I wanted to take the time to let you know about how I run my business. I have carefully created a business that is as sustainable as possible. Sustainability is a driving force behind all of the decisions that I make about my business. Yes, we use organic and locally grown food, but the rest of what we do goes beyond the ingredients that we use. I consider and choose products, services and standards that are as “green” as possible.

First and foremost, our food is great! It is naturally the best tasting. People often rave about the simplest things we serve being the best that they have ever tasted. I look for food products that are grown organically and/or locally and which are as minimally processed as possible. We use natural, hormone-free meats and all of our baking is done with organic flour and sugar and free-range eggs. We feature Stumptown coffee. During the summer, we go to Farmer’s Markets and have several small, local, organic farmers who supply us with what’s best, fresh and in season. I offer a locally bottled water, which is exciting to me, not only for the fact that I am supporting local business, but that the water is bottled each week and that, supposedly, the less time the water spends in these bottles, the less PCB’s that have leached into the water. When I send out bottled waters or our natural sodas, I send out a wicker can for recycling.

We offer real plates and cutlery on our breakfast and lunch service at no extra charge to reduce paper waste. When clients need disposable ware or food boxed, we offer compostable sugarcane paper products, compostable corn-based plastic hot and cold cups, and compostable potato-based plastic utensils. We use recycled-content garbage bags, recycled-content and unbleached napkins and phosphate-free dish soap. We are a part of the City of Portland’s Composting program so our food waste goes to reuse and we have also recently added post-event composting. All of our paper, cardboard, cans, bottles and plastic when possible, are recycled. If there are leftovers from events, we donate to a homeless shelter. I know that we create very little waste and this makes me feel great.

When I designed and built our kitchen I chose sodium vapor lighting, gas appliances and water heating and opted for the Green Source Renewable Power program for my electric energy.  All of the electricity billed for is 100% renewable and generated from wind, geothermal and biomass power.

Artemis Foods annually purchases Green Tags from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.  Green Tags are a purchase of a renewable energy certificate to offset the carbon emissions from our daily operations. Green Tag purchases help support the development of renewable energy, solar power systems, wind power systems and watershed restoration.

We apply the same dedication to sustainability in our office and administration of Artemis Foods. For our business cards and brochures we chose paper with the highest amount of post-consumer recycled material as possible and used soy-based inks. We use email whenever possible instead of fax or snail mail. Our company t–shirts are locally screened onto sweatshop-free t-shirts. We use a bio-diesel van for our main delivery vehicle. We produce our tradeshow signage on ecoboards rather than foam core boards. Because of our commitment to these sustainable practices we have received the Blue Works Award from Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development.  We have also been named the most Sustainable Business by the Division/Clinton Business Association.

Whether it is a business commitment or personal passion, making green choices about breakfast, lunch and dinner has never been easier. We are competitively priced, our food is delicious, our service is excellent and it is easy to order. We offer full-service and drop-off catering for weddings, parties, receptions and boxed lunches. We serve family style meals to go from our Café for pick-up. Please check out our website www.artemisfoods.com, email us eat@artemisfoods.com or give us a call.

Sincerely,

Grace Pae, chef/owner

Artemis Foods, Inc.