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Food Alliance is a nonprofit organization that creates market incentives for sustainable agricultural practices, and educates business leaders and other food system stakeholders on the benefits of sustainable agriculture. Started as a project of Oregon State University, Washington State University, and the Washington State Department of Agriculture in 1993, Food Alliance was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1997. Food Alliance enjoys support from leaders in both organic and conventional agriculture, from retail and wholesale food businesses, government agencies, and organizations representing farm labor, animal welfare, and the environment. Food Alliance operates a voluntary certification program based on standards that define sustainable agricultural practices. Farms, ranches and food processors that meet Food Alliance’s standards, as determined by a third-party site inspection, use Food Alliance certification to support credible claims for social and environmental responsibility, differentiate their products and strengthen their brands. To earn certification, farms and ranches must meet the following standards:
Food processors and manufacturers (handlers) seeking Food Alliance certification must meet the following standards:
Food Alliance launched its certification program in 1998 in Portland, Oregon with a single apple grower selling in three area grocery stores. Today, there are over 250 Food Alliance certified farms and ranches in 19 U.S. states and one Canadian province. These producers manage over 4.1 million acres of range and farm land, raising beef, lamb, pork, dairy products, mushrooms, dried beans and lentils, wheat, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. An increasing number of Food Alliance certified processed products are also available, including cheese, flour, oil, and frozen and canned fruits and vegetables. To increase demand for certified products and to support the success of certified farms, ranches and food processors, Food Alliance works actively to forge relationships with food businesses. These “partners in change” include distributors, grocery stores and food co-ops, restaurants, and food service providers – and involve local and regional businesses, as well as national companies. With an estimated $87 million in farm gate value of Food Alliance certified products sold in 2006, certified farmers and ranchers report positive customer feedback, increased customer loyalty, new markets, sales increases, and access to contracts and price premiums.
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National & Northwest
Office Staff |
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Scott
Exo •
Executive Director Scott has over seventeen years of non-profit and program management experience. Prior to joining Food Alliance in 1999, he worked on farm and forest land conservation issues for 1000 Friends of Oregon, managed rural development and study abroad programs in Asia and Africa and was an organizational consultant. Scott currently serves on the City of Portland/Multnomah Food Policy Council; the Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Resource Center's administrative council; the ODA/OSU Food Innovation Center advisory board, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch advisory board. As an East-West Center graduate fellow, Scott earned dual Masters degrees in Geography and in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1989.
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Matthew
Buck • Assistant
Director Prior to joining Food Alliance in 2004, Matt served as communications director for Sustainable Northwest, a regional non-profit promoting environmentally sound economic development in communities of the Pacific Northwest. In that position he led research, writing and publication of over 100 case studies of sustainability initiatives by urban and rural businesses, community organizations and government agencies. He also conceived and organized two “Sustainability Forums,” which each drew more than 1,000 participants from across the US and internationally. Under contract with USDA Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, Matt published Sustainable Agriculture: Continuing to Grow, which profiled a wide range of on-farm research and development efforts. As chair of the board of Friends of Zenger Farm, Matt has also led a successful effort to create an education center focused on sustainable agriculture and community food systems on an historic 16-acre farm property in a low-income neighborhood in outer Southeast Portland. Matt holds a B.A. degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Lewis and Clark College, and has additional experience in research and education.
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Karen Lewotsky • Certification Director Karen was hired as Food Alliance’s Certification Director in March 2006. She is responsible for the design and delivery of Food Alliance’s key product: a sustainable agriculture certification for farms, ranches and food processors and manufacturers. She will act as the organization’s chief technical resource on advances in research, changing industry practices, and emerging consumer concerns related to food and social or environmental responsibility. She will also work closely with Food Alliance’s Stewardship Council in creating, evaluating and improving the standards to ensure the credibility of Food Alliance certification programs. Prior to joining Food Alliance, Karen spent eight years as a Program Director for the Oregon Environmental Council. She managed OEC's Agricultural and Water Programs and coordinated their IT development. She holds a PhD in Geography and a JD with a Natural Resources emphasis, both from the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.
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Roberta
Anderson •
Business Development Manager As Food Alliance's Business Development Manager, Roberta identifies farmers and food processors that are using sustainable practices and could benefit from Food Alliance certification. Additionally, she works to build opportunities and relationships between certified farmers and processors and the many food businesses that seek valueS-added products. Her desire to work in this field grew from her upbringing on a centennial farm in northern Illinois and her experience as a sociology student at the University of Wisconsin. Roberta joined Food Alliance in September 2004 after earning her Masters in Business Administration at Portland State University. During her MBA program, Roberta focused on issues of social responsibility and environmental sustainability in business and she completed a certificate program in Food Industry Management. Her relevant experiences include an internship with the promotions department at New Seasons Market, a beloved Portland-area natural supermarket chain. She also consulted for Coastwide Laboratories, a regional sanitary maintenance supply distributor and manufacturer of award-winning sustainable cleaning products. Roberta has served on the board of directors for Portland's Hollywood Farmers' Market since 2002.
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Heather
Saam • Certification
Manager Heather joined Food Alliance as the Certification Manager in August 2004. Previously, Heather worked for the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a study exploring nutrient management practices on Wisconsin dairy farms. Heather has several years of experience working closely with farmers, and grew up on her family's century farm in the driftless region of Northwest Illinois. Heather holds an MS in Land Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BA in Philosophy and Chemistry from Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa.
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Elizabeth Palles • Book Keeper Born in England and having spent many years in Canada, Liz brings to Food Alliance a diverse background of administrative and book-keeping experience. Prior to joining Food Alliance, Liz served as the administrator/office manager for two environmental organizations in rural New Hampshire, Friends of the John Hay National Wildlife Refuge, and Lake Sunapee Protective Association. Liz oversees the general administrative operations of Food Alliance and manages all internal financial tracking and reporting.
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Prairie Hale • Program Associate Prairie joined Food Alliance in June 2007. As a Program Associate, she responsible for supporting Food Alliance programs through data management and analysis and project research. She has had a variety experiences working with food systems, each offering a unique perspective. In addition to growing up on a family ranch in rural Oregon, she completed internships for several family farms, organized a local food campaign in her hometown in Eastern Oregon, and taught nutrition education through the U.S. Food Stamp Program. Prairie received her B.A. in Peace and Global Studies with a focus in Ecology from Earlham College, Richmond, IN.
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Food Alliance California Staff |
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David Visher • California Program Manager David joined the Food Alliance team in March 2007 as the California Program Manager. He is responsible for establishing and developing Food Alliance presence in California and serving producer and handler clients. David was a vegetable grower before moving on to spend nine years with the University of California Cooperative Extension Small Farm Program specializing in business management and specialty marketing. He has organized many education programs and conferences including four California Farm Conferences. He developed and produced Tastings of Summer Produce in Oakland and Sacramento, providing farmers direct access to chefs and specialty buyers. A coalition-builder, David led the Solano County Summit on Agriculture through town hall meetings and listening sessions looking at barriers, challenges and opportunities to keeping agriculture prosperous. In 2001 Visher formed a consulting partnership called Farm and Agriculture Collaborative Training Systems. FACTS produced a tool called AgComplyIT in three languages to assist farmers and ranchers with the daunting task of regulatory compliance. FACTS also presented its signature Planning for Profit course six times to farmers, ranchers, and foresters in Oregon and California. Visher has spent five summers in Ukraine and Haiti assisting vegetable growers. David has served as a Director of the California Farm Conference, and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers. He currently serves on the board of directors for the California Institute for Rural Studies. David holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and Marketing from California State University, Chico. |
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Food Alliance Midwest Staff |
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Bob
Olson |
Midwest Business Development Manager Bob joined Food Alliance Midwest in January 2005. He is responsible for managing market partnerships and supporting the recruitment of new growers and processors. Bob has over 25 years of agricultural and business development experience, working with farmers as a staff member of the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Bob earned an undergraduate degree in plant and soil science and a masters degree in Agriculture and Applied Economics. He was raised on a Wisconsin dairy farm where he experienced first-hand the challenges and opportunities of food production. Bob and his wife, Cheri, have three children and reside in Stillwater, Minnesota.
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Jill McLaughlin |
Midwest Assistant Program Manager Jill McLaughlin joined Food Alliance Midwest in June 2007 as the Assistant Program Manager. Jill is responsible for assisting Midwest staff in the development of grant proposals, maintaining and building Food Alliance Midwest memberships, and managing Midwest programs like Minnesota Cooks at the Minnesota State Fair. Jill received her Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Kansas, and in 2006 received her certificate in Holistic Health Counseling from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. Prior to moving to Minneapolis, Jill lived in Kansas City, MO, where she served on the steering committee of the Kansas City Food Circle, an all-volunteer, grassroots organization created to promote the development of a permanently sustainable local food system. She was also a member of the Kansas City 100 Mile Diet group, scouting out local sources of foods in an effort to support local farmers and to educate and increase consumption of these foods in Kansas City and the surrounding region.
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© 1997-2007, Food Alliance |