At my house, whenever I give my three-year-old son a choice of what he would like for supper, he invariably says, “Peace Pasta.” He doesn’t know what a peace sign is or that the creator of this recipe is a real person living on an organic farm in the state next to ours, with a daughter just his age. What he does know is that he likes the shapes and loves the taste. I like the whole idea of it, that it is organic, quick and easy to make, and yes, shaped in a way that reminds me of my own childhood growing up in the sixties. He doesn’t know Annie, the woman who created Peace Pasta, Bernie O’s, an alternative to Spaghetti O’s, Smart Food, and Shells and Cheddar, his father’s favorite. If he did, he would like her, her honesty, her lifestyle, her kindness.
Ann Withey, owner of Annie’s Homegrown, since 1989, broke into the food market with the creation of Smart Food in 1982, which became one of the fastest selling snack food products in U.S. history and later sold the company to Pepsi/Frito-Lay.
Ann herself is homegrown, living in Connecticut, the state of her birth, on a 12-acre organic farm operated by her husband and with her two daughters, Molly, age three and Phoebe, age three months. She is approachable and personable, believing in the consumer and their ability to make wise food choices. She receives a steady stream of mail from those who love her products and those who share her ideals. Many of the letters she receives, she responds to personally. She told me she now has a number of pen pals from rabbit lovers to children who write to her regularly.
Boxes of Annie’s Homegrown products contain information on links to scholarships, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and a picture of Bernie the bunny, the company mascot. It is the way she lives her life that you come to know that Ann Withey was not created by an advertising company but is in fact a real person, just as she claims to be. Ann donates cases of her product to charities through a program called Cases for Causes. Charitable organizations need only send Ann a request and most requests are honored with a donation. Ann also offers a $1,000 scholarship for those pursuing education in environmental studies. Notice of this scholarship is on boxes of Annie’s products as well as another program, similar in focus, which links people pursuing degrees in any subject area to potential scholarships available to further their education. The company also distributes free "Be Green" bumper stickers to anyone requesting them.
If neon orange mac and cheese is not your idea of a great lunch for your child or yourself, you might want to switch to Annie’s Homegrown. Not only will your child love its flavor; a portion of the money you spend to support this product will go towards efforts to help the environment and those wishing to preserve it. Her newest product is a microwaveable macaroni and cheese that is not only quick but also delicious.
Ann Withey has found the answer to growing her own profitable business, to connecting with the environment, to selling a product that is wholesome, to providing the consumer with a quick, easy, delicious meal, to giving back of her time and her profits to help build better tomorrows. Ann hopes her products will continue to reach into mainstream markets in the future, as well as maintain their popularity in health food stores with consumers who recognize the value of organic, wholesome foods.
I am convinced that Ann is successful not only because of her products but because of who she is as a person, writing letters back to those who write to her, awarding scholarships to those who care about the earth, providing food for those who do not have any. She has taken her beliefs and encapsulated them in Annie’s Homegrown. I am sure you will notice the difference. Annie’s is a refreshing change.
To purchase Annie’s Homegrown products, receive coupons, request a donation or a free "Be Green" bumper sticker, log on to www.annies.com.
--Carol is mother to Andrew, a college instructor, newspaper columnist, freelance writer and consultant. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her son, her husband, Phil, and their two fish, Seaweed and Week Week. She has been a vegetarian for more years than she can remember.
