33. Elizabeth Henderson, trailblazing CSA farmer

Sustainable Agriculture Policy with Ron Kroese

Elizabeth Henderson was raised by people concerned with peace and justice, which shaped her life path.

This week, Elizabeth sits down with our host, Ron, and talks about community-supported agriculture (CSAs), organic ag, and food justice.

She is a long-time activist for local and national policies and programs to advance socially and economically just sustainable agriculture—both in the US and abroad. She may be most known for helping shape the landmark organic food policy act of 1990, but tells us about much more.

Elizabeth farmed at Peacework Farm in Wayne County, New York, producing organically grown vegetables for the fresh market for more than 30 years.

She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY), co-chairs the Policy Committee, and represents the NOFA Interstate Council on the Board of the Agricultural Justice Project.

For 20 years, from 1993 to 2013, she chaired the Agricultural Development Board in Wayne County and took an active role in creating the Farming and Farmland Protection Plan for the county.

In 2001, the organic industry honored her with one of the first “Spirit of Organic” awards, in 2007, Abundance Co-op honored her with the “Cooperating for Communities” award, and in 2009, NOFA-NY honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award and then a Golden Carrot in 2013. In 2014, Eco-Farm presented her with their Advocate of Social Justice Award, the “Justie.”

Her writings on organic agriculture appear in The Natural Farmer and other publications, she is the lead author of Sharing the Harvest: A Citizen’s Guide to Community Supported Agriculture (Chelsea Green, 2007), with a Spanish language e-book edition in 2017, and co-authored Whole Farm Planning: Ecological Imperatives, Personal Values and Economics with farmer Karl North (2004).

She also wrote A Food Book for a Sustainable Harvest for the members of Peacework Organic Community Supported Agriculture (aka GVOCSA) in its 29th year in 2017.

The interview was conducted on Dec. 14, 2017.

Links this episode:

National Sustainable Agriculture Oral History Archive (video link)

“Sharing the Harvest: A Citizen’s Guide to Community Supported Agriculture”

“Whole Farm Planning: Ecological Imperatives, Personal Values and Economics”

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