Honoring Tom Lively’s 32 Years with OGC

From Organic Farmer, Intergalactic Sales Rep to Ambassador, Retiring But Staying Close

By Kristi Yoder, OGC Senior Sales Manager

Tom Lively on his farm, 2020

With excitement and a touch of bittersweet, it is an honor to have the opportunity to give tribute to a cherished member of our OGC family by sharing that Tom Lively is embarking on a new chapter in his life and with our company. Tom seems to have broken the mold every step of the way, and so it’s natural that his retirement will take an unconventional form.

Described by his brother, David Lively, OGC’s former VP of Sales & Marketing and current Pioneer Emeritus, as a “famous raconteur, a visionary organic agriculturalist, a farmer and renaissance man,” Tom’s success in both his career and his relationships can be attributed to the curious, creative and joyful way that he moves through life, including his appreciation for being outside.  

Whether it be farming, rafting scenic rivers, ambling along the Willamette, daily bike rides, or hiking through ancient forests plucking wild mushrooms, Tom’s admiration for nature and enjoyment of the outdoors started at a young age. 

David shares that once their father said to them, “You know, I just never saw the two of you becoming farmers.” To which their mother responded to the effect of, “Are you kidding? Tommy was always playing in the dirt.” 

The intersection of Tom’s love of nature and what David recounts as an entrepreneurial spirit driven by socializing and an interest in the economics of supply and demand set the foundation upon which Tom built his life.

The brothers grew up in Arizona and Tom left for Oregon in the mid 1970s. When his square-back VW broke down in Eugene, it set off a series of events that resulted in what David describes as the “two phases” of Tom’s career thus far: Tom the Organic Farmer and Tom the Intergalactic Sales Rep. 

The organic farmer not only learned how to grow food, but he also reveled in the opportunity to share his experience and to bring people along on his journey. For Tom, a pastime had started to take the shape of a mission: to change the world through organic food. 

Tom harvesting tomatoes, 1979

In those early days, as he and his peers worked to make a real go at organic farming, Tom set the maxim that everything coming off the farm had to be as good or better quality than conventional produce. It was imperative that they “kick conventional’s ass.” Beyond just ensuring a superior product, though, Tom was also set on seeing that their community enjoyed a balance of hard work with a hell of a lot of fun. 

As Tom’s growing moved from garden-scale at Thistle Organics to farm-scale at Riverbrook Farm, he became ever more the farmer, working 16+ hour days and pouring over seed catalogs in his free time. His attention to detail, thoughtfulness, strong work ethic and disarming sense of humor became his signature. Without knowing it, Tom’s early experience in farming was charting a path that would lead him to OGC, where his “work hard and have fun” mentality would become formative in our culture. 

Tom didn’t intend to work for OGC, or for that matter, any 9-to-5 gig that would limit his ability to travel, develop his craft in carpentry, or plunge his hands in the dirt. David, who by then had become an integral member of the earliest iteration of the company, relates that there was an opening on the Sales team, and management was exasperated at finding no candidates for the job that were the right fit. 

Tom, Intergalactic Sales Rep

David offered, “What about Tom?” and from there, Tom took over the lead chair in Sales and embarked on phase two of his life, “Tom the Intergalactic Sales Rep.” 

By the time I met Tom in 2001, OGC had grown into something that more closely resembles the present-day company, with Tom a fixture as it had evolved. I was an assistant manager in the produce department at Sundance Natural Foods in Eugene, and Tom was our OGC Account Representative. While he possessed the qualities that any customer hopes for in an Account Rep, knowledgeable, accommodating, accurate, it was Tom’s wry and humorous insightfulness that helped to make placing our order with OGC the highlight of my workday. More than a moment to step off the sales floor, those calls became an opportunity to glean industry knowledge from someone that I knew was invested in the success of our business and the organic movement as a whole.

After a year of communicating over sales calls, Tom and I finally met in person when I was invited to his birthday party. Looking back now, I realize how pivotal that social engagement was for the path my life would take. Both Tom and his lovely wife, Megas, quickly became dear friends, as did many of the attendees at that party; a menagerie of OGC coworkers, local farmers, and other important members of the organic community that Tom and Megas are so phenomenal at connecting to one another both through work and their infamous parties. Later that summer, both Tom and Megas attended my wedding. As our friendship began to span years, I felt increasingly honored to be Tom’s customer and friend. 

In 2010, I had the privilege of officially joining the OGC family. At OGC, Tom has served as my mentor on the Sales team, coaching and offering sage advice. I can’t count how many times I have popped my head up over Tom’s cubicle wall to ask a question always to be met with a thorough, insightful, and patient answer with a side of Tom’s signature sense of humor that left me laughing.

Before the pandemic relegated us to working from home, the OGC Sales and Buying team’s office culture in Eugene was built on long days of hard work balanced by plenty of laughs. Ask a team member what their favorite Tom’ism is, and you’ll receive an array of colorful responses. 

Tom’s response when asked what he is doing,  “Just hangin’ around the shack.”  When asked how he’s doing, “Some parts are good.” On the rare occasion, I complained about how hard work was, “That’s why they call it work!” Tom’s elocution was not only verbal. He’s authored many snappy emails that were always sure to lighten the mood or craftily inspire through clever witticisms, such as his famous “Giddy up” when encouraging the sales team.

Tom excelled at sales because he is an endless source of information, in touch with the challenges his accounts face, always has their best interest at heart, builds deep and sustained relationships, and inspires a trust and confidence in OGC that is demonstrated by our honesty, hard work and service. 

Tom and David Lively with Joe Hardiman

“How lucky that my most trusted advisor is also one of my most trusted friends,” shares Joe Hardiman, PCC Senior Produce Merchandiser, who has worked with Tom for 25 years. “The business relationship between PCC and OGC is built on trust and friendship.” 

Tom not only lives and breathes the OGC values of integrity and partnerships but in many ways, our values were defined as a reflection of some of Tom’s best qualities.

Tom’s career at OGC is marked with numerous highlights and accomplishments, of which there are far too many to list here. Though, ask Tom, he’ll say none of them were his own but that they were all thanks to the team. His gratitude not only extends to the Sales and Buying teams but to the shippers in the warehouse and drivers out on the road.

Despite his humility, Tom’s contributions to OGC have helped our success in myriad ways. In his three decades, Tom served on the OGC board not once, but twice. First in the 90s and again in the 2000s. He has guided OGC’s generosity through service on the Charitable Contributions Committee. Tom accepted the Sustie Award on behalf of OGC at EcoFarm, as well as a Vendor of the Year award for key account work. Tom received a Lifetime Achievement Award from OGC and also an Employee of the Year Award. He authored the educational piece ‘Produce 101: The Botany of Produce’, which grew out of his passion for biology and botany. He hosted a memorable melon tasting at the Eugene facility, several tasting events at the retail level and created OGC’s Farm to School program. Tom has led numerous farm tours, participated in multiple public speaking events, and served as a great role model for building successful account relationships.

His impact on OGC has been great. 

“Tom has always resisted official management positions at OGC, and often made fun of me for being a part of the ‘meeting class,’” laughs Mike Boyle, OGC’s VP of Sales and Sourcing, “but the truth is he has been one of our most important leaders. Much of what I learned about this business and OGC was from Tom, and rarely did I consider any strategic decision without consulting him for advice.” 

Of Tom’s contributions to OGC, Boyle describes them as “unquantifiable, and no job description or title could contain him. He saw so much of what was going on in all areas of the business from his chair. Pouring over our inventory daily to ensure no avocado was left behind, calling out strategies to deal with volatile markets or identifying areas we could operate better. Tom truly cares about every grower and account we work for and always pushed us to achieve the highest levels of service to them all.”

In addition to his work at OGC, Tom also maintained his commitment to the land as an organic farmer on his property in Eugene, growing juicy peaches, big sugary snap peas, the most fragrant and delightful melons, and many other crops, often collaborating with local seed growers to establish new and exciting varieties. 

Always the visionary, Tom contributed to the Lane County Farmers Market, putting his heart and care into the organization and strengthening it at the roots. He has served on the board and contributed to its vitality.

Of all the qualities that make Tom a great coworker and friend, his sense of humor, how earnestly he cares for people and the environment, his investment in bringing others along on the journey, and setting people up for success rank high. While his coworkers will miss his larger-than-life personality and leadership, as an institution, we’ll miss his deep knowledge of both our industry and the natural world that have contributed significantly to growing the next generation of organic growers, sellers and eaters.

Tom’s impressive bank of knowledge acquired through years of study, conversations and experiences paired with his incredible memory and knack for history and story-telling make Tom the go-to not only for OGC coworkers but accounts and growers as well. 

Barry Haynes, Ashland Food Co-op current Store Manager, who worked with Tom as his OGC Account Rep for over two decades shares, “In more than 20 years as a retail Produce Manager, I learned more from Tom Lively about organic agriculture than from any other resource at my disposal. More than books and publications, farm tours, workshops or trainings. Professor Lively educated me about the industry in a way that no one else has. He has a storyteller style that will keep your interest and occasionally cause you to burst out in laughter. Tom's passion for what we do shines through in every interaction, and his tutelage has left a lasting impression on my life.”

And so Tom finds himself on the brink of his third chapter, not yet written but sure to be as vivacious as the first two: “Tom the Ambassador.” 

Tom is forthright that working from home this last year amid the pandemic, without the camaraderie of coworkers, growers and community to lift his spirits, made the idea of another summer “hanging around the shack” in his home office sound rather unappealing. He’ll be stepping back from the day-to-day and the phone-jockeying to find new ways to serve OGC. A “retirement-ish,” as it’s being called. 

Tom’s work is being redistributed amongst our team, and with his years of mentorship and modeling as a guide, we’ll be able to carry forth his legacy. Tom will stay involved with OGC in a part-time ambassador role, where he can focus on the fun parts of the job: farm tours, educating others, traveling and spending time with accounts. 

Kristi and Tom on a daydream-turn-adventure in Mexico

This is a milestone to celebrate!

I am honored to have the opportunity to join OGC in recognizing not only Tom Lively’s career, but also the culture that his tenure helped build. I see Tom in how we nurture our relationships, the endless curiosity we have for our trade, the fruits and vegetables it is comprised of, and how we conduct ourselves as part of a dynamic, ever-growing community. Tom is cherished for heroic size contributions, his larger-than-life personality, and the smaller, quieter ways that he makes space for his peers to shine and his simple gestures of gratitude.

To know Tom is to be the recipient of tongue-in-cheek jokes and the occasional bouquet of daffodils from his farm. It’s good parties and fantastic meals and daydreams that turn into adventures both far-flung and close to home. Tom finds a way to make even the mundane memorable, and it is for this I am certain his next chapter will be rich. 

Tom, my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes on this next phase of life. It’s been the utmost privilege to work alongside you, to know you as both a teacher and a cherished friend, and it’s a true honor to celebrate you at this moment. While you will be missed in the day-to-day operations, I am confident there are many years full of memories yet to be made and more that we still have to learn from you!