US: Sun Valley switches to Bloom Check
For retailers and consumers, it means the flowers you buy are grown under the highest standards for flower production, cultivated with respect for the land and dignity for the people who work it.
For the flower farmer, it means they've met the most rigorous standards for growing flowers in the US. They have gone through an extensive audit to ensure that they are using best practices with regards to water use, air and soil quality, wildlife protection, as well as societal impacts on team members and community.
To ensure objectivity, the standards, accreditation, and audits for Bloom Check are conducted by a third-party certifier, Protected Harvest.
Protected Harvest is an independent, nonprofit organization which judges sustainability based on nine different production management categories: field scouting, information sources, pest management, field management, weed management, insect management, disease management, soil and water quality, and storage.
Highly toxic pesticides are prohibited, and earth-friendly biological methods are encouraged. Also, each handler of the crop must undergo a chain-of-custody audit that follows the crop from field to retail.
For more information:
www.thesunvalleygroup.com