Provender Alliance

10/09/2026

THIS is the energy we’re bringing to our 50th! 💃🎉

50 years of Provender calls for a little extra flair, don’t you think?

We’re encouraging everyone to break out their party clothes, vintage treasures, sequins, velvet, funky accessories, or whatever makes you feel FABULOUS for our 50th Anniversary Gala!

Need inspiration? Our board member D’Ann clearly understood the assignment. 🤩

But the party is just the cherry on top! We’ve got three days of big ideas, inspiring conversations, old friends, new connections, and a whole lot of celebrating the natural products community that brought us here.

✨ October 21–23
📍 McMenamins Edgefield
🎂 50 YEARS STRONG!

Who’s ready to celebrate with us?! 🪩

10/06/2026

We’re excited to be part of the 50th Provender Alliance Conference! 🌿

Eclectic Herb owner Chris Alstat will be joined by clinical herbalist Mel Mutterspaugh to lead “Preserving Your Legacy and Staying Rooted to Your Purpose Through Challenge and Change.”

Drawing from Eclectic Herb’s more than 40-year history as an independent Oregon herbal company, Chris will share her perspective on carrying a legacy forward through seasons of profound change while staying rooted in the values and purpose at the heart of the business. Mel brings more than 26 years of experience as a clinical herbalist and her own experience building an herbal product business.

Together, they’ll invite attendees to reflect on what legacy means in their own work, reconnect with their purpose, and consider how we stay true to what matters most—even as life and business evolve.

📍 McMenamins Edgefield | Troutdale, Oregon
🗓 October 22 | 10:15–11:45 AM

If you’ll be at Provender, we’d love to see you there! 🌱

10/01/2026

We are proud to be featured in the Fall edition of TAKE ROOT Magazine, hitting shelves soon! Check out the press release about our upcoming gathering and get registered today 🌟

Provender Alliance Celebrates 50 Years of Building a Stronger, More Purpose-Driven Food Community October 1st 2026 50th Anniversary Conference brings together longtime industry leaders, emerging voices, retailers, producers, and changemakers October 21–23 at McMenamins Edgefield PORTLAND, Ore. —...

09/09/2026

MEET OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY KEYNOTE SPEAKERS! 🎤

We’ve been talking about celebrating 50 years of the natural products movement and what better way to do that than by bringing together voices who can help us look both forward and back.

🌱 Thursday Morning: Mary Purdy, MS, RDN | Food systems strategist, educator, and eco-dietitian, Mary Purdy works at the intersection of nutrition, sustainable food systems, climate, and human health.

Her keynote, “The New Food Opportunity: Nourishing People, Communities & Planet,” will challenge us to think beyond simply selling “better-for-you” products and consider how brands and retailers can help create a food system that truly nourishes people, communities, and the planet 🌎

🌿 Friday Morning: From Roots to Renewal: Where We’ve Been & Where We’re Going

Three generations. Fifty years of history. One big question: Where do we go from here?

Join Tom Lively, Shawn Donnille, and Val Emanuel for a candid conversation about the natural products movement—what we got right, what we’ve lost, what has endured, and what needs to change.

From organic farming and the early days of the movement to today’s values-driven businesses and the next generation of entrepreneurs, they’ll explore growth and independence, mission and margins, tradition and innovation and what it takes to build an industry worth passing on.

✨ Two mornings. Five incredible voices. Fifty years of Provender history.

We can’t wait to celebrate, reflect, and imagine what comes next with you.

📍 October 21–23, 2026 | McMenamins Edgefield
🎟️ Join us for Provender’s 50th Anniversary Conference!

Registration and more info on all of our speakers at 🔗 in bio or at provender.org

09/03/2026

Don’t miss this amazing crew at our October conference where they will be leading the workshop ‘From Farm to Shelf: Strengthening Organic Retail Through Merchandising, Education & Integrity’

Workshop #1 in the books!

A big thank you to Athena Petty, Chris Harris and the New Seasons Market team for welcoming Mallory Cochrane (Oregon Organic Coalition), Mike Dill and Jeff Fairchild (Organically Grown Company), and Gwendolyn Wyard (Strengthening Organic Systems) for a conversation about strengthening organic retail. We loved kicking off this workshop series with a retailer that has played such an important role in Oregon’s organic community.

From certification and supply chain integrity to merchandising, grower relationships, and connecting shoppers with the value of organic, we’re excited to keep these conversations going and continue building stronger markets for organic farmers and businesses across our region!

Join our next conversation during a virtual workshop on September 23rd —> registration link in bio!

09/03/2026

Your next great connection could be across the table 👀

Meet Your Makers is back for Provender’s 50th Anniversary Conference and we’re bringing together the producers, makers, suppliers, retailers, buyers, and changemakers who make the natural products community what it is.

✨ Exhibitors: Get your products in front of engaged retailers and buyers. Tell your story. Make connections. Build relationships.

🛒 Retailers & Buyers: Come discover what’s new, reconnect with the people behind the products, and find the next great addition to your shelves.

🍽️ Plus: a pre-show dinner, a room full of good people, and the kind of face-to-face conversations that simply don’t happen in a Zoom meeting.

Thursday, October 22 | 5–8 PM
📍 McMenamins Edgefield
🎪 Space is limited!

Share your story. Showcase your products. Build relationships.

Get registered today at provender.org 🌿

08/29/2026

We had an incredible visit to Finnriver Farm & Cidery this week! Our team gathered to meet, connect, laugh, make plans for our upcoming conference, share meals and taste some phenomenal ciders. We volunteered at the Friends of Trees Botanical garden and introduced our community to our brand new shortbread! This delicious collaboration came together with ingredients donated by six of our awesome members and we can’t wait to get them into your hands, and mouths! 😋 Thank you to everyone who hosted us, donated to our silent auction and came out for our fundraiser featuring the delightful tunes by Honey Moon 🌝 We look forward to seeing everyone in October 🍂

06/30/2026

Thirty days.

That’s all that’s left to take advantage of Early Bird pricing for Provender Alliance’s 50th Anniversary Conference + Gala.

This October, we’ll gather beneath the trees (and vines!) at McMenamins Edgefield to celebrate five decades of community while looking ahead to what’s next!

✨ Inspiring speakers
🤝 Meaningful conversations
🌿 Meet Your Makers
🎉 Our 50th Anniversary Celebration
💡 Ideas you’ll carry home long after the conference ends

If you’ve been thinking about joining us, consider this your gentle nudge. July has a way of slipping by, and we’d love to welcome you before Early Bird pricing ends on July 31.

We’ll see you in Troutdale, October 21–23.

04/23/2026

Technology is moving fast, but human connection still drives great workplaces.

When trust is low, communication breaks down, motivation drops, and burnout rises. The future of leadership isn’t just strategic, it’s relational.

Join us for The Future is Relational: Connection, Belonging & Trust with Laura King, a practical 2-part webinar series designed for managers, leaders, business owners, HR professionals, and employees who want stronger, healthier, higher-performing teams.

You’ll learn how to:
✨ Build trust quickly and authentically
✨ Create cultures of belonging
✨ Strengthen connection during change
✨ Increase engagement, motivation & retention
✨ Lead with confidence in uncertain times

📅 June 17th & June 24th
🕐 1:00–2:30 PM PST
💻 Online

💚 Provender Members: $179
💚 Non-Members: $199

Technology is advancing fast. Human skills matter more than ever.

Register today via the link in bio or QR code!

04/16/2026

✨ SAVE THE DATE! ✨

Join us as we celebrate a major milestone…the Provender Alliance 50th Anniversary Conference + Gala! 🌱

Celebrating Our Legacy – 50 Years Strong!

For five decades, we’ve been nourishing, educating, and inspiring our community, and now it’s time to honor the past while, together, we build what lies ahead for the next 50!

📅 October 21–23, 2026
📍 McMenamins Edgefield, Troutdale, Oregon

Mark your calendars for an unforgettable gathering filled with connection, celebration, and inspiration. Sponsorship opportunities are available now and registration will be open very soon. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!