Braga Fresh's Greg McAlister Retires; Rod Braga Comments

BAKERSFIELD, CA - If you’ve been around the organic scene a while, you likely know or know of Greg McAlister. From bringing a grocer introduction to an infant “health store” Whole Foods Market to introducing trailblazing supply changes to the California organic scene, Greg has had a storied career in organic produce.

“In February of 2020, Rod Braga and I got to go back to Austin, Texas, and attend the Whole Foods Supplier Awards. Braga Fresh was awarded as a Supplier of the Year, which felt like a full-circle moment. To go back to where I started and be given that award with Rod [Braga] and Braga Fresh was something I’m very proud of,” Greg reflected as we discussed his professional timeline. It turned out to be the beginning of a perfect bookend—Greg took a step back as Vice President of Sales for Braga Fresh just one year later and began a transition into retirement that concluded on April 25.

“Greg has been a cornerstone of our company's growth since joining us nine years ago. Both his experience and organic expertise have been invaluable, and our family will always be grateful for him,” Rod Braga, Chief Executive Officer of Braga Fresh, shared with me.

Greg’s professional timeline closely parallels the trajectory of organized organic growing. While it begins with his sophomore year of high school in 1975 working at a Tom Thumb Supermarkets in Dallas, Texas, it’s a random compulsion to check out an unfamiliar store that set him on his path.

“It was early 1983. I just happened to drive by the first Whole Foods Market and was curious. So, I went in to see what it was and ran into somebody I knew working there. They grabbed the Produce Team Leader and said they should hire me,” Greg recalls.

It was, amazingly, a pattern that would map out Greg’s career. In nearly 50 years, he never submitted a resume or even filled out a job application. His work ethic and reputation preceded him from Texas to California, where he brought his organic foundation to a shaping organic standard by helping start a couple of produce companies.

“I found a picture of the first hydrocooler we had built—we only put organic lettuce and the like in it. Just looking at that picture, I thought that was a kind of landmark moment,” Greg reflects.

While leading Ocean Organic Produce, Greg and his partner took steps to ensure organic items stayed separated from conventional throughout the process. These steps, common knowledge now, had never been taken before.

Amid blazing new trails and setting early examples of current standards, Greg came to know Rod Braga.

“Rod offered me an opportunity to come help him build out the Josie's Organic label. Since 2015, I’ve worked on improving quality and cooling techniques, changing boxes, and bringing over customer contacts to build up the sales. I got to help Braga establish itself in the market as a good quality shipper, until I felt it was time to retire,” Greg shares.

It was the perfect close to such a career, one that is impossible to fit within the parameters of this article.

Congratulations, Greg, on such a produce legacy. May what is next be just as inspiring!