1 week Ago
A San Diego County company that makes crunchy, puffy snacks took the top prize at a local contest that focuses on environmentally conscious packaged foods and other goods.Chasin’ Dreams Farms, founded in 2018 by a health food and snack lover, won first place at San Diego’s Naturally Rising Competition, where companies from San Diego County had a chance to compete and advance to national contest that will be held later this year.At that national pitch competition, winners from each region “will receive a complimentary booth .
.. and exhibit as part of the Naturally Rising finalist pavilion on the show floor,” the contest website says.
Chasin’ Dreams Farms turns a so-called ancient grain, sorghum, into curved — comma, eyebrow or smile shaped — puffs that come in four flavors: cheddar, sriracha, sour cream and onion and barbeque. The recipe mixes in avocado oil and leaves out gluten and corn. (Ancient grain is a term used to describe plants a group of plants that includes sorghum, barley and farro.
)Sydney Chasin, who founded the company in 2018, called the win a dream come true. On her website, Chasin described her quest for a healthy snack that didn’t include any gluten, which led her to create these puffs.“I’ve been gluten free since I was 7 years old and snacking and crafting amazing ancient grains for as long as I can remember.
I never understood why delicious and indulgent snacks are packed full of questionable ingredients and better-for-you snacks are, well, boring! Why can’t we have both?” her website says.To compete, brands had to be located within 100 miles of San Diego, have physical or e-commerce retail distribution and have an annual revenue of at least $50,000 and not more than $2 million.As the contest winner, Chasin’ Dreams Farm will get free brand consultation, public relations support and access to other services.
Another San Diego County snack company won the People’s Choice award. Mooski Snacks makes chilled oat bars with olive oil. Each bar has 5 grams of protein and 6 grams of sugar, a news release said.
The award-winning Mooski bars won a People’s Choice award at the Naturally Rising Naturally San Diego contest.(Naturally San Diego)Its Chocolate Peanut Butter, one of three varieties, contains gluten free oats, chocolate, peanuts, olive oil, water, almonds, organic agave, sunflower lecithin and natural flavors.Shoppers can pick up these bars at Lazy Acres, Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Market, Windmill Farms, certain Sprouts and other local grocery and health food stores across San Diego County.
At this online market, a two-pack costs around $6.20.To shop directly for the ancient grains puffs, head to the company’s website, where a variety snack-size dozen costs around $30 and a snack-size 24-pack of Siracha puffs costs around $55.
Naturally San Diego is a nonprofit that supports entrepreneurship in environmental and socially conscious packaged consumer brands from San Diego County. The contest was held at Liberty Station on Thursday. The national Naturally Rising competition takes place in Denver in August.
A San Diego company clinched the national award in 2022. The winner, Gear Hugger, makes a multi-use plant-based lubricant..
