Harmless Harvest
Harmless Harvest is a beverage company founded in 2009. It produces and sells coconut water as well as tea products.
Company overview
Harmless Harvest was founded in 2009 as a coconut water producer and retail company by Justin Guilbert and Douglas Riboud. Harmless Harvest was initially sold exclusively at Whole Foods, first appearing in September 2011, before spreading to additional retailers. In 2013 Harmless Harvest also began selling 100% Raw Tea, a line of bottled tea products including honey and lemon, peppermint, and unsweetened. 100% Raw Coconut Water with Cinnamon & Clove is also sold seasonally. The company was founded in New York City and is now located in San Francisco.
Production
The organic coconut water for Harmless Harvest is harvested through sustainable means in Thailand, and sold in a raw, organic, and unpasteurized format. Company co-founder Justin Guilbert described to Time Magazine that, "It’s in my best interest that a farmer has the best life experience and gets the best advantage out of my experience with them." Coconuts used by Harmless Harvest are not taken from the general market in Thailand, but rather through specific longterm relationships with specific groves and farmers. The tea leaves for 100% Raw Tea are harvested in Japan and flash-frozen for transport to the production plants in California. Bottles of 100% Raw Tea, like Harmless Harvest coconut water, use high-pressure processing and not heat upon sealing to keep the product from spoiling. This process extends the shelf-life of raw coconut water from a few days to up to 60 days.
Recognition
In 2013 The Oakland Tribune placed Harmless Harvest coconut water first in a survey of coconut waters, as did Food and Wine Magazine in a 2012 taste test. Bon Appétit named Harmless Harvest its best electrolyte beverage of the year in 2013, Harmless Harvest was named to the Saveur 100 in 2013, and Better Homes and Gardens named it one of its new products of the year in 2014.