meet Farmer Kent

of Karnemaat Farms,
Fremont, Michigan USA

meet Farmer Kipp

of Andersen Brothers Farms,
Blanchard, Michigan USA

This is how Karnemaat Farms looks like

Doing his part to Sustainability by way of Responsible Agriculture

Kent is commited to producing high quality ingredients that nourish your baby and the planet through Gerber^® Clean Field Farming™ practices.

Among the efforts carried our by Kent so far:

Restore nutrients in the soil naturally through best-in-class crop rotation practices
Every fruit & veggie is grown Non-GMO; always has been, always will be.

The importance of soil in farming

Some soil can have naturally high levels of nitrates and heavy metals, which you don’t want in your baby’s food. That’s why we created requirements for growing our fruits and veggies that are among the strictest in the world.

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The Karnemaats have been working their farm in Michigan, perfecting techniques that maintain Gerber^®’s high soil standards, for generations. To say quality control runs in the family would be an understatement. Dan Gerber, the founder of Gerber^®, used to walk the fields with great-grandfather Karnemaat. So, they know that when it comes to soil, what you get out is what you put in.

Their soil is rich and fertile. And when Gerber^® puts the produce harvested on Karnemaat land into its baby foods, it is full of nutrition and wholly delicious. Those are the hallmarks of foods that are raised in healthy soil, and why Gerber has such strict soil standards.

Putting soil first
A farmer’s relationship with his soil is that of a trusted business partner. Each side relies on the other for its well being and, when treated properly, both are rewarded. If soil is neglected, the relationship can go astray. Poor soil will yield food deficient in nutrients that spoils quickly. Growing produce for baby food in soil that is rigorously tested is a cornerstone of the relationship between Gerber^® and the Karnemaats.

For the most part, what makes great soil, Karnemaat says, is good decisions. That comes with lessons learned through generations, an openness to developing creative solutions — often with the help of Gerber^®’s Agriculture Team — and a willingness to put soil health over profit.

In order to draw out the nutrients left in the ground by the carrot crop, for instance, the Karnemaats plant winter wheat, a crop that won't be harvested. Its sole purpose is to replenish the soil by drawing out nutrients left behind by the carrots and returning them to the ground come spring when the wheat is cut down and left in the field. Because when it comes to growing for babies, one value remains steady: It all starts with soil.

Generation of
Families with Gerber^®

Farming know-how is a family heirloom, passed between generations as long as there is land to be tilled. Lessons learned from the bountiful years - and the lean ones, too - are noted and tucked away in a place never too far from reach. It holds true for all growers, everywhere, that the better you know the land, the more it gives to you.

Kent Karnemaat was a Gerber^® baby. His children are also Gerber^® babies. And now he will be able to see his grandchildren feed on Gerber^® baby food.

-Dan Gerber, the founder of Gerber^®, used to walk the fields with great-grandfather Karnemaat

"The bar is higher.
We're a lot more careful with what we do because we know our end product is going to a baby"

Kent Karnemaat, fourth generation Gerber^® grower

You want the very best for your little one to ensure she reaches her full potential, and so do we. That’s why we use super strict Clean Field Farming^™ practices to ensure that our fruit & veggie purees are not only nutritious, but also wholesome and safe for even the littlest bodies.

These unique practices guide the way we thoughtfully select our seeds and land, sustainably care for the soil, and trace our harvested crops not only to the farms, but to the very fields where they were grown. That’s why we only partner with a select group of farms that meet our strict Clean Field Farming^™ practices.

We believe little ones deserve the highest standards set just for them. Because, the truth is, you’d do anything for your baby. And so would we.

This is how Andersen
Brothers Farms looks like

Andersen Brothers family farm have been growing green beans which located just 150 miles away Gerber^® Kitchen for over 100 years.
A 1500 acres farm in Blanchard, a town of 1200 people right in the center of Michigan

Farmer Kipp understand parents worry about where their little one’s food comes from, so you don’t have to!

Thanks to over 25 years of practice, 100% of Gerber^® fruits and veggies are traceable not only to the farms where they are grown, but to the very field!

Farmer Kipp grew up on the family farm where she says

"My passion in life is growing things. I take pride in knowing I put that seed in the soil and nurtured that plant throughout its growing life to make food for other people"

"I feed my family from these fields, so I would do anything for other people's babies, too."

Stephanie Kipp, third generation Gerber^® grower

Our Clean Field Farming^™ Practices

Choosing the Right Seeds, Varieties & Growing Regions

Making the best food for your little one starts with choosing the right seeds, varieties and growing regions. That’s why we only use those that will make vibrant, naturally sweet and delicious fruits and veggies.

Growing Non-GMO

While most fruits and veggies grown today are non-GMO, all Gerber^® fruits and veggies have always been non-GMO, and we’re committed to keeping it that way.

Starting with better soil

Some soil can have naturally high levels of nitrates and heavy metals, which you don’t want in baby’s food. That’s why we created requirements for growing our fruits and veggies that are among the strictest in the world.

Farming with our Gerber^® Agriculture Team

We are serious about growing food specifically for babies. That’s why only Gerber^® has a team of agriculture experts that work hands-on with the farmers who grow most of our crops: selecting our seeds and varieties, testing the soil, and helping care for the crops until they’re harvested.

Restoring Nutrients Naturally

Certain fruits & veggies remove key nutrients from the land as they grow. That’s why we wait up to 4 years before re-planting those same crops to help naturally and sustainably restore soil nutrients after every harvest. It’s all part of our best-in-class crop rotation practices.

Harvesting to be Naturally Delicious

Before harvest, our fruits & veggies are checked for things like taste, ripeness, color, and firmness so they’re picked at just the right time to make the very best food for your little one. That way they taste naturally delicious with NO need for artificial colors or flavors, and they’re always unsweetened and unsalted.

Knowing the Farms and Fields

We worry about where your kiddo’s food comes from, so you don’t have to. In fact, thanks to over 25 years of practice, we can trace 100% of our fruits and veggies not only to the farms where they were grown, but to the very fields. Like our locally grown green beans from the Anderson Brothers family farm, just 150 miles from our Gerber^® kitchen.

Bringing Crops Safely to our Kitchen

The care we give our fruits and veggies doesn’t stop at harvest. Because we know when and where they were picked, we can make sure they’re protected from the elements and transported carefully to stay safe and wholesome on their journey from the farm to our kitchen.

Raising the bar

Every year we invite hundreds of farmers, agriculture experts and researchers from top universities to our Grower’s Meetings. It’s where we share best practices that ensure what we all grow is fit for the littlest bodies. This is how our Clean Field Farming^™ practices are leading the industry, raising the bar not only for us, but for our entire agriculture community.