Minnesota People & Programs

Contact People

Meg Moynihan

Agriculture Diversification Specialist
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
email: Meg.Moynihan@state.mn.us
Phone: 651-201-6616

Meg can provide information on Minnesota Department of Agriculture programs, including a program to reimburse farmers for a portion of their annual certification costs. Meg is also very knowledgeable about organic production standards, and is involved in organizing organic training courses, workshops, etc. in Minnesota.

Carmen Fernholz

Organic Agriculture Coordinator for Research Management
Southwest Research and Outreach Center
University of Minnesota
email: fernholz@umn.edu

Carmen has been an organic farmer in southwestern Minnesota for more than 30 years, and is nationally recognized as a leader in organic agriculture. He brings a wealth of hands-on experience to ongoing research programs at the University of Minnesota.

Jim Riddle

Organic Agriculture Coordinator for Outreach
Southwest Research and Outreach Center
University of Minnesota
email: riddl003@umn.edu

Jim has been an organic farmer and an organic inspector, and has served on the National Organic Standards Board. He is known nationally and internationally for his expertise on organic standards.

Jim Stordahl

Extension Educator
Polk County Extension Office
PO Box 69, McIntosh, MN 56556
email: stordahl@umn.edu
Phone: 218-563-2465
Fax: 218-563-4750

Jim works in northwestern Minnesota. He is knowledgeable about organic grain and livestock production, including organic dairy.

Organic Agriculture Programs in Minnesota

Organic Agriculture, Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Meg Moynihan oversees this program at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The website has links to just about everything organic: National Organic Program rules, sample forms, fact sheets, lists of organic buyers, guides to certifiers, production and transition information.

Organic Ecology Program, Southwest Research and Outreach Center, University of Minnesota

The Southwest Research and Outreach Center at Lamberton, MN is the site of ongoing University research into organic methods, the production potential of organic agriculture, and the transition from conventional to organic agriculture.

National Organic Program

In this Section:

Certification

Marketing Organic

People &  Programs

Transition & Production

Research