MONTEREY, CA - ‘Tis the season for giving, for stuffing our faces with amazing dishes, hanging with family and friends, for remembering what we are thankful for...and at the top of that list also: marking our calendars for the second annual Organic Grower Summit (OGS).

Kicking off December 12-13 at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, California, the event brings together attendees from across the produce industry to mix and mingle. Included in that lucky lot are organic growers, producers, and processors, as well as exhibitors including soil amendment, bio-pesticide, seed, packaging, food safety, ag technology, and equipment manufacturers, as well as pest management advisors and food safety experts.

And don’t forget the Costco’s “Meet the Grower” program, which will provide certified organic farmers and growers the opportunity to meet with Costco buyers. While I could list all the events of the two-day show, I thought we could tap a few of the industry leaders who attended the event last year to speak about their excitement and its impact.

Jeff Huckaby, President, Grimmway Farms

“The Organic Grower Summit brought an impressive group of growers and suppliers together under one roof. Everyone present had a stake in the industry which helped facilitate focused and productive discussions. Each session provided insights valuable to the broad range of producers in our industry, and we’re looking forward to another great event this year.”

Vic Smith, President and CEO, JV Smith Companies

“This year we will be sending a large number of participants from our multiple growing operations. The value gained from this event is huge…educational workshops, new technologies, and networking, to name just a few. And I personally enjoy the entire event visiting with all the great people attending.”

Tony Freytag, Founder and Executive Vice President, Crunch Pak

“The 2017 Organic Grower Summit was a great opportunity for growers to be front and center with key retailers with a wealth of information, education, and networking opportunities all there. With the growth of organic consumers, growing supply, and the ongoing and continuing emphasis by retailers, this summit makes perfect sense.”

The Organic Grower Summit was launched by the Organic Produce Network (OPN) and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). Matt Seeley, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the Organic Produce Network, is gearing up with Co-Founder Tonya Antle to bring an even more coveted program this year.

“I am super excited about our new two-day format to give the organic community a well-rounded overview of the opportunity and challenges facing those who are actively growing organic fresh foods,” Matt tells me. “Following the success of last year’s first-ever OGS, we’ve got a tremendous series of educational sessions, keynote presentations, and a sold-out exhibit trade-show floor. While organics is in its infancy, OGS is an opportunity for all of us involved in the organic community to see where the industry is going and what a bright future we’ve got ahead of us.”

With OGS just around the corner, I will be seeing you all in Monterey very soon!

Organic Grower Summit