Today, March 7, is Climate Day at Natural Products Expo West. Every year, the Climate Collaborative brings together thought leaders from the natural products world to inspire, offer advice and bridge connections. T

his event is an essential part of the Climate Collaborative’s mission, which focuses on leveraging the power of the natural products industry to reverse climate change through policy advocacy and an engaging commitment program.

Fifty years ago, four University of Idaho students who believed food justice and ownership were critically important worked together to start the Moscow Food Co-Op. Today, the co-op straddles two of the most food-insecure counties in the Inland Northwest - Latah and Whitman. Faced with this fact, the Co-op’s leaders and members knew they needed to help, so they created the FLOWER program and Equity Fund to support low-income shoppers.

Each summer, 10 to 15 teens come to grow – in many ways. They earn a wage and gain job skills and training in gardening, leadership, financial management, and nutrition while learning to grow organic produce for a 180+ member CSA program and two produce stands. Half of the crop grown on the farm goes to the food bank to support neighbors in need. 

Oregon Food Bank is on a mission to eliminate hunger and its root causes. They’ve been helping folks in our community for over 40 years through a wide range of programs, including distributing food across Oregon and Southwest Washington, organizing volunteers, supporting growers, and more. Through their work, they give away food today, and through their advocacy efforts, they support legislation to ensure food security for the future.   

Carl, reminiscing about when he first started working with OGC, mentioned that “We were one of the first growers through the doors when OGC opened. I remember bringing in flats of strawberries to a tiny loading dock. At that point, growers were running around to stores and almost tripping over each other. OGC had the idea to do the marketing and distribution so farmers could spend their time farming. I believed in that then and I still do now.”

With a mission to promote and inspire the growth of the organic agriculture movement, Organically Grown Company (OGC) made strategic investments in organic trade advocacy and research in 2022, supporting the work of the Oregon Organic Coalition, the Coalition of Organic and Regenerative Agriculture and The Organic Center. 

Organically Grown Company’s mission is to promote and inspire the growth of the organic agricultural movement. For decades, OGC has given back a portion of our profits to mission-aligned organizations dedicated to fighting for causes we believe in and nourishing the Northwest communities we serve. Our Mission Fund, created when OGC became the first company in the nation to transition to perpetual trust ownership in 2018, distributes grants each year. This year, OGC gave $150,000 in grant funding to 65 organizations across our region.

FOOD for Lane County (FFLC), a vital resource and longtime community partner, shares OGC’s vision for a healthy and just food system. The friendship and support between the two organizations span decades, yet we continue to be amazed by their impact and heart.

Spotlight on Giving