Contractors

Communications Contractor

Brian Geier has worked within organic agriculture for over 20 years. While he did not grow up on a farm, his interest was sparked when volunteering with the Landless Peasant Movement in Brazil as a teenager. In college, he studied under Marianne Sarrantonio in the Sustainable Agriculture program at the University of Maine. Following seasonal internships at various crop/livestock farms, he worked under Dr. Michael Bomford on soil-borne disease control in organic vegetable systems at Kentucky State University. He has 8 years experience as a small farm operator and with commercial, organic, value-added processing, and was a co-founder of the Organic Association of Kentucky. In recent years, Brian worked with land-based non-profits with a focus on education programs, including White Oak Farm and Education Center and the Vesper Meadow Education Program. He currently lives on a farm in Indiana near Louisville and is launching a farm-based non-profit focused on land-connected crafts with his partner. When Brian isn’t in the office, you can most likely find him out on the farm or hiking near water, or, just as likely, in the water.  

Communications Contractor

Elizabeth Tobey (she/her) is a farmer and freelance communications contractor. She is motivated by a deep desire to connect people to the land on which they live and believes that we all have a responsibility to care for the earth and each other. Elizabeth grew up an unschooled youth, learning alongside her family’s goats, chickens, ducks, vegetable gardens, and fruit trees. Her background includes immersive studies of organic agriculture, permaculture, intentional community development, natural building, dance, yoga, and creative nonfiction writing, and she holds a degree in Sustainable Community Development from Prescott College, with a focus on Mentoring Future Generations. She has extensive experience as an educator in both indoor and outdoor settings, with preschoolers through adults.

In 2022 she and her partner moved to the traditional homelands of the Shawnee in what is now known as Southern Indiana, and launched Bundle Sticks Farm and Education Center, a nonprofit focused on land-connected craft. On the farm and in all life Elizabeth honors the complexities of power and privilege and is committed to ongoing learning around how to be a better ancestor, ally, and activist. When she’s not at work in front of a computer, or out tending to the land, you’ll likely find her cooking delicious food to share with friends.

Research, Education & Policy

Mark Schonbeck has worked for 31 years as a researcher, consultant, and educator in sustainable and organic agriculture. He has participated in on-farm research into mulching, cover crops, minimum tillage, and nutrient management for organic vegetables. For many years, he has written for the Virginia Association for Biological Farming newsletter and served as their policy liaison to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. He has also participated in different research projects to analyze, evaluate and improve federally funded organic and sustainable agriculture programs. In addition, Mark offers individual consulting in soil test interpretation, soil quality and nutrient management, crop rotation, cover cropping, and weed management.