SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE

Building A Supply Chain For Small Organic Family Farms

Organic Logistics

As a cooperative, we are driven by a desire to support the growth and success of other organic companies. Our subsidiary, Organic Logistics, provides logistics services to small, value-driven food businesses that lack the resources to fill a standard semi-truck or similar, traditional supply chain resources. By offering shipping solutions through the sale of space on our trucks, we are able to promote efficiency and sustainability for all. This not only benefits our partners, but also contributes to the diversified income of our cooperative. Our mission is to advance the organic movement and demonstrate the true definition of cooperative business practices.

Fuller trucks = fewer trucks on the road. From 2021 to 2022, we increased the loads on our trucks by over 1,300 lbs. — equating to over 500 fewer trucks on the road and increased supply chain efficiency.

Organic Logistics more than doubled the number of cases of organic products moved from 2021 to 2022, helping reduce operating costs by 25% at our distribution center.

Safety of the Supply Chain

We believe that the health of our planet and the well-being of communities are intertwined with the success of our supply chain. That is why we have implemented programs that promote sustainable agriculture and reduce waste. Our focus on supply chain resilience is unwavering, and we believe that this mission starts with small organic family farms. Our approach includes:

Quality practices: we operate with approximately 20 food safety and quality programs and 57 total quality checks from farm to consumer. We also have strong relationships with our suppliers and promote sustainable agriculture and waste reduction efforts. Our goal is to create a sustainable and resilient supply chain that benefits everyone along the way.

Advanced planning software: We use advanced planning software to maximize efficiency and miles while serving small organic family farms and keeping costs down.

Over 50%

of our carrier-partners are SmartWay-certified

by the EPA. More than 91% on-time delivery even amid the pandemic’s logistical challenges, reinforcing the resilience of our cooperative’s supply chain infrastructure.

Robust IT technology: Our IT, programs, and teams work around the clock to protect our networks from sophisticated hackers and ensure that our supply chain teams have the resources they need.

Customer-focused: Our Production, Demand Planning, and Distribution teams are relentlessly focused on the customer, and our efforts have resulted in a 28% increase in the throughput of cases to our customers from 2021 to 2022.