Two days of educational sessions, a sold-out trade show floor, and networking opportunities await attendees of next week's fifth annual Organic Grower Summit (OGS) in Monterey, California. The event is presented by Western Growers and Organic Produce Network and held November 30–December 1 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa in Monterey.
The event is presented by Western Growers and Organic Produce Network.
Among the educational sessions planned are:
- Get Ahead of the Curve and Avoid Regulatory Speedbumps. Organic leaders will provide operational and administrative details of the National Organic Program's (NOP) Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) initiative.
- The Growth, Opportunities, and Future of CEA Production. Leadership from three progressive companies actively involved in CEA will share their insights on the current state of indoor and vertical growing, its impact on the organic fresh produce industry, and what the future of this industry may look like.
- Exploring Organic Research: A Discussion of Organic Grower Challenges and Solutions. Hosted by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), this session will feature the results of two recently released reports on organic farming and an in-depth workshop discussing how organic farmers can address current challenges.
- The Latest in Ag Tech Equipment and Innovation. Explore the latest innovations from five progressive ag tech and equipment companies.
- The Future of Ag Tech—Expanding On-Farm Profitability. Balancing sustainability and profitability can be enhanced by technology that can strategically apply fertilizer, pesticides, and water for maximum value. Attendees will hear about technologies currently available for growers, the cost implications, and what the future of ag tech may look like.
- Meet The AgSharks. The three ag-tech startup finalists from the Western Growers/S2G Ventures 2022 AgSharks competition will engage attendees with the systems and technologies they have developed to promote healthy and sustainable food and agricultural systems.
Other ed sessions will feature an overview of how organic fresh produce sales at retail are changing in an era of inflation and the increasing role of biological tools in organic crop production.
As part of this year's event, OGS will honor longtime organic grower Jeff Huckaby, president and CEO of Grimmway Farms, as the recipient of the fifth annual Grower of the Year award.
Right: Jeff Huckaby
Sponsored by AGCO, the Grower of the Year award will be presented to Huckaby based on his ongoing commitment and dedication to excellence in organic production, organic industry leadership, and innovation.
Another keynote presentation will be "Grower Roundtable: The State of Organic Growing," moderated by Dave Puglia, president, and CEO of Western Growers. Panelists for the roundtable include Brie Reiter Smith, VP of product leadership for Driscoll's; Michael DuPuis, quality assurance and public relations coordinator for Divine Flavor; and Tom Nunes, vice president of The Nunes Company.
For more information:
Matt Seeley
Organic Produce Network
Tel: +1 (831) 884-5092
Matt@organicproducenetwork.com
https://www.organicgrowersummit.com/