MONTEREY, CA – The first ever Organic Grower Summit (OGS) has finalized the educational component of its inaugural event, with a series of inspiring and engaging sessions focused on the production side of organic fresh produce. A Grower Roundtable will be one of three keynote presentations, rounding out an impactful and insightful exchange of ideas and information between OGS attendees.

“While organic farmers and growers work every day in their fields, it’s not every day they get to experience what they contribute to feeding the world. The Organic Grower Summit provides our farmers and growers the opportunity to network with others in the organic community, hear from industry thought-leaders, and learn about new products and services they can bring back to the farm,” said Kelly Shea, Vice President of Government and Industry Relations, DanoneWave.

A total of six different educational sessions covering an array of subjects, from technology to soil optimization, will feature some of the industry’s leading experts. Among the scheduled educational sessions are: “Issues Facing Organic Farmers Today,” “Clean and Renewable Technology,” and “Tools for Plant and Soil Health.” The keynote presentation Grower Roundtable, “From Wall Street to Main Street, Organic Means Good Business,” features Scott LaRue of Piper Jaffray as moderator, and Bill Reiman of Gladstone Land Corp, Stan Pura, Founder of Mission Ranches, and Jeff Huckaby, President of Grimmway Farms.

A joint production between California Organic Farmers (CCOF) and Organic Produce Network (OPN), OGS will feature a sold-out trade show exhibition area of over 75 service providers and supply chain companies, including an innovative Tech Alley, sponsored by Western Growers, according to a recent press release.

Among participating exhibitors are leaders in the fields of seed, packaging, soil amendments, and food safety, who will be connecting with organic field production staff, supply chain managers, pest management advisors, and food safety experts.

Also, participating grower attendees have an opportunity to meet with a team of Costco buyers as part of a special "Meet the Organic Farmer" session. This unique session provides certified organic farmers and grower representatives the opportunity to meet face to face with Costco's organic produce, dairy, meat, and wine buyers to discuss their operations and products.

"Costco is committed to meeting directly with organic farmers, who are truly on the front lines of bringing top quality organic products to market. We appreciate the work OPN has done in putting together this unique opportunity to meet face to face with those responsible for actually growing organic products," said Heather Shavey, Assistant Vice President for Costco. "Our buying team is looking forward to learning more about organic production, hearing about new product innovations, and building new supplier opportunities to meet the growing demand for organics for our shoppers."

Additionally, OGS is finalizing an educational outreach program for PCA, PRC, and qualified applicators to kick off the event. Attendees are eligible for two hours of approved continuing education credit and will learn about new requirements for pesticide use near schools and worker protection standards.

For a complete schedule of events for OGS–and educational sessions–check out www.organicgrowersummit.com/schedule, and keep following AndNowUKnow for more OGS updates.

Organic Grower Summit