OGS 2021 to Honor “a Grower’s Grower”; Vic Smith Announced as Grower of the Year Award Recipient
The Organic Grower Summit, presented by Western Growers and the Organic Produce Network, will honor longtime organic grower Vic Smith as the recipient of the fourth annual Organic Grower Summit’s Grower of the Year. Smith, CEO of JV Smith Companies, was selected based on his ongoing commitment and dedication to excellence in organic production, organic industry leadership, and innovation.
The Grower of the Year award, sponsored by AGCO, will be presented to Smith as part of the keynote presentation at the Organic Grower Summit (OGS), December 1–2 in Monterey, California. The fourth annual OGS is designed to provide information vital to organic growers and producers, as well as an overview of the opportunities and challenges in the production of organic fresh food. The Grower of the Year presentation is part of an extensive educational program designed to inform and engage organic producers, their service providers, and supply chain partners.
We are honored to present the annual Grower of the Year award to Vic Smith. Vic is truly a grower’s grower, and his decades-long work exemplifies what hardworking, passionate organic farming is all about,” said Greg Milstead, director of sales, Southwest Region for AGCO.
Since 1991, Smith has overseen all the companies’ farming, packing, and cooling operations, including over 32,000 acres of vegetable production annually, half of which are grown organically. He started his first organic operation in El Toro, San Luis, Mexico (a farming area across the border from Yuma, Arizona). Within a year, he purchased an organic carrot operation in Colorado and today farms a wide array of organic specialty crops, including romaine, iceberg, celery, mixed leaf, and spinach.
Registration to OGS is all-inclusive, giving you access to the educational sessions, keynote presentation, opening reception, breakfast, lunch, and trade show floor.
Register today at www.organicgrowersummit.com.
Among other educational sessions slated for 2021 OGS are:
- Building Resilience Through Organic Farming Systems
- SmartFarm: AgTech in the Field
- Organic Grower Perspectives on the Challenges of Scaling
- Growing and Selling in the Mexican Organic Market
- Are Regenerative and Sustainability Labeling Good for Organics?
- Organics at Retail—Performance and Consumer Expectations
Thank you to our sponsors!