Mail: PO Box 557, East Troy, WI 53120 (contact individual staff for specific mailing information)
Telephone: (262) 649-9212 (see below for individual extensions)
Rebecca Briggs | Eugene, OR | Communications, Website, and Media | rebecca@biodynamics.com | x3
Prior to finding her niche in communications and agriculture, Rebecca worked for four years as an attorney for a law firm in Washington, D.C. She joined the Biodynamic Association in the summer of 2007 as editor of the Biodynamics journal, a position that soon grew to encompass general communications and outreach. Rebecca received a B.A. in political science and religious studies from the University of Pittsburgh, a J.D. from Georgetown University, and an M.S. in environmental studies from the University of Oregon. She has been active in food and farming issues, including working on a small horse-powered Biodynamic® farm, editing and designing a local food and farm guide, and serving as a former board member and Secretary of the School Garden Project of Lane County. Based in Eugene, Oregon, she enjoys working in her garden, exploring the local food scene, and soaking up the natural splendor of the Pacific Northwest.
Thea Maria Carlson | Santa Rosa, CA | Co-Director | thea@biodynamics.com | x5
Thea is Co-Director of the Biodynamic Association, bringing vitality and renewal to the food system through regenerative agriculture. She is a leader, facilitator, educator, and farmer dedicated to building living soil, growing nutritious food, and nurturing vibrant communities. She lives in the Mayacamas Mountains in Sonoma County, California, and frequently visits other parts of the world. Her diverse experience includes farming biodynamic and organic vegetables, fruit and flowers; teaching gardening, nutrition, and beekeeping; designing, building and managing urban community and educational gardens; and organizing strategic communications training programs for nonprofit leaders. Since 2011, she has played a key role in developing the Biodynamic Association’s educational offerings, planning and implementing the biennial North American Biodynamic Conference, and exploring new ways to manage and evolve the organization. Thea earned a B.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University, a permaculture design certificate from Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, and is trained in the Art of Hosting and consensus facilitation. Besides growing food, making compost, and helping others to do both, she loves to hike, play her cello, throw pottery, cook, read, and spend time with her family and many beloved friends.
Karisa Centanni | North Adams, MA | Development and Fundraising | karisa@biodynamics.com | x11
Karisa is Development Director for the Biodynamic Association and brings years of experience co-creating and implementing grassroots fundraising and capital campaigns to this role. She has worked in local food systems, food policy, and food justice sectors for over a decade, and is a dedicated student of biodynamics. She has completed apprenticeships or internships at Live Power Community Farm, Spikenard Farm, and Delphi Agrarian Arts Foundation — and owes much to the invaluable education that each opportunity has gifted her with. She has seen first hand, through work as an estate garden manager, orchardist, and experiential educator, the transformative effect that biodynamic methods have on farm organisms and is forever committed to practicing regenerative agricultural practices. She lives in western Massachusetts and enjoys making and experiencing art, exploring the woods, and visiting swimming holes with family and friends.
Karen Davis-Brown | Sauk Centre, MN | Biodynamics Journal | karen@biodynamics.com | x1
Karen Davis-Brown is Editor of the Biodynamics journal. Since her initial training in biodynamics in 1999, she has worked in organic and biodynamic agriculture as a grower, trainer, writer, marketer, editor, newsletter/website designer, inspector, and consultant, in most regions of the North American continent.
In addition, she is the Midwest Coordinator for the North American Biodynamic Apprentice Program (NABDAP).
Kaitlin Downs | Milwaukee, WI | Business Partner Support, Scholarship Fund, and Online Groups | kaitlin@biodynamics.com | x8
Kailtin is a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, where she got her B.A. in International Politics. While at UWM, she completed three internships (one in the courthouse and two others in local nonprofits) and was very active in volunteering. She became interested in agriculture during her senior capstone, where she centered her studies around agrarian reform practices and land grabbing in Africa. She is especially interested in urban gardening, nutrition, and anything involving helping the bees. She plans to continue her education and return for her Masters in Public Health next fall. In her spare time, she loves camping, biking, reading, and selling vintage clothing.
Robert Karp | Milwaukee, WI | Co-Director | robert.karp@biodynamics.com | x6
Robert is a long-time social entrepreneur in the sustainable food and farming movement. Robert has helped start numerous innovative food projects, including community supported agriculture projects (CSAs), farmers’ markets, institutional buying projects and farmer-buyer-consumer alliances. He is also the founder of New Spirit Farmland Partnerships, LLC, which helps organic and sustainable farmers acquire farmland by linking them with ethical investors. Robert is the former executive director of Practical Farmers of Iowa and former board chair of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. Robert’s writings include an analysis of the sustainable food and farming movement in the light of Rudolf Steiner’s economic insights titled Toward an Associative Economy in the Sustainable Food and Farming Movement and an essay titled "Community and Agriculture: An Iowa Pilgrimage" published by Free River Press in Eating in Place: Telling the Story of Local Foods. Robert lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Zachary Krebs | Eugene, OR | Technology
Zachary Krebs takes great joy in creating holistic and integrated technology systems that are built for people and their day-to-day use. Starting off with proprietary CRM software in 2006, he learned the ins and outs of the corporate software world. After making a transition to an open-source software business model, where software is free and support is provided at a fair rate, he noticed that his clients' websites continually improved and a feeling of reciprocity emerged. A website, just like a garden, yields the greatest sustainable fruit with constant attention and awareness of the entire system and what we give back to it. Zachary lives in Eugene, Oregon, and enjoys gardening, practicing Taijiquan, and drinking Taiwanese high mountain green Oolong tea.
Anna McAvoy-Emrick | Holt, MI | Finances and Operations | anna@biodynamics.com | x2
Anna comes to the BDA with seven years of experience working in program and event management roles in nonprofits. Most recently, she served as a program manager for a regional educational series and helped to increase the efficacy and number of educational offerings of that society, as well as increasing the documentation and efficiency of operations. Her interests in process and policy, membership retention, organizational structure, and farming philosophies converge in her role with the BDA. She earned a B.S. in Nonprofit Management from Manchester College (now Manchester University). In her spare time she enjoys vegetable gardening (especially employing the principles picked up through the biodynamic movement), reading, sewing, cooking and baking, and hosting/visiting friends and family.
Anthony Mecca | Red Hook, NY | Farmer Training | nabdap@biodynamics.com | x14
Anthony began farming 10 years ago, in search of a place to wonder, explore, and serve. In farming, he found hot sun, hard physical work, and community to be potent medicine. After five years learning from a diversity of farms, Anthony was called to the Hudson Valley of New York to begin Great Song Farm in 2010. Here he found his kin and began deepening his work with biodynamic farming, anthroposophy, inner work, and community life. Fostering direct and meaningful relationships between nature, agriculture, and community is central to his work. Anthony brings experiences as a student, WWOOFer, apprentice, farm-worker, farmer, and mentor to his work coordinating Farmer Training at the BDA. He also enjoys cooking, reading, and sitting quietly in the grass with the cows.
Penny Molina | Madison, WI | Business Relationships | penny@biodynamics.com | x7
With an ongoing sense of wonder at the miracles produced by biodynamic and organic farming, Penny is a city kid from Chicago who discovered farming at Echo Valley Farm in Ontario, Wisconsin, and never looked back. Penny began working with the BDA as its conference coordinator for the 2012 and 2014 conferences before moving into her current role at the BDA of fostering business relationships. With more than 25 years of experience in marketing, event planning, branding, and fundraising for agricultural clients, Penny brings a strong business perspective to the farming community. Her education includes a BA from Boston College in communications, a Stateline Farm Beginnings Certificate from Angelic Organics Learning Center, and various farming seminars at Michael Fields. Besides growing squash, pole beans, and snap peas in her garden in Madison, Wisconsin, she is learning to play the hammer dulcimer, loves to ride her tandem bike with husband, Phil, and camp in state parks in their teardrop camper.
Sarah Weber | Squamish, BC | Research Program, Bridging the Americas Initiative | sarah@biodynamics.com | x10
Sarah first encountered biodynamics in 2000 and has continued learning about it ever since. Sarah is excited to play a role in supporting biodynamic research across the continent. Based in Squamish, Cascadia, Sarah conducted a biodynamic apprenticeship at C-Dar Lodge Farm, has taken part in biodynamic preparation making, organized biodynamic courses, and travelled to many farms and gatherings to see how biodynamics is practiced and understood as widely as possible. She is motivated to explore applications of biodynamics in forestry and land restoration. Sarah completed her M.Sc. Forestry and B.Sc. Natural Resources Conservation at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. She has walked many miles in the woods conducting fieldwork for wildlife research, forest ecology, silviculture, and as a backcountry park ranger. More recently she has worked as a social scientist and cultural researcher, carrying out traditional land use and related studies. She is inspired by gardening and adventuring in the outdoors with her husband, their black dog, and friends by foot, bike, boat, and skis.