Earth Day at OGC: Meet Our Sustainability Manager, Teak Wall
OGC believes that prioritizing the health of people and planet is not just the right thing to do, but it’s good business. A focus on sustainability has stayed true and steady throughout our growth and we’re proud to continue to prioritize that work into the future.
Last year we doubled down on our commitment by once again bringing on a dedicated Sustainability Manager, and we found the perfect addition in Teak Wall. Born in Oregon, Teak grew up on a Willamette Valley berry farm. She made her mark leading sustainability work at New Seasons Market before getting called back to the land as a travelling Park Ranger.
Now at OGC, Teak is focused on our commitment to sustainability. Our goals as a company are ambitious. Here’s a peek into what we’re working on:
Sustainability Strategies
With just a handful of months under her belt, Teak is deep in discovery and strategic planning. OGC has set our sights high: we aim to continue to be a leader in sustainability and Teak’s current work is growing OGC’s capabilities to carry on this important work.
This spring, OGC will collect input from stakeholders through a Materiality Assessment Survey. If you would like to share your feedback on the future of OGC’s sustainability work, please reach out to Teak (twall@organigrown.com) to receive the survey later this month.
Fleet Decarbonization
We’re already off and running on a project to tackle the environmental impact of OGC’s truck fleet.
OGC has joined 19 other like-minded organizations in a 13-week program lead by Breaking Barriers Collaborative. The course draws on the expertise of fleet managers, policy experts and industry leaders to better understand the details of decarbonizing. As part of the program, Teak is working with the Electrification Coalition to build our fleet decarbonization action plan.
Through this process we’ve learned several ways we can decarbonize our fleet. Among them, OGC has increased our use of our electric system that cools down refrigerated trailers before loading instead of idling using diesel. We’re also exploring the transition to electric trucks as they become able to accommodate our needs and investigating the use of other carbon neutral fuels like hydrogen and renewable diesel.
We’re working hard every day to reduce the environmental impact of the OGC trucks that deliver delicious organic fruits and veggies to retailers across the Pacific Northwest. And every day, we’re getting closer to our goals.
Our sustainability work is made possible in part by the ongoing support of our retail and grower partners who know that choosing OGC is choosing more than just a produce distributor. Thanks for your continued partnership in supporting and growing the organic agriculture movement. Together, we’re on a path to change the world.
Stay tuned as we share more of our sustainability work, and from all of us at OGC, Happy Earth Day!