Food Entrepreneur - August 17, 2021 - 6

FOOD ENTREPRENEUR®
DOWN
TO EARTH
Once Upon A Farm's co-founders on building
a 'next-generation kid nutrition company'
BY MONICA WATROUS
H
undreds of miles from Hollywood,
in an Oklahoma town with
a population pushing 1,500, it's
not unusual to spot actress Jennifer Garner
clad in denim overalls and red boots
caked with mud. She is a fixture on her
family farm there, harvesting sweet potatoes
or steering a tractor, as documented
for her millions of social media followers.
The land, where her mother grew up, is
tended by Ms. Garner's uncle Robert and
aunt Janet and produces some of the organic
fruits and vegetables sourced by her
baby food company, Once Upon A Farm.
The actress joined the business as
co-founder and chief brand officer four
years ago, alongside longtime Annie's
leader John Foraker, who became
co-founder and chief executive officer after
stepping down at General Mills. Based
in Berkeley, Calif., Once Upon A Farm was
established two years prior by consumer
products veterans Cassandra Curtis and
Ari Raz as a first-of-its-kind line of fresh
baby food, pasteurized with high pressure
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Food Business News
to preserve flavor and nutrition.
Today, the company markets an
assortment of organic, chilled food for
babies and children. Packaged in graband-go
pouches and sold in 9,500 stores
nationwide, products include fruit and
artificial or genetically modified ingredients.
A
mission of the company is
expanding access to nutritious, organic
foods across all socioeconomic levels.
The team developed products that are
'How else can we elevate baby and
kids' food across refrigerated and
frozen? And while we're doing it, how
much can we push our industry to
really make this high-quality food
more accessible ... ?'
- Jennifer Garner, Once Upon A Farm
vegetable blends, dairy-free smoothies
and overnight oats, all formulated with
no added sugar, dairy, preservatives, or
available at zero cost to eligible families
through the US Department of Agriculture
Special Supplement Nutrition Program
August 17, 2021
Food Entrepreneur - August 17, 2021

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