Dear CCOF Members and Supporters,
Each summer, we write to you to tell you about all the things you’ve helped CCOF accomplish in the previous year. As we sit down now to reflect on 2019—in the middle of 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic—it almost feels like another lifetime ago with how much the world has changed in such a short time. But what we learned and achieved in 2019 can help us chart the path forward. We can’t know what healing and renewal for the world will look like after this crisis ends. But what I do know is that CCOF members will be there every step of the way to feed, nourish, and sustain our communities.
Last year, 3,885 CCOF members put healthy, nourishing food on tables across the country. You helped us give $30,260 to organic farmers and business owners who needed financial help to weather a tough season. You helped us teach 6,558 students about organic. You helped us give grants to 41 students who will become organic’s future leaders. You’ll see the full scope of our collective reach in our 2019 Annual Report, but suffice it to say that the organic community’s contributions go far beyond those that nurture people and our planet.
In 2019, many of you gave us input to help us publish our Roadmap to an Organic California: Policy Report. It’s full of concrete, science-backed steps we can take to promote organic as a solution to climate change, economic instability, and health inequity in our communities. The report proposes 37 policy recommendations that will help us reap the full benefits of organic, which will be more critical than ever as we collectively heal from the far-reaching effects of the pandemic. I encourage you to read the full report at www.ccof.org/roadmap.
Reflecting on last year gives me hope for the future because I know we can all continue working together toward a world of healthy people, healthy land, healthy climate, and a healthy economy. What the research and CCOF’s own history tell us is that organic business owners and farmers are resilient, creative, and passionate supporters of their communities. These are qualities we need now more than ever.
Learn more in our full 2019 Annual Report.
How will you help us unleash organic as a true solution to our world’s most pressing issues? There is strength in numbers, and we invite you to work toward this goal together with us. Join your local CCOF chapter, get certified by CCOF, or send us a donation. This all starts with our membership and our supporters, and we couldn’t do it without you.
Many thanks,
Kelly Damewood
CEO