HomeMy WebLinkAboutHARMONY TECH. PARK 3RD FILING, CUSTOM BLENDING - PDP - 01-08 - MEDIA - CORRESPONDENCE (3)Dan Berlin,
left, and
Joe Basta
of Rodelle
Vanillas
assesses
cooking
conditions in
Uganda. In
honor of its
75th
anniversary,
the Fort
Collins
company is
launching an
energy -
efficient
stove project
in Uganda.
Courtesy of
Deb Schlichting
Company blends -products
with philanthropy mis
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In honor of its 75th anniversary,
Custom Blending, the Fort Collins
company that makes Rodelle Vanilla
and other spices, is introducing a new
line of organic extracts as well as
launching an energy-effident stove
project in Uganda.
The company plans to debut its
Rodelle Organics line at the Natural
Products Expo West this weekend in
Los Angeles.
The certified organic collection will
include: vanilla, almond, chocolate
and lemon extract along with bour-
bon vanilla beans.
"What better way to honor our her-
itage," said Joe Basta, partner with
Rodelle. "We really think this will be
a great extension of our Rodelle line;
what we are really targeting is the
natural food industry."
With the rise of such grocery stores
as Whole Foods, Sunflower Market
and Sprouts, Basta said the organic
food movement
has been the
fastest -growing
segment in the j"
past five years,
and this line of
extracts will
help the compa-
Y P
Currently, Rodelle has an organic
vanilla extract on the market that
Basta said has been popular. He
attributes the organic movement to a
more educated health -conscious con-
sumer.
"I think overall, there has been a
huge awareness in what we eat as the
consumer gains more knowledge and
information," Basta said.
Rodelle's new line is made with all
organic ingredients as certified by the
Colorado Department of Agriculture.
In addition to expanding its line of
extracts, Rodelle launched a program
last week in Uganda where it will be
working with local farmers to create a
sustainable stove project. The project
is a partnership between Custom
Blending and
the local non-
profit
slon
ple, based in Fort
Collins, to provide Ugandan farmers
with energy -efficient stoves.
About 75 percent of families in
Uganda cook over open wood fires
and cannot afford electric or gas
stoves or access alternative fuel
sources, according to Dan Berlin,
partner with Rodelle Inc., who recent-
ly returned from Uganda with Basta.
The open wood fires can cause defor-
estation and greenhouse gas emis-
sions combined with health issues for
the farmers.
In its initial phase, they still are
trying to determine the best way to
get the stoves to their network of
7,500 farmers.
Basta said they might charge farm-
ers a certain amount so they would
take ownership of the stove and care
for it. Or, they may have the farmers
help assemble their own stoves.
`"Phis new project has inspired us to
work with the local farmers
and people of Uganda to lay
the groundwork for a better
future. If we can create a
sustainable system for
them we have created an
industry that will also uplift
the Ugandan economy, all
1' while changing lives," said
Berlin m a prepared state-
ment.