Over Thirty Years Ago Leo and Suzette Overgaag Left Santa Barbara For The Beautiful Coachella Valley To Start Their Own Family Farm
Over thirty years ago Leo and Suzette Overgaag left Santa Barbara for the beautiful Coachella Valley to start their own family farm. From a shoestring budget and borrowed equipment to break ground, our greenhouses have grown into more than 10 acres of hydroponically grown greenhouse space.
Their dream was to raise their family, support the community, and grow the freshest living produce on the market. Originally growing European cucumbers, the Overgaag’s enjoyed cooking with fresh herbs but noticed the cut herbs available at the grocery store often wilted in a day or two. In the mid-1990’s they delivered the first full line of living herbs sold in the refrigerated section of the grocery store lasting up to three times longer than their fresh-cut counterparts.
Delivering a premium culinary experience with our fresh, living herbs from our family farm to your family’s table is our passion. We have spent years creating the ideal environment to grow culinary herbs with detail to tenderness, exquisite flavor, enticing aroma, and enhanced shelf life. From our deliciously sweet peppery basil to our velvety smooth sage, fresh herbs are a simple and healthy way to make any beverage, appetizer, meal or dessert extraordinary. Enjoy some of our family’s mouth-watering recipes shared or add to your favorite recipes at home.
We are proud to be the first culinary herb grower in the United States to be certified as a sustainable grower by a recognized third party certifier. In order to receive this honor, standards on earth-friendly and labor-friendly practices must be met. We utilize renewable resources such as solar power energy to help power our production and geothermal energy to heat our greenhouses on cool winter nights. A hydroponic growing method enables us to use up to 70 percent less water than field grown crops at a time where the current drought in California is top of mind to so many of us. All our employees are treated with respect, have opportunities for growth, and competitive benefits. North Shore offers tuition reimbursement for higher education or language classes as well as an annual college scholarship for the children and grandchildren of our team.
We are passionate about educating children on where their food comes from and how to cook with fresh, healthy ingredients as well as utilizing agriculture to improve test scores.
In our own community we partner with the YMCA and local schools to donate products, provide monetary donations, educate, and provide greenhouse tours.
