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Organic Connections

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Organic Connections

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Organic Connections

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Organic Connections

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Organic HeroesCelebrating the Organic Sector on the Prairies

Honoured at Organic Connections 2024

Dag Falck

Dag Falck

Dag Falck has been obsessed with health and food since childhood. After studying agriculture in Norway in the late 70’s he moved back to Canada, his birth country, where in 1989 he was offered a job as the first organic inspector for organic farms for BC’s Islands Organic Producers Association. He was keen to help establish credentials and integrity for the organic movement. Customers needed to have ways to tell if something was truly treated as promised, and organic certification based on standards was the way to do this. During the next 14 years Dag inspected for multiple organic certification agencies and hundreds of farms and processing facilities. In 2003 he was offered the first dedicated organic position for a large and successful organic company, to ensure the highest level of organic integrity. With the title of “Organic Program Manager” for Nature’s Path Organic Foods, North America’s largest certified organic breakfast foods manufacturer and brand, doors into the still young organic movement where opening. 

After 18 years with Nature’s Path Dag has been involved with just about every aspect of organizing and maintaining the organic movement and industry. Retiring from Nature’s Path in 2022 and taking a break from organic boards and committees he had time to reflect on how to best use the insights, learning and connections built over the last 32 years. This led to the founding of an organization dedicated entirely to organic consumers: Responsible Organic Customer Association or ROCA. 

Organic Sector Leadership:

-President, Board of Director, Canada Organic Trade Association 2010 - 2019 

-Board of Director, Organic Trade Association (USA) 2006-2009 

-Vice President, Board of Director, Organic Trade Association (USA) 2014-2016 

-Board of Director, Non-GMO Project 2008-2016 

-Board of Director, Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada 2005-2011 

-Board Member, IFOAM Organics North America 2016-2019 

-Voting Board member, Organic Value Chain Round Table 2006-2019 

-Director, International Organic Inspectors Association 2001-2003

Honoured at Organic Connections 2024

Denis and Vonnie Brodner

Vonnie and Denis Brodner

Vonnie grew up on a mixed farm south of Quinton helping with milking cows, feeding calves, pigs and chickens as well as with harvest (including hauling bales), gardening, processing chickens and pigs. Denis helped out with chores on his parents' mixed farm  located south of Dysart, milking cows, feeding hogs, chickens and beef cattle, helping with seeding and harvest. Denis and Vonnie operated a mixed farm of their own, located west of Dysart which included beef cattle, hogs and grain farm while raising three children and supplementing their income with off farm work. Since Denis purchased the farm, they have farmed without the use of synthetic fertilizers and chemicals. They  were first certified in the late 1980’s with the Canadian Organic Producers Cooperative out of Girvin Sk. and later with Procert, OCIA, Ecocert and TCO Cert. Denis was active on many organic affiliated boards including SOD, OCIA International, OCIA Research and Education, TCO and Organic Connections. He has also been an independent organic inspector since 2000. Vonnie served on the OCIA Chapter 4 board, OCIA International AGMM and Elections committee for a number of years and has volunteered at Organic Connections Conferences since 2010. In semi-retirement they are thoroughly enjoying their five grandchildren (2 granddaughters and 3 grandsons) as they continue to live on the farm and have put the land to grass, having  a neighbor bring cattle to graze over the summer months.  They continue to garden organically as well and share their  produce with their children and grandchildren.

Honoured at Organic Connections 2024

Laura Telford

Laura Telford

Since joining Canadian Organic Growers as its first executive director in 2003, Laura has gained extensive experience in the organic sector. Since 2011, she has been one of only a handful of dedicated organic specialists in provincial governments across the country. Laura works with national, regional and local organizations to build their capacity. She helped to incorporate the Prairie Organic Development Fund, established a producer check-off to fund organic research in Manitoba and has been involved in dozens of large and small projects across the Prairie designed to train new organic farmers, scale up food processing, build markets and educate consumers and others about the multiple benefits of organic farming systems. Laura organized and ran the Prairie Organic Conference which ran every two years between 2016 and 2022. Her current focus is to enhance Canada’s capacity to collect and disseminate high quality statistical data.

Honoured at Organic Connections 2022

Will Oddie

Will Oddie

Will Oddie has been an organic champion since switching to organic production in 1989. With his total commitment to the organic movement, Will has worked tirelessly to increase the profile of organic production and lent his efforts to several organic organizations in Saskatchewan, Canada and internationally. A long-time proponent of the benefits of farmers sharing their knowledge, Will continues to support organic farmer education by organizing seminars, webinars, workshops, and field days. He is also strong supporter of dedicated and applied organic research. 

Will’s understanding that strong organizations are the backbone of a strong community is reflected in his many decades of volunteerism in the organic industry. Even before becoming certified in 1991, Will became a founding member of the OCIA SK Chapter 4 (now TCO Cert Chapter 4), a commitment continuing to the present day. Will served in multiple executive and committee positions (President, Secretary and Treasurer) and currently serves as Secretary of the Chapter. Will is a firm believer that TCO meetings, with their educational component, give farmers a chance to share valuable information, critical to the improvement of the industry. 

In the 1990s, Will served on the Executive of OCIA International and when it changed to a Board Structure, he served on the Board for two years (early 2000s), serving one year as Chair of the organization. Will is very grateful for the other organic heroes, and those yet to be named, who worked tirelessly with him on that Board. 

In 1998, Will was involved in the creation of the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate (SOD) and served a two-year term as President. When Sask Organics was formed in 2015, Will served on the inaugural Board of Directors as Treasurer and later as President. Will is currently the Board Secretary and Chair of the Education & Research Committee. Will has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to strengthening organic organizations over the past three decades. 

Will has been an organic farmer for over 30 years and his commitment to continuous learning and sharing his knowledge are reflected in willingness to undertake on farm research projects. This illustrates his understanding of the importance of farmer engagement in developing tools to meet the agronomic challenges and to help ensure the sustainability, resiliency, and profitability of their operations. Will and his wife Elaine have also hosted field days on their farm, where he not only shares the results from his own on farm research but puts together a full program including presentations from researchers, technicians, provincial government specialists and equipment demonstrations, providing an information-rich program with the best of hospitality. 

Will is passionate about the need for good applied organic research and for the need to get research results out to organic producers, in a format easily applicable at the farm level. He has been instrumental in the early development of Sask Organics education program and is constantly looking for new and different ways to get the agronomic word out, especially to farmers who may not be attending the workshops, field days and conferences. 

Will is driven by the notion that the organic industry cannot rest on its laurels - that organic production needs to move beyond mere elimination of prohibited products. Will believes that real progress for organics will involve a much greater emphasis on advancing soil health with its subsequent improvement in food nutrition and ongoing farm profitability. 

Will is a natural mentor. A willingness to learn and to ‘have a go’ are important attributes for folks working with him on his farm – something his kids and grandkids will also attest to. Will is generous with his many skills – from wood working to farm machinery repairs – and patient with his mentees providing them with the support they need to successfully complete any task he asks of them, leaving them with a sense of accomplishment as well as a new skill set. A strong family man, Will is also a much-loved husband, father and a grandfather of nine.