organicologyThank You For Being a Part of Organicology



On behalf of Oregon Tilth, Organic Seed Alliance, Organically Grown Company and Sustainable Food Trade Association, we offer our sincerest appreciation for your participation in Organicology 2017. Your enthusiasm to learn, engage and connect makes all of the preparation and planning worth it.



Since our first (of five!) conference in 2009, we have seen growth in attendance, engagement and sponsorship. This year, we welcomed over 80 exhibitors at our diverse tradeshow that featured seed breeders, farmers, certifiers, distributors, retailers, nonprofits, startups, media and other industry partners.



We couldn't do it without our sponsors. Our heartfelt thanks to all of the organizations that supported the 2017 conference.



Powerful change happens when we work together.

Our three keynotes addressed similar calls to action: Symbiotic alliances and unity for our movement's causes are crucial to generate positive change in our community, our food and our future.



Mas Masumoto | View keynote

"It's my hope that when we work together in this ecosystem with shared values, we can transform the food system. I want to foster a food system that is not based on failures of others. In many ways, this thought is revolutionary."



Eric Holt-Gimenez | View keynote

"We have to make social and structural changes beyond food and farms. Social issues have been used to divide us...and we need to build bridges and alliances to achieve transformation."



Nikki Silvestri | View keynote

"We build economic fertility by starting from a place of acknowledgement. Ecological fertility is the bridge between economic and social fertility."



Conversations toward a brighter future 
From intensives to workshops to a (chilly, but invigorating) farm tour, this year's conference provided more than 80 hours of education programming for attendees. The Capital Press covered the event, providing a look inside the transition intensive's conversation on supply chain management and opportunities for growers. Thanks for being a part of several forward-thinking conversations about policy, seed, farm production, marketing, climate change and many other topics.



Stay connected and keep the energy going 
Missed something? Go back and check out videos from the varietal tasting, seed swap and tradeshow. Additional content will continue to be posted on our website and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). Also, don't forget to check out Broken Banjo Photography's event photos!



Tell us how we did. 
Planning for the next Organicology in 2019 will begin soon-save the date for February 14-16, 2019-and your suggestions will help shape the content and structure.



Please take a few moments to share your experience and ideas in this two-minute survey


Find the full conference wrap up here.

Cabbage, carrots and potatoes are all promotable for St. Patrick's Day!

Produce Report 
 
What to look for that is NEW and EXCITING Let's do the time warp again! Daylight savings time arrives this weekend. The extended evening light will be most welcome, especially on Friday night when eaters look to celebrate Irish culture and traditional foods in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Cabbage sales tend to peak this week, but with eaters embracing fermented krauts and chopped salads the category appears to be enjoying some sustained growth. The longer days also usher in the arrival of some garlic greens and baby lettuces from California, while here in our backyard tender spring watercress is coming on. To keep the green theme going, we also have great volumes on sugar and snow peas from Mexico.



In the world of imports, two new varieties of Chilean grown plums, the Larry Ann and Leticia are each available in large tray packs or smaller volume filled options.  Argentinian Bartlett pears are in the house and some of us may have possibly eaten two of them yesterday- they really are that good!





Find the rest of the Produce Report here.

 

OGC has been buying from Nash's for many years, typically beets and sunchokes in the winter and bunching greens and cabbage in the fall.



What Can Farmers Do About Climate Change? Dynamic Cropping Systems: Nash Huber's Story   
 
National Farmers Union l by Laura Lengnick l February 27, 2017



For more than forty years, Nash Huber has produced organic vegetables and fruits, food and feed grains, pork and poultry, and a variety of vegetable and cover crop seeds on 450 acres of prime farmland on Washington's Olympic Peninsula.  Much of Nash's land is leased, and most of it is protected by conservation easements. With the help of a permanent crew of twenty-five, and an additional fifteen during peak growing season, Nash manages diverse dynamic rotations that build soil quality, provide nutrients, conserve water, and reduce pest pressures to keep the farm productive and profitable. The farm receives an annual average of seventeen inches of rain, and its production is irrigated entirely with surface waters replenished each year by snowmelt from the mountains to the south.



Nash Huber first started noticing changes in the weather in the early 1990s. The growing season seemed to lengthen as winters grew warmer, spring temperatures and precipitation grew more variable, and fall grain and seed harvests were increasingly disturbed by more frequent fall moisture. "It seems like our springs have gotten longer, cooler, and wetter," says Nash.  "We always used to get nice warm weather in late April and May. We haven't gotten anything like that in years. Quite often, spring will start sometime between the middle of January and the middle of March, and it's really variable. It can have too much swing and that really puts the squeeze on us."

 

Find the rest of the article here.

Want to Revitalize Rural America? Forgive Student Loan Debt for Young Farmers



The National Young Farmers Coalition makes headway on a loan forgiveness bill in Congress.



Civil Eats l by Aaron Orlowski l March 3, 2017



A new bill in the House could help change the face of rural America by making farming more feasible for millions of young people.



The Young Farmer Success Act (H.R. 1060) would offer a path to student loan forgiveness for farmers who commit to a decade in the profession. A loan forgiveness program already exists for young people entering professions that benefit society-such as nursing, teaching, and government and nonprofit work. This bill would add farming to the list.



During the last Congressional session, a similar loan forgiveness bill for young farmers accumulated 13 co-sponsors, three of whom were Republicans, but then stalled. The National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC), which advanced both bills, is hoping to build on last year's momentum, and eventually submit a Senate version.



"Regardless of how you feel about the results of the November election, no one is denying that we need to pay attention to the decline of our rural communities," said Andrew Bahrenburg, the policy director at NYFC. One solution, he says, is creating more young farmers.



Find the rest of the article here. 
womensdayOGC's Women of Produce Represent on International Women's Day



Some of the amazingly talented and hard-working women on International Women's Day this week at our Portland facility (left), Eugene facility (right) and on the road sampling out delicious produce in Port Townsend. In every corner and in every country, strong women, feed, grow and create the world we live in. Giving thanks to all the amazing women of OGC!





Trivia!



Keep playing for a chance to win! 




From Last Week:    
Romanesco is famed for its striking shape. It's part of the Brassica family, along with broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. But unlike the distinct, bold flavor of broccoli or cauliflower, romanesco has a milder, nutty consistency and crunchier texture. Its logarithmic, spiral shape is actually a self-similar pattern-the shape of the vegetable is repeated in each of its extensions. From what country did this trippy veggie originate?



Answer: 
Italy  
 
How does trivia work? 
Each week we tuck a juicy bit of organic knowledge into our produce report. Everyone who answers will be entered into our monthly drawing. Then, the first week of every month we'll pick a winner and contact them to choose between an OGC t-shirt, apron or hat. Reply with your answer by Wednesday after receiving your Market Report to be entered in the drawing.



Send your answers to: trivia@organicgrown.com



We encourage everyone to join in the fun--the more the merrier! 


Organically Grown | 1800-B Prairie Road | Eugene | OR | 97402