Do you dream big? We sure do! We have found that when we set audacious goals, set our hearts and minds to it, we can do incredible things. Especially with a little help from our community.
With that, we have set our goal of a 100% Organic Oregon, and an Organic World. This inspires us. Each day we wake up and open our eyes to the sun with gratitude. Our daring goal reminds us to explore our abilities to find solutions to the challenges we meet along the way. It has also allowed us to tear down mental barriers or limiting beliefs that would hold us back from achieving our goal. We agree with the tenet, "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." Developing new habits of continuous improvement puts us on the path to reach our goals, and these habits are allowing us to live richer lives along the way. Our goal is so big that we reach out to the world and grow our network or community and enlist them in our vision. These dynamic partnerships and collaborations have proven to be empowering and rewarding.
Hummingbird works toward our goal of an Organic Oregon Organic World in several ways, including:
- Being committed to buying and selling certified organic food - 90% of our product line is certified organic
- Giving preference to purchasing products grown "close to home" by Pacific Northwest farmers - 63% of our product line is grown by PNW farmers
- Contracting with farmers to purchase their crops ahead of the harvest, and then finding customers for those products on the farmers' behalf
- Supporting organic research and extension services at Oregon State University - we were a contributor to seed money for the hiring of the first part-time organic extension agent at OSU and continues to support research and extension annually
- Contributing financial and volunteer staff time to support local, state and national food and farming non-profits - we give between 3-6% of annual net-profits every year
We can encourage anyone who asks how they can be a part of Organic Oregon, Organic World and growing organic agriculture, that they do so through purchasing from Hummingbird and they can consider supporting local food and farming non-profits. Here are some we love: