Get Your Freak Flag Pestos On | Freak Flag Organics (Virtual Organic Week 2020)

So grateful for the amazing response to starting my Virtual Organic Week yesterday with LiveMore Organics. Today we’re going to have some fun with my freaky friends over at Freak Flag Organics! I fell in love with this brand, these products and these amazing people at Freak Flag Organics at Winter Fancy Food Show in 2019 and kept coming back for more samples of their Kale Pesto! So excited to share them with you today.

Last year around this time, I was in Washington D.C. with the Organic Trade Association as one of their influencers to "hit the hill" to lobby for the future of the Organic industry and more specifically the Farm Bill. Organic Week D.C. is an amazing week organized by the OTA. Organic businesses travel to D.C. to hit The Hill and meet with key members of Congress! The Organic Industry is growing and is a $52.Billion dollar industry! Many households across the country are supporting the organic industry, whether they are buying just a few organic products or they are full-on organic. But there’s more that needs to be done. (Here's a picture from one of our meetings on Capitol Hill with New Mexico Congressman Ben Ray Luján!) Read more about that trip HERE.

I will be sharing some of my favorite USDA Organic brands with you each day on social media and here on KrystensKitchen.com and sharing some Q + As which each brand. Follow along on Instagram, too!

Freak Flag Organics makes an delicious line of "Globally Inspired Master Sauces" and their pestos really are filled with all organic, nut free, vegan and gluten free ingredients that are jam packed with flavor! They have a Tomato Pesto, Kale Pesto and Carrot Pesto which can be used as a dip, spread or sauce. YUM!

I would love for you to check out my freaky friends over at Freak Flag Organics on their site and on social media. They have a long list of products on their site (on top of the pestos) and they are launching new products at the end of the summer. Curious about those new products? You can see that in the Q+A below! My favorite of the three pestos is the Kale Pesto but really they are all so delicious. My Freaky Flag Organics Family are the kindest people and have a heart for all things organic! I can't wait to see them again and give them theeee biggest hugs ever!

If you're interested in learning more about Freak Flag Organics, visit their website here or follow them on instagram.

Why did you start your company? I love creativity and authentic self-expression. I believe we are our authentic, freaky selves when we follow our passions and create things we are excited about. I love to create music on my guitar and experiment with new flavors and recipes in my kitchen. I started Freak Flag Organics to (hopefully) help inspire people to be themselves in the kitchen and in life. I hope that our products spark experimentation and creativity in the kitchen for people young and old. I define freak as someone who "emits positivity through self expression." I believe when this happens we are not only happier, but we inspire others to do the same and the world becomes a better place.  

Why is creating organic products important to your company? In essence, USDA organic guarantees no toxic synthetic pesticides were used in the production of products that showcase the USDA organic label. Pesticides are poisons that can harm more than just the "pests" or insects to which they are targeted. They are toxic and linked to a range of serious illnesses and diseases from respiratory problems to cancer, not to mention the terrible effects they have on deteriorating our soil and polluting our water table. Having spent most of the last 25 years marketing and advocating for good food companies like Organic Valley and Annie's, I learned the importance of supporting the growth of the organic food movement. I knew that my new food company, Freak Flag Organics, would always produce USDA certified organic products. 

What do you wish consumers understood about organic ingredients/sourcing organic ingredients? Organic always means non-GMO, and a lot more. Organic guarantees no toxic synthetic pesticides, toxic synthetic herbicides, or chemical NPK fertilizers are used in production, and no antibiotics or growth hormones are given to animals. Organic producers and processors also are subject to rigorous announced - and unannounced - certification inspections by third-party inspectors to ensure that they are producing and processing organic products in a manner you and your family can trust. The word "natural" has very little meaning compared to USDA Organic. "Natural foods" are often assumed to be foods that are minimally processed and do not contain any hormones, antibiotics or artificial flavors. In the United States, however, neither the FDA nor the USDA has rules or regulations for products labeled "natural." As a result, food manufacturers often place a "natural" label on foods containing heavily processed ingredients. Ugh.

Do you have any advice for other brands or consumers about why they should choose organic products and support the organic industry? Big, chemical Ag has so dominated our food system since WWII that now only 1 percent of our US farmland is organic. This is a tragedy, since most of the farmland before WWII was organic. Yes, USDA organic products are usually more expensive than the food produced by the big volume, highly mechanized, efficient, massive systems deployed by big food companies. But the long term costs of supporting this system of agriculture are too high: for the long term health of our families and our planet. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your brand/products/upcoming product launches & Where can people buy your products? Freak Flag Organics vegan pestos are available on Amazon and various retailers throughout the US. And, starting in August, we are launching our new bone broths -- Chicken Tortilla, Coconut Chicken and Lemon Pepper Chicken nationwide at Whole Foods Market!

Thanks for checking out Freak Flag Organics, their line of organic, nut free, vegan and gluten free pestos and their fun & informative Q&A! By the way, I like to spread this Kale Pesto on toast, put a spoonful on some salmon, chicken or even use it instead of tomato sauce on pizza.

While you're here, you have to see this yummy toast that I made with cashew cheese, Freak Flag Organics Kale Pesto, cherry tomatoes, pickled red onions and olives.