- Integrity is the root of the organic community and is essential to the work we provide to our constituency. The Cornucopia Institute aims for full transparency in its efforts.
- The Cornucopia Institute continues to be a watchdog within the organic industry, working to protect the character of the organic standards while auditing the integrity of products bearing the organic seal.
- The Cornucopia Institute researches, issues, and promotes findings, based in science, that are fundamental to maintaining the integrity of organic labeling, production, processing, and marketing.
- The Cornucopia Institute will be a vocal, visible catalyst for interaction between consumers and producers within the good food movement.
- The Cornucopia Institute works to identify and capitalize on opportunities to partner with likeminded organizations and individuals. We are a collaborative and unifying force within the authentic organic industry.
- The Cornucopia Institute is committed to treating others, including its dedicated champions, volunteers, and staff, with the utmost respect.
Our Core Values
The Cornucopia Team
Athens currently lives in Michigan with their wife, Erin, and dog named Moose on a small community hobby farm right outside the city of Kalamazoo. Athens has a background in customer…
Athens Love
Athens currently lives in Michigan with their wife, Erin, and dog named Moose on a small community hobby farm right outside the city of Kalamazoo.
Athens has a background in customer service, farm-to-table restaurant management and sales. People and relationships are Athens’ passion. Their desire to communicate and create lasting impressions with their audience has always been a driving force throughout their career.
Athens was raised on organic food as a child and continues to pursue their passion for protecting organic standards. They are excited about new connections and curating existing relationships as the Senior Philanthropy Officer at The Cornucopia Institute.
In their free time, Athens enjoys spending time on Lake Michigan in the summer, hiking year round, camping and being a foodie in whatever city they are in.
Kestrel lives in northwest Oregon, in the lush Willamette Valley. Kestrel has a background in Animal Science and English from the University of California, Davis. They have worked as an animal…
Kestrel Burcham JD
Kestrel lives in northwest Oregon, in the lush Willamette Valley. Kestrel has a background in Animal Science and English from the University of California, Davis. They have worked as an animal technician in both research and industry settings and have experience with different types of livestock. Organic and environmentally conscious food production is part of their background, having grown up on familial farms and assisted in all aspects of farm management. Their favorite part of living with the land has always been getting their hands dirty caring for and nurturing crops that would end up on the dinner table.
Kestrel Burcham holds a J.D. with a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resource Law from Lewis and Clark Law School. After completing law school and passing the Oregon Bar exam, they practiced in animal and agricultural law for a few years before joining Cornucopia as a policy analyst. Kestrel is particularly passionate about sustainable agricultural, environmental protection, and animal welfare.
As a policy director, Kestrel champions authentic organic agriculture in their research, writing, education, and direct advocacy.
Kestrel enjoys exploring the outdoors through hiking, photography, gardening, and horseback riding.
Maryam lives in northwestern New Jersey in a small town very different from the big cities that she’s used to. Accompanying her in her small town is her husband and her…
Maryam Jawwaad
Maryam lives in northwestern New Jersey in a small town very different from the big cities that she’s used to. Accompanying her in her small town is her husband and her very chaotic and extremely mischievous cat Meeko.
Though she unfortunately has a black thumb and is petrified of every bug that could possibly exist, she grew up watching her Caribbean grandmother create edible gardens where others saw concrete. This in addition to hearing stories of her southern grandmother’s sharecropping days has encouraged her in her educational background in Culinary Arts, Anthropology, and Africana studies. Due to these interests, she’s often found herself in roles that address various social justice issues from covid resource access to food justice to homelessness.
She finds joy in learning about the cultures that inform people’s experiences and using that knowledge to encourage more empathy and understanding throughout not just her personal interactions with people but her professional interactions too.
In her spare time, you can find her curled up with a good book, creating intricate henna designs, or dragging her best friend on mini road trips to try new cuisines.
Therese has been with The Cornucopia Institute since 2013. She has over 25 years of experience in the Office Support, Administration and Customer Service fields. She spent almost a decade in…
Therese Laurdan
Therese has been with The Cornucopia Institute since 2013. She has over 25 years of experience in the Office Support, Administration and Customer Service fields. She spent almost a decade in Executive Teleconferencing with AT&T in Minneapolis, MN and earned her degree from the University of Minnesota.
Therese is also the proud mother of two wonderful children whom she first homeschooled and now they attend a Waldorf school. She and her family moved to Southwestern Wisconsin in order to live a simpler and more sustainable lifestyle. There she owned and helped operate a Green Building Supplies business before joining Cornucopia.
Therese has been an active supporter of local, organic farmers and producers for more than 20 years. She served as a Chapter Leader for the Weston A. Price Foundation in Viroqua, WI and is an avid foodie who loves to cook from scratch with much love and attention for her friends and family.
Michele is a mother, storyteller, and lover of central Pennsylvania food. A seasoned communications professional with roots in the local food and farming world, she specializes in empowering people to engage…
Michele Marchetti
Michele is a mother, storyteller, and lover of central Pennsylvania food. A seasoned communications professional with roots in the local food and farming world, she specializes in empowering people to engage with their food systems through storytelling and philanthropy.
Her work has appeared in a variety of national and regional publications, including Parents, Fortune, and Provisions. She served as chair of the board of directors of a local food cooperative, which operated an online farmers market, funded in part by a $92K USDA Local Food Promotion grant.
Michele lives in State College, Pa., with her husband and two kids, plans her schedule around the farmers markets, and teaches a weekly yoga class attended by members of her local food community—where she makes it a point to remind folks to sit down while eating their local food.
In addition to more than 20 years of magazine writing, she previously directed communications for TriYoga of Central Pennsylvania and Penn State’s Stuckeman School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. As the new director of development and communications with The Cornucopia Institute, she is thrilled to steward existing relationships, while cultivating new connections with farmers, eaters, and foundations that support the movement for ethical, organic food.
Through managing events, publications, marketing, and social media, Michele looks forward to sharing more stories about the organic farmers and producers who work hard to feed us food that’s good for our families and the planet.
Rebecca lives in suburban Southern Maryland, where she turns her driveway into a container garden every spring. Her passion is creative solutions, whether it involves fresh produce or nonprofit communications. She…
Rebecca Shimp Martin
Rebecca lives in suburban Southern Maryland, where she turns her driveway into a container garden every spring. Her passion is creative solutions, whether it involves fresh produce or nonprofit communications.
She learned to garden while growing up in rural Virginia, where she also milked goats and fed chickens. Goats are still one of her favorite animals, and she never turns down the opportunity to scratch one between the horns.
Her work has led her to build connections with Mennonite farming communities in Pennsylvania and Maryland and she has almost ten years of experience working for religious nonprofits in roles that allowed her to explore the world of communications and digital design. She has also worked as a content writer for Menno Media, Inc.
Rebecca shares her home with three children, a cat and a pet snapping turtle. When her busy schedule allows she likes to go solo camping with a good book.
Melody has been with The Cornucopia Institute since 2012. With 23 years of nonprofit experience spanning issues of food, agriculture, media, gender, developmental disability, and simple living, she brings enormous passion,…
Melody Morrell
Melody has been with The Cornucopia Institute since 2012. With 23 years of nonprofit experience spanning issues of food, agriculture, media, gender, developmental disability, and simple living, she brings enormous passion, persistence, and practicality to her endeavors.
Melody enjoys strategizing, researching, analyzing data, and writing alongside the talented staff of Cornucopia, sharing their fire in the belly.
She and her husband Andy live in a very small house in rural Minnesota with their English Lab, Beau. The land flourishes with hundreds of species of medicinal herbs; diverse wildlife; untold garlic, zucchini, and cucumbers; and three deadly tomato diseases (every single year, teaching them to honor the tomatoes they do get).
Melody earned her BA in anthropology from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Anne has an advanced law degree in Agriculture & Food Law from the University of Arkansas, where her studies focused on the federal regulation of pesticides and food labeling. Cornucopia’s former…
Anne Ross
Anne has an advanced law degree in Agriculture & Food Law from the University of Arkansas, where her studies focused on the federal regulation of pesticides and food labeling.
Cornucopia’s former director of international policy, Ross gained esteem in the organic community for her ambitious investigation into fraudulent organic imports. Her work informed major policy changes within the USDA National Organic Program, leading to stricter enforcement and initiatives to trace the integrity of organic goods in the marketplace.
Before joining Cornucopia in 2017, Anne’s research focused on the health effects of endocrine disrupting pesticides and the inadequacies in the laws governing the use and regulation of these pesticides in both the US and Europe.
Anne is an experienced litigator who has handled a variety of cases, including environmental torts and product liability.
A native of rural South Carolina, Anne now lives in San Diego. She is an avid runner and outdoors enthusiast.
Rachel joins Cornucopia following six years on staff as the program director at Circle Pines Center. There, among other things, she created a local food ordering system, produced an annual music…
Rachel Zegerius
Rachel joins Cornucopia following six years on staff as the program director at Circle Pines Center. There, among other things, she created a local food ordering system, produced an annual music festival, and created programs to educate youth and adults about social justice issues, environmental stewardship, and cooperative alternatives. Fund development and grant-writing are two ways in which Rachel contributes her skills to support the environmental movement.
Rachel is passionate about good food and sustainable farming. She is eager to collectively pursue the mission of economic justice for family farms, and to protect consumer confidence in organics. Somewhat obsessed with goats, Rachel has been practicing animal husbandry by managing a small dairy goat herd for the past seven years.
Rachel was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and spent her summers submerged in one of the state’s many lakes. An environmentalist since childhood, Rachel is driven by a deep commitment to and spiritual connection with the natural world.
Rachel’s educational experience includes an undergraduate degree in biology from Hope College, as well as a Master of Science degree in environmental resource management and administration from Antioch University New England. Her professional background is diverse and includes a focus on environmental activism, nonprofit management, and program development.
Thomas is the Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer of Mountain Rose Herbs, an independently owned company and a leading supplier of high-quality, Fair Trade-certified, organic botanical goods. With deep…
Thomas Dick
Thomas is the Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer of Mountain Rose Herbs, an independently owned company and a leading supplier of high-quality, Fair Trade-certified, organic botanical goods. With deep roots in Appalachia, he was raised amongst the rich ecosystem and culture of the region and was drawn to working with environmentally just organizations while also using his talent as a graphic designer.
After earning a dual degree in Visual Communications and Environmental Science from Ohio State University, he began his career with Mountain Rose Herbs. Working for a business dedicated to environmental stewardship further fueled his passion for natural land management and organic agriculture. He has since worked on dozens of campaigns focused on the ills of pesticide use, aerial spraying, and watershed contamination. He also pushed to implement the Mountain Rose Herbs Seed Stewardship Project to offer a solution-oriented approach to decreasing plant populations and the Mountain Rose Herbs Sustainability Rating to better support transparency in the Herbal Products Industry.
Thomas continues to deepen his roots in environmental justice and brings his dedication to many partner organizations including United Plant Savers, Rodale Institute, and of course The Cornucopia Institute.
Helen Kees owns and operates Wheatfield Hill Organics near Durand, Wisconsin, along with her husband Robert, daughter Christine and her family. She was born, reared and resides on the “home” farm…
Helen Kees
Helen Kees owns and operates Wheatfield Hill Organics near Durand, Wisconsin, along with her husband Robert, daughter Christine and her family. She was born, reared and resides on the “home” farm of 320 acres which was settled by her grandparents in 1919.
Helen has led a life of farming and environmental activism. Her activism debut ended in a three-day suspension from high school. A picture of her picketing a Dolly Madison dairy plant during a National Farmers Organization (NFO) milk “holding action” in her cheerleading uniform was printed in her regional newspaper. The picture trumped her mother’s hand-written note, “Please excuse Helen’s absence. She was needed at home.” The suspension did not deter her from resisting nuclear power, aerial spraying of pesticides, frac sand mining, and currently, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
It was a neighborhood tussle over a corporate potato grower’s use of pesticides in the early 1990s that really opened her eyes to the health and environmental concerns associated with the use of agrichemicals.
Cameron Molberg is on a mission to increase access to high-quality pasture-raised organic products while further developing the infrastructure needed to improve and grow rural economies. With an educational background in…
Cameron Molberg
Cameron Molberg is on a mission to increase access to high-quality pasture-raised organic products while further developing the infrastructure needed to improve and grow rural economies. With an educational background in institutional management, animal science, and food technology, he began working with local farmers in 2007 as manager at a startup organic restaurant chain in Austin, Texas.
After experiencing shortages of local organic products, he moved on from there to run the first commercial organic feed mill in Texas and one of the largest organic pasture-based egg farms in the state. He served as CEO and General Manager from 2010-2017, before stepping away from the day-to-day to focus on projects in regenerative organic production systems. Today, he serves as Co-CEO of Greener Pastures Chicken, a regenerative organic pasture-raised chicken farm in Texas.
Known to some as an “encyclopedia in blue jeans,” Cameron serves as a resource for farmers, consumers, and organizations across the country. He is dedicated to supporting others in the local organic agriculture and food movement. Cameron currently serves as President of The Cornucopia Institute Board of Directors. He also serves on the Real Organic Project Standards Board and previously served as Treasurer of the Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association (TOFGA) from 2010-2015.
Nicole Vitello is the President of Oke USA Fruit Company, a 100% fair trade fruit importer. Nicole started at Equal Exchange, Oke’s parent company, in 2008 as a sales representative selling…
Nicole Vitello
Nicole Vitello is the President of Oke USA Fruit Company, a 100% fair trade fruit importer. Nicole started at Equal Exchange, Oke’s parent company, in 2008 as a sales representative selling fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate. After studying International Development at American University, Nicole founded her own organic farm business, Manic Organic, which she operated successfully for 10 years. Nicole came to Equal Exchange inspired by their economic model of trading directly with small farmers internationally. She is proud to be part of that model in fresh produce by promoting the connection between small farmers in Latin America and consumers in the United States.
Laura Zaks holds a Master of International Affairs degree in economic and political development with a professional focus on agricultural policy and poverty reduction from Columbia University. She holds a Bachelor…
Laura Zaks
Laura Zaks holds a Master of International Affairs degree in economic and political development with a professional focus on agricultural policy and poverty reduction from Columbia University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University. She has worked at the intersection of agriculture, economic development, nutrition, and public health for more than 18 years. She has experience advancing the goals of mission-driven organizations through nonprofit management, fundraising and strategic communications for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, the Azuero Eco Foundation, and the International Planned Parenthood Federation, among others.
Anaïs Beddard is the second generation at the helm of Lady Moon Farms. The farm was founded in 1988 by her parents with a dream to grow healthy, delicious produce for…
Anaïs Beddard
Anaïs Beddard is the second generation at the helm of Lady Moon Farms. The farm was founded in 1988 by her parents with a dream to grow healthy, delicious produce for their children and community while respecting mother nature. What started out as a dream and 10 rented acres has grown to encompass nearly 3000 acres across Pennsylvania, Georgia and Florida. Lady Moon Farms has always been 100% organic and focused on building the soil which leads to healthy plants, healthy people and a healthy planet.
Anaïs grew up on the farm. She spent her childhood in the greenhouse and their original “packhouse”, which happened to be a forest clearing in the woods. Her summers were passed working in the fields, packinghouse, and eventually the office where she began to learn about the business side of the operation. She found her own success outside of farming utilizing her finance degree but listened to a call to return in 2015 to continue her parent’s legacy. She is committed to real organic farming and responsible stewardship of their land. She proudly fulfills an obligation her parents instilled in her to leave the land in a better condition for future generations.
She is immersed in all aspects of the business, but to this point has focused on increased efficiency in labor and expense tracking and practices continual process improvement for their multi-state year-round farms. Anaïs also serves on the executive board of the Real Organic Project.
John Bobbe served as the Organic Farmers’ Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM) for almost 20 years. Now retired, he holds a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia…
John Bobbe
John Bobbe served as the Organic Farmers’ Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM) for almost 20 years. Now retired, he holds a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia and taught business economics at Silver Lake College, Manitowoc for 25 years. He currently resides with his wife on their third-generation Wisconsin Family Farm and owns the Bobbe Sawmill and Lumber Company.
Jim Crawford and his wife, Moie Kimball, are semi-retired from New Morning Farm, the 95-acre certified-organic vegetable farm in south-central Pennsylvania that they founded over 50 years ago. In 2021, they…
Jim Crawford
Jim Crawford and his wife, Moie Kimball, are semi-retired from New Morning Farm, the 95-acre certified-organic vegetable farm in south-central Pennsylvania that they founded over 50 years ago. In 2021, they sold the farm to another family, although they continue to be involved.
From vending veggies out of the back of a pick-up truck to organizing and supervising three thriving weekly markets (and launching a fourth in late 2012), Jim and Moie built a multifaceted, successful direct-marketing system. Through the marketing (wholesale and retail) of various locally produced foods like orchard fruits, cider, and baked goods, New Morning Farm continues to be at the center of the PA-DC foodshed.
In the late 1980s, Jim and neighboring organic farmers founded Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative (TOG) to serve restaurants, groceries and markets in the PA-DC region. TOG, which historically achieved $3 million in sales, dissolved in 2020 after 32 years in business.
Jim is a co-founder of Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture and is deeply passionate about local food systems.
Dr. Joan Dye Gussow has been a powerful influence in food and farm policy, and as a vocal critic of the industrialized U.S. food system is known by many as the…
Dr. Joan, Dye Gussow
Dr. Joan Dye Gussow has been a powerful influence in food and farm policy, and as a vocal critic of the industrialized U.S. food system is known by many as the matriarch of the organic, locavore, and small-farm movement. She is currently the Mary Swartz Rose Professor Emeritus of Nutrition and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University and the former chair of their Nutrition Education Department. At Columbia, she created the legendary course, Nutritional Ecology.
Along with her late-husband – artist, author, and environmental activist Alan Gussow – she has been a life-long avid organic gardener, which is chronicled in her numerous books including The Feeding Web, This Organic Life and her most recent, Growing Older: A Chronicle of Death, Life, and Growing Vegetables.
Joan is a founding member of Just Food, has been on the board of the Chefs Collaborative, was the Chair of the Board of the National Gardening Association and the Society for Nutrition Education, served on the Diet, Nutrition and Cancer Panel of the National Academy of Sciences, served two terms on the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences, the FDA’s Food Advisory Committee, the National Organic Standards Board and the Advisory Board of the Center for Food Safety. She currently sits on the Advisory Board of the Real Organic Project and in 2017 received a James Beard Leadership Award.
Dr. John Ikerd was raised on a small dairy farm in southwest Missouri and received his BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri. He worked…
Dr. John Ikerd
Dr. John Ikerd was raised on a small dairy farm in southwest Missouri and received his BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri. He worked in private industry for a time and spent thirty years in various professorial positions at North Carolina State University, Oklahoma State University, University of Georgia, and the University of Missouri before retiring in early 2000.
Since retiring, he spends most of his time writing and speaking on issues related to sustainability with an emphasis on economics and agriculture. He is author of six books which are available via http://johnikerd.com/books.In 2014, John was commissioned by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations to write the regional report, “Family Farms of North America,” in recognition for the International Year of the Family Farming. He currently resides with his wife, Ellen, in Fairfield, IA. More complete background information and a wide selection of writings are available at http://faculty.missouri.edu/ikerdj/ or http://johnikerd.com.
Michael James was born in New York City in 1942. He was raised in Connecticut on an old onion farm, and while growing up he helped old man Burtche around the…
Michael James
Michael James was born in New York City in 1942. He was raised in Connecticut on an old onion farm, and while growing up he helped old man Burtche around the farm down the road, feeding livestock and helping with harvesting. He was a member of the 4H club and raised rabbits, muscovy ducks, King pigeons, African Tumbler pigeons, and Bantam chickens.
James was active in sports, playing football at Lake Forest College where he took an interest in politics and social justice issues. In the summer of 1962 he drove a Triumph motorcycle to Mexico City, where he studied at Mexico City College and took photos. An exhibit of these photos, Mexico 1962 has been shown in a number of galleries, and will appear in book form in 2012. James graduated in 1964 and received a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, going to the University of California, Berkeley where he studied sociology. There James was involved in the Free Speech Movement, and joined Students for a Democratic Society, of which he became a national officer.
James left school in 1966, heading to Chicago’s Uptown to organize poor Southern whites in an attempt to build an interracial movement of the poor with an organization known as JOIN Community Union (Jobs or Income Now).
After the Democratic Convention in 1968, James founded Rising Up Angry, a newspaper and organization of poor and working white people, that allied with the Black Panther Party, the Young Lords Organization, the Young Patriots, and the American Indian Movement, collectively known as the Rainbow Coalition.
In 1976 James founded the now legendary Heartland Cafe, a wholesome foods eatery and community center. The Heartland Cafe is about serving up Wholesome Food for Mind and Body. In addition to the Heartland Cafe, the enterprise now includes the Buffalo Bar, Heartland General Store, the Redline Tap, the No Exit Cafe, and Heartland Cafe on the Lake—altogether adding to the ambience the unique urban enclave of the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. Through his work at the cafe, he won an Illinois Stewardship Alliance “Golden Beet” award for bringing local food to Illinois communities.
James is a host of Live from the Heartland Radio (Saturdays at 9 am on WLUW 88.7), is the publisher of The Heartland Journal, a member of the board of Athletes United for Peace, President of Chicago’s 49th Ward Democratic Party Organization, and an actor, appearing in a number of films, including The Package, The Fugitive, Stony Island, Above the Law, Code of Silence, Under Siege, Chain Reaction, and The Guardian.
He is married to Paige James, a “hellova cook,” and is the father of seven wonderful kids!
Kendra Kimbirauskas grew up on a Michigan dairy farm and she and her husband currently live and farm in Scio, Oregon where they raise beef cattle, hogs, goats, chickens and turkeys…
Kendra Kimbirauskas
Kendra Kimbirauskas grew up on a Michigan dairy farm and she and her husband currently live and farm in Scio, Oregon where they raise beef cattle, hogs, goats, chickens and turkeys on pasture using managed grazing practices.
She has nearly two decades of experience in agricultural policy and rural organizing, working alongside citizen groups environmental advocates, and sustainable agriculture organizations to shape ecologically responsible farm and food policies at the state level.
Kendra co-founded what is now Oregon’s most influential small farm advocacy organization, Friends of Family Farmers, and has spent time working as a rural organizer in Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Oregon. In her day job, Kendra directs the Agriculture Program at the State Innovation Exchange (SiX). When not working or farming, Kendra can usually be found in the garden, riding her horse or playing with her dogs.
Dr. Frederick Kirschenmann has been a champion of sustainable agriculture, soil health, and resilient farming systems for over four decades. He is a Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable…
Dr. Frederick Kirschenmann
Dr. Frederick Kirschenmann has been a champion of sustainable agriculture, soil health, and resilient farming systems for over four decades. He is a Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, where he previously served as director, and is a professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy.
A pioneer in organic farming systems, Frederick manages a diverse crop rotation on his 3,500-acre family farm in North Dakota which has been certified organic since 1976. His farm has been featured in numerous publications including National Geographic, Business Week, Audubon, the LA Times and Gourmet magazine. In 1995 it was profiled in an award-winning video, My Father’s Garden, by Miranda Smith Productions, and is still widely used as a teaching tool.
A prolific writer on ethics and agriculture, his collection of essays Cultivating an Ecological Conscience: Essays from a Farmer Philosopher traces the evolution of his ecological and farming philosophy.
Frederick served on the National Organic Standards Board from 1995-2000, including a year as the Chair. In 2014, he received a One World Award for Lifetime Achievement from the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and was one of the first 10 recipients of the James F. Beard Leadership Awards. He is the current Board President of the Stone Barns Center for Sustainable Agriculture and a member of the Advisory Board for the Real Organic Project.
“We are now in a time when it is more important than ever to anticipate the changes that will likely take place, and prepare for them in advance, and that will be especially important with respect to our food and agriculture future.”
Jim Munsch raises organic beef on his farm in western Wisconsin. He is a volunteer for The Cornucopia Institute and led the organization’s challenge to the USDA’s approval of Monsanto’s genetically…
Jim Munsch
Jim Munsch raises organic beef on his farm in western Wisconsin. He is a volunteer for The Cornucopia Institute and led the organization’s challenge to the USDA’s approval of Monsanto’s genetically engineered alfalfa. Cornucopia was a party along with several other organizations in a lawsuit contesting the USDA action. Jim farms with his family near Coon Valley, WI.
Vimal is a Senior Staff Cardiologist at the Chattanooga Heart Institute in Tennessee. He is a lover of authentic organic food and offers a medical perspective on the importance of diet…
Dr. Vimal Ramjee
Vimal is a Senior Staff Cardiologist at the Chattanooga Heart Institute in Tennessee. He is a lover of authentic organic food and offers a medical perspective on the importance of diet in personal health. He will help us in our continuing work on carrageenan, advise on human health and the constantly evolving science thereof, and help share our messages with new audiences.
Danny is the Hulings Rice Food Center Assistant Manager at Northland College, where he oversees a dizzying array of local food efforts on campus. As the nephew of Cornucopia Board Vice…
Danny Simpson
Danny is the Hulings Rice Food Center Assistant Manager at Northland College, where he oversees a dizzying array of local food efforts on campus. As the nephew of Cornucopia Board Vice President Helen Kees, he was born into organic farming and has a deep commitment to local food systems. He is a thoughtful, passionate, articulate food advocate, and his addition to the advisory panel formalizes his relationship with Cornucopia.
Steve Sprinkel has been an adherent of organic farming since the 1960s. Using his 12-acre (CCOF certified) farm in Ojai, CA, Steve trains farmers and educates consumers. Steve is the former…
Steve Sprinkel
Steve Sprinkel has been an adherent of organic farming since the 1960s. Using his 12-acre (CCOF certified) farm in Ojai, CA, Steve trains farmers and educates consumers. Steve is the former president of the Cornucopia Board of Directors and is currently the president of the Ojai Center for Regenerative Agriculture. After attending Harvard for one year, he earned a degree in literature from The University of California at Santa Barbara.
Steve has been active in organic certification and public interest policy in Carpinteria at CCOF, as a Santa Barbara farmers market officer, board member at the Texas Department of Agriculture, founder of the Organic Farmers Marketing Association, Associate Editor at ACRES, USA (1998-2007), organic administrator and inspector for many private organizations in the Midwest, and even an FDA delegate to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization! Favorites: Vegetable – Cucumber; Book – All Quiet on the Western Front; Film – “Dr. Strangelove”
Tom Willey, with his wife Denesse, operated T&D Willey Farms from 1981 through 2016, a 75-acre Certified Organic farm in Madera, California, growing a wide array of Mediterranean vegetables the year…
Tom Willey
Tom Willey, with his wife Denesse, operated T&D Willey Farms from 1981 through 2016, a 75-acre Certified Organic farm in Madera, California, growing a wide array of Mediterranean vegetables the year round. T&D Willey Farms produce was appreciated in specialty markets and fine restaurants up and down the US West Coast as well as on the tables of over 800 weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription members in their own community. Tom was, for nearly a decade, Slow Food USA’s governor for California’s Central Valley and he passionately advocates for local food prominence through his writing, speaking, radio, and event organizing activities. His monthly “Down on the Farm” radio interview program features the work of progressive farmers and others prominent in San Joaquin Valley’s agriculture and food communities. Tom has served over the years on the boards of directors of the Ecological Farming Association (EFA) and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and presently is a member of CCOF Certification Services’ LLC five-person Management Committee. He currently serves as a Policy Advisor to The Cornucopia Institute which monitors integrity of the US organic industry.
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The Cornucopia Institute is a tax-exempt, charitable organization incorporated in 2004 under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All individual contributions, grants and bequests are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Our tax identification number is 20-1075143.
Our work is supported primarily through individual donor contributions from farmers and consumers. We do not solicit or receive any government funds. We are proud of the stewardship of our resources and are happy to share the following information with you.
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The Cornucopia Institute, through research and investigations on agriculture and food issues, provides needed information to family farmers, consumers and other stakeholders in the good food movement and to the media.