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growing
Organic
forward
it takes people,
partnership &
persistence
Organic agriculture has always been about more than how food is grown. It’s about building systems that work for farmers, for communities and for the future. At Organically Grown Company, our role is to help that system grow stronger.
In 2025, we saw that commitment take shape in new ways. We expanded our footprint in Northern California, acquiring Johansen Ranch™ to help preserve organic farmland renowned for its delicious citrus supply and continued to build strong markets for the growers we serve.
We also stepped into a broader role, supporting the creation of the Purpose Trust Ownership Network and sharing our ownership story on a global stage at SO:2025 in Berlin. It’s been energizing to see more businesses exploring models designed to serve purpose.
Over the year, we continued to strengthen how we operate. Lean process improvements kicked off last year and are helping us deliver more accurately for our customers while improving efficiency in everything we do. And we reached an important milestone in waste reduction, diverting 95% of our discarded materials and excess produce from the landfill by prioritizing donations, reuse, recycling and upcycling.
This work adds up.
It strengthens organic farms, supports our customers, reduces our environmental impact and keeps good food in the system. And it’s made possible by people dedicated to our purpose that show up every day and go the extra mile.
That’s what keeps the organic movement growing and what gives me confidence in where we’re headed next.
CEO, Organically Grown Company
Rooted in purpose, focused on progress
At OGC, purpose isn’t separate from the business; it’s what drives it. Since 1978, we’ve worked to grow the organic movement, field by field, relationship by relationship. That work continues today, strengthening organic agriculture and the people who make it possible. Because organic is a living system and the work is never finished. Progress is powered by the people who keep showing up to move it forward.
Organicology™: Where the Organic Movement Meets Its Next Chapter
Organic agriculture is at a crossroads, and the path forward won’t be charted alone.
Every other year Organicology brings together farmers, retailers, advocates and changemakers from across the organic trade for three days focused on bold ideas, honest conversations and unexpected connections. This isn’t your typical conference. It’s a movement convening where the people growing, selling and championing organic come together to challenge assumptions, share knowledge and shape what’s next.
In 2025, Organicology brought fresh thinking, deep learning and lively debate. High-impact keynotes from Valerie Segrest on Indigenous food systems, Leah Penniman on farming, justice and land stewardship and soil educator James Cassidy grounded the event in the cultural, ecological and scientific roots of organic agriculture. Breakout sessions and panels tackled timely issues, from Gen Z shoppers and climate action to organic policy, biodiversity and the future of global supply chains, sparking honest conversations about where organic is headed next.
For generations, farmers have been growing food in ways that build soil, respect ecosystems and support communities.
25 years ago, the organic community reached an important milestone. The launch of the USDA National Organic Program gave decades of work a shared national standard—helping organic agriculture grow, evolve and reach more people and become the force it is today.
We’re excited to introduce the theme of our 2027 event: Organic at 25: Honoring the Standard. Growing the Future.
Look forward to more inspiring speakers, dynamic workshops, candid conversations and plenty of time to connect with the people moving organic forward. You’ll leave informed, energized and reminded why this work matters.
If you care about the future of organic agriculture, this is where the conversation happens.
Next Era of Organic Starts Here. Save the date: Organicology | February 16–18, 2027 | Portland, Oregon
Advocating for Organic
Not all impact happens in the field or warehouse. Some of it happens in meeting rooms and legislative halls.
In 2025, OGC worked alongside advocacy partners to defend and strengthen the policies that support organic agriculture. We endorsed the Domestic Organic Investment Act, met with lawmakers ahead of legislative sessions in Oregon and Washington and deepened relationships across the agricultural landscape through service on the boards of Oregon Department of Agriculture, Organic Farming Research Foundation and California Certified Organic Farmers and numerous advisory committees.
It’s steady, behind-the-scenes work that helps ensure organic farmers and the produce sector have a voice where decisions are made.
$142,774
Raised to support banana growing communities
Thanks to OGC customers and GROW, Organic Unlimited’s program that puts money from every case of bananas and papayas sold toward education, healthcare and community development.
(An increase of 6% since 2024)
What GROW Scholarship recipients say
$52k raised
for farm to school education by OGC customers selling Ladybug Brand bagged organic apples
Better for the planet by design
Organic farming works with nature, not against it—building soil health, protecting biodiversity and strengthening climate resilience. At OGC, we champion organic agriculture and support sustainable farms of all sizes, because there’s no better way to support healthy ecosystems, store planet-warming carbon and keep our communities healthy. From renewable energy and smarter packaging to reducing waste and supporting on-farm innovation, we’re focused on the ongoing work that helps move the planet forward.
Tools, Data & New Projects for the Planet
Taking care of the planet means asking questions, measuring what matters and improving as we learn. In 2025, OGC launched and expanded initiatives to reduce waste, rethink packaging and better understand our environmental footprint.
Our first facility-wide waste audit created a repeatable system for tracking what’s headed to landfill and where we can improve—turning a one-time deep dive into a tool we’ll use year after year.
Air-quality monitors installed by student scientists with the Change is in the Air program are helping us better understand emissions in and around our Portland hub while supporting the next generation of climate leaders.
Through the Tagback® recycling program, 210 pounds of twist ties were collected and processed for reuse.
And our Ladybug Brand Zero-Plastic Net Bag pilot replaced thousands of conventional mesh plastic bags with earth-friendly cellulose packaging for select produce items.
Together, these efforts and others give us better data, better tools and better ways to shrink our footprint across the organic supply chain.
First Distributor to Join the U.S. Food Waste Pact
We’re proud to be the first produce distributor to join the U.S. Food Waste Pact, a nationwide group of businesses working together to keep good food from going to waste.
Nearly one-third of all food in the U.S. goes unsold or uneaten. That’s not just a loss of food; it’s a waste of water, land, money and hard work by our team and our growers! When food ends up in landfills, it creates methane, a harmful greenhouse gas that’s contributing to climate change.
Progress powered by people
OGC is powered by people who believe organic agriculture can build a better food system—and a better world. From farmers and retailers to coworkers and community partners, it takes people working together to move organic forward. Through partnerships, innovation, grants and donations and more, we support the communities, and the people, growing the organic movement.
Feeding a World Hungry for Change
Getting food on plates matters more than ever. In the United States, 48 million people face food insecurity, including one in five children. One way we help meet this need is through gleaning.
Gleaning shares unsold produce with people who need it most, reducing food waste while helping address hunger in our communities.
We work hard to sell every piece of produce that we can (our shrink was just 1.02% of sales in 2025). When food can’t be sold, we make sure it still feeds as many people as possible.
In 2025, for the first time ever, OGC reached the one-million-pound mark in gleaning donations.
A big part of this increase came from the Potato & Onion Bagging Line where potatoes once destined for compost or animal feed, despite being perfectly edible, are now shared with community partners.
Every day, we’re focused on getting produce to the people.
In 2025, through gleaning alone, thanks to all of you and our nonprofit partners, more than a million pounds of fresh, healthy produce made it onto the plates of families across our communities.
produce perks
Through Produce Perks, coworkers take home fresh, organic produce at low to no cost, making it easier to share healthy food and reduce waste.
Coworker Tenure
Coworkers are Moving Up
Our Leadership
Board, Mission Team, Directors, Managers, Supervisors
Coworker Diversity
Make your own coworker collage
Click and drag photos to move around and screenshot your collage.
A Harvest of Honors
In 2025, OGC leaders–past and present–were recognized for their commitment to growing the organic movement from the ground up and their commitment to purpose-led ownership. These honors celebrate the roots and reach of OGC’s mission, one built by visionaries, sustained by stewardship and growing stronger every season.
80 hours
That’s how long coworkers spent using paid volunteer time to help causes important to them.
We’re growing organic forward
We’re on a mission to grow the organic agriculture movement by caring for people, prioritizing the planet and focusing on our purpose.
Let us know how we’re doing
Follow along with OGC’s work now and into the future by checking out our website and our social media
scorecard
Our scorecard provides transparent tracking of year-over-year impacts and highlights the indicators of special importance to OGC and our stakeholders. Check out the icons in the scorecard to see how each chapter aligns with the SFAPPT Trust Principles.