Nell Newman

Nell Newman: Snacking Her Way to Sustainable Agriculture

Bubbling with enthusiasm, Nell Newman talks about the new snack she's been testing: creamy, chocolate-filled Newman O's, her organic version of Oreo's. "You've got to try them," she gushes.

These cookies are one of the latest additions to Nell's organic line of snack foods, Newman's Own Organics. Launched in 1993, Nell's company started as a division of her famous "Pa" Paul Newman's food business, Newman's Own.

Newman's Own Organics is the perfect marriage of Nell's passion for food and her commitment to sustainable agriculture. A lifelong environmentalist, Nell holds a B.S. in human ecology, has worked for the Environmental Defense Fund, and is former Executive Director of the Ventana Wilderness Sanctuary in California. After years of reestablishing threatened peregrine falcons and bald eagles in California, she saw just how devastating pesticides could be. "The eggs of these birds had such high levels of contaminants that they were too thin to hatch," she says. Nell even had her own blood tested. "The test came back showing low levels of DDT, PCBs [polychlorinated biphenyls], and chlordane. Although I know that everybody has background levels of contaminants in their blood, it still concerned me," she confides. "It hits home with people when I tell them that I've got these contaminants in my body... and that everybody does."

That's when she found her calling: to support sustainable agriculture by giving money away to environmental groups. Since becoming independent, Newman's Own Organics has followed in the parent company's footsteps and donated after-tax profits to charity through a grant process. "I'm thrilled to be able to support sustainable agriculture on both ends," she says. "We use organic ingredients to support organic farmers, and then we donate profits to sustainable ag groups like the Organic Farming Research Foundation."

So far, Newman's Own Organics has given away more than $2 million.

Nell Newman will be featured in the upcoming Generation Green Cookbook, along with other prominent people active in children's environmental health issues. You can see a sampling of Nell's recipes here on Parenting Bookmark: Nell's Cauliflower and Parmesan Soup and Nell's Spicy Raisin Walnut Bread



You can learn more about Newman's own Organics at www.newmansownorganics.com.
Click here to learn more about Generation Green.