An OTA Organic Leadership Award is the association's highest honor. The award is given annually to an individual, inside or outside the organic industry, who has shown leadership and vision in furthering goals of the organic movement.
2010 Organic Leadership Award in the Growing the Organic Industry category
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Theresa Marquez, Chief Marketing Executive at Organic Valley, has been involved in organic for the past 35 years. Marquez has served on the Board of Directors of the Organic Foods Production Association (the original organization that subsequently became OTA), OTA, and The Organic Center. She has grown Organic Valley, America’s largest organic farming cooperative, from $5 million to $523 million in annual sales. |
2010 Organic Leadership Award in the Growing Organic Agriculture category
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Bob Quinn, President of Kamut® International, has been involved in organic agriculture since the 1970s. Quinn has promoted organic agriculture throughout his home state of Montana, encouraging other farmers—including U.S. Senator Jon Tester— to go organic. He works closely with Montana State University personnel on testing of new farming systems and new crops to provide farmers a substitute for the use of conventional fertilizer and pesticides. |
OTA will honor the contributions of Theresa and Bob, and celebrate our own 25th anniversary at the Annual Dinner and Dance. Join your organic industry friends and colleagues to eat, drink, and be merry in Boston. This event usually sells out, so purchase your tickets now!
Learn more about the nomination process. Contact Laura Stravino with questions.
Past Honorees:
2009
Paddy Doherty
Organic Leadership Award for Achievement in Growing the Organic Industry
Eldon, Wendell, Harlan and Homer Lundberg
Organic Leadership Award for Achievement in Growing Organic Agriculture
2008
Ray Fuller
Organic Farming Leadership Award
Drew and Myra Goodman
Organic Leadership Award
2007
Larry Jacobs and Sandra Belin
Organic Farming Leadership Award
Howard Shapiro
Organic Leadership Award
2006
Katherine DiMatteo
Outstanding Individual Achievement
2005
Joseph Smillie
Special Pioneer Award
LaRhea & Terry Pepper
Organic Agriculture Award
2004
Neil Strayer
Organic Agriculture Award
Nora Pouillon, Nora's/Asia Nora's
Special Pioneer Award
2003
The Rodale Family
2002
Bená Burda, Maggie’s Organics/Clean Clothes, Inc.
Special Pioneer Award
Dave Reibling, Oak Manor Farms
Organic Agriculture Award
Mark Retzloff
Outstanding Individual Achievement Award
Bob Scowcroft, Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF)
Legislative and Regulatory Award
2001
Allen Shainsky, Petaluma Poultry (posthumously)
Special Pioneer Award
Bill Wolf, Wolf & Associates
Outstanding Individual Achievement Award
2000
Kathleen Merrigan, Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture
1999
Frank Ford, Founder, Arrowhead Mills
1998
Paul K. Keene, Founder, Walnut Acres
1997
The Honorable Patrick J. Leahy
