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.
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.
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.
Melon Toolkit
Use this collection of resources to educate, entice and delight staff and shoppers, keeping melon sales strong past Labor Day!
Stone Fruit Toolkit
Ring the bell and sound the alarm – stone fruit harvest is starting in California with the first organic apricots hitting OGC’s docks this week and red cherries following closely behind. By June, the first nectarines and peaches will arrive and finally plums and pluots.
To help guide you through this delicious season, we’ve put together a Stone Fruit Toolkit full of resources.
Melon Minute Video Series
With grower partners from Mexico, up through California and the Northwest, OGC will keep your shoppers in a melon state of mind all season.
Gem Avocado Toolkit
There’s a lot to love about this “gem” of an avocado. California born and bred, it's large, nutty and delicious. Plus, it's great for growers and the planet too—since the trees are smaller, they require less labor, land and water to grow.
Earth Week 2026
We’re out in the field with Dr. Shannon Cappellazzi of Oregon State University, getting hands-on with a fresh pull of organic cover crop and soil.
Rhubarb Toolkit
Organic rhubarb thrives in the cool, wet conditions of the Pacific Northwest, which makes this region a natural home for some of the best-looking (and best-tasting) rhubarb around. These bright pink stems develop their signature tang in rich floodplain soils shaped by the Missoula floods thousands of years ago.
Come for the fresh seafood, stay for the zingy salads at Pal's
Take a Trip to Hayden Island for Seafood and a Side of Picturesque Views
Organically Grown Company (OGC) Introduces Plastic-Free Net Bags
Can fruits and veggies finally ditch the plastic net bag? Organically Grown Company (OGC) is piloting a sustainable breakthrough: plastic-free mesh bags made from beechwood fibers.
Organically Grown Company wins award, gains traction with its plastic-free net bags
Learn about this innovation in produce—recyclable, compostable bags made from cellulosic yarn derived from beechwood trees grown in FSC-certified forests.
Cheers to 30 years, Scott Kirkpatrick!
Scott’s 30-year OGC-iversary is this month! In 1995, Scott was working in the produce department at Eugene’s The Kiva Grocery and OGC co-founder Tom Lively was his Account Rep. When Tom let him know there was an opening at the Eugene warehouse, Scott applied. “I used to deliver to Scott K at the Kiva. He’s kept us laughing ever since he joined OGC 30 years ago!” says Brian Keogh, OGC Buyer. After starting in the warehouse, he was a driver for many years before settling into his current role as an Account Representative working with OGC customers in Eugene, Southern Oregon, the Oregon Coast and more.