Note from the President

We as the Iowa Organic Association are approaching our first year anniversary. With limited personnel and a tight budget, we as an association have made a significant impact in getting our message out to many legislators, government officials and the media that often in the past have controlled our destiny.

On the behalf of the Board of Directors and our Advisors, I would like to thank all of you for your continued support, patience and hard work. As an association, we are viewed as a key umbrella group of like-minded individuals truly representing all areas of organics in Iowa. It takes individuals like you, who have the vision and the tenacity to come together with a mission and belief system, to make a difference.

Our challenge in the upcoming year is to get as many of you as possible actively involved in our core areas of concentration: education, research, marketing and promotion and policy. If any of you have an interest in becoming more active in any of these core areas, please contact us or bring your ideas to our annual meeting. An association is only effective when there is active participation with all its members.

I ask all of you to become involved and participate as much as you are able, as we move forward the coming years. We as an association must provide information to those transitioning to organics and support and advise those who are conducting quality and innovative research on our behalf for continued growth. We must continue to showcase the value of our products; refine and enhace the system of checks and balances of organics; thereby, maintaining the highest level of product integrity for those consuming Iowa organics at all levels in the food chain.

Sincerely,

Iowa Organic Association
Joseph W. Ward, Ph.D.
President