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Every year OGC continues to make progress toward 5 key sustainability goals. We'd like to highlight each of these goals over the next weeks. 
Those employed by OGC are know as coworkers, because we work together, hand-in-hand to build a successfully company. To maintain our success and customer service capacity, we invest in the safety, health and future of our teams. As a mission-based organization our sustainability goals are fostered from our cultural vision which includes five core behaviors and attitudes featured in top right picture.
 
Read more about this goal and the rest of the report here: www.organicgrown.com/sustainability2016/ 

producereport Produce Report

Happy Memorial Day weekend! We are taking a holiday from the Produce Report this week, but will be back next week.

Why Congress Should Make Organic Agriculture a National Priority  

The Hill l Matthew Dillon and Richard Eidlin l May 20, 2017

Organic crop and farm bill discussions wait for no man. Even as U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue gets settled into his new role, Congress is talking about agriculture policy and listening to stakeholders. A key emerging theme is that many food producers and rural communities are struggling. At a transitional moment such as this, it's important to remember that organic agriculture leads to more profitable farms and job creation.

A recent study from Pennsylvania State University shows that when there is a density of organic operations, annual median household income increases by more than $2,000 and county-level unemployment goes down. Additionally, researchers at Washington State University examined 40 years of studies to analyze the comparative financial performance of organic and conventional agriculture and found that organic crop production is 22 percent to 35 percent more profitable than its conventional crop counterpart.

Yet, even with this positive net impact, organic acreage hovers at 1 percent of overall U.S. production, while consumer demand for organic food tops 5 percent, with a growth rate of 13 percent in 2016. This disparity between organic acreage and organic demand creates an unfortunate situation where U.S. food companies are importing crops like organic soy that could be grown domestically. The importation of organic crops is a lost opportunity for American producers, particularly beginning farmers and ranchers who are statistically more likely to be interested in organic markets, and who we need to step in for an aging farming population.

Find the rest of the article here. 
Springhill Farm in Oregon: OGC hosts annual farm tours for customers and coworkers.
OSA Business Member Spotlight: Organically Grown Company 
Organic Seed Alliance l May 2017 

OSA invites companies in the organic sector to support our work through our recently launched business membership program. Today we're proud to feature one of these members and a long-time partner: Organically Grown Company (OGC).

OGC is the largest organic produce distributor in the Pacific Northwest. Working with more than 340 organic growers, with nearly one-third of them located in the Pacific Northwest, OGC is known for its role in cultivating rich relationships with growers and curating a diverse organic product line.

Since 2010, OSA and OGC have been breeding a new variety of purple sprouting broccoli. The organic variety is being developed to withstand winter and provide early harvests at a time when fields are mostly bare and stores have little local produce to sell. OGC understands that investing in organic seed goes beyond planting season and extends to healthy food, diversified farms, and economic opportunities for their growers.

Find the article here.