South Tex Organics

Location:

Mission, TX

Certification(s):

Dennis Holbrook grew up in a citrus and row crop farming family. After returning from Texas A&I University, he rejoined the family business, and in 1977, he purchased the family citrus operation from his father. He soon became disillusioned with and concerned about conventional farming. As a result, South Tex Organics, L.C. was established in 1984. Dennis decided farming organically was the best way to grow the most nutritious and best tasting citrus.

Dennis has taken an active part in the growth of the organic industry in his state. He is a member of the Organic Trade Association (OTA). He is a founding member of the Texas Organic Growers Association (TOGA) serving as President and Chairman of the Board. In 1989, Dennis was appointed by the Agriculture Commissioner to serve on the first Texas Department of Agriculture's (TDA) Organic Certification Review & Standards Advisory Committee.

The picture above is of Dennis and Garrett Edwards, Sales Manager for South Tex Organics. They stand proudly with a stack of their handsomely designed grapefruit bags, labeled under their new Nature's Pick brand name.

www.stxorganics.com

Crops:

Grapefruit, Lemon, Oranges

Our Growers Are Our Heroes

We got into this business because we wanted to help small scale organic farmers here at home gain access to the larger commercial marketplace, and to ensure their families and communities thrive. Over the past decade or so, we have endeavored to do this, step by step, with over ninety B.C. farms.

Our hearts still belong to the small scale growers. We have visited dozens of farms in B.C., working with growers to see them move to larger and more financially sustainable operations.

We feel encouraged by the impressive increase in consumer demand for organics and local. We also acknowledge that we might not be able to grow all our own food year round. Even more so now, as our climate changes, no harvest is a safe bet.

So over the years, we have extended our relationships with small scale farmers to include farms down the Pacific Coast, through Washington, Oregon and California, then on to Mexico and South America. Together, this network of growers keep us all fed year round. And for this we are grateful.