Kelly Damewood’s Post

We are excited to announce our additional investment into Verde Farms, a pioneer and leading brand of #organic, 100% grass-fed and pasture-raised beef. At Manna Tree, we aim to empower consumers to live better, longer lives by investing in companies that prioritize #health and #wellness, something Verde Farms has been perfecting for almost two decades. As the better-for-you beef category continues to outpace conventional beef (by nearly 3x), we’re extremely proud to help accelerate Verde’s growth and meet increasing #consumer demand for cleaner, more #sustainable food. Read more about this exciting new chapter in Bloomberg: https://lnkd.in/gk8qhMSm #OrganicBeef #GrassFed #PastureRaised #BetterForYou #SustainableFood #HealthyLiving #MannaTree #VerdeFarms #Bloomberg

Anheuser-Busch is the first to adopt American Farmland Trust's U.S. Farmed certification. 'Anheuser-Busch is a proud supporter of North Dakota farmers, sourcing 23 percent of its barley from North Dakota across 250 grower partners. Anheuser-Busch has two local agriculture facilities in North Dakota, including Anheuser-Busch Barley Elevator (Sutton) and Anheuser-Busch Barley Elevator (West Fargo) and spends $700M on the highest-quality ingredients from American farmers each year. Consumers in North Dakota are empowered to purchase U.S. Farmed certified products to benefit U.S. farmers and invest in the future of domestic ingredient sourcing, helping to ensure a vibrant and thriving agricultural sector in America for generations to come. The U.S. Farmed seal will first appear on Anheuser-Busch's Busch Light this May, and Budweiser, Bud Light and Michelob ULTRA have also obtained U.S. Farmed certification.' https://hubs.li/Q02qVWr80

𝗣𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝟭 𝗛𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: FruitMasters In part six of our series 𝗣𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝟭 𝗛𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, we once again focus on an indispensable partner in this transition. In this edition, Harrie Jonker, cultivation expert at FruitMasters, shares his insights on the unique opportunities F1 Hybrid Strawberries and Limore offer for growers and distribution. FruitMasters is a leading cooperation of more than 400 fruit growers, focusing on the national and international marketing of fruit. As one of the largest fruit grower cooperatives in Europe, they manage the process from cultivation to consumer. In this article, Harrie Jonker discusses: 🌟 Why FruitMasters sees great potential in Limore 🍓 How Limore ensures an optimal and stable harvest pattern ♻️ How Limore meets the changing needs of consumers 📄 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲? Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/ep2QbR5V

Does your business buy #organic products? Are you interested in connecting with producers? If yes, the Organic Trade Association wants to hear from you. Respond now to a brief 5-minute survey and make your voice heard here: https://lnkd.in/ddwTnR9P #organictransition #TOPP #TransitionintoOrganic

🌾✨ DID YOU KNOW that farmers and brewers are working together to create two amazing products from a single ingredient? By working together, they’re not only saving money but also keeping organic waste out of landfills. Talk about a win-win! 🍻🐄 Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gQ8hVgp3 #loveCDNfarms #spentgrains

  Blue Diamond Growers Annual Meeting At the 113th Blue Diamond Growers “Growing Together” Annual Meeting on Nov. 15 in Modesto, CEO Kai Bockmann delved into the significant challenges faced by the world's largest almond cooperative. This reflection, shared with Board Chairman Dan Cummings, outlines a strategic growth plan to counter industry headwinds. #AlmondBreezeBaristaBlend #AlmondIndustryChallenges #BlueDiamondGrowers #FoodserviceChannelExpansion #GrowersConnectMarketplace #OrchardStewardshipIncentiveProgram #ProductInnovationBlueDiamond #StrategicGrowthPlan #SustainabilityInitiativesBlueDiamond #USDAGrantClimateSmartPractices

Demand for high-quality coffee beans means demand for high-quality life for farmers. We humans very often forget it, when we’re drinking our coffee, how much work actually goes into making that cup of coffee possible. The most of this work is done by the farmers. A lot of care and work goes into growing, maintaining, harvesting, processing and packaging coffee. When it arrives at our roastery, we perfect the coffee by creating suitable roasting recipes. And all that labour combined, results in your cup of coffee. We value our partners greatly, and in 2009 we decided to start with direct-trade. Direct-trade was, at that time, not common in the coffee industry. Very often, and this is currently still the case, there are one or two links in the supply chain in between the farmer and the roaster, such as a green coffee distributor. When this is the case, more links in the supply chain need to make profit, and thus the ones who provide the most work, the farmers, earn the least amount of money. By direct-trading, we make sure 100% of the money we pay for the coffee actually goes to the farmers. At this moment, 78% of our coffee is direct-trade. We will never pay less than 1,5 times the world market price, and very often, the difference is even bigger. By paying farmers a fair price, we provide them the possibility of good health and well-being, a good way of life (for example, by being able to go to school) and the opportunity to invest in expanding sustainability on their farms. Doing this, we contribute to several SDG’s, contributing to a better world and, in return, we can enjoy a great cup of coffee. 

During the Organic Produce Summit this month, I had the honor of hosting a labeling discussion. The panel unanimously agreed that we're confusing consumers on label, making their purchasing decisions more complex rather than easier. At that same event, I met Erin Healy, M.P.H. and learned of NEW tools that USDA National Organic Program (Agricultural Marketing Service) has created for producers and retailers to help communicate more directly with consumers about their certified organic products. Check our the #USDA #Organic #Consumer Outreach #Toolkit - link in the comment below. And reach out to Erin with any questions about using this data in your marketing or in your stores. #OPS2024 #agrimarketing #consumermessaging

This year while we are forging new, close partnerships with socially responsible organic growers around the world, we are also focusing on strengthening our own field offices in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Peru. Why? Because by being vertically integrated, we can: - Provide direct support to the smallest-scale family farmers who had previously been excluded from global supply chains - By shortening our supply chain, we maximize the value that flows back to producers - Our clients demand the highest ethical and environmental standards, and our on the ground presence ensures that the reality lives up to their expectations Why do we think that it's important to mention this right now? Well, we can’t disclose much yet, but let’s just say that our largest step toward creating a fully integrated, all-around solution for responsible and transparent food production is yet to come — and it looks like it will come very soon. #Fairtrasa #organicfruit #smallholders #sustainablefarming #businessasaforceforgood

If this is what you’re seeing in your orchard or vineyard, there’s a lot of wasted chemicals and damage being done in the form of air borne drift, run off and human exposure to chemicals. And it’s definitely time to consider adding a Smart Apply precision spray + data system to your air blast, over-the-row or GUSS sprayer. Not only will you save an average of 50% on chemicals, you’ll reduce run-off by as much as 92% and drift by up to 87%. Keep in mind, Smart Apply is sold as a kit and can be added to virtually any new or used air blast sprayer. Find a Dealer here: https://lnkd.in/gAee_nkH usapple musa Stemilt Growers Chelan Fresh Michigan Apple Committee New York Apple Assn BARTON FRUIT AND VEG LLP EVANS FRUIT COMPANY Ontario Apple Growers Norfolk Fruit Growers' Association, The Washington Apple Commission Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission WASHINGTON STATE TREE FRUIT ASSOCIATION California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance Oregon Wine Board WineBusiness Monthly American Vineyard American Fruit & Produce Corp. John Deere