NOSB Member Bios

Munger Farms, Delano, CA

Gerard D’Amore has been involved with the growing, marketing and distribution of high quality, branded produce for 44 years in a wide variety of domestic and international settings. He spent 14 years as the owner/operator of greenhouse installations using hydroponic systems for both low-profile and vine crops.

Since 2000, D’Amore has been involved with berry crops, particularly blueberries where organic production is a key part of going to market.

D’Amore holds a board position with a high-tech company which, among other things, focuses on providing visibility, measurability and predictability to enhance cold chain management from harvest to shipping.

He was previously Director of Sourcing and New Business Development for SunnyRidge Farm/Dole Fresh. From 1999 to 2005 he held three successive vice president positions with Driscolls. From 1992 to 1999 he worked for Chiquita Brands spending most of that time living in Turkey introducing bananas to the Black Sea region.

Pilgrim’s, Windsor, CO

Kimberly Huseman is the Director of Specialty Ingredients for Pilgrim’s, where she developed and oversees the organic grains and oilseeds origination program.  She is actively engaged with all aspects of the organic ingredient supply chain, from working with farmers and manufacturers at origin, to handling and delivery. 

Prior to Pilgrim’s, Huseman was a Commodities Manager at Murphy USA where she worked with farmers and major agribusinesses sourcing grains for ethanol production while also marketing distiller’s grains to area cattle feeders. During that time, she was a member of the local Master Gardeners Club and grew vegetables for the local farmers’ market.

Huseman was raised in Southeast Wyoming and is a third-generation farmer and cattlewoman. She holds a B.S. in Agriculture Business from West Texas A&M University.

Good Earth Natural Foods, Marin County, CA

Mindee Jeffery spent 15 years educating staff, customers, and vendors on the importance and benefits of organic certification at Good Earth Natural Foods in Marin County, California. She was pivotal to the process of evolving food standards for Good Earth. During that time, she was active and influential in the Independent Natural Food Retailers Association (INFRA). She delivered presentations on organic fundamentals, labeling attribute systems and developments in GMO technology to retailers from all over the country at INFRA’s annual conferences.

Mindee Jeffery represented Retailers to the California Organic Products Advisory Committee (COPAC) for five years. During her tenure as the Chairperson, Mindee Jeffery worked with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to re-imagine COPAC’s relationship to the State Organic Program, brought about by significant change to the regulatory framework.

Over the past couple of years, Mindee worked directly with INFRA and Eastside Food Co-op in Minneapolis, Minnesota, gaining perspective on the natural foods retail business landscape. Mindee has returned to Good Earth and is currently working as the Organic Activism and Education Coordinator. She also manages a joint venture compost program for Good Earth and Tara Firma Farms.

Mindee Jeffery graduated from Sonoma State University with a degree in Literature with an emphasis in Critical Theory. She spent many years in the San Geronimo Valley coaching young women's basketball teams.

Cold Spring Organics, Bozeman, MT

Nathaniel Powell-Palm operates Cold Spring Organics, a 1,000 leased acre certified organic farm outside Belgrade, Montana. He is a first-generation farmer and rancher, with diverse experience across a range of crops, grains, and livestock. Powell-Palm has extensive experience inspecting organic operations around the United States as an independent organic inspector. As an educator he developed curriculum and provided training around the United States and internationally for the International Organic Inspectors Association. He has served on several agricultural boards both at the state and national level.

Powell-Palm holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Montana State University.

Agriculture Capital, Berkeley, CA

Wood Turner currently serves as Senior Vice President of Sustainability for Agriculture Capital. He was previously the Vice President for Sustainability Innovation for Stonyfield Farm, and was the Founding Executive Director and, later, board chair of Climate Counts. He is on the governance board for the Center for Good Food Purchasing and an advisor to both the Duke Campus Farm and Food System 6, an innovation accelerator. He previously held advisory board seats with the Harvard University, the Center for Global Health and the Environment, and sustainable brands.

Turner grew up in eastern North Carolina, spent many years in Seattle and New Hampshire, and now lives in the Bay Area. He holds a B.A. from Duke University and a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Washington.

Cyclone Farms, York, Nebraska

Amy Bruch is a farmer and president of Cyclone Farms, a sixth-generation organic farm in Nebraska. Ms. Bruch has almost 20 years’ experience in agriculture, including agricultural business management and regulatory compliance, operational improvements and transitioning farms to new crops and to organic production. Ms. Bruch’s career highlights include interning at the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, working as a systems engineer at General Mills and consulting internationally on agri-business. She has a background and expertise in certification, compliance, crops and the National List, and has a commitment to organic that will serve her well as a member of the NOSB representing the organic farming sector.

Hemlock Grove Farm, West Danby, New York

Brian Caldwell has been involved in organic agriculture for more than 40 years as an educator, research, and farmer. In 1983, Brian was a founding member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) and has remained active in the organization since then as a staff person (2002-2005), educator at numerous winter conferences and member. Brian spent many years working for Cornell University, first as the vegetable and fruit specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension, and then as a field manager and researcher for the Cornell Organic Cropping Systems project. He has operated an organic farm in West Danby, NY since 1978 and has a deep understanding of organic standards. As an educator, farmer and longstanding NOFA-NY member, Brian understands consumer perspectives. He has a deep-rooted commitment to the success of the organic label, a diverse background in the organic sector to inform his service and a lifetime of connection with organic consumers and the public to serve as a member of the NOSB representing the consumer/public interest sector.

New York University, New York, New York

Dr. Carolyn Dimitri is an applied economist and currently serves on the faculty at New York University. She also has extensive experience with the USDA, working for more than a decade at the Economic Research Service (ERS) where she authored numerous reports on different aspects of the organic sector, including consumer expectations and attitudes about organic food. Carolyn has a demonstrated commitment to public service, currently serving as a member of the Executive Board for the Organic Farming Research Foundation. She is familiar with many of the most pressing issues related to organic standards and National List materials and has the knowledge, expertise and dedication to serve on the NOSB as a member representing the consumer/public interest sector.

Grimmway Farms, Lee, Florida

Logan Petrey is the organic ranch manager of 9,000 acres at Grimmway Farms located in Georgia and Florida. She is a fourth-generation farmer with experience in produce, corn, cotton and peanuts and has previous experience as an agronomist and organics farm manager with Generation Farms and as a field technician for Robinson Fresh, where she was exposed to farms in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. Ms. Petrey has served on the Board of Directors for Florida Organic Growers and is currently a member of the United Fresh Working Group. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Valdosta State University and a Master of Plant Protection and Pest Management from the University of Georgia. Logan has the diverse farming experience and dedication to serve on the Board as an organic farmer representative. 

Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO), State College, Pennsylvania

Kyla Smith is the Certification Director for Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO), a USDA-accredited certifying agent. During her 17-year tenure with PCO, Ms. Smith also worked as an organic inspector, materials specialist and reviewer, and held leadership positions for 6 years as the Chair and Vice Chair of the Accredited Certifiers Association Board. She has extensive knowledge of the USDA organic regulations and the work of the NOSB. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Social Change from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. Ms. Smith’s lifelong commitment to the organic industry and knowledge of the regulations and certification process will make her an outstanding member of the NOSB as the USDA-accredited certifying agent position.

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oakland, CA

Allison Johnson is a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and a policy advocate with a multi-disciplinary background in sustainable food systems. Johnson has dedicated her career to protecting people and the environment and to making food systems safer. She is eager to support a strong organic sector that advances public health, equity, and environmental protection. In addition to her current role at the NRDC, Johnson has also worked as an organic certification and policy specialist for California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and as an attorney at a public interest firm. Allison holds a J.D. with an Environmental Law Certificate, a Master’s in Gastronomic Sciences and Quality Products, and a Bachelor’s in Nutritional Sciences.

Tennessee State University, Franklin, TN

Dr. Dilip Nandwani holds a Ph.D. in Botany. He has 10-years of teaching experience, with a focus on organic agriculture, certification, and crop science. Dr. Nandwani is currently serving on the boards of Tennessee Organic Growers Association (TOGA), Southern Cover Crops Council (SCCC) and Chair, Organic Tropical and Subtropical Fruits workgroup of International Society of Horticultural Science (ISHS). He is editor of several books on Organic Agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture, and Urban Agriculture (Springer, Dordrecht), serves on the editorial board of the Organic Agriculture Journal, and has published over 250 articles and received over 3.1M in grants and contracts. Dr. Nandwani has received several awards and honors in horticulture, extension, F2F and urban agriculture, and he serves on several professional interest groups (PIG) of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) including Organic Horticulture, University, regional and state committees.

JSM Organics, Aromas, CA

Javier Zamora owns and operates JSM Organics, a 100-acre family-owned vegetable/fruit farm in California. He brings to the Board twenty years of farming experience, ten of which is in organic farming, with extensive experience marketing produce through retail stores, restaurants, farmers markets, and via his own private label. Zamora is a leader within his community and devotes his time to mentoring young farmers and Spanish-speaking farmers by providing them assistance with direct marketing regulations, organic certification, and compliance to USDA organic regulations. He is also passionate about sustainability and environmentally conscious farming, climate change mitigation, labor issues, and farmworker rights. He has served on several Boards, including the USDA’s Small Farmer & Rancher Advisory Committee, the Agriculture and Land-based Training Association (ALBA), and the Ecological Farming Association (Eco Farm). Mr. Zamora has a deep commitment to organic principles and will bring a unique perspective to the NOSB representing the organic farming sector.

Tuskegee University, Auburn, Alabama

Dr. Quarcoo is an Assistant Research-Extension Professor of Entomology at Tuskegee University and has extensive experience with integrated pest management in organic vegetable production systems, ecological approaches to insect pest management, and insect behavioral toxicology with particular interest in the behavioral response of insects to insecticides. He also led the Tuskegee Human Capital Project in partnership with the National Organic Program, to establish an organic internship program for high school and graduate school students.

Dr. Quarcoo holds a Ph.D. in Entomology, a Master’s degree in Plant and Soil Sciences, and a Bachelor’s in Agricultural Science.

Washington Farmland Trust; Organic Farmer, Oyster Bay Farm, WA

Mr. Lewis works as the South Sound Conservation Manager for the Washington Farmland Trust in Washington State, and he has close to two decades of experience as an organic farmer and organic certifier. He holds a B.S. in Organic Chemistry and Agricultural Science from The Evergreen State College, and he previously held positions with the Organic Trade Association and the Washington State Department of Agriculture.