Linley Dixon PhD – Co-Director, Real Organic Project

LINLEY DIXON:
Linley is a passionate farmer who owns grows nutrient-rich vegetables on a 5-acre organic farm in Durango, Colorado.
Her farm specializes in soil grown tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, greens and herbs.

She also holds a Masters in Plant and Soil Science, a PhD in Plant Pathology, and conducted research at the USDA’s Fungal Systematics Laboratory in Beltsville. Linley ran and directed the original pilot program for the Real Organic Project certification program and is now the Co-Director of the Real Organic Project with farmer and founder Dave Chapman.

 

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION:
You may have heard about Danone, multinational corporate owner of Horizon Organic, recently served a devastating blow to organic farmers and their communities in New England, deciding to terminate the contracts of 89 small, organic dairy farms. Why does this matter?

The principles of organic farming are decades older than USDA certification. Yet the USDA is transforming the meaning of organic by allowing the certification of practices that are not in line with these principles. The US allowance of CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) and hydroponic production as organic has essentially mandated these cheaper forms of production.

As USDA Organic is being redefined by industry, the Real Organic Project is growing rapidly. With over 850 certified farms (two of which are Provender Alliance members), Real Organic is offering independent farmers, producers, stores, and eaters a way to find each other.  We believe that the Real Organic movement must keep growing to create the agricultural system we dream of. Come learn what we can do together to create a future we all believe in.

 

READ TWO ESSENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS BY LINLEY DIXON:

WATCH WHY REAL ORGANIC MATTERS: