Oct 25, 2021

New educational sessions added for Organic Grower Summit

Two new educational sessions will explore how technology is enhancing organic crop production and offer a look at the growth of organic fresh produce sales at grocery stores over the past two years as part of the 2021 Organic Grower Summit presented by Western Growers and OPN educational program, slated for Dec. 1-2 in Monterey, California.

The first session, “SmartFarm: AgTech in the Field” will explore how new technologies – from robotics to equipment to data management – are making organic growers more efficient in crop production. The session will explore the impact of agtech on production, costs, and the environment. The session will be moderated by Bart Walker, president of Pacific Ag Rentals, and panelists include Josh Roberts, president and general manager of Triangle Farms, Gabe Sibley, CEO and co-founder of Verdant Robotics, and Sebastien Boyer, co-founder and CEO of FarmWise.

^{Left to right: Bart Walker, Josh Roberts, Gabe Sibley} 

“Technological advances and data management continue to evolve for organic growers, providing a wide array of new tools designed for greater efficiency in the production of crops. This session will highlight some of the newest technologies, equipment, and programs available and how they can best be utilized in organic fresh produce production,” said Walker.

The second announced session, “Organics at Retail–Performance and Consumer Expectations” features an in-depth look at organic fresh produce sales at retail over the past two years and offers consumer insights on organic compared to conventional produce. The session features an analysis of sales by Tom Barnes, CEO of Category Partners, and Ben Hartman, senior category manager, perishables of Good Eggs will offer insight on how consumers view organic fresh produce and how e-commerce is altering consumer buying behavior.

^{Left to right: Sebastien Boyer, Tom Barnes, Ben Hartman}

“Since the pandemic started nearly two years ago, sales of organic fresh produce have flourished. While that growth has slowed slightly, the prospect for organic sales continues to be bright. The session will explore the growth of organic produce over the past two years and what the future may look like for consumers,” said Barnes.

The fourth annual Organic Grower Summit (OGS) is designed to provide information vital to organic growers and producers, as well as an overview of the opportunities and challenges in the production of organic fresh food.

The newly announced sessions are part of an educational program designed to inform and engage organic producers, their service providers, and supply chain partners. OGS exhibition and general registration is currently open.

OGS 2021 will be held Dec. 1-2 at the Monterey Hyatt Conference Center in Monterey, California. More details on the educational program, including session topics and speakers, will be released in the coming weeks.