BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Michael Alms
Growing Solutions, Inc.
Michael Alms is President of Growing Solutions Inc. in Eugene, Oregon. His company introduced the first commercially manufactured compost tea systems to the market in 1997. Today, Growing Solutions continues to provide industrial-grade compost tea equipment and supplies to a range of agricultural markets. Co-founder of CTIA & CTERF, Michael also holds a seat on the Hawaii Organic Farmers Association Board of Directors. He has been in the agricultural industry over 22 years and is active with growers and researchers throughout the U.S. providing resources for economically viable, sustainable growing practices.

Vicki Bess
BBC Laboratories, Inc.
Vicki Bess is the President and founder of BBC Laboratories, Inc., an independent environmental microbiology laboratory established in Tempe, Arizona in 1991. BBC Laboratories works with agriculture, horticulture and turf industries to improve the soil microbiology for increased crop quality and yield. Vicki has spent many years working with growers, compost producers and compost users to evaluate soil and compost quality and to develop innovative compost technologies. She has been active in developing economically feasible methods for analyzing microbiological profiles of soil, compost and compost tea as well as detection systems for the analysis of plant pathogen inhibitors. Her degrees include a B.S. in Biology, a B.S. in Zoology/Botany, and a M.S. in Microbiology. Vicki is also an adjunct professor for the Department of Microbiology at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.

Marney Blair
Fulcrum Farm
Formerly the Supervisor of the Presidio’s Regeneration Program in San Francisco, Marney Blair currently manages Fulcrum Farm—a Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) operation that provides dry goods and specialty items to its members. Marney’s recent work at the Presidio included managing a comprehensive composting program and conducting research on compost tea applications for turf and native habitat restoration. Marney’s degrees include a B.S. in Biology and an M.S. in Psychoneuroimmunolgy.

Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, Ph.D.
Washington State University
Lynne Carpenter-Boggs is a soil microbiologist at Washington State University in Pullman. She has worked with a broad range of organisms and issues, including growth stimulation of mycorrhizal fungi, host range and molecular identification of pathogenic fungi, animal carcass composting, fertilization effects on native soil fertility, soil quality, soil microbial enzyme activities, and biodynamic farming.

Jack Chambers
Sonoma Valley Worm Farm
Jack Chambers is a leader in providing high quality vermicompost for compost tea, vineyards, and other horticultural needs. His company utilizes a continuous flow system, including a pre-composting stage, to produce vermicompost. He and his wife Lois have owned and operated the Sonoma Valley Worm Farm for 10 years, and continue to pursue new technology and resources for the emerging vermicompost industry.

Ed Neff
SoilSoup, Inc.
Ed Neff is President and co-founder of SoilSoup, Inc., manufacturer of environmentally friendly products primarily for the consumer lawn and garden industry. Ed is a seasoned entrepreneur with a proven track record in business management, sales and marketing. Before founding SoilSoup, he and co-founder Jerry Erickson successfully started two other companies. His accomplishments are outwardly directed to the industry as well. He is a founding member of the Compost Tea Industry Association and active in national and state “green” associations. Member of the American Nursery and Landscape Association, California Nursery Association, Oregon Nursery Association, the Washington Nursery and Landscape Association, and the Mail-order Gardening Association

Joel Reiten
Bejo Seeds, Inc.
Joel has been involved with organic production for nearly 15 years and has worked with compost teas for 8 years for fertility enhancement and bio-disease control. He is currently manager of seed production for Bejo Seeds, a world leader in vegetable seed genetics that has a major commitment to the production of organic seeds for the world market. “I am continuing to work to make compost teas a consistent, dependable, scientifically verifiable part of our organic seed production program around the world.”

Cindy Salter
Organics Matter
Cindy is an independent consultant in the compost tea, composting and recycling industries with a diverse professional background in the environmental field spanning more than 20 years. Her current focus is on increasing the appropriate use and understanding of compost and compost tea towards a more sustainable agriculture and environment. She was one of the founders of the Carolinas Composting Council in the early 90’s, and now serves on the Board of Oregon Tilth and the Composting Council of Oregon. She holds a B.S. degree in Agronomy from Texas A&M University.

Steve Scheuerell, Ph.D.
Oregon State University
Steve Scheuerell has been actively studying the production and use of compost teas and compost since apprenticing at the University of California, Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems in 1993. A proponent of biologically intensive farming systems, Steve has been a certified organic farmer and market garden instructor at the Homeless Garden Project in Santa Cruz, CA. For his Ph.D. degree at Oregon State University, Steve conducted research on compost teas and compost amended container media for plant disease control. He is currently working as a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon.

Scott Subler, Ph.D.
Pacific Garden Company
Dr. Scott Subler is a leading soil ecologist and authority on natural plant care. A former Professor of Soil Ecology at Ohio State University, he has conducted extensive scientific research on how earthworms improve soil fertility. Currently, as President of Pacific Garden Company, he spends much of his time educating the public about soil health and the extraordinary value of earthworm castings for growing healthy plants.