Profile

Certified organic farmer, organic retailer, farm journalist, essayist and author, public speaker.

Steve Sprinkel: age: 57, born in southern California. Married, one child, good health, homeowner, business proprietor.

Currently farming 14 acres organically in Ojai, California and in partnership with my wife, Olivia Chase, operating The Farmer and The Cook, an all-organic café-bakery-grocery; number of employees: 24. 10 of the acres is a recent expansion.

For the past nine years written a monthly column and occasional features for ACRES,USA ( 16,000 subscribers, published in Austin, TX) approximately 250,000 words published; occasionally published in various newspapers, magazines, on food and farming issues.

Selected accomplishments and activities : farmed organically in various locations in California, also in Texas for seven years and Hawaii for four years in small-scale production primarily, 3-7 acres growing vegetables, herbs, fruit, melons . Founding executive board member, Organic Farmers Marketing Association, US delegate, Codex Alimentarius Commission ( UN/FAO), Advisory Board, Cornucopia Foundation, public advisory board, Texas Department of Agriculture, Organic program; president, Ojai Center for Regenerative Agriculture; organic farming, handling and certification consultant, organic farming and handling certification inspector in nine states and in Mexico ( bilingual speaker and writer) , former regional organic farming certification administrator, California Certified Organic Farmers, Statewide Certification Committee 1987-1990, former president, Santa Barbara Farmers Market, research assistant to Elisabeth M. Borgese, Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions; employed by Kenneth Kamiya Farms, Hawaii. Formally educated at The Webb School of California, Harvard University 1969-70 (DNG), Brigham Young University-Hawaii 1975-76, B.A., University of California at Santa Barbara, College of Creative Studies ( 1972-74, 1983-84).

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