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.
Get Ready for Grilling
Make way for the melon bin and get the briquettes front and center: Memorial Day Weekend will be here before you know it, marking the unofficial start of summer and kicking off the season’s grilling holidays. Shoppers will be looking for the classic barbecue fare, organic Northwest grown goods to add some regional flair and anything to eat on or around a hot dog. Don’t wait to stock up on the flavors of the season:
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.
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.
Load Up on Cinco Essentials
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro... Cinco de Mayo is just over two weeks away. Make sure your department is stocked with all the holiday staples and a few extra treats to make it pop.
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.
Start Spring Off Right
Hit the refresh button with new merchandising, revived promo strategies and a lineup of specialty items that show off the full glory and bounty of the season. Go ahead, have a spring fling with fresh finds from Northwest growers and beyond.
Raab-O-Rama
This time of year, lots of folks get excited about spring flowers like tulips and daffodils. But those that love seasonal eating would likely rather receive a bouquet of tasty raab, especially because it’s only available for a brief window each spring.
Import Pear Toolkit
It may be springtime in our neck of the woods, but folks in Argentina are getting ready for fall, and that means it’s time for exceptional import pears. OGC sources organic pears from Argentina during months when the Northwest options have dwindled, and the California crop is still months away.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli marks the shift to spring
Unlike the green broccoli we know (and some of us love), purple sprouting broccoli looks a little like a carnival crop, producing a smaller, flattish main head and numerous side shoots. The cold temperature brings out the sweetness and the side shoots are particularly tender. Think of it as green broccoli’s younger, flashier sibling.
Build a Produce Pot o’ Gold
Eaters celebrate St. Paddy’s Day with some important produce items, and the gold and rainbows of the holiday create fun merchandising opportunities.
Ladybug Brand Purple Sprouting Broccoli Toolkit
The darling of colorful crucifers, Purple Sprouting broccoli (PSB), is getting ready to make its spring-time debut! Use this collection of resources to help educate your staff and shoppers.
Asian Greens 101 with OGC
After a successful trial in April, it’s clear that shoppers can’t get enough Asian greens. Eaters are grabbing bunches to explore a world of texture and color.
Gorgeous NW Grown Greens
Available now in steady volume, be sure to bring in plenty of these greens and remind shoppers they’re nutritious, delicious and grown organically by small-to-medium-sized Northwest farms.
Stunning Spring Picks Bring Excitement
There’s plenty of springtime goodness thanks to our growers in California and the Northwest. Check out this list, and bring plenty of color, texture and flavor into the department!
Start Planning for Mother’s Day with These Must-Haves
With the Mother’s Day holiday weekend just two weeks away, shoppers have meals that celebrate mom on their minds. Be sure to get stocked up with the fresh organic picks they’re craving for brunches, lunches and bevvies. There are some great opportunities for promotions and a couple tight items to be aware of, so scan this list, sharpen your pencil and order up!