Responding to double-digit growth in the fastest growing retail food category, a pair of produce industry veterans have announced the formation of a new company to connect facets of the organic produce community through education, information and live events. Matt Seeley, former vice president of marketing for The Nunes Company, and Tonya Antle, former vice president of organic sales for Earthbound Farm have teamed to develop The Organic Produce Network (OPN).
OPN is being designed as the voice and go-to resource for all things related to organic produce. The company’s mission is to inform and educate through a strong digital presence with an emphasis on original content, and complimented by engaging live events which bring together various components of the organic food community.
“There is a clear gap in industry-focused resources that inform, educate and even inspire all constituents about the value and also the values of organic,” said co-founder and executive vice president, Tonya Antle. “As pointed out in the 2015 Deloitte Food Value Survey, the reason organic produce is such a robustly growing category is because it sits squarely in the sweet spot for evolving consumer value drivers: health and wellness, safety, social impact, experience, and transparency. There’s a continuum of consumers who buy organic produce and they’re moving along that continuum at a faster rate than ever before and this impacts what they expect from the companies that provide their organic produce,” Antle pointed out.
The OPN website and weekly digital newsletter OPN Connect are scheduled to launch in February and will feature topical and relevant content related to organic fresh produce, with a special emphasis on thought-provoking commentary and analysis from leaders and influencers in the organic produce and food arena.
“The organic fresh produce community is energized about the opportunity to help change the way we eat and with that, change our health outlook,” says co-founder and CEO, Matt Seeley. “We believe that OPN can become the modern high-tech, and high-touch, source of new information, ideas, and inspiration for continued organic produce growth, “Seeley added.
The lack of a unified voice or resource dedicated exclusively to the multi-billion dollar organic produce industry was also a driving factor in making OPN a reality.
“Those of us who provide organic produce constitute the largest segment of the organic food business but this segment often lacks the voice it deserves in either organic-focused or produce-focused organizations. The OPN will be that strong voice, a trusted resource that connects us all through information, education and networking events,” Antle said.
Antle is recognized as a top spokesperson and a true trailblazer for the organic produce segment by helping to propel organic produce from the fringe to mainstream mass market. She currently serves as adjunct faculty, fresh fruit and vegetable marketing, at Cal Poly. Seeley spearheaded Foxy Brand’s entry and expansion into the growing organics market which now offers more than 30 organic products.
Readers can click here to sign up to receive the Organic Produce Network (OPN) enewsletter.
For more information, contact:
Matt Seeley, Co-Founder and CEO
c. (831) 214-8494
Tonya Antle, Co-Founder and EVP
c. (831) 595-9676