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Research and Education Program Fellow

email: matt[at]ofrf.org

Matt Jones (he/him) joins OFRF as the Research and Education Program Fellow after 15 years working with farmers on sustainable agriculture research. In this role he will be working on a national needs assessment to inform a National Organic Research Agenda report.

Throughout his career, Matt has worked with farmers across diverse agroecosystems, from organic lowbush blueberry growers in Maine to transitioning vegetable farmers in California. Most recently he’s been working as an independent consultant assisting growers, businesses and nonprofits in finding biologically-based farm management solutions. Previously he worked as Research Assistant Professor at Washington State University’s Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center. Earlier roles included a Fulbright Research Fellowship in New Zealand and a research technician for the USDA.

Matt has a Ph.D. in Entomology from Washington State University and an M.S. in Ecology and Environmental Science from the University of Maine. He and his wife live on a small farm in the Chumstick Valley of central Washington. When he’s not at work, you can find him digging in the dirt, pruning fruit trees, or climbing and skiing in the backyard mountains.

Data Integrity Specialist

email: elise[at]ofrf.org

Elise Wynen (she/her): A fundraising and development professional with more than a decade of experience across Ireland, the United States, and India, Elise has built multi-year partnerships with multinational corporations and led strategic fundraising planning for a multi-campus institution. Elise combines frontline fundraising expertise with deep technical knowledge of CRM systems, having led a full database migration and trained fundraising teams as a certified Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge and NXT professional. She is passionate about using data to help organizations doing good in the world become more effective. Elise holds an M.S. in Sociology and Demography and began her career managing community development and research projects in rural India. Outside of work, she enjoys learning new languages, crocheting, art, reading, and traveling.

Communications Associate

email: me[at]ofrf.org

Mary Elizabeth Kidd (she/her) has spent the last 15 years in marketing and communications focused on local food and farming. Her driving passion is connecting people to food and one another with the goal of strengthening communities and deepening our relationship with the earth. Mary Elizabeth (aka M.E.) has a robust background in achieving business goals for local food leaders. She got her start promoting locally owned restaurants and supporting community food events before spending 5+ years in digital marketing, supporting multi-unit restaurants and consumer packaged goods (CPG). She then served as Georgia Organics’ Communications Director, connecting farmers with the resources, peer networks, and other key stakeholders to drive their success and growth. Beyond the desk, she’s gotten her hands dirty working on organic farms, urban farms, and at Atlanta farmers markets, staying closely connected to the everyday rhythms of growing and sharing good food. M.E. is committed to OFRF’s mission to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems and believes in the power of organic farmers to steward our earth and feed their neighbors. When she’s not focused on storytelling and resource-sharing for farmers, you can find her walking her Great Pyrenees, George, and playing the harp in hospitals as part of a therapeutic music program.