The Organic Grower Summit presented by Western Growers and the Organic Produce Network will honor long-time organic grower Jeff Huckaby as the recipient of the fifth annual Grower of the Year award.
Huckaby, president and CEO of Grimmway Farms, was selected based on his ongoing commitment and dedication to excellence in organic production, organic industry leadership, and innovation, according to a news release.
The Grower of the Year award, sponsored by AGCO, will be presented to Huckaby as part of the keynote presentation at the Organic Grower Summit on Nov. 30–Dec. 1 in Monterey, Calif. The Grower of the Year presentation is part of an extensive educational program designed to inform and engage organic producers and their service providers and supply chain partners, the release said.
“We are honored to present the annual Grower of the Year award to Jeff,” Matt Seeley, co-founder and CEO of Organic Produce Network, said in the release. “His decades-long work exemplifies what hardworking, passionate organic farming is all about. Over the past three decades, Jeff has worked tirelessly to encourage water conservation, natural methods for pest control, and always found ways to share information about those practices with other organic growers. His dedication to the environment and community is what makes the organic sector special and makes him so deserving of the title of Grower of the Year.”
Huckaby is a fourth-generation farmer who has more than 30 years of farming management experience and deep roots in the produce industry. He joined Grimmway Farms in 1998 and managed their organic division, the release said. During his tenure, the program has grown from several hundred to 40,000 acres of certified organic ground, according to the release.
Before becoming president and CEO in 2016, he served as executive vice president and oversaw sales, production, engineering, and farming for all Grimmway Farms products. Jeff’s leadership has been integral in establishing Grimmway’s global organic business and lead position in the category.
The Grower of the Year award will be presented to Huckaby by recognized organic leader and former president of Whole Foods Walter Robb, the release said. The two have known each other for many years, and Robb credits Huckaby’s stewardship work for elevating and enhancing Whole Foods’ commitment to organic fresh produce.
Previous winners of the award have been Vic Smith, CEO of JV Smith Company (2021); The Lundberg Family (2019); Thaddeus Barsotti of Capay Organic (2018); and Vernon Peterson of Peterson Family Farms (2017).
In addition to the annual Grower of the Year award, the other keynote presentation at OGS 2022 will be “Grower Roundtable: The State of Organic Growing,” moderated by Dave Puglia, President and CEO of Western Growers, the release said. Panelists for the keynote roundtable include Brie Reiter Smith, vice president of product leadership for Driscoll’s; Michael DuPuis, Quality Assurance and Public Relations Coordinator for Divine Flavor; and Tom Nunes V, President of The Nunes Company.
OGS 2022 will be held Nov. 30–Dec. 1 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa in Monterey, Calif., and general registration is open. For more information, visit www.organicgrowersummit.com.
