production and harvest all year. Fresh Origins produces almost 400 Microgreens, Petitegreens, Edible Flowers, Shoots, Tiny Veggies™ and related items. Many are not available anywhere else, with new introductions nearly every month. Fresh Origins products are on top of the finest cuisine in the world! Fresh Origins supplies distributors of specialty produce who serve fine dining restaurants and resorts nationwide. There are also a few online sources of their products available to private chefs and home cooks. Read our first Culinary Queen interview with Kelly Sasuga:
For more information about Fresh Origins, visit their website at
Thank you Baldor for inviting us!
Their website tells us:
What's our story
In 1918, Louis Balducci Sr., from Bari, Italy, rented a produce pushcart for $5.00 a week in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Louis had been in the United States for two years prior, digging ditches and doing piecework construction on the Midtown Tunnel, the 59th St. Bridge, and the elevated subway tracks between Flushing and Long Island City. The produce pushcart was his first foray into retail entrepreneurship. That led to a small fish market, also in Greenpoint, then the purchase of an ice truck for making deliveries of huge ice blocks to homes in the days before refrigeration. Little did Louis Balducci know that he was setting up the foundation for what would become Baldor Specialty Foods.
In 1946 Louis opened a fruit stand called Balducci’s Produce in Greenwich Village at the intersection of Christopher Street and Greenwich Ave (pictured below). A family business from the start, Louis had help running Balducci’s Produce from his wife and children, Andy and Grace, as well as a young family friend from Italy, Joe Doria. Grace married Joe in the late 1950’s and he became a partner in the original Balducci’s. The family worked around the clock, seven days a week, including holidays, to build Balducci’s into a reputable food service, selling the finest produce in the city.
Food writer James Beard was a regular customer and noted that Balducci’s always sold “the best of the best, at the right price.” Andy’s merchandising instincts helped polish the Balducci brand. He is credited with featuring snowy white silver dollar mushrooms from Pennsylvania farms for 39 cents a pound, which became a major draw for early Balducci’s customers. Joe Doria tracked down the best produce options he could find throughout all of New York City.
Balducci’s expanded in 1972, and started selling a wider array of specialty foods in addition to fresh produce, and moved to the corner of Sixth Avenue and 9th Street. Chefs from the Village would flock to the new Balducci's store to see what produce was in season and draw inspiration for their seasonal menus. Excited by Balducci’s diverse food options, the restaurant owners asked if Balducci’s would deliver bulk produce to their kitchens. It was then when Andy and Joe created Baldor, a wholesale division that was a combination of both their last names.
Andy Balducci eventually took over ownership of the company, while his son-in-law, Kevin Murphy, headed up the Baldor division, working tirelessly to gain market share in a competitive wholesale market. In 1991 Kevin established Baldor as an independent company, moving the warehouse to a facility on Borden Ave in Long Island City, taking with him a handful of Balducci employees. The Baldor business continued to grow, gaining a reputation for quality food, excellent service, and as the purveyor of choice for fine dining establishments.
Today, Baldor is one of the largest importers and distributors of fresh produce and specialty foods in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. We buy directly from domestic farmers and international growers and provide customers with a consistent supply of fresh foods, prepared however they need it. We supply a full range of foodservice clientele from white tablecloth restaurants, hotels, corporate feeders, upscale food markets, hospitals, school cafeterias, country clubs, in-flight caterers and everything in between. Baldor is now headed by Kevin’s son, T.J. Murphy, C.E.O. and Michael Muzyk, President.
We continue to grow and spread our mission of quality you can trust, and service that delivers. In April, 2006 Baldor Boston opened in Chelsea, Massachusetts. In April, 2012 we raised our flag in Washington D.C. across from the Jessup, Maryland produce market. Our large geographical reach makes us a reliable supporter in each local community we service by buying directly from local farms. Whether you are as far north as Portland, Maine, far west as Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, or as far south as Manassas, Virginia, Baldor can fulfill your everyday specialty food needs.
