A clean audit does not happen on audit day. It happens in the months before, in every checklist completed, every process documented, and every standard held to without exception. On April 10, 2026, Lionheart Farms received its 2025 Organic Certification with zero non-conformances, and the result said everything about the people who made it happen.
The Organic Department, Harvest Operations, and Farm Operations all played a part. Every team worked through every standard with the kind of rigor that makes audit day a formality, not a test.
What zero non-conformances actually means
A non-conformance is a gap between what a farm says it does and what it actually does. Zero non-conformances means there were no gaps. None.
"Zero non-conformances doesn't just mean we passed. It means that every single person on this team did their job with honesty and according to the best standards. That's something you cannot fake on audit day." Jellian Santiaguel, Senior Manager, Harvest Operations, Lionheart Farms.
This certification covers more than 3,500 hectares and the livelihoods of more than 5,000 farming families. For every one of those families, this piece of paper means their work is recognized, their practices are verified, and the markets they connect to are ones that value what they do.
A collective effort, not a single department's achievement
Certifications at this scale do not belong to one team. They belong to everyone who shows up and does the work correctly, consistently, and without shortcuts.
"I've been part of this team long enough to know how much goes into a clean audit. It's not just one department, but it's a collective effort of everyone, and everyone delivered." Ivorie Dela Torre, General Manager, Farm Management, Lionheart Farms.
What comes next
The next audit is scheduled for June 2026. Lionheart Farms enters it the same way it entered this one: prepared, accountable, and grounded in the standards that have defined this farm from the beginning.
That is what it means to be grounded in thoughtful innovation, for all of us.
Want to learn more about how Lionheart Farms upholds its certifications and supports farming communities? Explore our farm practices and partnerships here
