If you take a glance at the u201cWho We Areu201d page of the Earlu2019s Organic Produce website, youu2019ll see countless references to Earlu2019s commitment to maintaining partnerships in organic. u201cCultivating enduring partnerships,u201d connecting u201cthose who produce and consume organic food,u201d and u201ccreating mutually beneficial, meaningful, and committed relationships across the food chain,u201d are but a few highlights that reveal the culture of community that interweaves all operations at this San Francisco-based company. CCOF and the CCOF Foundation are grateful to be amongst those partners.
For many years, Earlu2019s has been an active participant in the CCOF Foundationu2019s Organic Training Institute. As a co-host of our San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market Tour for the last eight years, Earlu2019s staff and the companyu2019s founder, Earl Herrick, have shared enthusiasm for their craft with tour participants.
Earlu2019s Organic also participates in San Franciscou2019s Super Green Program, helping the city of San Francisco reach its goal to be 100% renewable by the year 2025; supports the Organic Trade Association and Organic Farming Research Foundationprograms, Herrick shared his thoughts:
I support [CCOF] because you were the one! You were the one to be certified by. When I got into [organic] in the early 80s, CCOF was the easy default because they were the only ones! Over the years, CCOF has done the right job of maintaining its profile, whether itu2019s the information they send out; the media they share; the topics of discussion they lead; and their involvement directly with Earlu2019s, whether thatu2019s a donation, the tours, the information on the different chapters, or the annual dinners. All that, for me, just added to CCOF being available and continuing to focus on what I agreed were the right priorities at the time.
Early on, it was very much about understanding the laws and advocating for farmers, and for Earlu2019s that is our main goal: without the farmers we arenu2019t doing anything. So, all those things added to really a no-brainer for me. Meeting CCOFu2019s different people, whether theyu2019ve been on the tours, emails, conversations, or in on site meetings, the people have always been very positive, very professional, and very down to earth. In a lot of ways, CCOF hasnu2019t made any mistakes, so I havenu2019t been eager to change anything: CCOF gave me no reason NOT to be supportive and not to understand a partnership when I see one. When we got certified organic by CCOF, that continued to solidify our partnership and bring note to how we respect the organization. Any time I would speak to new growers or people that were considering growing and weu2019d get to the point of certification, CCOF would always be the ones weu2019d recommend.
Deep thanks to Earl Herrick and his team at Earlu2019s Organic Produce for their true partnership with CCOF and the CCOF Foundation and supporting success for organic farmers and producers.
