Rick Jacobson, Bend

One of the most successful grower cooperatives in the Pacific Northwest, if not the U.S., has been headquartered in Oregon's Willamette Valley for several decades. Norpac has produced high-quality processed fruits and vegetables for many years. Norpac has enjoyed tremendous leadership under Rick Jacobson, the fifth of only six CEOs in Norpac history. His 11-year run at the top is steep in accomplishments.

Before planting roots on the west side, young Rick's formative years were spent on the east side, in Pendleton. With agriculture all around him, Rick learned about the sweat and tears that are part of farming in Oregon. As a youngster, Rick was as rugged as the great outdoors and experienced hard knocks on the gridiron for Pendleton High School's Buckaroos and later graduated from Eastern Oregon University.

Meanwhile, Rick got into the oil business, receiving supervisor training at Texaco in the early 70s. From there, he settled into a career of managing cooperatives in both Oregon and Washington, and in the mid-80s Rick went to work for Wilco Farmers Co-op of Mt. Angel, becoming general manager. That experience eventually led to his association with Norpac, first as vice president of agricultural services and then eventually president and CEO following the retirement of Art Christenson.

Under Rick's watch, Norpac was on the cutting edge of food processing and successful marketing. The Norpac line of value-added products is possible because of the 250 grower-owner families that raise a vast array of crops in Oregon and the Northwest. Rick carefully took Norpac forward step-by-step, building on its already strong reputation. An aggressive expansion into international markets helped keep Norpac going while other food processors struggled or even closed.

Rick also presided over Norpac's move into certified sustainable products with its association with Food Alliance. He also has initiated efforts to provide work-force education for Latino workers. Among his long list of service is chair of the board of the American Frozen Food Institute, the board of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, the Ag Co-op Council of Oregon, the Oregon Food Processor's Council, and currently on the board of the Oregon Business Council and the Oregon Food Bank.

Rick was instrumental in developing the Oregon Sustainable Agricultural Resource Center (OSARC), designed to create sustainable production systems for all of agriculture. OSARC's mission is to serve as a clearinghouse for growers on sustainable practices. Rick has also helped develop projects with the group Farmers Ending Hunger, leading to donations of processed or package frozen food to be donated to the Oregon Food Bank network.

So Rick Jacobson may be retired and living in Bend. But his involvement in working with high-level leaders to support Oregon agriculture has not slowed down much at all. He's far too young and far too valuable to simply idle his time away.

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These are authentic stories from real farmers.  Any editorial content does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the Agri-Business Council of Oregon or our members.