for fruits and vegetables.


What role did social responsibility play in your family life?


I knew my parents were politically ac- tive, but “socially responsible” wasn’t even a term when I was growing up. They never lectured or made a big deal about their philanthropy; I only learned about it through their example. Dad’s company began because people loved his homemade salad dressing; he was always putting it in big wine bottles and giving it away. Al- though he thought it was a harebrained idea and was told that celebrity prod- ucts usually fail, he eventually decided to sell it. In the first year he made $890,000; at that time he was at the peak of his acting career and instead of pocketing the money, he donated it to selected charities.


Why did you decide to develop a line of organic pet foods?


When I was a kid, we had five dogs, six cats and a pet skunk. I was also a bud- ding ornithologist, and as a teenager I practiced the art of falconry, because the peregrine was my favorite bird. I’ve always loved animals, so organic pet food seemed like a natural product line extension to me.


It was a challenge to convince Dad, but we finally launched the pet line in 2005 and it’s been highly suc- cessful. Because the type of food an animal eats affects its quality of life, it’s vital to make sure pets receive the highest quality of foods that are clos- est to what they would eat in the wild. Plus, the happier our animals are, the happier we are.


For more information, visit Newmans OwnOrganics.com/index.php.


Ellen Mahoney is a writer and radio producer. Email evm@infionline.net.


natural awakenings March 2011 35


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