Chris Bardenhagen farms with his family on 80 acres in Leelanau County, raising organic tart cherries, winter and spring wheat for flour, and poultry. He is interested in policy developement for the advancement of sustainable farming and food systems, and spends time researching sustainable agriculture practices, drawing both from current science and practice and from historical sources kept deep within the MSU main library.
Yvette Berman is the Owner/CEO of Organic Earth Group, LLC. Her commitment to Michigan organic products inspired her to join the MOFFA Board in Spring 2008. Yvette is a member of numerous organizations that support regional food systems, organic farming, health and wellness. As an active parent of the community, Yvette has been involved in team sports, developing Wellness Policies for schools, and serves on the Nutrition and Wellness Committee for Clarkston Community Schools. She enjoys nurturing her 25’ x 50’ family garden, holds a passion for better school food, promoting CSA organic farms, and living the organic lifestyle. Yvette lives in Oakland County with her husband, three children and two dogs. Reading about organic agriculture, preserving food and horse-back riding are favorite hobbies.
Dr. John Biernbaum is Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University. He teaches courses in greenhouse management, passive solar greenhouses for protected cultivation, organic farming principles and practices, compost production and use, culinary and medicinal herbs, organic certification, and organic transplant production. John has worked with students and colleagues to start and develop the MSU Student Organic Farm and the Organic Farming Certificate Program that operate a 48-week CSA program, a 6-month campus farm stand and provide salad greens for campus using passive solar greenhouses and cold storage methods. He does research and outreach on year-round diversified organic farming for small scale farmers, urban agriculture, community and school gardening programs. He joined the Board in 2009.
Dr. Matt Grieshop, from Lansing MI, is an assistant professor of organic pest management at Michigan State University. He has served on the MOFFA board since Spring 2008 and as treasurer since July 2009. Matt also maintains the MOFFA website and is chair of the Michigan Organic Conference committee. Matt runs a research, teaching and extension program focused on the development of organically acceptable pest management strategies for Michigan growers. You can learn more about his day job at www.opm.msu.edu.
John Hooper After graduation from Central Michigan U. with a B.S. in Ed. (Biology, Sociology), John had a brief stint as teacher for the Detroit Public Schools before spending the next few years traveling the globe. The next decade, spent primarily in Washington State, was committed to a partnership in Upper Valley Reforestation, a LLC devoted to work in the Cascade Range restoring plant and animal habitat after extensive logging operations; while simultaneously operating as an independent contractor in the orchards of the Wenatchee Valley. For 20 plus years John was Senior Manager of Living Foods Inc. in Ionia Mi., one of the nations largest purveyors of hydroponic sprouts and one of Michigan's first large scale greenhouse herb producers. After a few years studying landscape architecture in eastern Pennsylvania, John accepted the position as Manager of the Lansing City Market. Currently John is devoting his energies to local non-profits and cooperatives focused on equitable food distribution and food justice. For 40 years an advocate and practitioner of the organic method of food production John's special concerns involve the benefit of a better life experience for all through proper and wholesome nutrition.
Vicki Morrone is an outreach specialist for organic vegetable and field crop systems at Michigan State University. She is a member of the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems since 2005, connecting her to organic farmers and food systems of Michigan. Her work includes on farm research, speaking with farmers to assist with transition to organic and more sustainable farming and provide educational programs and documents to assist new and experienced farmers implement a more productive and sustainable farm plan. Vicki has gained her agriculture knowledge through a broad range of experiences including servingas a volunteer in Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa working on rain-fed systems and pest management, teaching and working with communities in Malawi, SE Africa and assisting with on-farm research on organic tomato systems while taking classes at UC Davis, California in the plant protection pest management. Despite her professional life revolving around agriculture, she still loves to garden with her partner, 2 daughters, and protected by 2 rambunctious Australian Shepherds. Her annual goal in the garden is to grow enough tomatoes, onions and garlic to can enough spaghetti sauce to last the family throughout the year. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Delaware in Plant Science and a Master of Science degree in Plant Pathology from The Pennsylvania State University.
Les Roggenbuck was born and raised on a family farm near Snover, Michigan. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1986 with a degree in Crop and Soil Science and has had leadership experience with the Michigan Farm Bureau, the Michigan Organic Crop Improvement Association and the Michigan Organic Food and Farming Alliance. He currently owns and operates a 210 acre, certified organic farm raising beef, hay, eggs and vegetables and helps manage a 55 member CSA at Upland Hills Farm in Oxford. Les markets his products locally through CSA, the Clarkston Farmers Market and direct sales.
