The Earth's Best Story

"It is always enlightening to read the inside stories of the development of new ventures, but Ron and Arnie's story about the unfolding of Earth's Best Baby Foods is particularly compelling because it traces the experiences of a couple of guys (twins) who invite us into their thinking, the evolution of their personal and professional lives and how it all wove together into the evolution of an incredibly successful company.... The story as a whole is remarkable. And the philosophy to which they subscribed to make it a successful company is, to say the least, unconventional, but one which, I suspect will make it resilient."

—Fred Kirschenmann, Distinguished Fellow, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and President, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture

	2011 Nautilus Award Silver Winner

People of every imaginable background and station in life want to make a difference with their lives. But how do you do that effectively? How does an idea journey successfully across the wastelands separating fantasy and reality?

In The Earth’s Best Story, twins Ron and Arnie Koss masterfully recount their transition from eking out livings as sprout growers and broom makers to creating Earth’s Best baby food—the first organic food to sit beside mainstream competitors on the nation’s supermarket shelves. That feat revolutionized and empowered the organic-foods movement and benefited hundreds of farmers as well as the millions of babies whose very first foods have been organically grown.

Told through the dual narrative of each brother, this memoir is as rich in life lessons as it is in entrepreneurial wisdoms and warnings.

Personal, intense, and inspirational, the Koss brothers’ tale reflects the quest to find a place in this world by somehow changing it for the better.

About the Authors

Ron Koss

Co-founder Ron Koss worked with Earth�s Best until 1995. In addition to developing organic baby food, Ron is a natural foods product innovator. During his long term employ with the aio Food Group, Ron has secured patents for his work on complete meal supplement ice cream and has also introduced specialized complete meal supplements for people in health recovery situations. Presently, he is working on nutritional products for a global relief aid project. Ron enjoys working as a consultant for socially responsible enterprises and has a special interest in group dynamics, organizational development and conflict resolution. He lives in Vermont ...

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Arnie Koss

Co-founder Arnie Koss worked with Earth’s Best until 1994. Arnie honed his business skills by founding and operating a number of small entrepreneurial companies in Vermont. He was actively involved in the development of organic certification standards, which eventually led to the Organic Foods Act of 1990. Arnie has served as a consultant to several prominent natural products companies and is presently the Managing Partner at aio Food Group, a Hawaii-based product development company that also owns the Punalu'u Bakeshop and Visitor Center on the Big Island of Hawaii. He lives in Hawaii with his family.

Photo: Randy Jay ...

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