An exclusive showing of the award winning Driscoll’s documentary The Last Harvest, which shines light on the labor shortage and immigration reform, will be held at the upcoming Organic Grower Summit, followed by an open forum discussion among produce industry leaders.
Produced by Driscoll’s, in partnership with studio Farm League, The Last Harvest offers an opportunity to hear the hopes, hardships, and sense of life-purpose in harvesting berries from three independent family growers. The film explores the issues contributing to agriculture’s labor shortage and proposes possible solutions to overcoming these challenges.
Following the airing of the 22-minute documentary, a panel of produce industry leaders will hold a lively discussion on the challenges and solutions around the labor shortage, immigration reform, H2A and growing innovations.
The session will be moderated by Tonya Antle, co-founder, Organic Produce Network. Panel members include Soren Bjorn, President of the Americas, Driscoll’s; Dave Puglia, Incoming CEO, Western Growers Association; Hannah Freeman, Co-Founder and CEO Ganaz; and Carmen A. Ponce, Vice President and General Counsel of Labor, Tanimura & Antle.
“The Last Harvest is just one small part of our journey to demonstrate our commitment to enrich the lives of everyone we touch across our farming communities. As one of the few brands in a typically commodity-driven agriculture industry, we have the unique opportunity to advance topics, themes and challenges that are otherwise invisible to most consumers,” said Driscoll’s Bjorn. “In many cases, strategic collaborations across public and private sectors are needed to improve these larger industry challenges. We support solving systemic issues at a legislative and policy level and continue to be active in timely discussions.”
The third annual OGS is produced by partners California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and Organic Produce Network (OPN) and is designed to provide information vital to organic farmers and ranchers, as well as an overview of the challenges and opportunities in the production of organic products. The two-day event will be held December 4-5 in Monterey, CA.
In addition to the announcement of the exclusive showing of The Last Harvest, the third annual OGS will feature a series of eight educational sessions and a trio of acclaimed keynote presenters, recognized for their innovative and resourceful leadership in creating new and exciting opportunities for those involved in the production of organic crops and products.
The series of educational sessions will touch on areas including:
- What’s Next in Organic Plant Health?
- The Growing Hemp Marketplace
- Organic Cannabis on the Horizon
- Strategies to Reduce Risk through Organic Soil Health Practices
- Organic Farming in the Era of FSMA
- Organic Sales Data Dive and Analysis
- Real Talk with Ag Tech Disruption Leaders
- Taking a Proactive Approach to Sustainability Reporting
The keynote presenters include Kat Taylor, co-Founder and CEO of Beneficial State Bank, and founding Director of TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation; Amy Ansel, co-founder of Titan Bioplastics; and David Perry, President and CEO of Indigo Ag.
With 50 sponsors and a sold-out trade show floor, OGS will feature exhibitors showcasing the latest in soil amendment, food safety, ag technology, and equipment manufacturers who will be connecting with organic field production staff, supply chain managers, pest management advisors, and food safety experts.
For more information on the Organic Grower Summit, click here.
For more information: 
Matt Seeley
Organic Produce Network
Tel: +1 (831) 884-5058
Email: matt@organicproducenetwork.com
www.organicproducenetwork.com