Described as an innovative organic farmer, organizational leader, and aggressive marketer with a thoughtful, radical and visionary approach, Strayer began farming 1,000 acres organically in 1978 near Belle Plaine, Saskatchewan, Canada. Over the years he has shared his knowledge of organic farming practices, giving over 300 presentations on organic agriculture in Western Canada and the North Plains of the United States. He served as vice president and secretary of OCIA International in the late 1980s, and has helped OCIA Saskatchewan grow from 50 to 500 farmers. In 1984 he founded Growers International Inc., an organic trading enterprise that began revitalizing obsolete grain elevators for cleaning and storing organic grain. In 1999, he sold that business to Patterson Grain Ltd.