New to the Festival this year is Organic Garage, who is the our official Opening Night Gala sponsor. Organic Garage is a playground of natural, healthful and innovative natural products, and we wanted to learn more about what inspires President Matt Lurie to be green:

Can you tell us about some of the innovative and interesting products Organic Garage carries?

Organic Garage is full of so many interesting products in each department of the store that it is hard to pick just a few.  A few favourites of mine are the healthier choices we have in pet food and the wooden biodegradable cutlery. We carry a wonderful selection of cake and cookie decorations made using vegetable dyes and vegan marshmellows that are gelatin free and I wouldn’t want to forget the huge selection of gluten free and other special dietary foods we now carry.

What might surprise us about “organics”?

People would be surprised to know that as organics have become more popular, the prices have been coming down and will continue to do so as it becomes more profitable for individual farmers to switch over their crops and breeding stock to meet the growing demand for products raised without pesticides, growth hormones or antibiotics

What keeps you passionate about natural products?

The word “natural” is not the thing that keeps me passionate but the realization that until new labeling legislation is passed we have to continue to be diligent to check every ingredient listed on every new product we bring into the store to make sure that the “all natural” label on the outside reflects what’s inside the package.  On our website you will find our ‘Dump It List’ which contains Organic Garage approved and non-approved ingredients along with a simple to understand definition. We check all our labels so our customers don’t have to.

What inspires Organic Garage to be green?

Knowing that each small step we take has a huge impact on future generations.  The natural world that surrounds us is a gift we should cherish and nourish and protect, not squander and destroy. It is something we take very seriously at the Garage in everything we do from the choices we make in products to the environment we work in.

What does OG love most about film?  PIF is so excited about our partnership. Why get involved with a film festival?

The films being produced not only entertain but educate and impact the public with strong visual messages that the written word cannot.  They impart the knowledge needed to make the hard choices we must start making to protect our world from further environmental damage that if not stopped will become irreparable. 

Everything we do at Organic Garage is aimed at helping our customers in their pursuit to live a healthier lifestyle. We do this not just by selling the best quality organic and all natural products, but by bringing experts into the store to answer questions our customers may have and by supporting organizations like Planet in Focus, that help educate the public.