SPRING VALLEY, Wis. — The Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) has hired Chuck Anderas to lead its team of on-farm organic specialists answering farmers’ questions about organic standards and production practices through the MOSES Organic Answer Line (888-90-MOSES).
Anderas has a degree in agricultural education from the University of Minnesota. Before joining MOSES, he worked as a certification specialist and inspector for MOSA, an organic certifying agency based in Wisconsin. He has worked on small-scale organic fruit and vegetable farms in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Florida. He lives in Green Bay, Wis., with his wife and two young children. Their urban homestead includes chickens, a large garden, and a greenhouse.
The team of on-farm specialists includes Rachel Henderson, whose expertise is organic fruit and livestock; Kevin Mahalko, who is an organic dairyman and grazing expert; and Carmen Fernholz, a pioneering organic grain farmer who has been certified since 1975 and active in organic research at the University of Minnesota.
Farmers can access the specialist team’s expertise by calling or texting the Organic Answer Line or submitting questions online atmosesorganic.org/ask. That webpage also lists answers to a variety of questions answered previously by MOSES organic specialists. The MOSES office address for letters is PO Box 339, Spring Valley, WI, 54767.
MOSES is a nonprofit organization that promotes organic and sustainable agriculture by providing farmers with education, resources, and practical advice. The organization is best known for the annual MOSES Organic Farming Conference, the country’s largest educational event on organic agriculture, which takes place each February in La Crosse, Wis. For more information, see mosesorganic.org.
— MOSES
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