Beyond Organic Founders Conference

Just got back from the Beyond Organic Founders Conference – really feeling like quite the road warrior this month, as I will have spent over 1.5x what I pay in rent for an entire month on hotel rooms for the past week.  LOL.  Did spend one night at home – was there for about 12hrs – long enough to sleep, take a bath, get caught up on a few online tasks and wash a load of clothing while eating an omelet at the restaurant one block over…   wasn’t ABOUT to let the dirty clothes from the RKC Level 2 sit in the basket for the few days I would be gone!

Anyhow – the Founders Conference was a lot bigger deal than I had anticipated – there were over 1,000 people in attendance at the convention center in West Palm Beach.  One of the first things I noticed after registering and getting my name tag was a LARGE table covered with bite size broken bars of chocolate – with toasted flax seeds inside – a few yards away from that was a table covered in platters of cheese, fruit, and that weird “bread” stuff that people seem to eat (I’ve been Primal/Paleo for so long bread doesn’t really register as “food” anymore).   A little culture shock – having come almost directly from RKC Level 2, it was surprising to be in a more normal cross section of people – most of which seem to be concerned with health issues, but are more on the beginning of their journey towards a healthier lifestyle.

After absolutely gorging myself on chocolate, cheese and a fermented kefir-like beverage (Amasai) in the name of “research” (I do it all for you, dear readers… just kidding – it was within my “you can eat whatever you want for the next 24hrs, you got a RKC Level 2 certification omg omg!” range) I wandered into the large room set up for the conference.   Jordan Rubin took center stage and told us of his personal quest for health, and how he was able to overcome Crohn’s disease with high quality foods like grass fed beef and kefir.   We learned a lot about him as a person, to include his personal faith and views on topics I put under the category of food politics.   I totally agree that people need to know where their food comes from.  (I’ll be continuing the “know your farmer” feature series on GiryaGirl.tv)  A general FYI,  I will be coming at this whole thing from the healthnut/foodie/slowfood angle… which will be palatable (no pun intended) for any and all faiths or lack thereof.  Likewise, the principles of sustainable agriculture, fair wages (the Beyond Organic production side is set up so that everyone along they way is paid a solid fair wage) and environmental stewardship are extremely important issues and I am very glad that they have been addressed from a corporate level and all throughout the structure of Beyond Organic.  We also learned more about the charities that are directly involved with Beyond Organic, some finer points of cattle genetics, grazing methods, milk production, cheese production and more!

Can’t wait to mix that Amasai with some mango puree…. it would nearly be an instant mango lassi…. mmmmmmmmm and just LOADED with probiotic goodness.   I will be sharing more info about Beyond Organic here from time to time – Beyond Organic has now officially launched – if you want to learn about the three ways you can participate (Retail Customer, Preferred Customer, Mission Marketer) – check out my Beyond Organic Mission Marketer Page – you can also purchase some of the delicious foods online there too!

Again really impressed with the product line, including a new ready to drink whey protein beverage with probiotics, electrolytes and more called SueroViv (there’s even a ginger flavor…YES!) and I can’t wait to get that Green-Fed (the cows are fed more than just grass – an assortment of forbs, greens, and herbs as well) beef into the kitchen.

Sunday I was personally introduced to Jordan Rubin, who is a fellow kettlebell maniac, and several other members of the main corporate team – this thing is poised to be HUGE and you really should think about getting involved.

IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE:

Yes, this is technically a direct marketing company – and there are “business opportunities” to become a Mission Marketer, share the product/message and to build a business of your own etc. (You can also simply purchase the products as a retail customer)  I was VERY hesitant to be involved with direct marketing – especially since in the late 1999s my idea of a fun ‘cheap date’ was to attend and then walk out in the middle of random opportunity meetings (true story I’ll save for later) as a bizarre form of rebellion and a total adrenaline rush.  BUT, after the intro emails from John DuCane and Pavel from Dragon Door, extensive research, checking out the website, attending webinars, and the Founder’s Conference in West Palm Beach, interrogating the Beyond Organic corporate leaders via phone and in person, I’ve decided to participate as a Mission Marketer. Jordan Rubin’s reputation as a health product innovator, creator and formulator is second to none and I wasn’t able to find fault with the products – which frankly surprised me with their quality.   So yes, I am getting involved and hope that you will check it out with an open mind as well.  No I will not trick you into going out to lunch with me and then pitch you – that’s sooo not my style…

Sidenote #2 – megaconfession time… just a teeny tiny little bit of talk concerning religious food ideas filled me with a serious serious need…. yes, those are raw scallops with bacon on top and I totally ate them for lunch during the break on Saturday.  I am and always will be the rebel, resident skeptic and devil’s advocate 🙂