OMRI Board of Directors Welcomes Ben Dobson

(March 14, 2017) OMRI is pleased to announce that Ben Dobson has joined their Board of Directors as a farmer representative. Ben grew up in Hillsdale, New York, and he has owned and managed several farms throughout the Northeast. In 2007 Ben founded Atlantic Organics, which was the largest organic fresh vegetable farm in the state of Maine. Between this farm and his other venture, Locally Known LLC., Ben provided the first 100% East Coast grown and packaged organic salads for sale to the broader retail market in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Ben has also worked in the Dominican Republic, where he learned about the production and export of organic bananas, coffee, and mangoes, and he developed an organic coffee business in Haiti.

According to Ben, “My work in organic farming has been very hands-on. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the certification world, and especially the science behind input evaluation. OMRI is truly unique in the organic industry, and very influential throughout the world.”

Ben currently works as Farm Manager for Stone House Farm, a producer of certified organic and non-GMO grains for cover crop seed, human consumption, and livestock feed located in Hudson Valley, NY. He is also the director of Hudson Carbon, a collaborative research project focused on monitoring the ecological impacts of farming systems with relation to carbon sequestration. Those interested in learning more can watch Ben’s “Tedx Talks” presentation on the subject, available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp1i8_JFsao.

As a nonprofit organization, OMRI relies on a volunteer Board of Directors to lead the organization by establishing and monitoring strategic goals. OMRI’s Bylaws require a specific composition that includes organic certifiers, farmers, processors, input product suppliers, and public interest representatives who serve together to direct the organization’s growth. By including a diversity of perspectives on the OMRI Board of Directors, the organization provides a service to benefit the whole organic industry.

Contact: Amy Bradsher, Senior Marketing Director
(541) 343-7600 ext. 106