George Siemon: C-E-I-E-I-O

One of the nation's foremost organic agriculture advocates for nearly two decades, George L. Siemon is best known for his leadership in organizing farmers and building market support for organic agriculture.

Siemon, himself an organic farmer, champions a system of farming that supports family farms, defends the ethical, humane treatment of farm animals, benefits the environment, and gives consumers high-quality organic food.

In 1988 Siemon joined a half-dozen neighboring family farmers to found the Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools (CROPP), known more familiarly as Organic Valley® Family of Farms, in Wisconsin. Under Siemon's leadership, Organic Valley has become the largest organic farmers' cooperative in North America.

As chair of the Organic Trade Association's Livestock Committee, Siemon was instrumental in developing effective national standards for organic certification, a process directed by the United States Department of Agriculture. Siemon is a past member of the USDA's Small Farm Advisory Committee. In 2006 he completed a USDA-appointed, five-year term on the National Organic Standards Board. The board advises the Agriculture Department on matters associated with the organic industry, including reviewing and selecting acceptable organic ingredients and establishing standards of organic practice.

Former Governor Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin and former USDA Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman recognized Siemon's dedication and hard work on behalf of family and small farms. In 1998, they jointly praised Siemon and awarded CROPP/Organic Valley the distinction of "Wisconsin's Number One Best Rural Initiative" for the cooperative's formation and support of alternative agriculture during one of the worst farm crises since the 1960s. In 2003, Organic Valley received Business Ethics magazine's "Living Economy" award. Siemon was recognized in May 2004 with the "Community Activist Award" from the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association.

Siemon and his family have owned and operated an organic farm since 1977. The land is located in one of the many beautiful valleys, called "coulees," in Southwestern Wisconsin. Vegetables, chickens, cows, pigs, and horses all can be found on the Siemon farm. Siemon is a native of Florida. He received his bachelor's degree in animal science from Colorado State University, Ft. Collins.