So many people ask us why we call our great tasting seeds GERBS?

The company name comes from our older brother Barclay Conte. In his spirited tradition Barclay gave us the nickname, GERBS, whenever he found us in the kitchen with our parents Ed & Lorraine, up to our elbows in pasta sauce, chocolate or cake batter. Our parents encouraged homemade all-natural cooking, especially our mother who made everything we ate by scratch, so if we didn't have baseball or football practice, we would be in the kitchen learning how to make anage old recipes passed down through the generations, like Italian Seafood Sauce with Calamari or Irish Stout Onion Soup.

For our family pumpkin seeds were not just a staple part of our Halloween, they were a part of our everyday diet throughout the whole year! When after we finished coring and carving our pumpkins our mother would gather all our seeds, sprinkle some salt & pepper on them and roast them in the oven. She seemed to always have them ready when we were done carving and about ready to light our candle in our Jack O’ Lantern. Back then the whole family could hardly wait to let those seeds cool down before we were munching them down by the handful. A smile comes across our face every time I smell our whole pumpkin seeds cooking, just thinking about all the Halloween's we have enjoyed!

Why did we pick Pumpkin Seeds?

Well, several years ago around 2003 we found ourselves in the kitchen again before our annual Halloween Party cooking up our favorite dishes of the holiday season and of course– PUMPKIN SEEDS! Throughout that party this particular year, our friends kept commenting on how much they loved our seeds and that they wished they could purchase a homemade pumpkin seed like this in local stores. Well as they gobbled them down, we immediately realized that we had come across something magical, a deliciously tasty & healthy snack. This batch had just the right roasted aromatic flavor and toasted seasoning that afterward we all agreed that these seasonal treats would be a great snack food– ALL YEAR LONG! So when the question came to what we would call our new snack treat, we wanted it to be a unique family association and we both immediately answered in unison, GERBS!!!!

Following that special night, and receiving encouragement from family members and friends, we decided to start a new business endeavor, ultimately incorporating GERBS in July 2003. Since we knew very little about starting a small manufacturing business the first year and a half was spent ‘learning the ropes’, developing our flavor patented lines, designing our packaging, analyzing our cost structures, as well as looking into production, manufacturing time frames, and marketing constraints to produce our gourmet pumpkin seeds on a commercial level, while still abiding by our core principles of making an a healthy, All-Natural snack food using fresh ingredients without any chemicals or preservatives. Although our varieties of seeds sold in grocery stores have changed over the years, our commitment to excellence and constant product innovation has guided us along our way. In 2005 the first bags of Gerbs were sold, we started with one line, and currently we sell 8 lines of Seeds at the retail store level, but if you check out the ordering page, you will see we have over 40 flavors available for sale.

Now that we’re  all grown up, we are glad to bring you our full line of pumpkin & Sunlfower seeds and the product of two boys’ love of cooking. Our family’s top priorities are customer satisfaction and taste. We accomplish this by using only the finest all-natural ingredients to deliver you a delicious snack that’s both healthy and fun to eat. Gerbs are high in fiber, packed with protein, and naturally low in carbohydrates. As well Gerbs are dry roasted and packaged all in our dedicated facility on our equipment by our caring staff, ensuring each bag is as fresh as the day they were roasted! While always making sure each batch of Gerbs do not contain any peanuts, wheat, or tree nuts of any kind, keeping them naturally Gluten & Allergy Free.

While you sit down to enjoy our pumpkin seeds we hope it makes you smile thinking about your childhood, of Trick or Treating in your neighborhood with friends and family, carving a Jack-O-Lantern, and two little boys cooking with their mother in the kitchen, who learned to love a very odd nickname. At Gerbs we know that you have a wide array of choices when snacking, so from our family to yours, we thank you for picking Gerbs! You are now free to munch!

Sincerely,
Galen, Sennen and Barclay Conte

Gerbs Pumpkin Seeds Co.

92 Allendale Ave.

Johnston, RI 02919

Office: 401-231-5181

Fax: 401-231-5183

Email: gerbspumpkinseeds@verizon.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Gerbs-Pumpkin-Seeds/122125694468222