COMMUNITY

Tal & Inder Singh – Riverland Family Farms, Corvallis

The tenacity of our farmers, the generosity of our customers, and the courageous initiatives led by our nonprofit allies strengthen the organic ecosystem every day. The following stories provide a glimpse of how OGC does business with purpose and how working with stakeholders amplified our impact in 2021.

GROWER PARTNERS

Few things embody resilience better than a farmer. OGC stood in solidarity and created new support pathways during a year that disrupted all elements of production: labor, climate, input accessibility, transportation and logistics, and personal and familial health. Our farmers, the soil, and the people who tend to plants are the foundation of what we do.

WEATHER, PARTNERSHIP & RESILIENCE

Many suppliers have been bombarded by weather extremes in the past few years. And 2021 was no exception with ice storms, fires, smokey harvests, and disastrous heat waves. The June heatwave was especially devastating to Northwest blueberry growers. What could be harvested was extremely soft, resulting in lower yields and quality. OGC’s newly upgraded small fruit packing line equipment was carefully calibrated to handle the delicate berries and saved much more usable fruit than would have been possible in the past. We were proud to be able to help our farmers. If they can’t weather these extremes, none of us can.

FARM TRANSITIONS

OGC has seen an acceleration of farmers retiring and farmland lost. The average age of Oregon’s farmers is 60 years-old, and more than 80% of them don’t have a transition plan. When long-time supplier and ally Gathering Together Farm applied for a Mission Fund grant to research transition options, we wanted to help. An investment from OGC helped them turn to experts to explore stewardownership models.

The issue of farm succession planning and protecting organic farmland is much bigger than a single farm. When our organic growing partners retire and find farmers to carry on their legacy, OGC is there to support their success.

Tal and Inder Singh and Tyler Grushkowitz took over a significant part of Denison Farm when Tom and Elizabeth Kerle Denison retired in 2019. Operating as Riverland Family Farms, they now produce over one hundred varieties of organic fruits and vegetables. Visit OGC’s blog to learn about their unlikely path from Punjab to Corvallis. OGC continues to deepen relationships with Commonplace, Little Garden, Sunrise, and Eloisa farms, four other successors of longtime OGC partners Denison Farm and Springhill Organics, through sourcing, Mission Fund awards, and state-level organic advocacy. OGC’s subsidiary, Alternative Ownership Advisors is a resource farmers can use as they plan for retirement and stewarding their farm.

“Like many farmers, we are looking to the future with some uncertainty of how we can continue to serve our community, partners, and workforce. Our team has had countless conversations with peers discussing options for farm succession. Yet, our operations are as diverse as the crops we grow, leaving none of us with a one-size-fits-all model.” – Joey Staub, Gathering Together Farm

Weathering Extremes

Family-owned and operated Johansen Ranch, located in Northern California, dates back to 1910 and is an organic certification pioneer from the 1970s. This longtime citrus supplier and friend used a Mission Fund grant from OGC to rebuild their packing shed to withstand the severe weather patterns which have become the norm, providing added insulation to protect their crew and harvests from the intense heat and cold.

Helping Growers Worldwide through Fair Trade Sourcing

Fair Trade certified products provide assurance that farm operators have strong ethical practices, pay workers fairly, and employ growing and handling processes that are safe.

OGC supports communities worldwide with funding through sourcing and selling Fair Trade produce in partnership with our customers. A small premium is included on Fair Trade certified products and returned to the communities that grew the produce. In 2021, OGC generated $125,000 to contribute to the Fair Trade Community Development Fund, which supported several producer-led projects, including:

Calavo de Mexico:

Healthcare Alliance

Delivery of basic pantry staples & COVID-19 sanitization kits

Covilli (Agrícola Ciari):

Nuchi Sansekan Health Clinic Construction & Emergency Vehicle

Wholesum (Crisp Greenhouses):

A local mini-market for their worker community Medical & pantry staples vouchers for workers School scholarships

In solidarity with our customers, OGC has raised over $936,000 in Fair Trade development funds since 2013.

Our Dedication to Responsible Banana Sourcing Continues to Grow

GROW Scholars

In 2021, in partnership with our customers, we raised more than $133,000 to support banana-growing communities in Colima, Mexico through Organics Unlimited’s GROW program (Giving Resources & Opportunities to Workers). A small premium applied to each case of GROW bananas sold is returned to the farmers and reinvested in their communities. Here’s how that premium was invested last year: 89 scholarships, 17 for university-level education.

GROW Study Center, the heart and soul of their growing communities, providing shelter from violence and insecurity and a hub for social services.

Casa Amiga, for university scholars offering housing, hot meals, a cybercafe, and access to a weekly homework club.

Medical & Dental Clinics, providing therapy workshops, assistance in processing medical benefits for minors and seniors, medical transportation and supplies, and health care.

OGC’s Farm to School Apple program provided a way for our retail customers to raise $23,500 for Northwest schools and nonprofits offering youth healthy eating and organic education. Visit ladybugproduce.com to learn how Fuji apples are raising funds!

Aerial view of Viva Farm

A Record Year of Giving

Last year was OGC’s biggest giving year ever. We reinvested over 9% of our prior year’s net profits into grants and donations supporting causes and businesses we believe in − organic agriculture research and education, equity in the farm and food system, eliminating hunger, and organic supply chain resiliency. We funded a constellation of regional programs using OGC Mission Fund grants, donations and sourcing that gives back to our nonprofit and supply chain partners.

2021 MISSION FUND HIGHLIGHTS

Over half of the Mission Fund projects focused on building equity in our regional farm system. Meet six of our thirty-five 2021 grant recipients.

Calypso Farm and Ecology Center – OGC invested in their Alaska Native Agriculture Project, which provides training and networking support for rural and Indigenous farmers.

Ecotrust – The OGC grant assisted the Viviane Barnett Fellowship for Food System Leaders. This 18-month cohort-based program supported BIPOC fellows in exploring new possibilities, solving challenging problems, and creating mutually beneficial opportunities related to Indigenous and Afro-Indigenous farming practices, climate justice, and soil regeneration.

Viva Farm’s Grow Food – Viva Farm empowers aspiring and limited-resource farmers by providing bilingual training in holistic, organic farming and access to land, infrastructure, marketing and capital.

Kitchen Table Advisors – San Francisco-based KTA programs focus on business advising and building regional ecosystems.

Wakulima USA – Wakulima USA is a nonprofit farming and food business cooperative that advances small business development and food sovereignty for low-income immigrants and people of color in the Puget

Sound region.

Yisrael Family Urban Farm – OGC’s grant supported the Urban Roots Initiative, providing residents, schools, and organizations with a garden for free or low-cost to increase access to fresh food. OGC prioritized investing in equity-focused projects in 2021, and 34% of Mission Fund grant dollars went to Black, Indigenous, or People of Color-led organizations. We’re committed to continuous improvement, adopting a more participatory approach to fundraising, and learning about additional ways to embed equity and inclusion into our giving approach so that philanthropic funds are a vehicle to support and empower those most marginalized in the food system.

MEET OUR TOP GLEANING PARTNER OF 2021

Many families in our community struggle to make ends meet. With a mission to build a financially stable community, Birch Community Services provides groceries, education, and budget mentoring and accountability. OGC is very fortunate to be able to donate pallets of fresh, organic edible produce to Birch each week to remove the burden of paying for food for those trying to recover from debt.

“The donations from OGC are literally the most wholesome and healthy food we get to give to the families we serve. It feels so good to know that our families are being treated with healthy options every day.” – Andrew Rowlett, Director of Operations, Birch Community Services

Outreach

OGC prioritizes educating stakeholders about our grower partners, organic produce, advocacy, and alternative ownership. With in-person engagement restricted in 2021, we turned to digital tools and platforms to engage and educate. Our work resulted in:

49 Produce Report newsletters 97 blog posts 1,456 social media posts

15,838 people learning about steward ownership via webinars, podcasts, newsletters, blog posts, the website, and client sessions offered by Alternative Ownership Advisors, OGC’s subsidiary

Over the course of the year, we also conducted stakeholder listening sessions, administered surveys, and built and distributed hundreds of “Discovery Boxes” to introduce OGC coworkers and participants in the Sustainable Food & Agriculture Perpetual Purpose Trust Gathering to peak-season produce and unique varieties.

Two Oregon Businesses Are Transitioning to Trust Ownership

OGC subsidiary, Alternative Ownership Advisors (AOA), helps founders and owners of private companies design and implement ownership, governance, and investment solutions that align with mission, accelerate impact and protect independence. 2021 was a watershed year for AOA as it supported two longtime Oregon businesses in their transition to trust ownership:

LifeSource Natural Foods has been a vibrant hub of organic food and community gathering in Salem, Oregon for more than 35 years. In 2021, AOA worked with founder Alex Beamer and his team to design a Perpetual Purpose Trust that will eventually hold 100% of the company’s ownership. LifeSource now has a framework to continue forward – grounded in its mission, values, and ways of doing business – for generations to come.

Local Ocean Seafood, in Newport, Oregon, worked with AOA to design an Employee Ownership Trust. This ensures employees benefit from the ongoing operations of the company over time and locks down their commitment to local sourcing and sustainable fisheries.

Both LifeSource and Local Ocean are establishing their new ownership under the Oregon Stewardship Trust statute, which was passed into law in 2019 with the support of OGC.

Organic Advocacy

Whether working directly with lawmakers or through our leadership within the Organic Trade Association (OTA), we’re 100% invested and embedded in ensuring that legislation supports the trade and its future.

STATE LEVEL ORGANIC ADVOCACY

In 2021, OGC spent significant time and money building regional and national momentum to increase state-level investments in the organic trade. In Oregon, we provided a $25,000 matching grant to help raise funds to hire Oregon Organic Coalition’s first paid staff. This will empower the organization to continue its excellent work, which has included successfully securing state funds to support organic extension and market development. In addition, our experience in Oregon is serving as a model as we uplift and support the launch of the Coalition for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture in Washington State and work to grow state-level organic advocacy nationwide through our leadership in the Organic Trade Association’s State Advocacy Network.

NATIONAL ADVOCACY

Since day one, OGC has been a staunch advocate of organic integrity, taking every opportunity to submit comments to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) – we submitted comments on 26 topics in 2021 alone! This year we also contributed to two industry efforts to uphold organic integrity and relevance into the future.

The Continuous Improvement and Accountability

in Organic Standards Act. OGC met with Oregon’s Federal House Representatives in 2021, which helped result in five out of six House members signing on as co-sponsors of the Act – no small feat! This bill will require the USDA to move forward on the 23 NOSB recommendations stalled in the legislative process or that have not been acted on by the National Organic Program, some dating as far back as 2002.

OTA’s Future of Organic Workshops. OGC contributed over 20 pages of analysis and responses to topics, including continuous improvement, incorporating labor standards, strengthening environmental outcomes, supporting a transition, and even reimagining the organic logo. This work will guide OTA’s policy and advocacy priorities for the coming years.