7.6.2009
Lone Oak Organics was featured in the industry leading publication Urban Garden Magazine. The article featured Lone Oak Organics as one of the nation’s up and coming commercial greenhouse companies.
Check out the article: Urban Garden Magazine (Page 14, 15, 16)
5.21.2009
Lone Oak Organics has been providing St. Louis with a local, organic alternative for almost six months now and beginning to gain some momentum. The management team at Lone Oak has been sharing their ideas with some of the incredibly forward thinking architects at HOK Architecture, based in St. Louis. Lone Oak Organics was recently recognized by the company blog, HOK Life. The blog, adequately titled Saving the World One Seed at a Time, mentions that HOK is “Cooking on a scheme to get these guys (at Lone Oak Organics) to convert a couple of our library stacks to hydroponics here in our own office so I can pick up dinner before my evening commute.”
Check out the entire blog at: Saving the World One Seed at a Time
4.29.2009
FOR IMMEADIATE RELEASE
Lone Oak Organics Announces Grand Opening
St. Louis, Fresh Herbs Are on the Way
April 29, 2008 – ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Lone Oak Organics has announced the completion and grand opening of their hydroponic greenhouse. The company’s greenhouse, which is located in Hillsboro Missouri, utilizes hydroponic technology to grow organic herbs and vegetables for St. Louis restaurants, grocery stores and farmer’s markets. The company places a strong emphasis on sustainable agriculture and is proud to grow fresh, organic produce throughout all four seasons.
Lone Oak Organics’ greenhouse was built with functionality and sustainability in mind. During the winter months, the greenhouse is heated by a biomass burning furnace. Using biomass to heat the greenhouse makes use of renewable resources and avoids fossil fuel usage. Additionally, all of the growing resources and fertilizers are on a timed schedule through the implementation of a vertical-drip hydroponic system. The system reduces the amount of water and fertilizer lost from runoff. Growing indoors and with hydroponics, products are grown with the environment and the consumer in mind. All products are USDA certified organic, which means there are no genetically modified seeds or harmful substances used. All produce is grown without exposure to harmful, cancer-causing agents like pesticides and herbicides.
Because Lone Oak Organics focuses only on the local St. Louis region, the company uses less energy for shipping. Minimizing the supply chain connected to transportation of produce significantly reduces the company’s carbon footprint. The system also allows products to be delivered garden-fresh, less than 48 hours after harvesting.
Lone Oak was founded by Adam Theurer and Alex Wander, recent graduates of Saint Louis University. The idea for the business was developed out of a business plan which was created under the university’s entrepreneurship program. The business was developed to fill a niche for high-quality, organic produce. The organic production at our greenhouse appeals to health-conscious customers looking for a healthier, tastier and more natural tomorrow.
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About Lone Oak Organics, LLC
Lone Oak Organics a local provider of organic produce for the St. Louis region. The company incorporates the use of greenhouse growing and hydroponic technologies to grow organic herbs and vegetables for restaurants, grocery stores and farmer’s markets. Lone Oak Organics places a strong emphasis on sustainable agriculture. From our local growing and distribution to hydroponic growing methods, fewer resources are used to get fresh produce on to St. Louis plates. Lone Oak Organics also constructs custom installations of their hydroponic system and conducts group tours of their greenhouse facility. To find out more about our environmentally conscious agriculture methods and techniques, please visit www.loneoakorganics.com or contact Alex Wander, marketing specialist at alex.wander@loneoakorganics.com
4.29.2009
The founders of Lone Oak were highlighted in the American Entrepreneur Project, a national series of portraits and interviews created by the entrepreneurs at Ars Magna Studio. The project showcases the ingenuity and dedication of entrepreneurs from coast to coast who are following their dreams, both in spite of and because of the odds. The project was funded in part by Infusionsoft, provider of marketing automation software to entrepreneurs, and supported by the team at The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.
Welcome and congratulations to Adam Theurer and Alex Wander, founders of Lone Oak Organics, the first certified organic hydroponic greenhouse in the St. Louis area – today is the company’s official grand opening.
Adam and Alex see themselves as stewards of the environment. They are promoting organic food as a way to get St. Louis eating healthier and more nutritious food. Lone Oak Organics is very conscious of the effects of traditional agriculture on the land and have incorporated environmentally conscientious practices into their business.
Lone Oak currently focuses on growing locally grown organic culinary herbs. They grow peppermint, chives, sage, oregano, savory, arugula, parsley, dill, cilantro and of course, basil. Offering a locally grown, organic alternative eliminates the need for grocers to fly culinary herbs from Southern California.
Like Paul Scheiter of Hedgehog Leatherworks, Adam and Alex graduated in 2008 from St. Louis University’s Center for Entrepreneurship at the John Cook School of Business, facing one of the worst years in decades for business major graduates. Adam had a background in agriculture and access to his family’s land. Alex has a background in marketing. They met in the SLU Entrepreneurship Program, and joined forces to start their own company, launching Lone Oak Organics ten months ago.
Adam sees the recession as being a key component to the sucesss of their start up. Building the greenhouse was less expensive than it would have been a few years ago. They were able to purchase equipment secondhand at a discount. The higher cost of gas has actually worked in their favor, driving up the cost of purchasing organic herbs from out of state.
Maintaining a healthy environment is important to both Adam and Alex. They see green business as the place to be, and are ready to position Lone Oak ahead of the local St. Louis market. They plan to eventually be in downtown St. Louis, developing an urban organics center for fresh produce. The stacked hydroponics growing system maximizes the use of space and during the cold winters of St. Louis when the temperature can drop to near zero, the Lone Oak greenhouses are heated with a wood-burning furnace, using a renewable fuel source.
Alex says that although Lone Oak is in start up mode now, the business has the potential to thrive. Alex and Adam are invested in building a strong client base in their community. Lone Oak is actively available to their customers: offering booths at Farmer’s Markets, demonstrations in local supermarkets and building a stockpile of herb-based recipes on their Website.
Adam and Alex are thrilled to be working in sustainable agriculture and providing healthy food for St. Louis. Currently, Lone Oak is looking for additional financing to expand their greenhouses and connect with other growers. They are working on creating streamlined systems to grow their business efficiently, and bring their local market what it wants. Lone Oak is also actively looking for a botany and horticulture consultant. Please contact Alex Wander directly at alex(dot)wander(at)loneoakorganics(dot)com if you are interested in learning more about Lone Oak Organics.
