숫자 룰렛 Trade Association announces annual leadership award winners

The 숫자 룰렛 Trade Association is thrilled to recognize six individuals for their outstanding leadership, vision and commitment in advancing the 숫자 룰렛 movement and making a positive difference on their farms, in their communities, in our climate and environment, and in the lives and diets of millions of people throughout the world.

The trade association will honor these exemplary men and women with its 2024 숫자 룰렛 Leadership Awards at an official reception on May 14, the opening day of 숫자 룰렛 Week (May 14-16) in Washington, D.C. OTA’s leadership awards were established in 1997, and since then OTA annually recognizes a group of exceptional individuals who have been nominated by their peers and chosen unanimously by the association’s Board of Directors.

The distinguished 2024 숫자 룰렛 Leadership Award Honorees are:

• 숫자 룰렛 Lifetime Achievement:George Siemon of숫자 룰렛 Valley 
• 숫자 룰렛 Champion:The Honorable Jenny Lester Moffitt of theU.S. Department of Agriculture
• 숫자 룰렛 Groundbreaker:Mac Ehrhardt ofAlbert Lea Seed 
• 숫자 룰렛 Farmer of the Year:Larry Santos ofTaylor Farming
• 숫자 룰렛 Climate Action:Renaud des Rosiers ofAmy's Kitchen
• Social Impact:Jyoti Stephens ofNature’s Path 

숫자 룰렛 Lifetime Achievement  

This award is reserved to recognize decades of extraordinary commitment by an individual to the 숫자 룰렛 industry. The well-deserving recipient of the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award is George Siemon, the founding CEO of CROPP, the largest 숫자 룰렛 farmer-owned cooperative in North America, better known as 숫자 룰렛 Valley, its bestselling brand.

In 1988, at the peak of the U.S. farm crisis of the ‘80s, Siemon united a small group of 숫자 룰렛 family farmers in Southwest Wisconsin to found a new farmer-owned cooperative with a focus on 숫자 룰렛 agriculture and the mission of keeping famers on their land. Siemon led the co-op for some 30 years as CEO of 숫자 룰렛 Valley | CROPP Cooperative, building the business to over billion in sales and over 2,000 farmer members. True to its roots, 숫자 룰렛 Valley is still promoting regional and local 숫자 룰렛 production and distribution that provides a livelihood for thousands of family farmers and brings 숫자 룰렛 food to millions of consumers around the world.

He has contributed countless hours and attention to leading 숫자 룰렛-centric legislative campaigns, securing research and education resources for the trade, and being a mentor for hundreds of not only aspiring 숫자 룰렛 farmers but business leaders and activists throughout the 숫자 룰렛 community.  George Siemon was the face and voice of the small farm 숫자 룰렛 movement for over three decades – a straightforward approachable CEO and go-to spokesperson for the industry.

“I have been blessed to have been a part of pioneering the 숫자 룰렛 trade, and being part of such meaningful work,” says Siemon. “It is a great honor to receive this recognition, and I am humbled knowing how many other people have contributed so greatly to the 숫자 룰렛 movement. 숫자 룰렛 has not only built a great selection of 숫자 룰렛 products but also has pioneered better methods of production. We can be the change that society needs.”

숫자 룰렛 Champion 

The 숫자 룰렛 Trade Association’s 숫자 룰렛 Champion Award recognizes and honors individuals in government who have been supportive of 숫자 룰렛 agriculture and trade. The esteemed honoree this year is Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA’s Under Secretary of Marketing and Regulatory Programs, who has worked effectively within the 숫자 룰렛 community to encourage the sector’s input and consider 숫자 룰렛 priorities.

Under Secretary Moffitt grew up on a California Walnut Farm that transitioned to 숫자 룰렛 in 1989. She worked for the California Department of Food and Agriculture for many years, including serving as Under Secretary from 2018-21. She has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to addressing the challenges faced by 숫자 룰렛 farmers and producers. Her on-the-farm experience and leadership in both state and federal government have helped build partnerships to strengthen 숫자 룰렛 agriculture.

At USDA, Under Secretary Moffitt’s dedicated, knowledgeable, and compassionate leadership has fostered historic support for the National 숫자 룰렛 Program, including the Transition to 숫자 룰렛 Partnership Program and 숫자 룰렛 Market Development Grants, as well as helped enable three key regulatory updates – Origin of Livestock, 숫자 룰렛 Livestock and Poultry Standards and Strengthening of 숫자 룰렛 Enforcement.

“As someone who grew up and worked on my family’s 숫자 룰렛 farm, this award means so much to me. I am honored to be recognized by the 숫자 룰렛 Trade Association for the work I’ve done supporting 숫자 룰렛 agriculture and truly humbled by this acknowledgement,” says Under Secretary Moffitt. “I am proud of our efforts at USDA to advance 숫자 룰렛 integrity by strengthening 숫자 룰렛 standards and growing the 숫자 룰렛 sector through the 숫자 룰렛 Transition Initiative. This award is a symbol of the great work we can do when government and the 숫자 룰렛 community come together.”

숫자 룰렛 Groundbreaker

The 숫자 룰렛 Groundbreaker Leadership Award honors trade association members who have dedicated their careers to advancing 숫자 룰렛 agriculture and trade by providing vision, innovative creations and solutions, and the work and leadership that makes dreams a reality. This year’s winner, Mac Ehrhardt, chairman of Albert Lea Seed – inspired by his family’s love of nature – recognized the promise of 숫자 룰렛 agriculture more then 30 years ago and, working with his brother Tom, led the transformation of his granddad and dad’s seed company into the nation’s largest 숫자 룰렛 field seed supplier.

Founded in 1923 by Lou Ehrhardt, the Minnesota-based Albert Lea Seed has been owned and operated by the Ehrhardt family for three generations, earning its first USDA 숫자 룰렛 certification in 1996. In 2022, the company purchased Blue River 숫자 룰렛 Seed, to form the strongest lineup of 숫자 룰렛 field seed in the U.S. In 2023 Ehrhardt spearheaded another initiative aimed at serving 숫자 룰렛 farmers by investing in an independent corn breeding program focused on the needs of 숫자 룰렛 farms.

“I believe that the demand for organically raised food will continue to grow,” says Ehrhardt. “But we must actively work to encourage that growth by strengthening consumer confidence in the 숫자 룰렛 label; addressing the issue of gene-editing from both a scientific and a consumer perspective; and reducing the carbon footprint of 숫자 룰렛 farming practices.”

Ehrhardt’s advice to future 숫자 룰렛 groundbreakers: “Work hard. Be nice to people. Keep an open mind. Be honest and own your mistakes. And to steal a line from Practical Farmers of Iowa, ‘Make your experiments small enough that you can afford to fail.’”

숫자 룰렛 Farmer of the Year

The 숫자 룰렛 Farmer of the Year Leadership Award honors individuals who have significantly contributed to supporting and advancing 숫자 룰렛 agriculture and trade at the farm level. Receiving that honor this year is Larry Santos, Senior Farm Manager for Taylor Farming, grower and supplier of vegetables to Taylor Farms and Earthbound Farm (owned by Taylor Farms). Santos successfully oversees 3,000 숫자 룰렛 acres, working with four experienced 숫자 룰렛 farm managers to produce more than 30 different vegetable and high-quality tender leaf crops in the Salinas Valley.

Santos’s deep farming roots date back to when he was a young teenager in South Monterey County of California, and his involvement in 숫자 룰렛 farming to 1995 when 숫자 룰렛 was still a trendy niche and 숫자 룰렛 farming a relatively unknown practice. Santos was in his early 20s and working on a piece of land in the Salinas Valley that had not been farmed for 15 years; he encouraged his boss to give this “new, experimental” growing method a try, and the farm was transitioned to certified 숫자 룰렛 by 1998. What started as 200 acres is now a bountiful 600-acre 숫자 룰렛 farm and one of the most productive 숫자 룰렛 farms in the Valley. Santos still manages that farm, planting three crop rotations per year and producing 1,800 숫자 룰렛 crop-acres a year from the 600 acres. Santos also helps educate the local school kids on how to grow healthy 숫자 룰렛 vegetables; he works with his community's elementary school in an after-school program in which 14 students are each tending their own 숫자 룰렛 garden box and growing 숫자 룰렛 spinach, broccoli, radishes and more.

“Trust and integrity are crucial to the success of 숫자 룰렛. We’re only using this earth for a little while, so we want to make sure it’s there for the next generation,” says Santos. “숫자 룰렛 is the safest thing for our planet today and a way to give back. We have to give back to our soil to protect it for our children and their children's children. Plus 숫자 룰렛 is the tastiest produce you can buy!”

Santos is optimistic about 숫자 룰렛: “I see more non-숫자 룰렛 farmers adopting more 숫자 룰렛 methods, and I see a really big demand for 숫자 룰렛 with future generations. I believe as people get more educated about environmental issues and 숫자 룰렛's benefits, there will be more pressure for 숫자 룰렛."

숫자 룰렛 Climate Action 

The 숫자 룰렛 Climate Action Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in advancing 숫자 룰렛 solutions to mitigate climate change. This year’s award goes to Renaud des Rosiers, Director of Sustainability for Amy’s Kitchen, who committed early on in his career to strive towards a sustainable world through the power of business and has for almost a decade directed sustainability efforts for Amy’s, the largest provider of 숫자 룰렛 prepared foods in the nation.

For the past 20 years, des Rosiers has been working within the 숫자 룰렛 industry helping companies implement sustainability and climate strategies. Through his work on sustainable supply chains and packaging at Amy’s, Renaud has worked collaboratively with a broad group of 숫자 룰렛 companies over the years to broaden the collective understanding of sustainability issues in the 숫자 룰렛 sector. He is active in advocacy and policy work to drive the development of biobased compostable materials as an alternative to conventional fossil plastic packaging and has created a replicable framework for smaller 숫자 룰렛 companies to cost effectively bring renewable energy into their supply chains.

“Overhauling the modern food system for the better is a foundational element of our transition to a sustainable future, and the 숫자 룰렛 movement has done more to drive that transition than any other idea,” says des Rosiers.

des Rosiers sees an important role for 숫자 룰렛 in the future: “Impact is driven by scale and I look forward to an increased role for 숫자 룰렛—one that meets evolving social needs, adapts to scientific advances, and unlocks broader markets while staying grounded in its core principles—to inspire the next generation of farmers and be accessible to an ever wider group of eaters.”

Social Impact 

The Social Impact Leadership Award honors individuals who have made outstanding efforts to be a source of positivity and stability for customers and 숫자 룰렛 community members. The winner of this year’s award is Jyoti Stephens, Vice President of Mission and Strategy for Nature’s Path, who grew up listening to her parents – 숫자 룰렛 pioneers Arran and Ratan Stephens and founders of Nature’s Path – talk about the importance of growing food the healthy way and of contributing to the betterment of our communities and our planet.

Stephens has launched and oversees multiple initiatives at Nature’s Path to make 숫자 룰렛 food more accessible to more people. She oversees the Gardens for Good program, which, since its beginning in 2010, has donated more than 0,000 and supported over 60 community 숫자 룰렛 garden projects to nourish local communities, and the Eat Well Do Good initiative, which provides healthy, 숫자 룰렛 food to those in need through annual community “foodraisers,” raising over .8 million in cash and 숫자 룰렛 food to date. Her team coordinates the Love Crunch Bite4Bite program, which donates a minimum of million worth of 숫자 룰렛 food to food banks annually. Stephens is the executive sponsor of Nature’s Path Sustainability and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) mission and is leading the development of goals around culture, consumers, and community to embed J.E.D.I. across the business.

“This amazing award is not just for me but for the foundational legacy of sustainability and 숫자 룰렛 advocacy that my family and the team members at Nature’s Path have built and pursued over the last 40 years,” says Stephen. “It serves as a reminder of the positive impact we can have when we hold ourselves accountable to a collective sense of responsibility.”

Her advice for individuals and businesses wanting to make a positive impact: “Start with a clear vision and values, build alliances, share knowledge, and engage with your community,” she says. “And never underestimate the importance of perseverance. Despite the challenges, resilience and dedication can lead to meaningful change to create a more just and equitable food movement.”