Don’t Rush the Season
We get it. September is coming. The coffee shops are rolling out the pumpkin spice lattes, and school is back in session in a few weeks. But for the produce department, there’s still a whole lot of summer left to sell.
Meet OGC Mission Fund Recipient: Clackamas Community College Organic Farming Certificate Program
If you’ve ever wondered where the next generation of organic farmers is coming from, look no further than Clackamas Community College’s (CCC) Organic Farming Certificate Program. This one-year program focuses on following the seasons and giving students hands-on farming experience while building the practical business skills they need to run a successful farm.
Go Bananas for GROW Month
GROW stands for Giving Resources and Opportunities to Workers, a program created by Organics Unlimited to support the communities where its fruit is grown. Every case of GROW bananas contributes $0.60 to the program.
2026 Summer Update
Our latest Update for Friends of OGC is here, filled with stories about the people, partnerships and ideas helping us grow the organic agriculture movement.
Inside, we’re celebrating the gloriousness of summer fruit, coworkers stepping into new leadership roles, small ideas making a big sustainability impact and how we’re exploring new technology that’s hitting the road.
A Northwest Tomato For Every Summer Meal
Northwest tomato season is firing on all cylinders. Whether shoppers are after a thick slice for a BLT, handfuls of sweet cherry tomatoes or colorful heirlooms for summer entertaining, nearly every tomato category is tasting great and available in promotable volume. This is the moment to build brimming displays that celebrate the incredible variety of tomato season.
Peak NW Melon Season Is Here. Time to Go Big.
Now's the time to build the giant display, schedule the melon demo, order the bin and give shoppers a reason to fill their cart. We've rounded up the varieties available, dive into this year's dry-farmed melon crop (why they matter, how they're grown and why one bite usually turns curious eaters into believers) and why August is the month to go big.
Let’s Give Shoppers More Reasons to Choose Organic
This September, the organic community across Oregon and Washington is coming together for Pacific Northwest Organic Week, a regional celebration of organic food, farming and the people who make it all possible.
Meet OGC Mission Fund Recipient: the CCOF Foundation
The California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) Foundation believes in organic as a powerful solution for building climate resilience, protecting environmental health and improving local and rural food systems. Their vision is simple but ambitious: a world where organic is the norm.
NW Melon Season is Off to a Tasty Start
Melons have been on since May from Mexico and California and as the Northwest season kicks off, OGC’s melon buyer Rachel Pienovi is sourcing delicious melon from growers in Hermiston, Oregon and Eltopia, Washington.
Harvesting Wisdom: Crush Summer Sales with Great Grapes
Organic grapes are a staple for retailers nearly year-round, and an item shoppers look for on their weekly visits. Understanding seasonality in this important commodity is key to maximizing sales.
Berry Smart: Balancing Margins & Seasonal Insight to Grow Sales
Berries can and should be the number one category in driving sales, but they can also jeopardize margin performance if you’re not strategic with merchandising, inventory management, and promotions.
Northwest Open Pint Blueberries Are On
Blueberries are one of the flavors of summer, and at Mckay Creek Farm in North Plains, Oregon, the season is just getting underway.
Grape Toolkit
From organic seedless table grapes and candy seedless specialty varieties to Northwest-grown options and Ladybug Brand recyclable grape totes, there’s a lot to know and love about this tasty category.
Meet OGC Mission Fund Recipient: Growing Gardens
Growing Gardens works to improve our food system, community health and wellness, and soil health using gardening as their tool.
“All our work and education are based in organic growing practices, because the health and wellness of the soil directly impact your health and wellness,” shared Growing Garden’s Executive Director Jason Skipton. “This delicate dynamic between how you treat your soil and your plants is a reflection on how your body will be treated and react in return.”
Chase This Season’s Juiciest Fruit
OGC Stone Fruit Buyer Brian Keogh spends months talking to growers, evaluating varieties and sourcing the season's best fruit. Head over to OGC’s blog and watch “BK” slice and bite into the varieties turning heads, staining shirts and reminding us why summer tastes so good.
Harvesting Wisdom: Jeff Fairchild’s Summer Produce Playbook
With 40 years in produce sourcing and merchandising, and a key influencer of the retail farm-to-table movement in the Northwest, OGC’s Jeff Fairchild is a true expert. His trusted connections with farmers and deep understanding of the supply chain, shopper behavior and effective display, pricing and promotional strategies are invaluable.
Harvesting Wisdom: Unlock the Magic of Melons
Organic melons kick off their season in April/May from Mexico with a limited selection. As harvest moves north to California, two primary regions contribute: the desert offers fruit in June/July, while the Central Valley starts in early June and extends through the fall. The Northwest season begins in mid-July, peaks in early August, and concludes as the weather cools in early September. OGC wraps up the season with a limited offering from Mexico in October and November.
Bring On the Bold Flavor of Asian Greens
Download point of purchase shelf signage so shoppers have also the info they need about these great greens.
Juicy Rewards: Cultivate Loyalty with Stone Fruit
The stone fruit category presents exciting opportunities for your department to stand out by delivering amazing quality and flavor. Sweet success is as simple as selecting the best-eating fruit, understanding seasonality, merchandising appropriately and leveraging the expertise of OGC and our organic grower partners.
