2026 Bill Duesing Award Winner – Steve Munno
March 9, 2026
CT NOFA Announces Steve Munno as 2026 Bill Duesing Organic Living on the Earth Awardee at 44th Annual Winter Conference
CT NOFA is proud to announce Steve Munno as the 2026 Bill Duesing Organic Living on the Earth awardee.
Steve is the Executive Director and Farm Director of the Massaro Community Farm in Woodbridge, Connecticut, and a CT NOFA board member. Steve and Bill developed a close relationship when Steve was new at Massaro Farm in 2009, with Bill becoming a great mentor to him. In addition to his leadership at Massaro Farm, Steve has been a driving force within the Woodbridge community, serving as a member of the Woodbridge Agricultural Commission. His knowledge and expertise in farming and agriculture have been invaluable in shaping the direction of local agricultural policies and practices and have helped ensure that Woodbridge remains a place where agriculture thrives and is sustainable.
Connecticut General Assembly official citation for Steve Munno
Steve has followed in Bill’s footsteps with his passion for organic living, farming, and leadership through his long tenure serving CT NOFA. He joined the CT NOFA board in 2012, served as President of the board from 2018 to 2023 – a very difficult time that included the Covid pandemic – and still serves on the board today. He has never wavered from these commitments, all the while deeply involved with his family life and serving as Selectman in Woodbridge, among other things.
Steve is an alumnus of Wesleyan University, where he gained the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that have served him well in his roles as a community leader. Additionally, he holds a Certificate in Ecological Horticulture from the University of California at Santa Cruz, showcasing his expertise in environmentally responsible farming practices, and a Certificate in Climate Change and Health from the Yale School of Public Health, demonstrating his commitment to public health and its relationship to the environment.
Steve is also an excellent farmer, a profession that requires many talents and a variety of skill sets. He is kind, generous, and fair to his fellow farmers and his customers. Steve is also the expert voice for organic farming on The Organic Farmstand on WPKN Radio, a spot Bill used to regularly fill.
The Bill Duesing Award committee and CT NOFA are pleased to present this award to Steve, recognizing his commitment to bringing organic food, farming, and awareness of organic living and stewardship to the Woodbridge community and across the state.
Learn more about Bill Duesing, the Organic Living on the Earth Award, and previous awardees.
Recent Posts
Advocacy News: May 2026
The Good News: CT Senator Chris Murphy has introduced a bill (bipartisan and bicameral) to increase funding for Agricultural Management Assistance to $30 million and to expand the eligible uses for these funds to include “soil health improvements, composting, implementing organic farming, and food safety certification in addition to existing authorized uses such as water management structure and soil erosion control.” Let’s thank Senator Murphy for introducing this bill!
The Bad News: The Farm Bill passed the House of Representatives on April 30, despite 320 food, farm, and conservation organizations, including CT NOFA, voicing our opposition to a bill that does not fix SNAP, does not support new and beginning farmers, and does not adequately support conservation programs or organic agriculture. Now it goes to the Senate and we need to urge both of Connecticut’s Senators to reject this Farm Bill.
Our Vision for a Future of Resilient, Plentiful, Healthy and Locally-Grounded Farming and Food
In concluding its annual retreat, the Northeast Organic Farming Association Interstate Council (NOFA IC) reaffirms the values that have grounded our work for 55 years.
Our vision is that every person is able to live their life with healthy food, clean water and air, community, livelihood, dignity, and purpose within the means of our life-giving planet. We seek that vision on every level, from our households and farms to our communities, states, bioregions, nation, and world. For that vision to be fulfilled, every person, no matter their origin or circumstances, must have all their basic human needs met without degrading the air, water, soil, ecosystems, and climate which we have been given and on which we depend for our lives.