Is Azure standard going out of business? The name Azure Standard might not be known to readers. In a tiny hamlet called Dufur, the firm began its existence in the early 1970s. David Stelzer, the company’s founder and CEO, and his family stopped using pesticides and herbicides on their farm’s crop production, gardens, and orchard years ago.
The land had grown chemically dependent and yielded meager crops over several planting seasons. However, the soil improved and became more productive after pesticides were discontinued. Thus, a focus was placed on growing non-GMO food. The Stelzer family started selling non-GMO food to other people after eating more organic foods and becoming healthier. The Azure Market began to develop as a result.
Over time, there was a massive rise in demand for organic goods. Because the family couldn’t raise all the desired vegetables on their farm, they had to find other methods to distribute them. The Azure Standard was established in 1987 as an outcome. Let us know about the firm in detail in this article.
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What happened at Azure Standard?
Azure Standard’s chief goal is to give everyone access to low-cost, wholesome, organic food. Azure farms generate most of the nutritious foods they provide to support that goal. The farms also provide garden seeds and plant starts for gardeners, and grains, beans, fresh veggies, fruits, and berries. They also grow cattle, poultry, and lambs in addition to farming.
Azure Standard is the world’s largest producer of organic wheat and grains. It has been charged with neglecting to control noxious weeds on a few wheat fields in Sherman County, Oregon. Its organic farms and food supplies are therefore at risk. The owners of Azure, David and Nathan Stelzer, received a show-cause notice from the county government in Moro, Oregon. The notice orders them to appear before a court meeting on May 17, 2017, and requests a new weed-management policy.
If Azure’s organic agricultural fields are violated, a court order may force them to be chemically treated. Thus, maybe with potent herbicides like Roundup or Milestone, they would then be required to pay the associated costs.
In that case, Azure would lose its organic certification. Also, the grocery shops would no longer have a significant supplier of organic, non-GMO wheat flour. Farmlands in Moro are the hub of dry-land wheat cultivation in north-central Oregon. They are affected by this. Moro is located about 25 miles south of the Columbia River and 120 miles east of Portland. In that region, nearly 400 000 acres of traditional commercial wheat are grown.
As a result, Azure started a social media blitz that energized its customers. The Azure believers flooded government offices with tens of thousands of emails and phone calls and paralyzed county operations. Many people feared that the Sherman County Weed Control Board would launch a dangerous chemical campaign to remove unwanted weeds.
However, a lot of people in Sherman County feel betrayed by Azure. It’s because they took the matter outside the boundaries it typically uses to solve issues. As a result, these issues represent the cultural conflicts affecting our country. Fears, in particular, of hidden corporate domination of the government.
Fire accident at the Azure headquarters
The head office of Azure Standard, the industry’s most prominent independent supplier of organic and healthy foods, was destroyed by fire overnight on April 18, 2022. This incident didn’t cause any deaths or injuries.
The Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal decided that the fire at the Azure Standard headquarters was accidental rather than purposeful. According to an Azure Standard news release, the fire was caused by a tote of wrapped corn placed in a cooler due to an excess supply at the firm’s warehouse.
The fire chief said that the fire may have originated in two ways. Either the corn may have naturally caught fire due to its water content, or the corn’s dust may have come into contact with an electrical outlet. Thus, it may cause it to be short and ignite the corn.
According to the press statement, Azure Standard has already found a site for a brand-new facility. The company will relocate its liquid production to a site eight miles from its previous headquarters.
CEO David Stelzer stated that there would probably be product shortages for the time being. He assured customers that distributors were working to help them stock up as soon as possible. These were according to the updates made at that time.
Initially, only liquids, fruit packing, and carob goods were noted as being impacted. This would not have an immediate impact because it is not yet the fruit harvest season at that time. With liquid manufacturing predicted to resume, the only thing that remains in doubt is the carob candy, which Stelzer said they are trying to restore as soon as possible.
Is Azure Standard going out of business?
There was a long-running rumor that Azure Standard would shut down operations. Even if they hold thousands of acres, as Azure Farms does, private landowners in Oregon are required to manage the growth of unwanted or dangerous plants on their land.
The farm was given 30 days to develop a plan to remove and manage the weeds. This happened after the county administration determined that they violated this law.
Being an organically certified farm, Azure Farms denied using herbicides and presented an action plan. They finally submitted a weed control plan and started collaborating with the county administration to find a solution.
Azure Standard has had difficulties comparable to those faced by one’s local food group. Having trouble finding certain things is one issue. Some products may be out of stock before an order is filled and dispatched. This is because orders can be made 30 to 60 days before shipping.
The fact that Azure Standard has grown significantly creates another difficulty, which is a good one for most businesses. As a result, they have struggled to provide on-the-spot consumer support. However, many people state that they have had positive interactions with customer service agents who follow up with them after getting an email or phone contact.
Conclusion
The ideal service to support us in locating high-quality organic food for our family is “Azure Standard.” This was in light of the hectic lifestyles we all lead. It can be challenging for some people to get nutritious food locally, specifically those who reside in remote locations.
Azure also ensures that all its products are made with pure ingredients and adhere to their strict quality standards. The primary objective of the Azure Standard is to produce nutrient-dense foods produced in healthy soil. They also make sure that they are affordable for everyone who wants them.
Additionally, they take great pride in helping small, regional farmers and suppliers that require a market for their nutritious goods.
