The Unexpected Connection Between Singer Jason Mraz And Chipotle's Avocados

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is best known for his laid-back acoustic music, particularly hits like "I'm Yours." As with many other music artists, Mraz has other side projects and business ventures — but it's not the typical cologne line or tequila bottle. Two years after his first album release, Mraz bought farmland near San Diego, California. In 2015, after years of farming on this land, he founded Mraz Family Farms. The organic farm grows avocados each year, and this is what makes the unlikely connection between him and the fast casual restaurant pioneer, Chipotle.

Mraz Family Farms, although a rather small farm, supplies Chipotle with 34,000 pounds of avocados each year, which are used for the chain's guacamole. On a daily basis, Chipotle goes through as many as 231,000 avocados, as each batch of guacamole requires 70 avocados – one store may go through two or three batches in a day. Another relatively unknown fact about Chipotle is that it uses leftover avocado pits to dye T-shirts!

Many other farms also supply Chipotle with avocados to keep up with the high demand, but Mraz and the chain are further connected. In April 2021, Chipotle launched its Aluminaries Project, an accelerator program supporting startups building sustainable and equitable food systems. Jason Mraz joined as a mentor, bringing his hands-on experience in organic farming to the table.

The Mraz-Chipotle connection totally makes sense — both parties have voiced interests in sustainability, responsible stewardship of the land, and quality ingredients. As Mraz shared in an Aluminaries Project press release with Chipotle, "At The Mranch, we prioritize regenerative, organic farming, growing resilience in addition to good foods." Chipotle has always been adamant and vocal about "food with integrity," meaning that it sources ingredients that are grown and harvested with the well-being of the environment, animals, and farmers as the top priority.

While Mraz Family Farms has gotten the most attention for its Hass avocados, considered the tastiest variety, it does more than just that. In addition to the avocado orchard, passionfruit and coffee are also grown on the farm.

The farm and the singer himself remain quite low-key about direct updates on current production and marketing. It's not just Mraz either — the farm has a full team — but Mraz does actually work on the property when he has time between touring and traveling. Despite his fame and success in the music world, the farm operates like any other small business — meaning you can find its products locally and even order them online. When in season, you can have Hass avocados or passionfruit shipped directly to your house, and the farm's coffee is sold under the brand Frinj, also available on the website.