In Their Words: Jeff Huckaby, OTA's Organic Farmer of the Year

Jeff Huckaby is the President of Grimmway Farms and Cal-Organic Farms. He manages over 45,000 acres growing 65 different certified organic vegetables. The Organic Trade Association (OTA) recently honored Jeff Huckaby with their Organic Farmer of the Year award. OPN had the opportunity to speak with Jeff about the award, his vision and commitment to the organic produce industry.

You’re being honored by OTA as The Farmer of the Year. How do you feel about this prestigious award?

It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by my peers and fellow members of the trade association. I look at this as one of the greatest awards anyone involved with organic can receive, and I am grateful to accept on behalf of the many dedicated farmers who work alongside me at Grimmway and Cal-Organic Farms. I’ve been growing organic at Grimmway for more than 20 years, and I am proud to have helped build our organic program and expand the Cal-Organic Farms brand. Over these years, I’ve witnessed the commitment, hard work and downright grit among all members of this community who are fighting to ensure a bright future for organic in the U.S.

Where did your vision for organic at Grimmway come from?

Rod and Bob Grimm realized early on that we needed to find alternative ways to grow carrots. Fumigants and pesticides were being phased out and as a large carrot grower, we needed options. I was asked to take the program, still in its infancy, and see if we could make it work. It didn't take long to see, while not easy, there were opportunities for success. The rest was solid backing by the Grimms and a commitment to figure it out. Timing was ideal as the organic movement was gaining speed. I quickly developed a passion to grow the highest quality organic carrots possible. Using rotation crops, cover crops, and compost, you could see the quality improve each planting.

We bought Cal Organic Farms from Danny Duncan in 2001 and combined his years of experience with our farming style. We ultimately found instant success. Building a year-round program to fill customer needs became my biggest objective so the retailer would only need to make one phone call and have the majority of their organic vegetable needs filled. That theory played out well as we became a consistent year-round supplier and sales grew significantly for both the retailer and Grimmway.

How does organic soil health relate to better yields and quality?

Soil health has been the single biggest contributor to our success. Building the soil by composting and cover cropping to increase the organic matter gave us the foundation to further develop our program. We quickly learned that you could not rush the soil building process and that the prior crop rotation was equally as important as the processes done during the actual growing season. Yields steadily increased as the soil became stronger and more fertile.

Through this learning process, we realized that there were no magic tools so looking out several years would be a requirement. Today, our quality and yields consistently exceed our conventional carrots.

Why is being an OTA member important for Grimmway Farms?  

The Organic Trade Association is an organization that effectively represents the organic industry in Washington DC, advocating to protect the rights of producers and their partners. I appreciate that OTA touches every level of our industry and makes sure all voices are heard, from large operations to small growers.

OTA brings the industry together on key issues that affect organic farms and businesses. It also provides information and education on critical issues and industry trends, acting quickly to correct misinformation and protect the organic sector from outside attacks.

In light of all the changes we have experienced in 2020 what do you feel the opportunities are for organic?

Over the past several weeks, we have seen a rapid change in consumer behaviors and habits when it comes to how they shop and where and what they eat. Organic produce growth continues at a strong pace and despite economic challenges created by the COVID-19 quarantine consumers show no indications of shifting away from organic produce. Organic is a bright spot in U.S. agriculture with tremendous opportunity to change the future of our food system. As consumers become increasingly interested in sustainable food production, nutrition and quality, organic farming can provide a path forward to improve the state of agriculture in the US.

What’s changed at Grimmway since the pandemic started?

As we continue to navigate the challenges associated with COVID-19, the health and safety of our employees remain our top priority. Due to the nature of our business, much of the work that we do cannot be done at home, which means that our employees have been on the front line working to meet rising demands.

The workplace policy changes has been one of the biggest impacts on our employees. All employees are adhering to social distancing, which has been a major change to how they are used to operating daily. Employees inside of the facilities and in the fields are now spread out and their schedules are being rotated in order to maintain the safest possible work environment. We currently have enough workforce to keep up full operations and field work. We have a great team of employees that are going above and beyond.

What do you feel are the responsibilities of organic farmers during these changing times?

This is an unprecedented time and today more than ever we have an immense opportunity and responsibility to feed our nation with high-quality organic food.