Andy and Rachel Berliner needed easy vegetarian food options while Rachel was pregnant and on bed rest. After trying several options, they could not find food to satisfy their taste buds. So, they decided to try to make something themselves, and the first food item they made was a pot pie. Though starting a vegetarian food business was not in the plan, they thought others would be interested in good vegetarian options. They were not wrong.

Soon, Amy’s Kitchen was born. At this time, not too many vegetarian food companies were in existence. It was a completely new territory, and Andy wanted to learn more about it. After visiting several suppliers and farmers, he was troubled by the amount of pesticides and herbicides used to grow food. He also did not like the fact that water systems were being affected. Andy made the decision that Amy’s was going to use only organic ingredients in their food.

Over 30 years later, Amy’s Kitchen food line has grown due to customer requests. A simple pot pie soon grew into soups, stews, pizza, veggie burgers, burritos, mac and cheese, and more. The Berliners no longer sell their food at local markets either. Amy’s food items are available in 43,000 retailers, including Whole Foods, Walmart, Costco, Publix, and more.

It does not stop with the food, however. Amy’s is also environmentally conscious. They built a solar farm to help fuel their facility, reuse water and recycle and compost. Amy’s wants to do more. The company aims to keep 95% of its waste out of landfills. By 2030, they want their packaging to be completely recyclable. The company also wants to be energy efficient. They hope others will follow their example to give the planet the love it deserves.