Business Leadership Award

Masa Cooperativa

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Masa Cooperativa is a worker-owned and majority immigrant-operated cooperative based in Philadelphia that mills corn grown in partnership with local organic farms to produce masa–a maize dough used to make popular foods, such as tortillas, tamales, arepas, and other staples of Latin American cuisine. Their process is based on ancestral techniques from the indigenous people of the Americas, honoring the cultural importance and nutritional value of corn masa.

The Cooperativa’s goal is to raise the standards of commercially available masa by providing wholesome, organic masa grown and made locally. They produce masa both for wholesale to restaurants and for retail within the community. 

As a business that is majority immigrant-owned and utilizes a worker-owned model that promotes wealth redistribution and non-extractive financial management, all while serving surrounding communities and working across the rural-urban divide, Masa Cooperativa is an inspiration to other businesses. They challenge us to reimagine our food system–positing that it is not only the product that delivers exceptional taste, nutrition, and value to the community, but also the process itself–and that both are deserving of celebration.

Community Leadership Award

Truelove Seeds

Philadelphia, Pennsylvnia

Truelove Seeds is a farm-based seed company offering culturally important and open-pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. They have been a collaborative project since the beginning, now involving 75 growers who produce seeds for their catalog along with a team of staff and apprentices growing, cleaning, organizing, and shipping the seeds from their farm and office, each contributing and stewarding ancestral seeds and stories along the way. 

Co-Founders Owen Taylor and Chris Bolden-Newsome launched their first seed catalog in 2017 and have since expanded to include mentorships, apprenticeships, and a wide array of community programs, including seed-saving workshops, seed exchanges, and local farm partnerships. Truelove is a training partner in Pasa’s Diversified Vegetable Pre-Apprenticeship, graduating three to five individuals each season. They are passionate about educating young farmers on how to save seeds that are culturally relevant to them. Recently, Truelove collaborated with Pasa to facilitate our first fully bilingual event at Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden. 

It takes a village to raise a community-based seed company, and Truelove would not be complete without its people! Maebh Aguilar is the Seed Collection Manager and self-proclaimed “office human.” Miki Palchick helps manage the farm and apprenticeship program. Zainab Muhammad fills most of the orders, manages packet filling in the winter, and spearheads the fermentation station and farm seed room organization in the summer. Hannah Thompson, Sarah Kim, and Chesa Thai knock out farm tasks and packet-filling projects. Chesa is also building a new database to keep the seed collection, germination tests, and crop plans organized. Sara Taylor has been a web and graphic designer, bookkeeper, and business manager.

The name “Truelove” honors the memories of Leticia Truelove, Owen and Sara’s maternal great-great-grandmother. Chris and Owen believe that seed saving is an act of true love for ancestors and for the collective future. We are grateful for Truelove’s contributions to the Pasa community and are humbled by their dedication to stewarding ancestral crops, as well as their heart for mentoring aspiring farmers and community members on their journey to reconnect with their roots through diasporic seeds.

Leadership Award

Sue Miller, Birchrun Hills Farm

Chester County, Pennsylvania

Sue Miller co-manages Birchrun Hills Farm, a first-generation dairy farm with an on-site creamery in Chester County, about an hour northwest of Philadelphia.

Sue fell in love with taking care of cows when she met her husband, Ken Miller. Since 2006, the Millers have been committed to dairy farming using conservation-minded methods. Their award-winning, handcrafted raw milk cheeses have become staples in local restaurants, farmers markets, breweries, and farm shows. In 2023, the Chester County Commissioners awarded the Miller family the Farmers of the Year award, acknowledging their dynamic business model, commitment to sustainable farming, and local food system advocacy.

Many Pasa staff members hold a deeply personal admiration for Sue. Pasa’s Farm Bill Campaign Organizer Lindsey Shapiro, shared, “When I was a baby farmer, I took my mom for a tour around our farmers market and brought her to my favorite cheese stand to meet the proprietor, Sue Miller. Sue said to my mom, ‘You should be so proud that your daughter’s a farmer.’ That moment has always stuck with me–I think it exemplifies Sue’s dedication to supporting her peers in this industry and helping us navigate the challenges of a life in farming.”

Sue previously served as a Pasa Board member from 2008 to 2017 and is remembered for her insightful contributions. She notably articulated the unique challenges faced by dairy farmers, highlighting Pasa’s role in representing a dairy community aiming to balance the health of the farmer, animals, community, and ecosystem. We are proud to be presenting this award to Sue Miller as a tribute to her commitment to environmental stewardship and in gratitude for her leadership in this community.

Lifetime Service Award

Chef Mike Ditchfield

Lycoming County, Pennsylvania

Chef Mike Ditchfield has dedicated his career to educating the next generation of chefs. He upholds that the farmers he works closely with are the primary sources connecting him to high-quality food, and relays the same philosophy to his students–teaching them how to source ingredients sustainably and how to prepare cuisines that honor those ingredients. 

Recently retired from Penn College of Technology, his classes often involved trips to organic farms, trout nurseries, and wineries, as well as food demonstrations at local growers markets and harvest dinners. For many years, he played a crucial role in showcasing sustainable products by bringing students into the Pasa Conference kitchen to process whole birds, prepare farm-fresh produce, and create tasty dishes for thousands of attendees. 

In the words of Pasa’s Associate Director for Farmer Training & Development, Dan Dalton, “When Chef Ditchfield speaks about food service, farming, and the environment, he is nothing short of compelling. He’s a true community advocate, representing so well what Pasa has been and aims to be within the food system.” 

A favorite on the Pennsylvania Farm Show PA Preferred Culinary Connection stage, Chef Ditchfield’s relatable style and dedication to healthy, whole foods has made a notable difference in the lives of his students, the farmers he partners with, and foodies throughout the region.

Lifetime Service Award

John & Sukey Jamison

Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

Lifetime Pasa members John and Sukey Jamison have dedicated their lives to improving the health of their land and community by conservation grazing and supplying their local market with high-quality lamb cuts. When the lack of access to meat processing facilities proved challenging to their business, The Jamison Farm, they built their own USDA processing plant to serve their own needs, as well as those of their neighbors in Western Pennsylvania. Self-proclaimed high school sweethearts, the Jamisons authored Coyotes in the Pasture & Wolves at the Door: Stories and Recipes from Our Farm to Your Table, in which the couple shares the knowledge they have gained through their many years of sheep farming.

John served on the Pasa Board from 2004 to 2013 and is remembered for his witty and joyful contributions, challenging us to think holistically about the impacts of our decisions on the lives of farmers and their businesses. After John was diagnosed a year ago with normal pressure hydrocephalus, the couple doubled down on what has become a remarkable journey to recovery for John, with Sukey by his side. We are happy to report John is back on his tractor again!

We are so grateful for the many contributions the Jamisons have made to our community and for the countless ways they have touched the lives of fellow farmers, chefs, and customers along the way!

Lifetime Service Award

Ira Wallace

Louisa County, Virginia

Ira Wallace is a gardener, teacher, and author who manages Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, a cooperatively owned seed company. Ira played a role in the making of the 2014 film Open Sesame: The Story of Seeds, a compelling documentary highlighting the obstacles that some of the most notable non-GMO seed proponents face in their quest to keep seeds from being appropriated as intellectual property and controlled by powerful entities. She has served as a Board member for the Virginia Association for Biological Farming, Open Source Seed Initiative, and Organic Seed Alliance. She was the recipient of the 2016 Craig Claiborne Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2019 American Horticultural Society‘s Paul Ecke Jr. Commercial Award, and the 2019 Organic Educator Award. In 2023, Ira received the coveted James Beard Foundation’s Leadership Award.

Ira is known for her unrelenting support of new seed companies, uplifting them and providing them with a platform to share their stories. She is unwavering in her commitment to reducing competition, encouraging young farmers, and fighting for land access. She calls Acorn Community–an intentional egalitarian community on 72 acres in Mineral, Virginia, that supports radical sharing and encourages personal responsibility–home, where she is considered the godmother of cultural seed preservation. 

Since 2012, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange has been a steadfast business partner in our Conference trade show, and for most of those years, Ira has also shared her knowledge with our community as a Conference speaker. Furthermore, many of our young farmers and seed savers have sought her counsel and attribute much success to her fortitude, guidance, and wisdom. We’re so grateful to Ira for her contributions to our community.

Do you know a farmer, community, or business leader committed to advancing the field of sustainable agriculture who deserves a shoutout? Fill out the Pasabilities Nomination Form!

The post 2024 Pasabilities Award Recipients appeared first on Pasa Sustainable Agriculture.

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding 

Whether commissioning a Pennsylvania agriculture strategic plan, launching the Pennsylvania Farm Bill, or serving on the USDA’s Equity Commission Subcommittee on Agriculture, Secretary Russell Redding steadfastly serves Pennsylvania’s farmers. Through the PA Farm Bill, he has overseen one of the largest expansions of agricultural services and programming in Pennsylvania’s history. The Farm Bill provides resources that touch on numerous sustainable agriculture priorities, for all farmers in our Commonwealth, including recognizing the vital role farmers can have in mitigating climate change. 

Secretary Redding takes time to listen to farmers and forwards the changes they want to see through the state’s evolving support for agriculture in the Commonwealth. As the NEASDA chair, his leadership sets a high bar and expectation for his peers. Since 2015, urban agriculture funding has been included in the PA Farm Bill, before many other states were really even paying attention to urban ag. At every turn, he emphasizes the importance of diversity in agriculture and ensures everyone has a voice at the table and matters in the field. At the Department, he launched a committee that promotes an inclusive working environment and we look forward to seeing how he forwards an even more inclusive and diverse team, now that he has been asked to serve again as Secretary under, now, a third Administration.

I was honored to serve as Secretary Redding’s Deputy for two years and we regularly engaged around his commitment to examine and promote ways for conventional and organic farmers to coexist. We didn’t always agree, but I never doubted his desire to make agriculture a place for everyone. We’ve been thrilled that the Secretary hired a special assistant to focus on workforce development, and helped expand the state’s prioritization of agriculture apprenticeships. We are grateful for all the ways he looks for opportunities to improve working conditions for farmworkers, the viability of farming as a livelihood, and the overt support for sustainable agriculture through his voice and his example.

Ash Richards

Ash Richards is Urban Agriculture Director at Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, managing the Farm Philly Program and the City’s first Urban Agriculture Plan Growing from the Root. Through their work, they systematically identify and address issues and challenges in Philadelphia facing the urban ag community including land access, education, and resources. 

Pasa board member Jessica Moore shared, “Ash Richards led a democratic- and community-minded process to create the Urban Ag Strategic Plan that is not only an invaluable roadmap for Philadelphia but is a needed resource to many other aligned organizations. Pasa among them, these organizations and the people they serve benefit from the plan’s ability to address challenges and support urban growers and organizations in forwarding substantive change to historically inequitable systems.” 

Richards’ work supports the self-reliance and determination of residents to grow and produce their own food and sits at the nexus of policy, planning, public services/goods, and civic engagement. They have worked for the City of Philadelphia since 2011, and prior to their role at Parks and Recreation, Ash worked for the City Planning Commission doing comprehensive and place-based planning. They also worked for the Philadelphia Water Department’s Office of Watersheds doing green stormwater infrastructure projects. They have served as a member of the Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council (FPAC) since 2013 and as co-chair of the FPAC Urban Agriculture Sub-Committee since 2016. 

We are grateful for their service to the sustainable agriculture community and the many growers and their neighbors whose lives are directly impacted by Ash and their unwavering dedication and commitment to an equitable and flourishing future Philadelphia food system.

Wild for Salmon

Wild for Salmon, run by Jenn and Steve Kurian, provides a wild-caught, sustainably harvested source of protein. While their product is unique to the Pasa community, Jenn and Steve’s commitment to environmental stewardship, community-focused product sales to customers at their Bloomsburg store, local farmers markets, CSA’s, coops, buying clubs, grocery stores, and online, Wild for Salmon is a shining example of an ethical business model that builds a better world and is emblematic of Pasa’s community of farmers and food advocates. 

The world-renowned Bristol Bay fishery, where Wild for Salmon fishes, is a well-managed, sustainably run fishery where the annual run of sockeye salmon continues to increase every year, reaching a record of 75 million salmon in 2022! Wild for Salmon now donates a portion of its annual profits to help sustain that fishery for the next generation and has been active in opposing an open pit mine slated for development within its pristine watershed.

Farmers John and Aimee Good at the Good Farm CSA in Lehigh County, who first met Jenn and Steve at the Pasa Conference nearly 20 years ago and have worked with them ever since, estimate that members of their CSA community have consumed approximately 5,000 pounds of salmon during their partnership with Wild for Salmon! That’s a lot of sustainably harvested protein.

Since their first fishing trip to Alaska in 2001, when the Kurians froze and smoked a few pounds of salmon they brought home in coolers to share with their community, up until today where Wild for Salmon provides sustainable fishery products throughout Pennsylvania and ships nationally, they have remained steadfast and valued supporters of the sustainable agriculture and fishery community.  

The post 2023 Pasabilities Award Recipients appeared first on Pasa Sustainable Agriculture.

Each year, we honor farmer, community, and business leaders who serve as examples for advancing sustainable agriculture through innovation and collaboration. We’re pleased to share this year’s award recipients.

Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Award

Art King, Harvest Valley Farms

Art King operates Harvest Valley Farms with his son David and his brother Larry in Valencia, Pennsylvania, just north of Pittsburgh. Growing over 100 varieties of small fruits and vegetables on 160 acres, they also have a 530 member CSA; sell at three farmers markets and a Farm Market & Bakery in Gibsonia; and host pick-your-own pumpkin activities in October. Art holds a B.A. degree in nature conservation from California University, Pennsylvania, and an associate degree in business management from Butler Community College. He is past president of the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association; serves on the PA Simply Sweet Onion Committee; and is a member of Royal Grange, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, and Pasa Sustainable Agriculture. He was nominated as Honorary County Agent by the Pennsylvania County Agent’s Association in 2019.

Community Leadership Award

Karen Schumann-Stark

Karen is a self-proclaimed locavore who grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota, moved to Philadelphia, and in the past decade alone has been an instrumental public servant in the furtherance of the missions of Philadelphia Slow Food, GMO-Free PA, Pennsylvania Farmers Union, PCO, Rodale Institute, and Pasa Sustainable Agriculture. A tireless advocate for healthy foods, transparent labeling, and ethical practices, Karen is behind nearly all good local foods initiatives in her community. A true believer in the power of food to heal, Karen volunteers her time in service to the people around her, ever willing to lend a hand or her knowledge for the purpose of a healthy and informed citizenry.

Community Business Leader Award

Harvest Market

Harvest Market provides the Hockessin, Delaware community with the highest quality, most nourishing foods and related products available while conducting business in socially responsible ways that are both sustainable and rewarding for customers, employees, producers, and the environment. Harvest Market is committed to supporting local farmers and producers within 100 miles of their store. They have built a business on the belief that fresh, nutrient-dense foods produced on small farms provide the customer with the most health-promoting foods one can find and that buying from local growers and producers keeps food dollars circulating locally—a benefit to their employees, the community, and the environment.

The post 2022 Pasabilities Award Recipients appeared first on Pasa Sustainable Agriculture.

Each year, we honor farmer, community, and business leaders who serve as examples for advancing sustainable agriculture through innovation and collaboration. We’re pleased to share this year’s award recipients.

Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Award

Walnut Hill Farm: Michael, Karen, and Amelia Kovach

Walnut Hill Farm is located in Western Pennsylvania and is a pastured livestock farm. “We consider helping to reconnect people to the food they eat to be almost as an important part of our purpose as doing right by the animals we raise, and the ground we raise them on and raising the highest quality meat. To that end, our doors are wide open.” The Kovachs welcome any and all to come observe their practices firsthand. The farm exemplifies excellent conservation stewardship and, in an exemplary way, models the soil health benefits of rotational grazing. Michael has also been very active on the policy front, regularly advocating for sustainable agriculture at the Federal level through his policy work with the PA Farmers Union.

Community Leadership Award

Sankofa Community Farm: Chris Bolden-Newsome & Ty Holmberg, Farm Co-Directors

Sankofa Community Farm is located in Philadelphia and focuses on vegetable and fruit production. Chris and Ty are the farm co-directors and both work tirelessly, along with their team of Ashley, Hajja and Laquanda, to serve their local community through Sankofa’s mission.

“Located in a Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood, with an African Diasporic focus rooted in spiritual practices and regenerative Natural Agriculture, the Sankofa team provides strong local leadership guiding the farm’s vision. They work in partnership to sustain youth development, community health, and food sovereignty, for the farm is the embodiment and natural progression of strong community connections. The farm has fostered a deeper relationship with the land and increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables within the community, especially for the older African American families and new West African immigrants who are making Southwest Philadelphia their home.”

Known for their focus on freely sharing their knowledge and expertise, Chris and Ty are considered integral leaders in the sustainability of their local community.

Community Leadership Award (COVID Response)

Sabine Carey

Sabine Carey operates Full Circle Farm with her family in Centre County, Pennsylvania. She is an organic cut flower and produce farmer, also raising pastured poultry, pigs, and grass-fed beef. At the height of the pandemic, Sabine had the foresight to transition Centre Markets to an online farmers market, helping farmers across Central Pennsylvania move their products and reach new customers during the pandemic. 

Especially given some of the farmers she works with had no prior online presence, her proactive approach made it possible for many farmers to weather extreme market swings and distribution roadblocks. Sabine has excellent conservation stewardship practices on her own farm and has worked part-time for Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) for 20 years, currently as an organic materials specialist. Ever at the ready to help other farmers, Sabine’s can-do attitude has made all the difference during these challenging times.

Community Business Leader Award (COVID Response)

Four Seasons Produce

Four Seasons Produce, Inc. is a full-service wholesale produce distributor supplying organic, local, and conventional fresh produce and related products to organic markets, food co-ops, independent retailers, and other produce buyers in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

In their physical plant, Four Seasons is committed to implementing innovative and cost-saving methods to reduce energy use, conserve resources, and improve the environment. The company focuses on facility improvements, harvesting rainwater, adding energy management tools, and more.

During the pandemic, Four Seasons has sought to understand farmers’ needs as they have evolved daily amidst these unprecedented times. Their team acted quickly, was creative, and made adjustments as new developments surfaced. “Our associates are working very hard and we know you are too. Communities are relying on neighborhood food retailers, and Four Seasons Produce is committed to helping our partner customers keep the fresh food moving…not only for a few days of consumer ‘panic buying,’ but also for the long-haul. The supply chain disruption and capacity issues are very real, but we are navigating them together.”

The post 2021 Pasabilities Award Recipients appeared first on Pasa Sustainable Agriculture.

Rolling Harvest Food Rescue

Sustainable Agriculture Community Leadership Award

Rolling Harvest Food Rescue works to increase access to donated fresh produce and other healthy foods by area hunger-relief sites that serve the at-risk, food-insecure population by providing local farmers and food producers with free, effective delivery and distribution of their surplus.

Rolling Harvest is committed to sharing what they’ve learned through their gleaning journey over the past eight years so that other geographic areas can duplicate its straightforward model of helping farmers share all of their surplus and beautifully irregular produce that would otherwise go to waste.

Clarion River Organics

Sustainable Agriculture Business Leadership Award

Clarion River Organics provides marketing and distribution services for 16 Amish organic produce farms. Clarion enables small and mid-size farms to participate in the wholesale food system, which these farms might otherwise have limited access to—particularly farms with technological limitations. Clarion River Organics know that successful small and mid-size farms are key to a sustainable food economy, and that alternative distribution models will not serve the majority of eaters. They believe it’s crucial to develop opportunities for all farms to participate in the mainstream system if our food economy at large is to become sustainable.

Jenn Halpin & Matt Steiman, Dickinson College Farm

Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Award

Jenn and Matt founded the organic farm at Dickinson College in 2007. In addition to directing all aspects of the farm, Jenn co-founded Dickinson’s Food Studies Certificate Program, and helped develop purchasing initiatives at the college. Additionally, Jenn was the founding president of Farmers on the Square, Carlisle’s thriving producer-only farmers market, and served on the PASA board for nine years, several of them as board chair. Matt is a FARMDATA database co-founder, and leads the farm’s hands-on demonstration projects in biogas, biodiesel, and solar energy. Matt also served as a board member of Farmers on the Square. In their time farming and teaching together, Jenn and Matt have mentored over fifty farm apprentices and hundreds of college students.

• Celebrate this year’s PASAbilities Awards recipients with us at our 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Conference! 
• Do you know someone deserving of a PASAbilities Award? You can nominate them for our 2021 Awards here.

The post 2020 PASAbilities Awards Recipients appeared first on Pasa Sustainable Agriculture.