Workshops

Lea Rainey is the founder of Roots Zero Waste Market in Garden City, Idaho ( nestled in the middle of the capitol, Boise). Roots is the first and only, full-service plastic package free grocery store and café in the US and has been in operation since 2019. Frustrated and vexed by the increasing lack of response to the global plastic crisis and the stagnant innovation of the grocery industry, Rainey took on the challenge of providing one of the most [Read More]

We’ll share process and a few frameworks you can use to shred your competition and accelerate epic growth. Here’s what we’re gonna cover to help you rock your next brand and packaging audit: Brand DNA: Define your core values and what makes you totally unique. Consumer Perception: How does your audience rates your brand versus the competition. Competition Check: Know where you stand in the market – are you winning or no? Team Unity: Make sure your crew knows and [Read More]

All humans are hardwired to resist change. This presentation will help us understand that it’s in how we react to this awareness that most drives our successes (and/or failures) when it comes to change. In today’s session, we’re going to be slowing things down and rather than focusing on the external factors making our lives (and brains) crazy, we’re going to be focusing on the simple and incremental steps we can all take that can help to help shift our [Read More]

Medicinal Mushrooms are booming, and at the forefront of this movement, there are a handful of prominent players like Lion’s Mane and Reishi. While a few have stepped into the spotlight, we have some of the most potent medicines growing in our forest: our conk mushrooms. Conk mushrooms are one of the primary decomposers and are prevalent here in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the world. In this class, we will explore a handful of conk mushrooms and their traditional [Read More]

Join us for an engaging workshop where the art of costing meets the science of profitability! Whether you’re using costing software or manually costing your products, understanding how to achieve the right margin on your prepared foods has never been more crucial. Led by Michelle, a self-proclaimed costing nerd with over 20 years experience working with costing software and decade working with reciProfity, this session will take you deep into the world of prepared foods costing. Michelle will share invaluable [Read More]

Workshop description and bios coming soon…

Join us as we follow the journey of coffee from seed to cup. From the farmers in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico following ancestral knowledge to protect the fragile biodiversity of their homes in El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, to the grocery aisles in the US. Come see, hear, and taste the gifts from Café Mam and Equal Exchange producer partners of 30+ years.   Megan Bassett, currently serving as the Community Liaison at Café Mam Coffee, brings a wealth of [Read More]

November through January is prime time to capture critical sales and bring happiness to eaters, so it’s important to prepare and make sure your produce department is merchandised for financial success and pleasing shoppers. Join Jeff Fairchild, buyer at Organically Grown Company and renowned produce merchandiser, for an essential educational session designed to help in the planning process to get produce departments holiday ready. This presentation will equip produce managers, buyers and clerks with proven merchandising ideas and strategies to [Read More]

Join Strengthening Organic Systems Founding Partners Gwendolyn Wyard and Kim Dietz, as they sort through a shopping basket of products and demystify a myriad of eco-label claims. What do they mean? Which claims are backed by standards and/or certification? What are the hot organic regulatory topics? What is moving and shaking, and what is not? This session will provide up-to-date and accurate information on organic and natural labels claims and the requirements behind them. Retailers will gain insights on how [Read More]

We all want to be more sustainable, but it costs money right? Well, not always. In fact sustainability in many ways is synonymous with resource efficiency, which translates into $avings! Attend Making $ense of $ustainability to learn about the most common action areas that apply to Retailers, and learn from seasoned sustainability industry leaders on some of the actions they have implemented to save money. Lastly, you won’t go away empty-handed! This workshop’s interactive component will use group consensus to identify an initiative to implement (or improve) in their [Read More]

No matter how long you have been in business, keeping your team engaged and curious is a proven way to make sure your business thrives and your staff members want to stay and grow. Staff appreciation days and acknowledging good work with recognition initiatives like Employee of the Month are great, and a positive step in the right direction. However, when we as leaders slow down, make time, and are truly present the real magic happens. Through specific, personal, timely, and [Read More]

The FDA’s ongoing refusal to create a regulatory framework for CBD and hemp extract consumables—in conjunction with intoxicating and synthetically converted hemp extract derivatives proliferating the open market—has caused confusion and alarm and forced states to take matters into their own hands. Regulating botanical extracts for human ingestion and skin absorption is not a responsibility historically undertaken by states, and the FDA’s continuing failure to act has resulted in a nearly untenable patchwork of largely ill-conceived regulations for consumers, small [Read More]

Small businesses are habitually challenged by resource shortages – “it’s all about time and money”. Provender Alliance businesses, however, have a resource edge over others with our reserves of inspiration built on our missions and the belief and knowledge that together we’re building a better world. AI tools are available that will expand our abilities. Let’s explore this technology TOGETHER! This workshop will bring together a range of business types across the Provender population to build an experience-based updating of [Read More]

Calling all produce staff! This workshop provides time for peer-to-peer conversation and sharing, for talking shop and getting consultation from experts in the produce trade. What challenges is your department facing? What are your department struggles and what help do you need to be successful? Where does your department shine, and what might others have to learn from your success? Do you have best practices and insights to share with the group? Facilitated by Kristi Yoder, Senior Sales Manager at [Read More]

This session will dive into the world of seafood and how CPG seafood brands highlight their unique attributes in the era of the sustainable consumer. Oregon Albacore Commission and Oregon Seaweed will share case studies spotlighting sustainable seafood products in the center aisle, deli, fresh and frozen departments. Marine Stewardship Council will share consumer insights and trends from their 2024 Globescan research. A facilitated conversation will follow where participants can share their own experiences navigating the retail environment where consumer [Read More]