My heart goes out to those folks in business these days. It’s a big job. With so much emphasis on doing the right thing and “going green,” I imagine the pressure, from inside and out, must be pretty daunting.

That’s why it was so great to meet Adria Shimada, owner of recently-opened Parfait Organic Artisan Ice Cream.

“I create ice cream with the same integrity as you would a fine croissant”, explained Shimada, who actually fell in love with food while living in Paris for a year and knows what a fine croissant tastes like.

Shimada made the whole process of creating ice cream with organic and local sources sound easy, but I know it wasn’t. In a world where most all ice cream is created from a non-organic pre-made base, she makes everything from scratch.

As she lists her sources for organic milk (Fresh Breeze) and eggs (Steibrs), fresh blueberries and mint (Full Circle farms) and all of the other ingredients in her delicious treats, I realize that for her it’s not about “going green” or looking for niche market, it’s about sharing closely-held standards and doing what she loves.

“I’m willing to have lower (financial) margins to adhere to my values," Shimada said with confidence. “I want to espouse the same principles in business as in my personal life. It’s not easy, but it is possible.”

Those values include an owner who not only runs her entire business from soup to nuts (with the help of a couple of part-time, highly spoken-of employees) but makes sure that all of the used, compostable bowls and spoons are placed in a special bin that she brings home to compost herself. Wowsa.

Oh, and here’s the best part about this business: Parfait Ice Cream is not available at a storefront. Shimada sells several flavors with an optional handmade cone from her beautifully painted custom ice cream truck, and only at particular times.

For instance, in Ballard she comes to the Caffe Fiore in Sunset Hill on Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m.

Hey, when was the last time you saw adults waiting in line at an ice cream truck? It’s pretty fun, actually, and with flavors such as Stracciatella Mint or Apricot Sorbet, it’s hard to resist.

“For me, this is a culinary adventure as much as a business venture," Shimada said.

Myself? I’m just waiting for Saturday.

Rhonda lives in Ballard and is the Urban Crop Circle Project Leader for Sustainable Ballard. She and Jim love ice cream. Questions, Comments, Ideas? You can reach her at Rhonda@sustainableballard.org.