Find your own tomato war: How to fortify culture through ritual
Brenna Davis, CEO of the nation’s largest organic produce wholesaler, Organically Grown Company (OGC), emphasizes the importance of honoring the company’s roots. She has a reverence for the founders and retired alumni of the company, who at OGC are referred to as “elders.” Davis told us about how the company has upheld its founders’ mission by establishing the first perpetual purpose trust in the country. Founded in 1978 by a group of farmers, OGC has long centered its work on its mission: to promote and inspire the growth of the organic agriculture movement.
In 2018, it took that history into account when it restructured to transfer ownership to the Sustainable Food and Agriculture Perpetual Purpose Trust. This allows OGC to focus on its long-term purpose instead of short-term shareholder returns. With this act, purpose and culture became inextricably linked and inextricably tied to how the business runs. Now, the organization’s relationship to its purpose affects how work gets done, how meetings are run, and how decisions get made. It is by understanding its history that OGC was able to carve out a path for its long-term future.