Sep 12, 2018

Costco ‘Meet the Grower’ events coming at Organic Grower Summit

Retail giant Costco will sponsor “Meet the Grower” events at the second annual Organic Grower Summit (OGS) coming December 12-13, in Monterey, California.

Costco, with annual fresh produce sales of $4 billion, will sponsor two half-day events providing certified organic farmers and growers the opportunity to meet with Costco buyers.

The Organic Grower Summit, a joint production between California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and Organic Produce Network (OPN), will bring together organic growers, producers and processors for two days of education, information and networking opportunities with organic production supply chain and service providers.

The confirmation of Costco’s recommitment to meet with organic growers showcases the success of the Meet the Grower event in 2017, which allowed for over 60 growers to meet with Costco buyers. The “Meet the Grower” session provides certified organic farmers and grower representatives the opportunity to meet face to face with Costco organic produce, wine, beer, dairy, meat and grain buyers to discuss their operations and products.

“Costco is excited to be back at the Organic Grower Summit this year. We are committed to meeting directly with organic farmers, who are truly on the front lines of bringing top quality organic products to market. We appreciate the work OPN has done in putting together this unique opportunity to meet face to face with those responsible for actually growing organic products,” said Heather Shavey, assistant vice president – general merchandise manager for Costco. “Our buying team is looking forward to learning more about organic production, hearing about new product innovations and building new supplier opportunities to meet the growing demand for organics for our shoppers.”

Tonya Antle, co-founder of the Organic Produce Network, said “OGS is delighted Costco is coming back to show their support of the certified organic farming community. This is a great opportunity to have organic farmers get in front of Costco to tell their story as part of the second annual OGS.”

Certified organic growers, producers and processors interested in making an appointment to meet with Costco, can register as an attendee at www.organicgrowersummit.com/registration – select the category of Grower/Producer/Processor and click on the “Meet with Costco” button for further information.