Turtle Island Foods
Encyclopedia
Turtle Island Foods is the company which produces Tofurky
, a popular vegetarian and vegan alternative to turkey
, as well other meatless products. All are vegan and approved by the UK Vegan Society, and most are kosher-certified by the Kosher Services of America.
, Turtle Island Foods began in 1980 with intentions "to create delicious, nutritious, convenient and affordable vegetarian food." It was founded by Seth Tibbot, who began by producing tempeh
for friends and family and with their help eventually expanded his company to what is now the second largest tempeh producer in the United States
. The famous Tofurky was only developed in 1995. Turtle Island Foods has no parent company. In 2011, the company announced plans to build a new plant in Hood River at a cost of $10 million with a goal to achieve a LEED platinum certification on the building.
. Once, when all of earth
was underwater, a turtle
offered its shell as a home for land animals, and that shell became North America. As a result several Native American
and First Nations
tribes refer to the continent as "Turtle Island".
s, they have made "every effort possible" to avoid them.
, and Turtle Island Foods is actually an "Organic Processor", certified as Oregon Tilth
Certified Organic.
solvent extraction, choosing instead expeller
pressed isolates and concentrates.
. All paperboard packaging is recycled. In addition, a certain percentage of each year's Tofurky sales is donated to an environmental
charity.
Tofurky
Tofurky is the brand name of an American vegetarian turkey replacement made from a blend of wheat protein and organic tofu.Tofurky is a trademark of Turtle Island Foods a company based in Oregon...
, a popular vegetarian and vegan alternative to turkey
Domesticated turkey
The domesticated turkey is a large poultry bird. The modern domesticated form descends from the wild turkey , one of the two species of turkey ; in the past the ocellated turkey was also domesticated.The turkey is raised throughout temperate parts of the world and is a popular form of poultry,...
, as well other meatless products. All are vegan and approved by the UK Vegan Society, and most are kosher-certified by the Kosher Services of America.
History
Located in Hood River, OregonHood River, Oregon
The city of Hood River is the seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,831...
, Turtle Island Foods began in 1980 with intentions "to create delicious, nutritious, convenient and affordable vegetarian food." It was founded by Seth Tibbot, who began by producing tempeh
Tempeh
Tempeh , or tempe , is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form, similar to a very firm vegetarian burger patty...
for friends and family and with their help eventually expanded his company to what is now the second largest tempeh producer in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The famous Tofurky was only developed in 1995. Turtle Island Foods has no parent company. In 2011, the company announced plans to build a new plant in Hood River at a cost of $10 million with a goal to achieve a LEED platinum certification on the building.
Name
The company name is derived from a common legend found amongst the native people of North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Once, when all of earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
was underwater, a turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
offered its shell as a home for land animals, and that shell became North America. As a result several Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
tribes refer to the continent as "Turtle Island".
Genetically modified organisms
Since 1995, when Turtle Island Foods took an official stand against GMOGenetically modified organism
A genetically modified organism or genetically engineered organism is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one...
s, they have made "every effort possible" to avoid them.
Organics
Much of what the company produces is organicOrganic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
, and Turtle Island Foods is actually an "Organic Processor", certified as Oregon Tilth
Oregon Tilth
Oregon Tilth is an American nonprofit membership organization dedicated to supporting and advocating organic food and farming, based in Corvallis, Oregon...
Certified Organic.
Hexane
The company completely refuses food ingredients made with hexaneHexane
Hexane is a hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C6H14; that is, an alkane with six carbon atoms.The term may refer to any of four other structural isomers with that formula, or to a mixture of them. In the IUPAC nomenclature, however, hexane is the unbranched isomer ; the other four structures...
solvent extraction, choosing instead expeller
Expeller
Expeller pressing is a mechanical method for extracting oil from raw materials. The raw materials are squeezed under high pressure in a single step. When used for the extraction of food oils, typical raw materials are nuts, seeds and algae, which are supplied to the press in a continuous feed....
pressed isolates and concentrates.
Recycling
In 2005, Turtle Island Foods began to purchase all of its electricity from the Blue Sky renewable energy project of the northwestern United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. All paperboard packaging is recycled. In addition, a certain percentage of each year's Tofurky sales is donated to an environmental
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
charity.
Products
Turtle Island Foods currently produces the following, many in a number of varieties:- Tofurky Roast
- Tofurky Deli Slices
- Tofurky SausageSausageA sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
s - Tofurky FrankHot dogA hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
s - Tofurky Jurky
- Tofurky "Giblet" GravyGravyGravy is a sauce made often from the juices that run naturally from meat or vegetables during cooking. In North America the term can refer to a wider variety of sauces and gravy is often thicker than in Britain...
- Tofurky Wild RiceWild riceWild rice is four species of grasses forming the genus Zizania, and the grain which can be harvested from them. The grain was historically gathered and eaten in both North America and China...
and MushroomMushroomA mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
Stuffing - Superburgers
- TempehTempehTempeh , or tempe , is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form, similar to a very firm vegetarian burger patty...
- CranberryCranberryCranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...
AppleAppleThe apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
PotatoPotatoThe potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
Dumplings