Commissioner Frederickson announces Organic Advisory Task Force members

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson is pleased to announce the new 13-member roster of the Organic Advisory Task Force. The new members will serve three-year terms, representing organic farmers, retailers, educators, certifiers, consumers and the public.

Members of the Task Force will advise the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the University of Minnesota on policies concerning organic production in Minnesota, and weigh in on how to effectively provide outreach, education, research, and technical assistance to the greater organic community.

“The new Task Force members offer a tremendous amount of experience, expertise, and talent,” said Commissioner Frederickson. “The organic sector is vital to Minnesota’s agricultural economy, and we need strong involvement from the organic community to make sure that sector continues to thrive. I look forward to collaborating with this board to continue to improve organic agriculture for all Minnesotans.”

According to the latest data from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the number of organic operations in Minnesota totaled 659 in 2015, ranking 7th in the nation.

The new Organic Advisory Task Force members are:

Rory Beyer, St. Charles

Representing: Organic Farmers

Lynn Brakke, Moorhead

Representing: Organic Farmers

Susan Burns, Minneapolis

Representing: the Public

Cherry Flowers, St. Paul

Representing: the Public

Jenny Heck, Minneapolis

Representing: Organic Retailer/Wholesaler/Distributor

Bradley Heins, Morris

Representing: U of M Extension

Michelle Menken, St. Paul

Representing: Organic Certifiers

Lindsay Mutegi, St. Paul

Representing: United States Department of Agriculture

Carolyn Olson, Cottonwood

Representing: Nonprofit Organization Representing Organic Farmers

Jim Riddle (Chair), Winona

Representing: Organic Farmers

M. Scott Wells, St. Paul

Representing: U of M Faculty

Barbara Wolff, Burnsville

Representing: Consumers

Andrew Wright, Minneapolis

Representing: Organic Processors

For additional information about the Organic Advisory Task Force, visit http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTYxMjI3LjY4MTEwMzAxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE2MTIyNy42ODExMDMwMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2ODg0ODEyJmVtYWlsaWQ9aW5mb0ByZWRsYWtlbmF0aW9ubmV3cy5jb20mdXNlcmlkPWluZm9AcmVkbGFrZW5hdGlvbm5ld3MuY29tJnRhcmdldGlkPSZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&100&&&https://www.mda.state.mn.us/food/organic/oatf.aspx.