OUR WINTER CONFERENCE SPONSORS
Keynote
2026 KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Organic Roots and Branches
presented by Jim Riddle
For more than 40 years, Jim Riddle has been a leader in the organic community, as a farmer, inspector, educator, activist, and policy specialist. During our keynote, Jim will discuss the deep roots of the organic movement - what inspired it, how it has evolved, and where it is today - and share scenes from organic farms around the world. Be prepared for an entertaining, enlightening, and thoughtful time, as Jim takes us on a journey through the organic world, near and far.
Jim Riddle grew up with organic values on a small farm in Iowa. He and his wife grew perennial fruits at Blue Fruit Farm in Minnesota and started their local farmers market in the 1980s, before “local food” gained prominence. Jim worked as an organic inspector for 20 years and was founding president of the International Organic Inspectors Association. He has trained organic inspectors and spoken at organic conferences throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Japan, Australia, Russia, Iran, Europe, Jamaica, and more. Jim served as chair of the National Organic Standards Board and originated the organic certification cost share program. Jim and his wife, Joyce Ford, are retired and now live in New Hampshire, where they serve as mentors in the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP).
