MONTEREY, CA - The Organic Grower Summit is set to happen in December. It may seem like it’s months away, but for us in the industry, it’s practically around the corner! OGS brings the best and brightest from all corners of the industry to Monterey, California, for presentations, resources, and pivotal networking.
The innovative and dynamic event is still being hammered out in the weeks to come, but three keynote speakers have been confirmed: Kat Taylor, Co-Founder and CEO of Beneficial State Bank and Founding Director of TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation; Amy Ansel, Co-Founder of Titan Bioplastics; and David Perry, President and CEO of Indigo Ag.
“Thinking outside the box is a critical component of successful organic farming. We’re thrilled that innovative thinkers Kat Taylor, Amy Ansel, and David Perry will be joining us at OGS as the event’s keynote speakers to inspire more of the creative problem solving that organic farming requires,” said Kelly Damewood, CEO of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF).
Taylor is recognized for her service of restoring social justice and environmental well-being to build a more equitable and inclusive world. She is active in a variety of social enterprises and philanthropic ventures on the West Coast focused on deep systems change. As a founding Director of TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation, she is dedicated to inspiring a sustainable food system through ranching, training, tours, research, and school food and garden programs.
Ansel, a former Microsoft IT management leader, sees hemp as a prolific plant and is committed to making hemp the keystone material playing a critical role in transforming the unsustainable. Sustainability faces many challenges, and Ansel believes hemp can usher in superior composites.
Perry’s Indigo Ag received worldwide acclaim earlier this year when the four-year-old start-up was named the Number 1 company on the 2019 CNBC Disruptor 50 list. Using satellite imaging and geospatial intelligence, Indigo Ag has created a living map of the world’s food supply, and by ditching chemicals, the company makes seed treatments from plant-friendly microbes to boost crop yields. Perry is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and built three innovative companies in the last 20 years, leading the last two through successful IPOs and to multi-billion-dollar market capitalizations.
The third annual OGS this year is made possible through the co-partnership of CCOF and Organic Produce Network (OPN). According to the press release, both CCOF and OPN hope to engage attendees during the two-day event with an extensive OGS educational program designed to inform and engage organic growers, farmers and producers, and their service and supply chain partners by providing vital information to organic farmers and ranchers as well as an overview of the challenges and opportunities in the production of organic products. This year, OGS will focus on areas including:
- What’s Next in Organic Plant Health?
- The Growing Hemp Marketplace
- Organic Cannabis on the Horizon
- Reducing Risk Through Soil Health Practices
- Organic Farming in the Age of FSMA
- Organic Sales Data Dive
The nearly sold-out trade show floor is set to be an event that will be critical in how the industry proceeds moving forward. Stay tuned with ANUK as we report in the weeks to come.
