George L. Siemon

"Mr. George L. Siemon is a Founding Farmer of Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Siemon is also employed at Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool Cooperative. Mr. Siemon is a One of the nation's foremost organic agriculture advocates for nearly two decades and Mr. Siemon is best known for his leadership in organizing farmers and building market support for organic agriculture. Mr. Siemon, himself an organic farmer, champions a system of farming that supports small farmers, defends the ethical, humane treatment of farm animals, benefits the environment, and gives consumers high-quality organic food. In 1988 Mr. Siemon joined a half-dozen neighboring family farmers to found the Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools (CROPP), known more familiarly as Organic Valley® Family of Farms, in Wisconsin. Under his leadership, Organic Valley has become the largest organic farmers' cooperative in North America. Mr. Siemon served as chairman of the Organic Trade Association's Livestock Committee, was instrumental in developing effective national standards for organic certification, a process directed by the United States Department of Agriculture. Mr. Siemon served as a member of the USDA's Small Farm Advisory Committee. He is three years into a USDA appointed, five-year term on theNational Organic Standards Board. Mr. Siemon was recognized in May 2004 with the "Community Activist Award" from the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association. Mr. Siemon and his family have owned and operated an organic farm since 1977. Mr. Siemon is a native of Florida. He holds bachelor degree in animal science from Colorado State University, Ft. Collins." [1]

• Founding member, Slow Money
• Director, Organic Center