2016 CCOF ANNUAL REPORT

ENRICHING THE ORGANIC LIFE CYCLE

FINANCIALSOur members provide the financial cornerstone for all the ways CCOF supports organic. CCOF members support us by being certified, and many of them also redouble their commitment to organic by donating directly to the Foundation. Organic leaders outside of CCOF then take our members’ contributions even further through additional donations.

CROSS-ORGANIZATIONAL REVENUE

CCOF Certification Services, LLC Provides direct support to certified organic operations by staffing our offices with certification experts to answer questions; investing in technology that makes managing certification more efficient; and refining our processes to help the organic sector grow even faster.

CCOF Foundation Funds programs that educate future organic farmers, help consumers understand organic, assist organic farmers in need, and provide ongoing training for organic professionals.

CCOF, Inc.Provides cost-effective infrastructure for our certification, advocacy, and Foundation programs, including human resources, marketing, and technology for over 100 CCOF staff members to advance CCOF’s mission. The CCOF, Inc. funds are also invested in advocacy activities to provide leadership and representation for organic in policy discussions across the United States.

CCOF FOUNDATION INVESTMENT AND DONATIONS

CCOF, Inc. Investment The $100,000 of seed money for the CCOF Foundation provided by CCOF, Inc. is matched by our members and funders by a ratio of almost 4-to-1 through their donations.

DonationsA full 100 percent of donations made to the CCOF Foundation by individuals go directly to the programs the Foundation serves. CCOF’s unique structure provides general and administrative services through CCOF, Inc., so that donations to the Foundation invest in services to the organic community rather than overhead.

FOUNDATION PROGRAM EXPENDITURES

Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund

Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund

Organic Training Institute

Consumer Education

DEAR CCOF MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS,It seems we say this every year, but it’s not a bad refrain to repeat: You enacted real change to better the organic community in 2016.

There’s no other organization in the nation like CCOF. The strength of CCOF’s 100 percent organic focus is outshined only by the powerful vision for organic of those who govern our organization: certified organic farmers, ranchers, processors, and handlers. These individuals move the needle on growing organic every day by running successful organic businesses, but their involvement with CCOF takes that dedication even further to benefit our entire organic family.

At CCOF, our goal is to provide a foundation of support to all people in different stages of the organic life cycle, from children just learning about what organic means, to new organic farmers starting their careers, to seasoned organic professionals who want to hone their skills, to retiring farmers who want their organic land to continue providing for the next generations. Our unique structure allows us to diversify the ways we can contribute to our mission of advancing organic for a healthy world.

One of our biggest member-driven wins of 2016 was the passing of the California Organic Food and Farming Act. Our policy and advocacy team heard directly from CCOF members about the day-to-day business challenges brought on by the requirements of California’s State Organic Program, and used that feedback to influence the regulations at the highest level. Hundreds of CCOF members and supporters got involved to advance more sensible requirements for California’s organic producers.

The continued growth of the CCOF Foundation is another source of enormous pride for us and for our members. This year, we reached more future and current organic professionals than ever before, providing funds and resources to help keep the future of organic bright.

All of these accomplishments helped set the stage for a 2017 that will take CCOF even further. We’re investing in technology that will continue streamlining organic certification management through MyCCOF eOSP, an online Organic System Plan that can be managed anytime, anywhere. You’ll also hear soon about our Organic Leadership Academy, which will start training individuals in the organic community to become influential leaders at the local, state, and national levels.

Our membership is where all this starts, and where it gathers momentum. Become a change maker today—join your local CCOF chapter, get certified by CCOF, or send us a donation. We can’t wait to work with you to keep growing organic.

Many thanks,

Cathy CalfoExecutive Director/CEO

ORGANIC LIFE CYCLE—HOW YOU’RE GROWING ORGANICYou’ve helped make a difference along the entire organic life cycle. Here’s what you achieved in 2016:

13,502 KIDS learned about organic agriculture at school from teachers who received $1,000 for their organic projects through the Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund (FOFGF).

28 HIGH SCHOOLERS completed FOFGF-funded organic Supervised Agricultural Experience projects.

33 VOCATIONAL AND HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS received $2,500 from the FOFGF to give them foundations for organic careers.

1,733 ACRES were certified transitional by CCOF in 2016 to help farmers start the process of getting more land into organic production.

739 ORGANIC AND SOON-TO-BE ORGANIC PROFESSIONALS learned new skills through the Organic Training Institute’s 17 webinars, workshops, and field days.

CCOF certified 3,357 ORGANIC OPERATIONS across 45 states and 3 countries who are responsible for getting organic products to consumers around the world.

We wrote and delivered over 20 COMMENTS to the National Organic Program and the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) and over 10 LETTERS OF SUPPORT to help protect organic integrity.

13 CCOF chapters held a total of 23 MEETINGS to network and share news and research affecting the organic community.

305 PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS, AND BUSINESSES PLEDGED THEIR SUPPORT to help pass the California Organic Food and Farming Act into law to help streamline State Organic Program requirements for California’s organic operations.

CCOF LAUNCHED NEW TOOLS to help seasoned certified organic businesses manage their certification more easily, including easy-to-read lists of action items and new methods for ensuring compliance through MyCCOF—known as Action Item Tracker and Compliance Report to certified members.

75 farmers distributed 7,000 “WHY BUY CERTIFIED ORGANIC?” POSTCARDS to their customers to help spread knowledge about organic and grow demand for organic products.

166 ORGANIC CHANGE MAKERS attended the 2016 CCOF Annual Meeting and Conference, Blueprint for an Organic World, to engage in discussions on how to grow organic to meet the demand.

CCOF EXPANDED FOOD SAFETY OFFERINGS to cover a range of farm-level services to help certified members comply with FSMA and buyer requirements.

CCOF conducted DIRECT OUTREACH TO HUNDREDS OF MEMBERS who use materials up for sunset review by NOSB, notifying them of the proposed changes and providing them resources to submit their own comments.

Organic businesses who experienced hardship received $14,983 IN AID from the Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund to help keep their operations organic and up and running.

CCOF worked with California FarmLink to connect 91 SEASONED AND BEGINNING FARMERS through their Organic Elders and the Next Generation Project to help make plans for the future of established organic farms.

“When CCOF first developed the ‘Organic is Non-GMO & More’ seal, we were thrilled. It offers Panorama a clear and concise way of communicating to our customers one of the most important aspects of organic production. The world of product labeling can be overwhelming to the consumer and this seal lets folks looking for non-GMO products know they need to look no further than the USDA Certified Organic seal.”

—LORI CARRION, CEO of Panorama Meats in Woodland, California

“The Northside neighborhood is historically black with strong ties to subsistence agriculture and gardening. It is important for the new Northside Elementary School to retain the wisdom and knowledge of organic farming that has been practiced for generations in North Carolina. Our FOFGF grant helped us plant our school garden, where we’re growing native North Carolinian crops that teach students about the agricultural history of the state and organic farming practices, while encouraging neighborhood residents to become more involved.”

—MICHAEL BROWN, teacher at Northside Elementary

School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

“My family’s farm has 170 milking cows and 600 acres of forage for the cows, and we are currently transitioning to organic production. I am currently a senior at Cornell University studying agricultural science with a concentration in crop production and management. After I graduate I intend to return to my family’s farm, finish out the organic transition, and continue farming for another generation. Each generation on this farm has added something new and exciting. My generation will be marked as the first full generation of organic on the farm, and I am excited to learn as much as I can and see what opportunities arise with the family farm in the future.”

—RYKER SMITH, student at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York

“AB 1826 (the California Organic Food and Farming Act) helped level the playing field for California’s certified organic farmers. Without this bill, we would have continued to cope with dizzying paperwork mazes that operations in every other state don’t face.”

—THADDEUS BARSOTTI, Co-owner of Capay Organic and Farm Fresh to You near Esparto, California

OUR SUPPORTERSThank you to the 3,357 CCOF-certified members who gave $100,000 back to CCOF’s programs by choosing CCOF for their organic certification. Additional support was provided by our Foundation Members, listed below by level of giving.

VISIONARY

CHAMPIONClif Bar Family FoundationDriscoll’sGrimmway FarmsSunview Vineyards of California, Inc.Brian & Kelly SwetteTanimura & Antle

ADVOCATEBolthouse FarmsBonterra VineyardsBraga Fresh Family FarmsCalifornia FarmLinkEarl’s Organic ProduceFagundes Bros. DairyFarm CreditFrontier Co-opGaia FundLundberg Family FarmsSmucker’s Natural FoodsTraditional MedicinalsTrue Organic ProductsValent U.S.A CorporationWhiteWave Foods

FRIENDAbundant Harvest OrganicsSusan BarquistBaugher Ranch OrganicsCathy CalfoCalifornia Organic Fertilizers, Inc.dotORGANICFarmer Veteran CoalitionGood Earth Natural FoodsAndrew & Myra GoodmanHeath & LejeuneMarrone Bio InnovationsMission Ranches Company

Halley Ray MoorNew Leaf Community MarketsPanorama MeatsSambrailo PackagingStraus Family CreameryTaylor Brothers FarmsThe Mushroom FarmTop Brass MarketingUNFI FoundationVal-Mar Farms OrganicsWatsonville Coast Produce, Inc.Whole Foods Market

SUPPORTINGA & R Bertolini FarmsBrian AndersenAnthony VineyardsLuis Garcia ArroyoAZOMITE Mineral Products, Inc.Madelaine BaerBalistreri VineyardsBassetti FarmsPeter BelluominiBenden FarmsBennett FarmsBioSafe SystemsBlue Banner Company Inc.Ruth BourqueThomas BreenLisa BuninTed BurkeC&N TractorsJanet CaprileCathy CarlsonJeffrey CatlettLois ChristieDenis ConkeyEdward ConwellJohn & Jennifer CozzolinoPeggy Da SilvaDwayne A. CardozaMichelle EatoneHarvestHubJohn EstevoLaura FairchildGalen FillmorePhilip & Katherine FosterCharles FowlerDelmar Friedrichsen

Marc GaribaldiGopal’s HealthfoodsRitu & Kelly GoswamyJeri GreenRoger GuerreroH.M. HollowayJeff & Kate HaasChris HallKatherine & Dustin HalliwellCharles HarrisAllen Harthorn & Pamela PoseyJames HirohataMarguerite & Bud HoekstraMarlene IvicevichSarah JamesDamien JohnsonKim KaputPeter & Jenny KimFrank LeonardoPamela LetourneauStephen & Catherine LindsayEsteban MaciasGlenn MajeskiDonna McCulloughJean-Paul McDanielKim MeierEric MeiliErnesto MonteneroMorris FarmsTom NakashimaWendell J. NaraghiJessica ParrAmber PoolProducers Meat and ProvisionMichael RealBonnie ReevesKarrie ReevesTessa RosichanFritz RueggerAnn RussMark SchackCynthia SladeAshley SolimanJane SoobyThe Culinary Institute of AmericaTotal Care SolutionsGail Weaver-GaltWeimer Farms

Nathan WelchWilbur-Ellis OrganicsLeon WinantJonathan & Susan WittwerLeo Younger

FUTURE ORGANIC FARMER GRANT FUND ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS

FUTURE ORGANIC FARMER GRANT FUND CULTIVATORSDr. Bronner’sDuncan Family FarmsForager ProjectFrey VineyardsGreen Ox PalletsDebra HirakiMr. & Mrs. Jeff IshimuraSanta Rosa Iris SocietySunRidge Farms

PHOTO: BILL GOIDELL

CCOF BOARDS & EXECUTIVESCCOF, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORSPhil LaRocca, ChairMalcolm Ricci, Vice ChairVernon Peterson, TreasurerThaddeus Barsotti, SecretaryStephanie AlexandreKaren ArchipleyGrant BriansAndrea Davis-CetinaRich FerreiraAllen HarthornJutta ThoernerEduardo MoralesBrad SamuelsonRenee Thresher

CCOF FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEESAllen Harthorn, ChairLee AltierKaren ArchipleyPhil LaRoccaMalcolm Ricci

CCOF CERTIFICATION SERVICES, LLC MANAGEMENT COMMITTEEBrad Samuelson, ChairCathy CalfoJenneke de JongCharles FowlerPaul Frey

STAFF EXECUTIVESCathy Calfo, Executive Director/CEO, CCOF Jake Lewin, President, CCOF Certification Services, LLCPete Petri, Chief Operations Officer, CCOFJessy Parr, Assistant Director, CCOF

CCOF2155 Delaware Avenue, Suite 150 Santa Cruz, CA 95060(831) 423-2263 • fax (831) 423-4528ccof@ccof.org • www.ccof.org

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HELP BUILD UPON OUR MEMBERS’ INVESTMENT IN ADVANCING ORGANIC AGRICULTURE FOR A HEALTHY WORLD.Donate to the CCOF Foundation’s programs using the enclosed envelope or online at www.ccof.org/get-involved.