From Farm to Shelf: Integrating Organic Produce into the Supply Chain

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 | 9 am - 4 pm

Spanish Simultaneous Interpretation will be available for the full event.

Habrá interpretación simultánea en español disponible para todo el evento.

Join us for a hands-on all day intensive that will guide growers through the essential steps to get organic products into local, regional, or national supply chains. It will provide practical tools, real world case studies, and networking opportunities to help move your organic produce from field to shelf.

What’s really happening in the organic produce market right now? Hear directly from buyers, farmers, and food hubs about emerging trends, pricing pressures, and new opportunities—followed by a farm tour of JSM Organics and time to connect over lunch and a closing mixer.

Buyers Panel – Organic Produce Market Trends

Organic produce buyers share insights from the front lines of the market—what’s selling, what’s slowing down, and what they see on the horizon
for organic produce. Panel moderated by Rebecca North, EcoFarm, featured panelists include:

Gary Bascou, Staff of Life
Adam Stone, Wild Roots
Agnes Martelet, University of California Office of the President (UCOP)

Farmer Panel – Farm-Level Pricing Pressures

Organic farmers discuss the pricing pressures they’re facing on the farm and how they’re adapting their production, marketing, and business strategies in a shifting market.

Panel moderated by Nathanael Siemens, Rodale Institute, featured panelists include:

Javier Zamora, JSM Organics
Jeff Larkey, Route 1 Farm

Food Hubs Panel – Expanding Market Opportunities

Food hub leaders share how they are expanding market opportunities for organic farmers and strengthening regional supply chains that connect farms with buyers. Featured panelists include:

Veronica Mazariegos-Anastassiou, Coastside Local Food Hub
Arabelle Schoenberg, FEED Sonoma
Jake Marks, Capay Valley Farm Shop
David Weinstein, Moderator

Featured Speakers

Gary Bascous

In 1969 Gary Bascou and Richard Josephson formed Staff of Life Bakery in Santa Cruz, CA based on a simple, but powerful, idea: make nourishing and natural old world-style bread as a healthy alternative to the highly processed and chemical laden breads that dominated the market. At the time there was no clear definition of “organic” but Gary and Richard sought out the best ingredients that aligned with their principles. They found wheat from family farms that were still practicing traditional agricultural methods that were pesticide free and healthy for both individuals and the planet: essentially the principles of what is now considered organic farming. In its first year Staff of Life Bakery had three local surfers as their bakers and a cigar box served as the cash register. Over time Staff of Life Bakery bakery grew into Staff of Life Natural Foods Market and in the process helped create and fuel a natural foods and organic movement that is now widely accepted. Gary Bascou and Staff of Life continue to be pioneers in the natural foods and organic movement: in a market dominated by colossal corporations Staff of Life stands apart as a family owned natural foods market committed to the farmers, producers, consumers and employees who share our passion for natural and delicious foods.

Co-Founder and Owner of Staff of Life

Jake Marks

Jake Marks helps lead Capay Valley Farm Shop, a food hub supporting the growers of Yolo County. For the past three years with Farm Shop, Jake has worked toward building a sustainable business that serves as both an enduring connection point in Northern California’s local food ecosystem and a company that will stand the test of time. He has helped expand the Farm Shop’s Farm-to-School program by implementing a CDFA Farm to School Grant to handle logistics for a dozen school districts and over 40 local farms across the region. The Capay Valley Farm Shop’s goal is to be an enduring connection point in California’s local food ecosystem.

Sales Manager at Capay Valley Farm Shop

Adam Stone

Adam Stone has worked in the natural foods industry for more than 30 years, including the past 15 years in the produce sector. Over the course of his career, he has held roles as a produce manager at Whole Foods, New Leaf Community Market, and New Seasons Market. He currently serves as produce manager at Wild Roots Market in Felton, California. Wild Roots Market established the first certified 100% organic produce department in the United States in 2000. Adam stepped into this role following Bert Brown, who began cultivating relationships with local organic farmers more than 40 years ago through the UCSC Organic Gardening Program. Those relationships with small, local organic farms continue to this day. He is proud to carry forward this tradition and honor the longstanding commitment to supporting Santa Cruz’s local organic farming community.

Produce Manager at Wild Roots Market

Arabelle Schoenberg

Program Manager for FEED Cooperative's CSA Box

Arabelle is the program manager for FEED Cooperative's aggregated CSA box, the FEED Bin. Originally from the East Bay, she farmed 5 seasons in Sonoma County before hanging up her boots to pursue food systems work. After working with FEED Cooperative for many years from the farm side, she did a brief stint as a food safety and organic advisor at CAFF before joining the incredible, hardworking staff of FEED Cooperative. She cares deeply about the future of diversified agriculture in the North Bay and believes that FEED plays an essential role in building a bioregional food system that supports both farmer and food hub worker livelihoods. Before starting her career in agriculture, she studied geography and sustainable food systems at Yale University.

Agnes Martelet

Associate Director of Sustainability, University of California, Office of the President (UCOP)

As an Associate Director of Sustainability at UC Office of the President, Agnes supports the implementation of the UC Sustainable Practices Policy by coordinating the efforts of eight UC systemwide sustainability working groups that address sustainability policies, projects, and initiatives related to food, water, waste, procurement, healthcare, health and wellbeing, and laboratories. As part of this work, Agnes has co-directed a 3-year project to help UC campuses and health centers shift their food supply chains to more sustainable options to meet the UC’s 25% sustainable food purchasing goal. Agnes has over 20 years of experience leading complex environmental and sustainability projects and programs in the private and public sectors, including climate action and adaptation, sustainable food, supply chain sustainability and GHG emissions, water and storm water management, waste reduction and recycling, hazardous materials management, watershed planning, and ecological restoration. Agnes has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning.

Jeff Larkey

Jeff Larkey is the founder of Route 1 Farms and a pioneer of the organic movement in Santa Cruz. Starting in 1981 with a small collective, Larkey helped establish the region’s first farmers' markets, transforming Santa Cruz into a "ground zero" for ecological agriculture. Recently Jeff has peri-retired from managing 65 acres of diverse crops—including leafy greens, herbs, and dry-farmed tomatoes—across the San Lorenzo River and Waddell Creek valleys. Certified by CCOF since 1988, Larkey advocates for standards that exceed federal requirements, focusing on soil health and sustainability.

As prior board president of the Santa Cruz Community Farmers’ Market, he bridges the gap between the field and the table, collaborating with local chefs and educating the public on the importance of a local foodshed. For over four decades, Larkey has remained dedicated to a farming system that works with nature, ensuring the Central Coast remains a leader in the organic industry.

Founder of Route 1 Farms

Javier Zamora

Javier Zamora comes from a farming background in Mexico and immigrated to Los Angeles at age 20. Over the next two decades, he learned English and later returned to school, earning a degree in horticulture at age 43. Zamora went on to complete the Agriculture and Land-Based Learning (ALBA) program, after which he launched his farming career on one and a half acres of organic land. Today, he owns and operates JSM Farms, cultivating 65 acres in the Pajaro Valley. Zamora mentors several first-generation farmers, helping them navigate access to land, financial support, and other critical resources. He regularly collaborates with organizations that share his commitment to supporting family farms and advancing a more equitable food system.

Owner of JSM Organics

Veronica Mazariegos-Anastassiou

Veronica Mazariegos-Anastassiou is a co-founder and operator of Brisa Ranch and the Coastside Local Food Hub on California's Central Coast. She leads the farm's business management and the emerging food hub with the goal of connecting small- and mid-scale farmers to local businesses and institutional markets. Through farming, aggregation, and policy advocacy, she connects with diverse stakeholders to build more equitable and resilient food systems.

Co-Founder and Operator at Brisa Ranch

David Weinstein

David Weinstein has been an advocate and consumer of organic foods since the 1970s. He began his career working in both retail and wholesale food co-ops and later joined a regional chain of natural foods grocery stores in Southern California that eventually became Whole Foods Market. Over the years, he played a key role in encouraging conventional supermarkets to carry organic produce, helping expand access to organic food for a broader public. He later focused on building a more sustainable local food system that supports small and mid-scale producers and strengthens locally owned independent retailers within an increasingly consolidated and profit-driven urban marketplace. He continues to believe that a better, more equitable food system is possible.

Food Hubs Panel Moderator