Organic Leaders Honored at Organic Week 2025

Washington, D.C. (September 16, 2025) – The Organic Trade Association (OTA) honored eight individuals for their longstanding commitment to advancing the organic movement during last night’s annual leadership awards event. Held at OTA’s annual Organic Week conference, the award ceremony recognized leaders for driving and sustaining the growth of the organic industry on farms and in their communities, while prioritizing the benefits to people and the planet.  

The distinguished 2025 Organic Leadership Award Honorees are:  

• Organic Champion: The Honorable Russell Redding, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture
• Organic Lifetime Achievement: Albert Straus, Straus Family Creamery; and David Lively, Organically Grown Company  
• Organic Farmers of the Year: Chris and Marcie Baugher, Baugher Ranch Organics
• Organic Environmental Leadership: Charlotte Vallaeys, Principal, Vallaeys Consulting LLC    
• Organic Trailblazer: Nicole Atchison, CEO, PURIS
• Organic Social Impact: Tony Bedard, CEO, Frontier Co-op  

“This esteemed list is a testament to the inspirational leadership and innovation abundant in the organic industry, and we are extremely grateful for the unwavering passion and commitment of these award recipients,” said Matthew Dillon, Co-CEO of Organic Trade Association. “We are proud to celebrate their significant achievements and look forward to their future contributions to drive the organic movement.”

The Honorable Russell Redding
Organic Champion Award   
The Organic Champion Award recognizes and honors individuals in government who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to advancing organic agriculture and trade. This year’s recipient is Russell Reading, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Agriculture, recognized for his decades of service to farmers and his leadership in strengthening organic agriculture both regionally and nationally. A lifelong public servant and Pennsylvania native, Redding’s deep connection to agriculture began on his family’s dairy farm and continues through his crop farm to this day. He has dedicated his career to supporting farmers, expanding market opportunities, preserving farmland, promoting conservation, and building a more resilient, diverse agricultural economy and community.  

Under Governor Josh Shapiro’s leadership, Redding led the creation of the PA Preferred Organic brand and the Organic Center of Excellence and has championed public-private partnerships to grow the organic sector across the Commonwealth. His legacy reflects a deep commitment to innovation, sustainability, and ensuring a strong future for all of agriculture in Pennsylvania and beyond.

Albert Straus
Organic Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement award recognizes trade association members who have dedicated their careers to the furtherance of organic agriculture and trade by providing a broad vision, successful solutions, and the labor and leadership required to bring the mission into reality. Albert Straus and David Lively are examples of just those qualities. 

A second-generation farmer, Albert is a pioneering force in sustainable organic dairy farming. Having spent more than three decades producing award-winning organic dairy products, Albert has helped transform the food system through ecological practices, farm viability, community preservation, and climate innovation. In 1994, he transitioned his family’s Straus Dairy Farm to become the first certified organic dairy west of the Mississippi and founded Straus Family Creamery, the nation’s first 100% certified organic creamery.  

On the farm, he was among the first in California to install a methane digester and the first to develop a carbon farm plan on a U.S. dairy. Today, Straus Dairy Farm is advancing a carbon-neutral organic dairy farming model, aiming for net-neutral emissions across all 13 of Straus Family Creamery’s supplying farms by 2030. Named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, Albert continues to lead with a visionary, farmer-first approach to building a regenerative food and agriculture system.

“I am truly honored to receive this award. My lifelong mission is to create a replicable organic dairy farming model that sustains family farms, fosters the next generation of farmers, and revitalizes rural communities — all made possible by producing high-quality, delicious organic products that nourish people and positively impact our planet.”

David Lively
Organic Lifetime Achievement Award
David Lively became involved in organic agriculture in 1979, after being convinced that the best place to effect social change was in the dirt, at the farm level. With this in mind, he first became a partner with his brother, Tom, in Thistle-Brook, a joint venture on a third-generation farm where they and partners grew as many as 20 acres of mixed vegetables, the largest fresh-market organic farm in Oregon at that time. 

During the same time, David participated in the restructuring of Organically Grown (OGC), as the non-profit morphed into a for-profit agricultural marketing cooperative. In 1984, he became an employee of OGC, and in the 41 years since, he has held numerous roles, currently serving the organization as Pioneer Emeritus.  

During his career, David has led and supported numerous industry organizations, including the creation of the Sustainable Food Trade Association, the Organic Produce Wholesalers Coalition, and the Organicology Conference. He has served on the boards of the Center for Applied Agricultural Research, OGC, Oregon Tilth, the Sustainable Food Trade Association, Organic Seed Alliance, Oregon Organic Coalition, and the Organic Trade Association.  

In David’s words, “WOW. This recognition is an amazing validation of the time and effort spent thinking about and performing the work that builds our movement and trade.  Our community continues to serve as a wonderful and rewarding place to have put one’s visions of spirit and wholeness into play.”    

Chris and Marcie Baugher
Organic Farmers of the Year  
The Organic Farmer of the Year Leadership Award honors individuals who have significantly contributed to supporting and advancing organic agriculture and trade at the farm level. For more than 40 years, Chris and Marcie Baugher, proprietors behind Baugher Ranch Organics in Northern California, have been leaders in organic farming, processing, and advocacy, significantly contributing to the evolution and growth of the organic almond industry. Pioneers in transitioning to organic farming in 1984, the Baugher’s built a legacy of resilience and commitment to ethical farming practices and have become a beacon of organic excellence.  

Charlotte Vallaeys
Organic Environmental Leadership Award  
The Organic Environmental Leadership Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated exemplary effort in advancing organic solutions to mitigate climate change.  This year’s recipient is Charlotte Vallaeys, a longtime organic advocate and consultant who previously served as Organic Expert at General Mills, where she led the sustainability strategy and initiatives for their organic brands. This included integrating perennial grains and diverse crops with climate benefits into General Mills' organic product lines, as well as communicating the environmental benefits of organic. Charlotte is a prominent, passionate, dedicated, and science-driven voice for organic agriculture. In addition to her consulting work, she serves as a board member for Organic Voices and the Organic Farming Research Foundation.

Nicole Atchison
Organic Trailblazer  
The Organic Trailblazer Award honors trade association members who have dedicated their careers to advancing organic agriculture and trade by providing vision, innovative creations and solutions, and the work and leadership that make dreams a reality. This year’s winner, Nicole Atchison, CEO of PURIS, is recognized for her tireless dedication to continuous improvement of the organic industry through her efforts to combat organic fraud. In addition to working with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and now actively collaborating with the National Organic Program (NOP), Nicole is directly contributing to the development and implementation of more effective tools, activities, and practices designed to safeguard organic integrity.  

Tony Bedard 
Organic Social Impact Award   
The Social Impact Leadership Award honors individuals who serve as a source of inspiration and stability for customers and the organic community. This year’s recipient is Tony Bedard, CEO of Frontier Co-op, a member-owned natural and organic cooperative founded in 1976 with a mission to advance environmental and social responsibility for the benefit of both producers and consumers. 

For more than 30 years, Tony has guided Frontier Co-op by its north star: “Doing Good, Works.” Under his leadership, the Co-op has empowered employees through innovative programs that address barriers to economic success and invested in long-term resilience for smallholder farmers. By reinvesting profits to support producers and causes aligned with its values, Frontier Co-op—under Tony’s steadfast direction—has demonstrated how a simple promise can create profound impact for people and the planet.

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About the Organic Trade Association 
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing organic businesses and producers across the nation. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, brands, retailers and others. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.