Blog posts by Shawna Rodgers
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Bonterra is the latest in a group of businesses to support organic farmers who have suffered from the 2020 wildfires and COVD-19 pandemic. Many small and medium-sized organic farms experienced disruptions in supply chains due to farmers' market closures and significantly reduced demand from the food service industry. With restaurants, bars, hotels, and other businesses closing, many producers had to completely reinvent their business models, and then dealt with COVID-related illnesses or wildfires to boot.
During the giving season, Bonterra stepped up and offered the CCOF Foundation a…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Monday, December 14, 2020
As food insecurity increases due to the coronavirus pandemic, Clif Bar has doubled its annual donation of Clif bars to families in need.
Snewsnet.com reports that Clif Bar “is doubling its previous 7 million bar donation that went to frontline health care workers and first responders and is distributing another 7 million bars to food banks and community organizations that reach U.S. counties most in need as we enter summer. Clif Bar is also opening its employee café at its headquarters (HQ) in Emeryville to make up to 450 meals per week that will be distributed to volunteers serving the…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Monday, December 7, 2020
In the age of information, consumers want to know where their food comes from. Was it grown locally? How long did it take to travel to my plate? How much fuel was used in its transport? As the internet and technological advances make it easier for consumers to find information, organic businesses and producers are becoming even more transparent about their supply chain. This helps maintain their customer base of ecologically minded, conscious consumers who want to be part of the solution to many of the problems facing our world.
Organic Valley Co-op (who, like CCOF, partnered with the…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Monday, December 7, 2020
Australia is no stranger to the devastation wildfires wreak upon the communities and natural habitats in their wake. With this year so full of unexpected twists and turns, many of us need to be reminded that 2020 started off with devastating fires that engulfed the Australian countryside. Our friends and organic colleagues in Australia endured months with no access to water. Communities lost years' worth of work and belongings that cannot be replaced. And yet, despite all the loss, when fires devastated the West Coast of the United States, our fellow food producers in Australian called us and…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Monday, December 7, 2020
Join the CCOF family for a special viewing of Gather this Thursday, December 10 at 5:30 p.m. PST. Director Sanjay Rawal has generously donated his time to participate in a live Q&A session that will take place after the film screening.
Gather is a timely portrait of the growing movement among Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political, and cultural identities through food sovereignty.
Gather follows Nephi Craig, a chef from the White Mountain Apache Nation (Arizona) opening an indigenous café as a nutritional recovery clinic; Elsie Dubray, a young scientist from the…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Monday, November 23, 2020
Tanimura & Antle is leading the way in setting an industry standard for housing by providing modern, quality housing for its farmworker staff. In California, housing is an issue for all industries. Many high-end tech companies are investing heavily in housing to attract and retain a skilled workforce. Farmworkers, one of the most overlooked highly skilled workforces in our nation, could benefit from similar benefits. Without the ability to pick produce “remotely,” farmworkers will always need to live near the land where they work. And, without significant investment from their employers,…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Monday, November 23, 2020
When Ge Moua and her family purchased their first plot of land in August of last year, they never could have foreseen the challenges 2020 would bring. Owning their own land was supposed to bring them stability after a decade of farming organically on leased plots that were continually sold to developers, causing the Mouas to start over again each time. Seven months after becoming landowners, however, the coronavirus pandemic shuttered farmers’ markets in Sacramento, where the Mouas sell their produce and make the majority of their sales.
The Mouas owed $3,149 in property taxes that were…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Monday, November 16, 2020
Many of us who spend hours reviewing food labels and packaging can agree upon one thing: there are a lot of words associated with food right now.
We’ve heard it for years. Words like “natural,” “fresh,” or “real” have flooded the food marketplace, leaving consumers anywhere from curious to confused. What is the difference between “natural” and made with “natural ingredients”? Why would one buy a local product versus a low-sodium product? The questions are endless and the answers, elusive. The word “sustainable” is likewise causing confusion as more brands become use it to appeal to…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Monday, November 9, 2020
Stone fruit is a sought-after treat this time of year, especially as more families prepare meals together at home. Stone fruits can be enjoyed on their own as a snack, or even tossed into a summer salad alongside dark leafy greens, goat cheese, and a touch of fig balsamic vinaigrette. California is the premier producer of stone fruit nationwide, with Imperfect Foods reporting that California produces 95 percent of U.S. nectarines, plums, and apricots. It’s no secret that people all over the world wish to partake in delicious California-grown stone fruit.
Stone fruit provider and CCOF…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Monday, November 2, 2020
Since 2017, CCOF has proudly partnered with Matt Seeley and Tonya Antle, co-founders of the Organic Produce Network (OPN), to host the Organic Grower Summit. Typically around this time of year our staff would be hurriedly securing all the last-minute details of the CCOF Foundation’s Annual Benefit Dinner at the summit. Past speakers at this dinner have included Travis Forgues, vice president of farmer relations at Organic Valley, and Jacob Pechenik, co-founder with actress and activist Zooey Deschanel of The Farm Project and Lettuce Grow.
These benefit dinners, provided by the Organic…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Monday, October 26, 2020
Fred Fagundes, owner and partner of Fagundes Brother’s Dairy, is a generous business leader. For many years, Fagundes Brother’s Dairy has been a loyal supporter of the CCOF Foundation’s Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund (FOFGF). They continue to champion the CCOF Foundation’s programs despite the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, the connection between organic production and human and environmental health has become ever more apparent in recent months. Fagundes Brother’s Dairy is committed to producing organic dairy products at an accessible price. What’s more, Fred Fagundes is keeping his…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Monday, October 19, 2020
CCOF Foundation Visionary-level supporter Patagonia has long championed environmental causes and is now turning its attention, voice, and financial support toward supporting organic agriculture. In 2019, Patagonia Action Works, which connects Patagonia enthusiasts with environmental nonprofits, launched a matching gift program. As a result of this program, the CCOF Foundation received an additional $20,000 in funds from Patagonia. Patagonia doubled the generous gifts of fellow CCOF Foundation supporters Sweet Earth Foods, Braga Fresh, and New Hope Network. These funds were critical in…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Monday, October 12, 2020
While organic farmers and producers may not have celebrity endorsements at the forefront of their minds during the coronavirus pandemic, consumers are listening closely to every word of their favorite actors, athletes, and artists they follow. More brands are joining forces with well-known and well-followed celebrities to endorse their organic products as good for the planet and the people on it. The Netflix original series “Outer Banks” became a sensation after its initial release during the early days of shelter-in-place ordinances throughout the United States, and the star, teen…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Tuesday, October 6, 2020
CCOF Foundation Visionary Supporters Cal-Organic Farms has taken the next step in its consumer education initiatives by producing a docuseries to engage audiences on the benefits and work behind organic farming practices. While the videos were produced in 2018, their content is increasingly relevant as countless split operations continue to expand their organic acreage in response to the growing demand from consumers who want to make choices that benefit their personal health as well as the health of the planet. As Cal-Organic puts it, “If you care about how your food is produced, and you…
Written by Shawna Rodgers on Monday, September 28, 2020
Typically, Natural Products Expo West follow-up happens mid-March, with connections blossoming in the springtime and coming to fruition later in the summer. In February, the CCOF Foundation team was excited to travel to attend Climate Day at Expo West and co-host a lovely cocktail hour in partnership with the UNFI Foundation. While we never got to host our event in Anaheim, we regret more that we never got to introduce one of our very special Future Organic Farmer grant recipients, Katie Doonan.
Doonan hoped to meet you all, too, and especially those of you who work for businesses that…