Growing the Organic Movement Since 1978
With hands in the soil, Organically Grown Company was formed back in 1978 by a group of hippies, small-scale farmers, activists, food-lovers and dreamers who believed that organic food and farming was the answer to healthy people and planet.
Today, we’re the nation’s only trust owned and largest wholesale distributor dedicated to organic fresh produce, supporting farms big and small.
We are proud of our roots and boldly live by our purpose-first philosophy; that means we do right by our community and the earth, above all. We forge our own path, take care of our people, support organic growers and advocate for the organic movement, because we know that's what it takes to make real change.
Proudly & Purposefully Trust Owned
In late 2018, OGC embraced the Trust Ownership structure as a bold move to make sure we stay true to our mission—a shift that’s since inspired dozens of other mission driven businesses across the U.S. We established the Sustainable Food and Agriculture Perpetual Purpose Trust (SFAPPT). We transferred majority ownership to it, solidifying our commitment to quadruple-bottom-line leadership focused on people, planet, purpose and profit. This means we focus on positive economic, social and environmental impacts while maintaining our independence forever—never to be sold.
OGC proudly stands as a purpose led and trust owned organization and Benefit Company dedicated to supporting organic agriculture while benefiting all our growers, customers, coworkers and communities. By balancing the profit needed to support our mission and purpose, we show that a business can thrive while making a real difference for people and the planet. Bottom line, we get to put everything we have into growing the organic movement.
(L to R) Robert Despain, GM; Robert Rodale, Rodale Institute; Tom Lively, Sr. Account Rep; David Lively, VP Sales and Marketing; Tom Keller, Delivery, 1989
Rewind to Humble Beginnings
In early 1978, our Eugene, Oregon based visionaries chose a name — Organically Grown Cooperative. It became a hub for sharing knowledge, learning together and pooling resources to strengthen the organic market while caring for the Earth and their communities. They incorporated as a nonprofit and got to work creating a fair and just marketplace.
In 1980, with plans to reshape the cooperative for business growth, they brought on VISTA worker Lynn Crosby to coordinate operations for the next few years. During this time, the growers rewrote the bylaws to form an agricultural marketing co-op, bought essential equipment like a cooler and found property to build a dock. As the dream of a farmer-owned business took shape, they began coordinating crop production to make sure they could meet, but not overshoot demand.
Grand opening of our first facility in Eugene, Oregon, July 1983.
A Dock & A Dream
In 1983, the co-op opened its first dock in North Eugene and hired its very first employee, Joe Gabriel. Joe handled everything—from buying and selling produce to storage, deliveries and making sure payments were collected. The co-op started with six member farms and a handful of affiliates, mostly from the upper Willamette Valley and Southern Oregon. In that first year, sales hit $12,000.
Taken at an OGC Tomato War in the early 90s at Fir Oak Farm.
A Decade of Change
Along the way, OGC became an S-class corporation in 1999, and in 2008, launched an employee stock ownership program (ESOP). By 2016, the company moved into a larger Seattle location and opened a Spokane, Washington dock to better serve customers in Montana and beyond. In 2018, OGC became an Oregon Benefit Company and transitioned to perpetual purpose trust ownership.
Today, OGC is proudly owned by the SFAPPT.
ARE YOU AN OGC CUSTOMER, GROWER, INVESTOR, COMMUITY ALLY OR COWORKER?
If you fall into one of these groups, you have the opportunity to influence how our business is run by becoming a Qualified Stateholder.
Milestones
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1978
Founded as a nonprofit cooperative
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1982
Evolved into grower marketing cooperative
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1990
Inaugural Tomato War, our annual company celebration
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1994
First Portland, Ore. facility opened
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1998
Certified organic by OTCO private standard
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2001
Kent, Wash. facility opened
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2002
Certified organic by USDA National Organic Program
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2005
Hosted Organic Produce Trade Sustainability Summit
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2006
Honored with Oregon Tilth 2006 Outstanding Visionary of the Year, for sustainability initiatives
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2008
Launched Employee Ownership Program
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2009
February: Co-hosted first Organicology conference
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2009
February: Quality Fleet Forward recognition by Oregon Department of Environmental for cleaner fuels and fuel saving
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2012
Opened new state-of-the-art facility in Gresham, Ore.
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2015
Expanded routes in Idaho and Montana
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2015
December: Spokane facility opened
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2016
LEED Silver certified dock opened in Seattle area
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2018
Transitioned ownership to the Sustainable Food & Agriculture Perpetual Purpose Trust
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2019
Hosted first annual SFAPPT Gathering with a keynote address presented by Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer
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2020
Launched the OGC Mission Fund, awarding over $200,000 in grants to our stakeholder community
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2022
March: Signed on to the Pacific Coast Collaborative food waste reduction initiative
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2022
June: Helped launch Washington State’s Coalition for Organic & Regenerative Agriculture
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2023
June: Joined One Step Closer’s CEO Leadership Chapter for triple-bottom line leaders
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2023
October: Organic is the Answer awareness campaign launched
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2024
March: Honored as Organic Company of the Year by The Organic Center & Organic Voices for our work to advance the awareness, sales and support of certified organic products
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2024
March: Named Changemaker of the Year by Oregon Food Bank for helping to end hunger at its roots
