Q1 2021 Report – Update for Friends of OGC

UPDATE FOR FRIENDS OF OGC FIRST QUARTER, 2021

INTRODUCTION

G R E E T I N G S, As Northwest fields and orchards spring to life, signs of hope are impossible to ignore and are a welcome shift from the patterns of a tough year. We’re grateful to have come so far and eagerly anticipate the day when we can all safely gather, celebrate our abundance, and share a meal together again.

With our impact on each other, the supply chain, and our larger ecosystem more relevant than ever, we are proud to share our inaugural 2020 Impact Report. Click here and jump to our website to read and see highlights from an unforgettable year.

Continuous improvement is a core value at OGC, and our first-quarter annual coworker survey is a critical opportunity for us to listen and learn. Every employee has a chance to provide feedback beyond our day-to-day conversations, and these responses inform and drive our priorities going forward. This year’s survey reported strong appreciation for OGC’s culture, purpose and people. There was deep admiration for OGC’s partners and industry friends who rose to meet the tremendous challenges faced in 2020. It’s clear we love our trade. We also learned about areas where we can invest in training, communication and assessment to ensure our coworkers continue to be equipped and empowered to succeed. All in all, we are incredibly pleased to note how fulfilled our coworkers feel, especially amidst such a challenging year, and are inspired to continue to adapt and grow.

As we embrace this season of new beginnings, we look forward to creating more opportunities for listening and learning from our stakeholders as we progress in our journey and advance the ways we deliver on our purpose.

– OGC M is s ion Te a m

Elizabeth Nardi

Carla Balen

Everet Chenevert

Matt Mroczek

Mike Boyle

Rhae Brooks

Sarah Brown

2020 Impact Report As a registered Oregon Benefit Corporation OGC is commited to publicly sharing an annual report that measures our impact and benefit to our stakeholder partners. Our 2020 Impact Report is now available on our website. We hope you’ll check it out.

– The Mission Team

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Q UART E R LY H I G H L I G H T S

H E L P I N G FO O D FO R L AN E C O U N T Y G R OW

In March, Brian Keogh and Tom Lively of OGC’s Charitable Contributions Committee visited FFLC’s Kara Smith in Eugene, Ore., to make a special donation to support their “Families Feeding Families Capital Campaign.” The campaign is raising money to renovate and expand their flagship Bailey Hill Road warehouse. OGC’s donation will help build a new produce and dairy cooler to store perishable donations.

Each year, a portion of OGC’s net profits fund our Charitable Contributions program. Cash and fresh produce donations target Northwest-based nonprofits and schools working on organic agriculture, sustainable land use, environmental conservation, farming/farmworker advocacy, and hunger relief.

Thanks to our friends at FFLC for their tireless work to feed those in need. OGC is proud to join them in nourishing Lane County.

FOOD for Lane County (FFLC), a vital resource and longtime community partner, shares OGC’s vision for a healthy and just food system. The friendship and support between the two organizations span decades, yet we continue to be amazed by their impact and heart. Emergencies like the pandemic and last summer’s devastating wildfires underscore the essential role that FFLC plays in the lives of so many in Lane County.

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L E N D I N G A HAN D WI T H B LU E R IVE R WI L D F I R E C L E AN U P OGC Account Reps Sarah Yapp, Jeannette Hoss and Monique Kirby joined the massive wildfire cleanup and recovery efforts in Blue River, Oregon. Organized by Cascade Relief Team and Reach Out Worldwide, they joined dozens of volunteers (including some loggers, excavators and medics) to tackle the area entirely devastated by last September’s Holiday Farm Fire.

Sarah, Jeannette and Monique spent multiple days volunteering on site, sifting through ash and remnants of kitchens and bedrooms, looking for sentimental keepsakes to salvage. Jeanette shared, “The residents are overwhelmed by the loss, emotionally and financially, cleaning one lot costs $30k at a minimum, and many had not been touched since the wildfire, but it was great to see the community coming together to help.”

OGC’s Charitable Contributions Fund donated to the nonprofit Cascade Relief Team to support their work at the Blue River site and their wildfire cleanup efforts in Otis (Echo Mountain fire) and Medford, Oregon (Alameda fire).

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O G C M I S S I O N F U N D AWAR D S T E N G R AN T S I N T H E N E W YE AR Ten Northwest-based nonprofits and small businesses received grants from the OGC Mission Fund earlier this year. This round of funding gave additional consideration to applications that caught the committee’s attention during our December 2020 grant cycle. Our latest grant recipients are listed below. Learn more about each one and how OGC’s support will give their hard work a boost in the year ahead on our website.

Boldly Grown is a certified organic family-run farm in the Skagit Valley and an OGC supplier.

Central Co-Op is a women-led grocery co-op serving Seattle and Tacoma.

Community Food Co-Op’s Farm Fund works to strengthen local, sustainable and organic agriculture and support the Bellingham-area farming community.

Co-op Market Grocery & Deli, Alaska’s first food co-op and the only Alaska co-op with a physical store, is owned and supported by 4,600 residents of Fairbanks.

Cultivate Oregon is a women-led nonprofit of Earth Island Institute, focused on regenerative agriculture, building seed and food system resiliency, and rewarding farmers to build healthy soil.

Food Access and Aggregation Community Team comprises community-based businesses and organizations addressing food inequities in South King County, Washington.

Kitsap Community Food Co-Op, a longtime resource to Bremerton, Washington.

Klamath Farmers Online Marketplace, an online farmers market that connects community members to local food producers year-round.

Willamette Farm and Food Coalition is a nonprofit that has served Lane County for over 40 years facilitating and supporting the development of secure, sustainable, and inclusive food systems.

Working Theory Farm works with youth in the justice system to grow food for partner organizations that distribute it to families in need.

Keep an eye on OGC’s blog and social media channels for information about future grant cycles.

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C E L E B R AT I N G C I T R U S WI T H A VI RT UAL C I T R U S TO U R With the gray, chilly days of winter adding to everyone’s feelings of isolation, OGC’s Marketing, Sales and Buying teams partnered to bring customers and coworkers together virtually with the fun and engaging “2021 Citrus Tour.” This sweet, juicy hands-on campaign celebrated this exciting category and the growers we call friends.

OGC’s 2021 Citrus Tour kicked off in mid-January and continued through the end of March. During these peakcitrus months, we utilized grower videos, coworker-led tasting tutorial videos, storytelling and educational materials deployed through various channels to delight and amaze customers and colleagues. We got downright nerdy about the 60+ citrus varieties OGC sources for our customers, sharing our love of the category. The campaign positioned OGC as the premier source for organic specialty citrus in the Pacific Northwest and helped OGC Account Reps sustain sales and enthusiasm for citrus throughout the season.

OGC is excited by the virtual connection delivered by the campaign and the level of citrus education achieved. In addition to a comprehensive Citrus Primer, outlining all 60+ varieties, a deck of citrus flashcards, which doubled as display signage, were produced and made available to customers, making learning about varieties like a card game.

“ Love the pres entatio n a nd th oroughnes s of informa t ion is INCRED IB L E. I am s o ver y impres s ed with the wor k O G C did to c reate t his .

C itr us nerd pins to boot – I me an really!!?! T hanks a g a in an d looking for ward to t he next round !”

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We made Citrus Nerd tee shirts and enamel pins available as commemorative swag (check out OGC’s Merch Store). Five coworker-led citrus tasting videos took customers and coworkers on a virtual tasting journey. Four social media videos shot by citrus growers from their groves transported viewers to sunny California.

With nearly 50 citrus-focused posts on social media and 15 citrus-focused blog posts on OGC’s website, interest in citrus created over 1,000 visits to OGC’s dedicated Citrus Tour webpage, with more than 150 first-time visitors, and over 600 new followers on Instagram.

OGC sincerely thanks our customers, growers and coworkers for an amazing 2021 Citrus Tour!

“ We h ad a blas t with it!! T he wh ole t e am in Seattle did a t a st in g ( soc ially dis tanc ed, of c o u r se ) and they are all c itr us ‘sn obs’ n ow. Really impres sed with t h e whole pro gram. L oved t he pin s to o! ‘ Slightly bitter ’ i s my f avorite.”

At The Village School, a K-8 school in Eugene, the teachers utilized the Citrus Tour educational materials along with tangerines and mandarins to create a curriculum for multiple at-home citrus lessons for 315 students. Sweet!

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O G C FAM I LY O G C H O N O R S N OT O N E , B U T T WO WI T H 20 2 0 D R IVE R O F T H E YE AR AWAR D S

To say that OGC’s fleet of incredible drivers faced numerous challenges in 2020 would be an understatement. From safely working during the pandemic, efficiently transporting a record-breaking volume of produce, and navigating inclement weather, this team demonstrated that they can rise to any challenge!

2020 marks our 5th year nominating and designating a Driver and Rookie of the Year. While earning this honor is no easy task, many of OGC’s drivers have the qualifications, and the competition is fierce. The driver must be accident and incident-free, without corrective actions, and provide stellar customer service. They must be dedicated, helpful and display ownership for the organization. The nominations are presented by the transportation team and voted on to determine the winners.

When it came time to recognize the 2020 Driver of the Year, OGC’s Transportation Manager, Stretch Halterman, embraced that change was the only constant in 2020. With that spirit in mind, and as a result of so many qualified nominees enthusiastically supported by coworkers, Stretch was pleased to announce two coworkers tied for Driver of the Year.

A round of applause goes to Simone Williams and Brian Mankoski for receiving the honors for 2020. OGC’s Rookie of the Year award went to Dan Kuhn. Head to our blog to learn more about each winner.

Simone Williams

Brian Mankonski

Dan Kuhn

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M E E T O U R 2020 E M P LOYE E S O F T H E YE AR !

Scott Osterman, Inventory Maintenance III, Portland It is hard to find a more good-natured, mild-mannered, knowledgeable produce expert than OGC’s Scott Osterman. Scott is responsible for purchasing every twist tie, shrink wrap roll and box that comes into our facilities. Few can navigate the complexities of distribution center customers more deftly than Scott. And few also find the humor in this industry as deeply as Scott – whose wry smile is well hidden behind his replete, certified organic, and carefully manicured facial hair.

Pat Zook, AM Operations & Maintenance Coordinator, Eugene Pat has been a calming, reassuring and bright light for OGC and the Eugene facility in the most unsettling of years. He remained entirely flexible to the needs of the business and was willing to jump in and help in so many different ways in 2020. His background and deep knowledge of many aspects of OGC put him in a unique position and he is frequently called upon for help or to give advice. Pat always rises to the occasion and is willing to lend a hand. His customer service is excellent, his knowledge of our product line is second to none, and his support of and collaboration with his coworkers was a big part of our success this year. We are so lucky to have Pat Zook on our team, and his positive impact is felt by coworkers, customers, and growers.

Keven Ayers, OGC Driver Kevin’s professionalism makes OGC shine. He’s always willing to go the extra mile. His customer service, both internally and externally, is exceptional. He is always ready with a kind word and to jump in to help. He is a true joy to work with.

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H O N O R I N G TO M L IVE LY, 32 YE AR S WI T H O G C Kri s ti Yo d e r, O GC’s S e ni o r S a l e s Manager, Honors Tom’s impact on t he C ompa ny, our Co m m unity, and t he Organic Trade At the end of March, OGC’s beloved Tom Lively left the day-to-day to embark on a “retirement-ish” path. Since the start of his career in 1988, Tom has been influential in building OGC’s business and its culture. After 32 years of hard work, Tom moves into his retirement with a transition to “less work and more fun.”

Tom’s career at OGC is marked with numerous highlights and accomplishments, of which there are far too many to list here.

Though, ask Tom, he’ll say none of them were his own, that they were all thanks to the team. His gratitude extends to the Sales and Buying teams, the shippers in the warehouse, and drivers out on the road.

Despite his humility, Tom’s contributions to OGC have helped our success in a myriad of ways. In his three decades, Tom served on the OGC board not once but twice – first in the 90s and again in the 2000s. He has guided OGC’s generosity through service on the Charitable Contributions Committee.

Tom accepted the Sustie Award on behalf of OGC at EcoFarm and a Vendor of the Year award for key account work. Tom received a Lifetime Achievement Award from OGC and an OGC Employee of the Year Award. He authored the educational piece ‘Produce 101: The Botany of Produce’, which grew out of his passion for biology and botany. He hosted a memorable melon tasting at the Eugene facility, several tasting events at the retail level and created OGC’s Farm to School program. Tom has led numerous farm tours, participated in public speaking events, and served as a great role model for building successful account relationships.

“Tom has always resisted official management positions at OGC, and often made fun of me for being a part of the ‘meeting class,’” laughs Mike Boyle, OGC’s VP of Sales and Sourcing, “but the truth is he has been one of our most important leaders.

Much of what I learned about this business and OGC was from Tom, and rarely did I consider any strategic decision without consulting him for advice.”

Of Tom’s contributions to OGC, Boyle describes them as “unquantifiable, and no job description or title could contain him. He saw so much of what was going on in all areas of the business from his chair. Pouring over our inventory daily to ensure no avocado was left behind, calling out strategies to deal with volatile markets, or identifying areas we could operate better. Tom truly cares about every grower and customer we work for and always pushed us to achieve the highest levels of service to them all.”

To read the complete tribute to Tom and his work, click here.

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P O L I CY & ADVO C ACY U P DAT E OGC works tirelessly to shape organic policy and legislation as champions of the organic farmer and organic integrity.

Our work in 2021 began by helping the Organic Trade Association (OTA) lay the foundation for a bill calling for the USDA to issue an action plan addressing the backlog of National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) recommendations yet to be implemented by a final rule or guidance. OGC’s Mike Dill and our longtime organic policy consultant, Lynn Coody, served as trusted thought-partners to the OTA to participate in a continuous improvement task force to analyze all of the NOSB recommendations and prioritize and develop an approach to get these looming recommendations to the final rule-making process. We’ll keep you posted on the outcomes and news related to this important legislation.

A new year of trade advocacy work also kicked off with participation in the OTA’s newly developed Produce Sector Council and as a Steering Committee member of CORA, the Coalition for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture. CORA’s mission is to support the broad adoption of regenerative, organic growing practices by producers and gardeners of all types at all scales throughout Washington State.

ALT E R NAT IVE OWN E R S H I P ADVI S O R S U P DAT E Alternative Ownership Advisors (AOA) Managing Director, Sarah Joannides, was a panelist at the 2021 NCEO Annual Employee Ownership Conference. Sarah introduced business owners to the structure and benefits of a perpetual purpose trust as an alternative to Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), especially for companies motivated by social purpose and seeking to include other stakeholders, in addition to employees, in their ownership structure. She was joined by Graeme Nuttall OBE, the lead employee ownership attorney

in the UK, who spoke about the development of employee ownership trusts (EOTs) and his work on EOT laws in other countries; Christopher Michael, an attorney and Rutgers professor discussed his work adapting the British EOT model to the United States, and Deborah Groban Olson, an attorney specializing in broad-based employee ownership, provided a comparison between ESOPs, trusts and cooperative ownership models.

AOA’s monthly e-newsletters are thought-provoking resources for those interested in learning more about alternative ownership models. To read past issues and sign-up, visit the AOA blog.

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S U S TAI NAB L E FO O D & AG R I C U LT U R E P E R P E T UAL P U R P O S E T R U S T U P DAT E S

ANDY WESTLUND, TRUST ENFORCER TERM RENEWAL OGC’s Board of Governors has reappointed Andy Westlund for a second term as a Sustainable Food and Agriculture Perpetual Purpose Trust (SFAPPT) Trust Enforcer (TE). Learn more about the TE on the SFAPPT website and read more about Andy below.

Andy has held executive roles in companies such as Organically Grown Company, Harmony Seafood, Ground Up Soil Co., Hannaford Bros Co., Dehart Security, and Amazon. In addition to his role on the TE, he is the COO at Ways Security LLC and owns Harmony J.A.C.K Farms, a certified organic farm in Scio, Oregon. He is also a management and leadership consulting expert with over 1,000 hours of classroom and interactive experience on quality circles, “Six Sigma” improvement processes, and Lean and Total Quality Management.

He attended Oregon State University in Pharmacy and Science and currently resides in Scio.

CTA FOR STAKEHOLDERS TO SUBMIT CANDIDATE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TPC Stakeholders are invited to submit a nominee for the Trust Protector Committee (TPC)! We will be holding an election later this year for one open seat. Please share candidate recommendations with the Nominations Committee by emailing trust@organicgrown. com. To learn more about desired qualifications for a member of the TPC, please follow this link.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to organic and sustainable agriculture and the people and communities that create a thriving organic supply chain.

ATTN. STAKEHOLDERS! SUBMIT CANDIDATE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TPC Consider becoming a Qualified Stakeholder of the SFAPPT. If you belong to one of the designated stakeholder groups (OGC coworkers, suppliers, purchasers, investors, or community allies) and are interested in becoming a Qualified Stakeholder, please follow this link to submit an Expression of Interest form. Those who complete the qualification process have rights and responsibilities that promote shared governance and engagement, including voting in the TPC election. Stakeholder qualifications can be found here.

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N OT E S F R O M T H E F I E L D B E LG IAN E N D IVE : A L AB O R O F LOVE F R O M C O M M O N P L AC E FAR M

A chicory family member, organic Belgian Endive, has a white and sunny-yellow torpedo-shaped, tightly wrapped head with a satisfying crunch and slightly bitter flavor. Originating in France and the Netherlands, Belgian Endive is gaining popularity in the US alongside radicchios and escarole. Delicious braised or eaten raw in salads, and its leaves are also perfect vehicles for scooping up dips as a healthy alternative to chips.

Farmers in the Pacific Northwest traditionally have not taken on the daunting task of growing Belgian Endive. The notable recent exception is Commonplace Farm, located outside of Corvallis, OR. Cultivating Belgian Endive is far more complex than merely planting a seed. OGC Buyer Matt Visser laughs, “Growing Belgian Endive is the sort of thing you think sounds reasonable if you farm in an area of the world where the ground is frozen for much of the year, such as the upper Midwest, and are looking for a crop that grows outside of the ground.”

Through a set of multiple growing steps that span three seasons, here’s an overview of Belgian Endive production from our friends at Commonplace Farm.

Belgian Endive is planted in the spring from seed and left to grow through the summer. In that time, they produce lush, green foliage and a mature root. While white Belgian Endive is the most common variety, its colorful cousin in red hues is available at various times of the year.

The plants are harvested in the fall, and the greens are topped off, leaving the root. The roots are then packed into sawdust and placed in cold storage.

In late winter, the roots are replanted in containers indoors and kept in near-total darkness. The roots begin to sprout new heads. If exposed to light, the chlorophyll in the leaves will turn green, and the head’s overall shape will turn leafy.

By spring, they grow into light yellow, cylindrical heads of Belgian Endive. This labor-intensive process yields a truly remarkable and versatile vegetable.

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