Organic Visionaries to Receive 2014 Organic Leadership Awards

A pioneer and tireless teacher of the organic way for more than 40 years, an organic farmer dedicated to making his farming operation a compelling example of a better way to farm, and an environmental engineer who triggered an organic revolution in the mattress and bedding industry will be honored by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) for their visionary work that is transforming organic farming and trade.

“These outstanding visionaries have made invaluable contributions to demonstrating how organic practices can change our world for the better,” said Laura Batcha, OTA’s executive director and CEO. “We are excited to honor these three individuals who were nominated by their peers and chosen unanimously by OTA’s board of directors.”

To be honored Sept. 17 at OTA’s 2014 Organic Leadership Awards Celebration in Baltimore will be: Marty Mesh, executive director of Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers, Growing the Organic Industry Award; Doug Crabtree, farmer and organic farm trainer, Vilicus Farms, Organic Farmer of the Year Award; and Barry A. Cik, technical director, Naturepedic Organic Mattresses, Rising Star Award.

Mesh has dedicated more than 40 years to organic agriculture. In 1973, he started growing organic produce and helped start a co-op so that people could purchase organic food. After attending the University of Florida, he founded Bellevue Gardens Organic Farm. For 25 years, working with his hands in the soil, he learned the methods that would later become organic standards. He also worked with other farmers to create a certification program to differentiate organic products in the marketplace. In 1989, he helped form Florida Certified Organic Growers & Consumers Inc. (FOG), and has served as its executive director since 1995. FOG’s certification arm, Quality Certification Services (QCS), now certifies more than 900 farm and handling operations in the U.S. and abroad.

Growing up on a conventional managed farm in Ohio, Crabtree never imagined he’d be anything other than a farmer. However, over time, he has become not only a passionate advocate of organic farming, but also a steward helping others become organic farmers. Earning a B.S. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University and a master’s degree in Plant Science at South Dakota State University, he first worked with an investment firm interested in organic farming. This experience confirmed that organic farming was not just economically viable but also economically advantageous over conventional farming. He subsequently served as an independent organic inspector for five years, gaining perspective on the challenges facing organic farmers, and later joined the Montana Department of Agriculture in 2001 as organic certification manager. In 2009, he and his wife and partner, Anna Jones-Crabtree, purchased their first organic acreage in Montana. They chose the name Vilicus Farms (“vilicus” in Latin means “steward”) for their farming operation. Since then, they have actively farmed while setting up a mentoring apprenticeship program to actively engage new farmers in growing organically, giving them hand-on skills needed to farm successfully.

As the founder and technical director of Naturepedic Organic Mattresses, Cik has a lifelong interest in preserving the environment for all future generations. A professionally trained environmental engineer, Cik combines his passion for improving our quality of life with his technical knowledge.

OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing more than 6,500 organic businesses across 49 states. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers’ associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others.