Current advisory positions:

• Policy Advisor for The Heartland Institute
• Research Associate for The Frontier Centre for Public Policy

EDUCATION

Academic

Bachelor’s Degree w/Honours (4-year) major in history from the University of Saskatchewan, 1991; Thesis: The Development of Nitrogen for Fertilizer and Warfare.

Other languages: Full reading, writing and speaking fluency in French

Agricultural

• Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) Auditor Training, Moose Jaw SK, 2003
• Independent Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA) Advanced Process Auditor Training, Moose Jaw SK, 2003
• IOIA/Enviro-Test Labs Field Sampling for Pesticide Residue, Moose Jaw SK, 2003
• OCIA /National Organic Program (USDA), Farm/Process Auditor Training, Regina SK, 2002
• American Institute of Baking/IOIA Advanced Auditor/HACCP Training, Brooklyn MI, 1999
• IOIA (European Union) Livestock and Process Auditor Training, Brooklyn MI, 1999
• IOIA (EU) Farm and Process Auditor Training, Hiawatha IA, 1998

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Current (2009 to present): Author of Is it Organic? The inside story of who destroyed the organic industry, Polyphase Communication, 2010

• Jay Lehr, Science Director at The Heartland Institute, says this book is "guaranteed to delight!"
• Alan Caruba, author of Right Answers: Separating Fact from Fantasy, says it's "a thrillingly honest book; dangerous in the best possible way."
• For more reviews of my book go to http://www.isitorganic.ca/reviews
  

Recent public speaking engagements:

• December 14, 2011, 2011 Far West Agribusiness Association Winter Conference in Pasco, WA

• March 10, 2011, Tiffin Conference in Lethbridge, AB
• January 12^th, 2010, Convergence Conference at the State of Maine Dept. of Agricultural Trade Show in Augusta, ME

Current (2003 to present):

• Organic agriculture consultant
  • Expert testimony in legal cases
  • Clients include a wide range of organic, natural and biodynamic farmers and processors, as well as conventional and biotech clients concerned with the rising tide of “traditional” farming methodologies
• Freelance writer and radio host

Talk Radio

• AM 1150 News Talk Sports in Kelowna BC. Co-hosting and fill-in hosting

• Other radio shows I’ve appeared on to talk about agriculture include: Dave Rutherford, AM 770 News Talk Sports in Edmonton, AB; John Oakley Show and the Charles Adler Show on AM 640 in Toronto, ON; Night Hawk with Geoff Currier on CJOB 68 Superstation in Winnipeg, MB; Fred Hodges, KKVV 1060AM, Las Vegas, NV; Bryan Allen, CKNX-AM920 Radio, Wingham, ON; Kelvin Heppner; Golden West Radio, Altona, MB
• For more of my radio work, go to http://www.isitorganic.ca/radio
  

Op/Ed Columns

• The Epoch Times
• The National Post
• The Vancouver Sun
• Winnipeg Free Press
• Kelowna Daily Courier (The Okanagan Valley Group of Newspapers)
• The Packer (Vance Publishing Corp.) Lenexa, KS
• CropLife Media Group, Willoughby, OH
• American Thinker, El Cerrito, CA
• RealClearScience.com

• Western Producer (Glacier Media Inc.)
• Grainnews (Glacier Media Inc.)
• The Métropolitain (Institute for Public Affairs)
• Wadena News & Kelvington Radio (Wadena News Ltd.)
• BuyFromTheFarm.ca, Kingston, ON
• For more of my print work go to http://www.isitorganic.ca/news and http://www.isitorganic.ca/news/western_producer_stories
  

TV and major print interviews I have given

• The Charles Adler Show, Sun News TV, Dec. 2011, Feb. and April 2012
• Andy Pierrotti, "NBC Investigates: Organic or Not?" WBBH-TV Florida, November 9, 2011
• Kevin Hursh, "Agriculture faces increasing consumer scrutiny" Copyright 2008, The StarPhoenix
• Bill Alpert, Senior Editor at Barron’s Weekly, "Do-Gooders Who Could Do Better" Copyright 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
• I have also been interviewed by CBC, CTV and Global. For more interviews I have given go to http://www.isitorganic.ca
  

2003 to 2006: When my wife and I moved to the Okanagan in 2003, I sold photocopiers and business software for three years while building my agricultural communications career. I worked for IKON Office Solutions in Kelowna, Gold Network Printing Solutions in Kamloops, and Windward Software Inc. in Penticton, and fulfilled 100% of sales quota in all three cases.

1998 to 2003: Independent Organic Inspector performing over 500 inspections

Types of inspections performed include: crops (grains, pulses and green juicing crops); market garden (vegetables and herbs) including basic processing such as washing, milling and bagging; greenhouse (vegetables, fruits and herbs); orchard (fruits and basic processing); livestock (cattle, sheep, pigs, buffalo, chickens); basic processing (seed cleaning plants) and advanced processing (flower mill, pancake mix, muffin mix, slaughter/cutting/packing and meat processing); maple syrup inspections in Quebec, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont; wild rice in northern Saskatchewan, including stewardship and harvesting, seed cleaning, parboiling, bulk bagging, and retail bagging; nutraceuticals processing, encapsulating, packaging and brokering, as well as other types of warehousing and broker/trader.

USDA NOP (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, National Organic Program-accredited) private certifiers I worked for from 1998 to 2003:

• Quality Assurance International (QAI)
• International Certification Services (ICS) dba Farm Verified Organic (FVO)
• Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA)
• Greenlife Organic Association (GOA)
• Ecocert Canada (GuaranteeBio) the SK Organic Certification Association (SOCA)
• Global Organic Alliance (GOA)
• Organic Producers Association of Manitoba (OPAM)
• Canadian Certified Organic Cooperative (COCC)

During my rookie years as a contract organic inspector I also worked as a freelance writer for Saskatchewan Business Magazine, and for Con Rep Services, a paving company in Saskatoon.

1991 to 1998

• Farming in Saskatchewan, operating heavy machinery and bookwork
• Freelance writing and volunteering in community radio CFCR 90.5 FM
• Tree planting in Northern Alberta
• Coffee shop owner (Saskatoon) and manager (Calgary)

COMMUNITY FUNDRAISING

2006 to 2007: South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation, “Imagine the Best in Breast Cancer Detection”

2006 to 2008: Okanagan-Coquihala Riding Association

2003 to 2007: Downtown Penticton Rotary Club