2025 Schedule & Workshops
October 22nd
Early Registration, half-day Intensive Session and half-day Field Trip
Bountiful Breakfast
- Bob’s Red Mill baked oatmeal with maple syrup and berries
- Poached Hood River pears with toasted hazelnuts
- Assorted freshly baked pastries
- Seasonal fresh fruits
- Chilled fruit juices
- Coffee, decaf coffee, assorted teas
- Gluten free biscuits
Retain Your Staff: Fresh Ideas for Getting OFF the Turnover Treadmill!
PLEASE NOTE: There is an additional fee for this event
No matter how long you have been in business, you’ve most likely had periods of turnover where you feel like you are
- Hiring and training on a constant treadmill
- Losing people before you can recoup the investment in training them
- Having Department managers burning out from dealing with not enough staff to do the work
Mark Mulcahy, Carolee Colter and Mike McCary have witnessed the impacts of high staff turnover on the co-ops, independent retailers and other businesses they’ve worked with these past few years. Drawing on their decades of managing, consulting and conducting employee surveys, they’ll present practical ideas to prevent and mitigate turnover. Some ideas can be implemented directly by department managers. Others will need a whole-store/business approach with department manager buy-in.
In this intensive we will focus our series on rethinking how we work, how we schedule, and how we improve staff engagement.
We will engage participants through:
- Small group work
- Personal reflection
- Role plays as a way to see the ideas and useful tools in action
- Video postcards from managers of stores around the country who have found success in retention by redesigning jobs, reinvesting in their training, employing new approaches to scheduling, engaging with staff in new ways, etc.
Tools and practical ideas participants will take away are:
- Ways to focus on reviving staff engagement through clear expectations, appreciation, and mission/work alignment
- A clear way to track retention using easy-to-understand formulas, which will give managers a better understanding of how they can shift their operations daily to better support themselves around staff retention:
- Weekly workplans that help create clear expectations, support, appreciation, and follow through for greater staff and manager engagement
- The power in operating by your companies’ values
- How to do “stay interviews” to keep the good employees you have
Plus, many opportunities to engage with fellow regional leaders throughout the intensive.
So come catch your breath and jump off the treadmill with Mark Mulcahy, Regenerative Retail Specialist, and Michael McCary, Senior Store Operations Manager with BriarPatch Food Co-op, for a fun and interactive workshop as they guide and engage participants in this lively session filled with stories, shared experiences, fresh ideas and hands-on activities to inspire you and your team!
Carolee Colter will not be joining us for Provender but was an essential partner in the creation of this valuable training.
Mark Mulcahy (He,Him.His) – Regenerative Retail specialist
Mark was born on Long Island, NY and moved to Northern California when I was 2 years old. He moved to Sonoma County 28 years ago to live in the Valley of the moon along the banks of Sonoma creek. Mark is a member of Columinate and the founder and owner of Organic Options, which provides transformative leadership and consulting services for natural and organic food Retailers, Businesses, Farms and Distributors. An award-winning consultant, educator, mentor and organic advocate, he has spent more than 40 years in the organic produce industry leading, guiding and inspiring others to their fullest potential.
He is well known for his creative merchandising, effective training techniques, unique and creative approaches to leadership, successful sales growth and promotion strategies, as well as his deep-seated passion for produce and dedication to sustainable agriculture. A Connoisseur of workplace Joy and inspirational retail operations Mark works with leaders at every level to reimagine their workplace so it can grow and thrive in the changing marketplace.
Mark is the co-creator and presenter of Rising Stars, a nationally recognized leadership development course for natural food retailers.
He also co leads Passion, Purpose and Produce, a fun thought-provoking, interactive and inspiring gathering of diverse and talented dreamers, changemakers and inspired individuals for a weeklong retreat focused on expansive thinking, building individual and operational resilience & excellence, and creating the space to own your purpose and inspire others to courageously own theirs.
As part of the Columinate Manager on contract and his own produce and operations manager development program Mark has helped businesses of all sizes revamp, revitalize, and restructure their organizations as they transition to a new or reimagined leadership structure.
Mark is an avid baseball fan, Pun Enthusiast®, poet and lover of Pie!
Regenerate the land
Regenerate your heart
Regenerate your work
Regenerate your life
Michael McCary is the Senior Store Operations Manager at BriarPatch Food Co-op.
He has been a part of cooperatives since 2008 when he first learned about and fell in love with consumer-owned cooperatives and became the co-owner of one. Amongst working at a consumer owned cooperative, Michael has served on the board of a worker owned cooperative and was part of a shared services cooperative. A man of few beliefs, and LOTS of ideas, he believes in the power of people working together cooperatively.
When not causing a disturbance, he enjoys sharing his passion for cooperatives, people, and OBM with all those who will listen, and even those who won’t. No stranger to Provender, just generally stranger, he is happy to be back and presenting.
We are excited to announce the return of the Provender Alliance field trip! If you’ve attended one of these spirited outings in the past, then you know that you do not want to miss this. A perfect opportunity for some team building as we venture out into beautiful Hood River to visit and learn more from local area businesses.
This year we will be visiting Treebird Market where we will have lunch and learn about this special market, it’s history, local food sourcing philosophy, and for all of us fruit and veggie nerds, we’ll get a chance to check out their state of the art produce cooler.
Next up, Organically Grown Company’s longtime apple and pear buyer, Brian Keogh, will be hopping aboard to join us, and owner John Jacobsen, as they guide us on a tour of the exquisite Mt. Hood Organic Farms which boasts 70 varieties of apples grown on 50 acres of orchards surrounded by their 200 acre property. You cannot beat the views, or the company, on this stop.
Finally, we will head into downtown Hood River to pFreim Brewing for a brewery tour where we will learn how their award-winning brews are made.
We’ll gather in their onsite event space ‘The Library’ for a reception to follow with hors d’oeuvres and libations. We invite all conference attendees to join us for this welcome reception.
So grab your crew, get them registered for a day of pre-conference fun and learning & GET ON THE BUS!
**closed-toe shoes required for tour
If you find yourself arriving early to the conference, meet us in town at pFriem Brewery at 707 Portway Ave., Suite 101 for a Meet & Greet with the Board and folks who have attended the Wednesday Field Trip. This is an informal opportunity to greet old friends, check out some Hood River nightlife and begin making new conference connections.
There will be a shuttle van running from the hotel to the brewery, times TBD. If the weather is nice, you may want to consider taking the river trail; it’s 1.2 mile walk from the hotel full of stunning views!
Light Hors d’oeuvres, no host bar. Full menu available for purchase.
Did you sign up for work trade? Thank you for your special support of the Conference!
You must attend this brief training session to prepare for your assigned tasks. We promise to keep it brief, and fun!
Put on your favorite PJ’s and fuzzy slippers and join us in the Elowah Suite (room 151) for a viewing of the hit movie ‘Common Ground‘. Complete with popcorn and bevies, this is a great opportunity to hang out with your Provender crew before the conference really gets going!
We are going to show the movie twice so that you can catch the early or late showing.
About Common Ground
Common Ground is the highly anticipated sequel to the juggernaut success documentary, Kiss the Ground, which touched over 1 billion people globally and inspired the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to put $20 billion toward soil health. By fusing journalistic expose’ with deeply personal stories from those on the front lines of the food movement, Common Ground unveils a dark web of money, power, and politics behind our broken food system. The film reveals how unjust practices forged our current farm system in which farmers of all colors are literally dying to feed us. The film profiles a hopeful and uplifting movement of white, black, and indigenous farmers who are using alternative “regenerative” models of agriculture that could balance the climate, save our health, and stabilize America’s economy – before it’s too late.
October 23rd
Meet at the front desk for an informal group run or walk. Get the day started off with a little fresh air and movement along the river!
Southwest Breakfast
- Organic scrambled eggs
- Chorizo Hash with onions and poblano peppers
- Seasoned black beans
- Flour and corn tortillas
- Sour cream and house made salsa
- Queso Fresco
- Seasonal fresh fruit
- Orange juice
- Coffee, decaf coffee, assorted teas
- Bob’s Red Mill oatmeal
- Gluten free biscuits
Rosalinda Guillen is the founder of Community to Community and a lead strategist and visionary within the non-hierarchical ecofeminist leadership of C2C. Her perspective is fundamentally influenced by her introduction to the multi-racial, working-class community organizing model of the Rainbow Coalition, the Cesar Chavez house meeting model, The World Social Forum, the Landless Workers Movement (MST) of Brazil and growing up a farmworker in La Conner, WA. Rosalinda has organized farmworkers in WA State and the strawberry fields of Salinas CA. She has represented farmworkers in the Legislatures of California and Washington State and in ongoing policy and Movement building dialogues on immigration issues, climate change, labor rights, trade agreements, ecofeminism and strengthening the food sovereignty movement towards a Solidarity Economy.
Keynote details coming soon…
The Invisible Harvest: Wild Land Stewards and the Future of Herbal Wellness
Post keynote conversation with Rosalinda Guillen
Soup and Salad Bar
- Mixed Garden Greens
- Grilled and sliced chicken
- Assorted sliced vegetables
- Variety of house prepared toppings
- Choice of dressings (GF and Vegan options)
- House baked garlic and rosemary focaccia
- GF dinner rolls
- Soup du Jour – vegan/GF and meat
- Assorted house made cookies (GF options)
- Coffee, decaf coffee, assorted teas
- Iced tea
Your Provender board will take the stage, with updates about their work throughout the year, the state of our Alliance, ways that you can become involved, and to introduce the candidates for the 2025 Board positions. We like to entertain, and occasionally embarrass, ourselves – so don’t miss out on this fun and informative update!
Plants & Rituals: Embodiment for Body & Spirit
The Buyer’s Bottleneck: How a Buyer’s Decision Impacts Agricultural Communities at Home and Abroad
SPP Global: A Pathway to Restoring the Balance | Un camino para devolver el equilibrio
Provender’s Meet Your Makers tabletop tradeshow is your chance to connect directly with the faces and forces behind our vibrant natural products community. This high-energy, low-pressure event is designed for makers and buyers to engage, share stories, and build authentic relationships — all in true Provender style.
Whether you’re debuting a new line or strengthening connections with long-standing partners, this is your moment to shine.
Register to become an exhibitor HERE.
Networking and spending time with our Provender community is really the best and we want more of it! We will be serving our evening food and drinks in the same space as the tabletop show, so you have more time to grab a beverage and a bite in the room next door or right on the tradeshow floor, and chat with your new connections.
Vendors – We will be serving you before the show starts so you are nourished and ready to go!
- House made hummus platter with Flatbread (V)
- House made Chips and Guac (V)
- Purple Cauliflower “ceviche” with chips (V)
- Stuffed Mushrooms (V)
- Braised pork sliders
- Tandoori Chicken Skewers (GF)
- Tomato Basil Bruschetta (vegetarian)
- Antipasti Skewers (GF)
- Smoked Salmon display
- Domestic and Artisan cheese and fruit with crackers
- Crudité assorted veggies with house ranch
- Coffee, decaf coffee, assorted teas
- No-host bar
October 24th
Meet at the front desk for an informal group run or walk. Get the day started off with a little fresh air and movement along the river!
Breakfast Buffet
- Pork apple sausage
- Vegan sausage
- Organic scrambled eggs
- Roasted red breakfast potatoes
- Assorted pastries
- Seasonal fresh fruits
- Chilled fruit juices
- Coffee, decaf coffee, assorted teas
- Bob’s Red Mill oatmeal with fixin’s
- GF biscuits
Olowo-n’djo Tchala, founder of Alaffia and Ayéya, has dedicated his life to building ethical, transparent businesses that empower communities and promote sustainability. Born into poverty in Kaboli, Togo, he left school in the sixth grade to help support his family. Years later, driven by a desire to create lasting change, he earned a degree in organizational theory from the University of California, Davis, and returned to uplift his homeland.
In 2004, Olowo-n’djo co-founded Alaffia, establishing a pioneering fair trade model that empowered women’s cooperatives in West Africa to produce shea butter and African black soap. Alaffia became a nationally recognized social enterprise, with its profits reinvested in initiatives supporting maternal care, education, and reforestation—positively impacting over 250,000 lives.
In 2021, Olowo-n’djo launched Ayéya, a next-generation brand offering clean, sustainable beauty products that are over 90% plastic-free. With deep respect for traditional African craftsmanship and a focus on innovation, Ayéya delivers products that minimize environmental impact while maximizing community benefit. Both brands are vertically integrated, giving full control of every stage—from raw ingredient sourcing to finished goods ensuring ethical practices, fair wages, and full supply chain transparency.
Through Alaffia and Ayéya, Olowo-n’djo continues his lifelong mission to break cycles of poverty and gender inequality. His initiatives provide access to clean water, education, reforestation, and support for survivors of domestic violence—advancing a regenerative future grounded in dignity, equality, and opportunity for all.
Keynote details coming soon…
Branding with Integrity: Marketing Strategies for Values-Driven Businesses
Post keynote conversation with Olowo-n’djo Tchala
Turning Values into Law: Advocacy Skills for Lasting Change
Engaging on Food Waste Reduction: Across your Supply Chain and with Your Employees
Soup and Salad Bar
- Mixed Garden Greens
- Grilled and sliced chicken
- Assorted sliced vegetables
- Variety of house prepared toppings
- Choice of dressings (GF and Vegan options)
- House baked garlic and rosemary focaccia
- Gluten free biscuits
- Soup du Jour – vegan/GF and meat
- Assorted house made cookies (GF options)
- Coffee, decaf coffee, assorted teas
- Iced tea
Your Provender board will take the stage, with updates about their work throughout the year, the state of our Alliance, ways that you can become involved, and to introduce the candidates for the 2025 Board positions.
We like to entertain, and occasionally embarrass, ourselves – so don’t miss out on this fun and informative update!
Roots, Shoots & Fruits: A workshop to Bring us all Together!
Join the entire Provender community for a dynamic, all-attendee workshop designed to celebrate our history and envision our future.
Facilitators:
-
Mark Mulcahy – Regenerative Retail Specialist, Founder and owner of Organic Options Consulting
-
Brenna Davis – Author of Leading Through Fire and CEO, Organically Grown Company
-
Emma Rose Lynn – Global Research Development Coordinator, Global Studies Institute, University of Oregon
Together we’ll honor Provender’s roots, reflect on where we are today, and imagine the vibrant, fruit-bearing alliance we can grow for years to come.
Take a break! Take a walk! Take a nap! Have coffee with a conference buddy. Spend some time with the Provender historical items. Change into a costume or practice your favorite karaoke song for the evenings festivities! This is YOUR time to recharge and get ready for FUN!
Best of Hood River Dinner
- Pan roasted salmon filet (GF)
- Braised beef short ribs (GF)
- Stuffed Piquillo peppers (V)
- Garlic-rosemary roasted baby potatoes (V)
- Local seasonal vegetables (V)
- Organic mixed greens (V)
- House baked garlic and rosemary focaccia
- Gluten free biscuits
- Coffee, decaf coffee, assorted teas
- Seasonal fruit cobbler (GF,V)
You love Provender, Provender loves you! Don’t miss the 2025 awards celebration where we recognize and razz outstanding contributors to Provender and our trade.
What did you win?! Our annual silent auction ends and you get to come swoop up your new Provender treasures. We appreciate your support of the Alliance through donated auction items and purchases.
A Provender favorite!! Bring a logo item from your business to add to the wall of beautiful designs. Buy some raffle tickets, and watch your closet and counter fill with rad new merchandise from some of your favorite organizations. Proceeds go to the 2025 work trade fund.
You, or your proxy, must be present to win the raffle.
Is it even a Provender conference without our besties, Karaoke From Hell ?
If you’ve never experienced the thrill of being the star of the stage, get ready to have the time of your life! Karaoke, but with the best live band in your corner. Not a great singer? Forget the lyrics? Don’t stress, they’ve always got your back so you can rock out, front and center stage!
October 25th
The new Provender board meets. You are most welcome to attend!
Meet on the patio by the river for fond farewells until next year.
