Award Honorees

The Organic Groundbreaker Leadership Award recognizes long-standing OTA members who have dedicated their careers to advancing organic agriculture and trade by providing broad vision, innovative creations and solutions, and the work and leadership that turn dreams into reality. This year’s winner, David Oien, is a true organic pioneer. A third generation Montana farmer, David started farming in 1976 when he returned to his family’s wheat farm and transitioned it to organic, thus beginning his long and storied career in the industry.  

David was instrumental in introducing legumes to local organic farmers – and ultimately to the northern Great Plains – enabling depleted soils to be replenished with nitrogen fixing crops like chickpeas and lentils. He has been influential in expanding the practice of cover cropping, and an early advocate of crop rotations with a focus on the beneficial legumes. He founded Timeless Seeds and Timeless Organic Foods which have provided organic legume seeds to farmers and offered a valuable and profitable market for their crops. He is a nationally recognized expert in the benefits of growing organic legumes and biodiverse, nutrient dense crops, and has been throughout his farming career a tireless advocate in forwarding organic policy, research and education. 

“Our focus has always been to help maintain the model of family farming in an environmentally responsible way. Timeless Food has served as a channel to create value-added markets for farmers who were interested in farming organically and farming crops that they probably hadn’t farmed before,” said David. “Our mantra is the pulse crops and the heirloom grains -- unique varieties, premium quality, and nutrient density. Wheat is king in Montana. We don’t compete with them. We are certified organic family farmers who have the courage to do innovative crops.”