402.477.2323 info@ocia.org
People work as a team on a farm.

Meet our Team!

We know we’re biased, but we truly believe that the best people in the organic certification industry are on our team. OCIA International’s team is knowledgeable, experienced, and works diligently to provide our certified operators with the best service in the organic certification industry.

Management Team

Amanda Brewster
Executive Director
Cindy Elder
Director of Accreditation and Inspector Services
Deana McKinstry
Director of Finance

Staff

Alejandra Sandoval Sanchez
Certification Specialist (Guatemala)
Andy Witkowski
Certification Specialist (US)
Brandon Hill
NOP Transition to Organic Initiative -- Program Director
Brittany Tripp
Certification Specialist (US)
Celia Norgaad
Certification Specialist (US)
Chelsea Priess-Schmailzl
Certification Specialist (US)
Ignacia Paredes
Legal Representative (Peru)
Jessie Gregath
Certification Coordinator
Julia Perez
Legal Representative (Mexico)
Julie Bernier
Financial Officer (Canada)
Kait Beckett
Certification Specialist (US)
Karla Zarate Brito
Certification Coordinator
Lebi Perez
Training Services Coordinator/Latin America Inspector Services
Lidia Giron
Legal Representative (Guatemala)
Myriam Valer Cosio
Latin American Communication Representative
Paulina Glodoveza
Certification Specialist (Canada)
Rene Marin
Nicaragua Satellite Office
Sallie Gonzalez
TC/COI Administrator
Shelby Workman
Certification Coordinator
Sonia Whitmore
Certification Specialist (Canada)
Teresa Andersen
Certification Specialist (US)
Tessa Tripp
Certification Specialist (US)
Beau
Chief Brand Ambassador
Luna
Chief Secuirty Monitor
A small group of people surveys land

OCIA Chapters

Organic certification with OCIA International provides operators with the opportunity to join one of OCIA’s many chapters throughout the United States, Canada, and Guatemala. Chapters serve an important role within OCIA, and they provide members with innumerable benefits including opportunities for mentorship, educational meetings, field days and demonstrations, and networking opportunities. 

Our chapters also work hard to promote the organic industry, and they help educate prospective members about the certification process. 

Interested in joining a chapter? Find your local OCIA International chapter below. If you’re not sure which chapter is right for you, feel free to email us at info@ocia.org.

U.S. Chapters

COLORADO

OCIA San Luis Valley Chapter Inc.
Kay Harmon
AgCheck Compliance Service, Inc.
PO Box 850
Monte Vista, CO 8144
Phone: 719-852-5638
Cell: 719-850-3237
Fax: 719-470-2245
Email: slvagcheck@gmail.com

COLORADO

ST Organics
Rebecca Talmadge
P.O. Box 28
Hereford, CO 80732
Phone: 970-895-2296
Email: storganics@gmail.com

ILLINOIS

Illinois OCIA Chapter 1
Ron Ackerman
29087 N 2850 E Road
Chenoa, IL 61726-5722
Phone: 815-945-5722
Email: ronnga@frontier.com

IOWA

OCIA of Iowa Chapter 1, Inc.
Amy Krasne
14751 260th St
Council Bluffs, IA 51503
Phone: 402-639-6041
Fax: 402-939-0369
Email: iaociach1@gmail.com

IOWA

OCIA Iowa Chapter 2
Leon Kruse
111 East Rural St.
Fort Atkinson, IA 52144
Phone: 563-778-2731
Fax: 563-778-2726
Email:krusefarmer1@gmail.com

IOWA

Southeast Iowa Organic Association (Iowa Chapter 3)
Pam Streeter
4284 215th Ave.
Ottumwa, IA 52501
Phone: 641-799-5900
Email: dpstreeter@gmail.com

KANSAS

Eastern Kansas OCIA
Jackie Keller
2222 SW Glick Rd.
Topeka, KS 66614
Phone:785-633-4621
Email:kellerjackie99@gmail.com

KANSAS

Midwest Organic Producers
Demetria Hill
P.O. Box 175
Jennings, KS 67643
Phone:785-678-7006
Email: deme.hill@outlook.com

MINNESOTA

OCIA Minnesota Chapter
Lorri Ann Hartel
2609 Wheat Dr.
Red Lake Falls, MN 56750
Phone: 218-253-4907
Email: lhartel@prairieagcomm.com

MONTANA

Northeast Montana OCIA
David Stentoft
Phone: 406-783-7127
Email: david.stentoft@nemont.coop

NEBRASKA

OCIA of Nebraska
Kim Mosel
86536 State Spur 45A
Page, NE 68766
Phone: 402-620-2701
Email: ociane1@yahoo.com
Website: www.nebraskaocia.org

NORTH DAKOTA

North Dakota Organic Growers
Allan Miller
8335 93rd St. SE
Ellendale, ND 58436
Phone: 701-349-4587
Email: akmiller@drtel.net

NORTH DAKOTA

North Central OCIA 2
Twyla Stroh
4275 39th Ave. SE
Tappen, ND 58487
Phone: 701-226-0632

OHIO

Ohio Chapter 2 of OCIA
Walter Horodyski
Phone: 330-772-6992
Email: wjrhorodyski@gmail.com

SOUTH DAKOTA

OCIA South Dakota 1
Wilford Secker
12933 301st Ave.
Selby, SD 57472
Phone: 605-649-6327
Email: wsecker@venturecomm.net

SOUTH DAKOTA

OCIA South Dakota 2
Sarah Kluge
9620 173rd Ave SE
Fairmount, ND 58030
Phone: 320-267-6417
Email: svanderbeek@live.com

WISCONSIN

North East Wisconsin Organic Chapter
Chris Jaworski
7899 Regal Lane
Pulaski, WI 54162
Phone: 920-660-0236
Email: jaws8753radtke@gmail.com
Website: www.northeastwiorganic.com

Connect with us!

Chapters aren’t the only way to learn more about organic certification and find community. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube where we share helpful certification tips, feature the incredible work of our operators, and tell you more about our amazing organization.

International Chapters

CANADA

OCIA Chapter Members Association – Canada
Marg Laberge
4829 47 Ave.
St. Paul, AB T0A 3A3
Phone: 780-614-4168
Fax: 888-823-3372
Email: ociachaptermembers@gmail.com

GUATEMALA

Guatemala Chapter 1
Dariush Echeverria
7a. Avenida 12-07 Zona 9 Edificio Etisa Sotano
Cuidad de Guatemala Guatemala
Phone: 502-2331-7877
Email: dariush_echeverria@hotmail.com

Why join an OCIA Chapter?

Being a member of an OCIA chapter allows the participation within the larger organization of OCIA such as voting rights at the Annual General Membership Meeting (AGMM). OCIA Chapters also offer a variety of services which are educational and supportive toward organic operations or for those wishing to begin organic operations.

Benefits of being a member of a chapter include, but are not limited to:

      • A farmer-owned and farmer-controlled organization
      • Supply technical assistance, educational information and research in organic farming practices to their members
      • Chapters, as a separate entity from certification, can assist members with the application process.
      • Network of chapters
      • Field days
      • Local discussions of problems and success
      • Mentor new producers
      • Be mentored by new producers
      • Please contact any of OCIA’s chapter offices for more information about the individual benefits of chapter membership.
Person in field

Board of Directors

OCIA International is served by a volunteer, member-elected Board of Directors that works to support OCIA and its members.

Chris Jaworski
President

Christian Evans
Vice President

Carolyn Lane
Secretary
Jack Geiger
Chair
Randy Mosel
Treasurer

Scott Ausborn
Kelsey Sheehan
Members at Large

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CONFIRM SUBMISSION

Thank you for submitting your organic certification application! OCIA looks forward to working with you.

For applicants who are new or currently under suspension, please see the end of the page for some important notes.

An estimate for your 2023 certification and inspection fees was sent with the login information. Please promptly send payment to the address on the invoice. If you are a new applicant, OCIA will not review your file until payment is received.

If you are submitting hardcopies of any supporting documents, please mail them to the address on the invoice. Failure to submit required supporting documents may lead to delays in the review.

Once a complete file is received, OCIA will complete a pre-inspection review. During this process, OCIA will contact you if additional information is needed. Please respond to any communication from OCIA in a timely manner.

Please contact OCIA International if you have any questions.

New applicants: Please be reminded that as a new applicant, your operation currently cannot label or sell product as organic. If organic certification is granted, an organic certificate will be issued and product can then be sold as organic.

For farm operations, the inspector must see your crop in the field, so check-strips must be left in all fields requested for certification if any harvest occurs prior to inspection. For hay fields, any hay harvested prior to inspection cannot be certified as organic.

For suspended operations: Please be aware that no product can be sold as “organic” while suspended and previous product is no longer “organic.” For farm operations, any crops currently in storage are no longer organic and must be sold conventionally. Only crops harvested after reinstatement, if it is granted, may be sold as “organic.” Any crops harvested from fields prior to reinstatement must be sold conventionally.

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CONFIRMAR LA SOLICITUD

¡Gracias por enviar su solicitud de certificación orgánica! OCIA espera trabajar con usted. Para los solicitantes que son nuevos o están actualmente suspendidos, consulte el final de la página para conocer información importante.

Se le envió un estimado de los honorarios de certificación e inspección 2023 con la información de inicio de sesión. Envíe puntualmente el pago a la dirección que figura en la factura. Si usted es un nuevo solicitante, OCIA no revisará su expediente hasta que se reciba el pago.

Si envía copias impresas de cualquier documento de respaldo, envíelas por correo a la dirección que figura en la factura. Se podrá producir demoras en la revisión si no se envían los documentos de respaldo necesarios,.

Una vez que se recibe un expediente completo, OCIA llevará a cabo una revisión de preinspección. Durante este proceso, OCIA se comunicará con usted si necesita información adicional. Responda a cualquier comunicación de OCIA de manera oportuna.

Póngase en contacto con OCIA International si tiene alguna pregunta.

Para los solicitantes nuevos: recuerde que, como solicitante nuevo, su operación actualmente no puede etiquetar o vender productos como orgánicos. Si se otorga la certificación orgánica, se emitirá un certificado orgánico y el producto se podrá vender como orgánico.

Para las operaciones agrícolas, el inspector debe ver su cultivo en el campo, por lo que si se produce alguna cosecha antes de la inspección, se deben dejar franjas o surcos de verificación en todos los campos solicitados para la certificación. Para los campos de heno, cualquier heno cosechado antes de la inspección no puede certificarse como orgánico.

Para operaciones suspendidas: tenga en cuenta que ningún producto puede venderse como "orgánico" mientras está suspendido y que el producto anterior ya no es "orgánico". Para las operaciones agrícolas, cualquier cultivo actualmente almacenado ya no es orgánico y debe venderse de manera convencional. Solo los cultivos cosechados después del restablecimiento, si se otorga, pueden venderse como "orgánicos". Cualquier cultivo cosechado de los campos antes de la reinstalación debe venderse de manera convencional ".

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Submission Successful

Thank you for submitting your organic certification application! OCIA looks forward to working with you.

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Envío exitoso

¡Gracias por enviar su solicitud de certificación orgánica! OCIA espera trabajar con usted.

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