The 2021 Organic Grower Summit (OGS) Presented by Western Growers and the Organic Produce Network (OPN) will honor longtime organic grower Vic Smith as the recipient of the fourth annual Organic Grower Summit’s Grower of the Year. Smith, who is CEO of JV Smith Companies, was selected based on his ongoing commitment and dedication to excellence in organic production, organic industry leadership, and innovation.

Vic Smith, CEO, JV Smith Companies

The Grower of the Year award, sponsored by AGCO, will be presented to Smith as part of the keynote presentation at OGS on December 1-2 in Monterey, CA. 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 and 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, AGCO.

Vic Smith (left) and Kristen Smith-Eshaya talking with Greg Milstead (right) at OGS 2019

Since 1991, Smith has overseen all JV Smith 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, AZ). Within a year, he purchased an organic carrot operation in Colorado, and today he farms a wide array of organic specialty crops, including romaine, iceberg, celery, mixed leaf, and spinach.

"Vic is truly a grower’s grower, and his decades-long work exemplifies what hardworking, passionate organic farming is all about.” – Greg Milstead

“Over the past three decades, Vic 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 farmers. 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,” said Milstead.

Greg Milstead, Director of Sales, Southwest Region, AGCO

Previous winners of the award have been Lundberg Family Farms (2019); Thaddeus Barsotti of Capay Organic (2018); and Vernon Peterson of Peterson Family Farms (2017).

OGS 2021 will be held December 1-2 at the Monterey Hyatt Conference Center in Monterey, CA, with general registration currently open. The OGS trade show floor is sold out, and exhibitors include soil amendment, ag tech, food safety, packaging, and equipment companies who will have the opportunity to connect with organic field production staff, supply chain managers, pest control advisors, and food safety experts.

Some of the other educational sessions slated for this year's OGS include:

• 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

Tonya Antle, Co-Founder, Organic Produce Network

"In partnership with Western Growers, this year’s OGS will provide up-to-date resources and information to support the continued success of organic producers, with an emphasis on the role of ag technology," said Tonya Antle, co-founder of Organic Produce Network. "From seed to soil to harvest, our goal is to present the most relevant information on the most important subjects and issues facing organic production.”